When BMW revealed the new M135 last year, we were disappointed to see a deceased version of the “B48” engine. The 2.0-liter petrol mill from Turboch creates only 296 hp in Europe, where the hot hatch has to meet strict emission regulations. Elsewhere, the uncorrected four -cylinder mill delivers the full 312 hp. If the glass is half full, the torque remains unchanged at 400 Nm (295 LB-FT).
In the European taste, the top version in the 1 series has dropped around 6 hp and 37 LB-FT (50 Nm) compared to the old M135i “F40”. After we mentioned the numbers published by BMW on paper, let us see how much electricity the engine really makes. Evolve Automotive Loaned Autoids M Performance 1 Series and strapped it to a Dyno at MSL performance in Great Britain.
After no less than six Dyno runs, the M135 maximized 286 hp during the penultimate test at the bikes. The third run reached the highest torque at 405 Nm (299 LB-FT). Mind you, these numbers represent the performance and torque at the wheel. Assuming a drive train loss of 12%, the engine on the crank makes around 320 hp. The torque delivered to the wheels is already higher than the official number listed by BMW.
Although the new M135 has announced more performance than announced, it is still far from the old M140i. The larger 3.0-liter B58 was good for 335 hp and 369 LB-FT (500 Nm). BMW was either equipped on the rear wheels or to all four. Admittedly, only left-handed cars were available with XDRIVE, as the BMW packaging restrictions forced to skip the RHD configuration with AWD.
BMW does not offer this choice because the new M135 is only XDrive. They are stuck with a two-piece automatic transmission with two couplings, while the no longer existing M140i lets buyers row their own gears with a six-speed manual. Maybe we should be grateful that there is still a sporty version of the 1 series instead of complaining about the good old days.
Video: Evolve Automotive / YouTube
