Ah yes, the BMW 135i: A car with BMW M3 performance, but without the M3’s price. When I first saw that car at Crevier BMW, in Santa Ana, California, my first impression was, “Whoa…what a rocket this must be.” And you know what? I was right. The 335i’s “little brother” have been targeting the younger buyers ever since it made its debut in the U.S. two years ago. Shouldn’t Pierce Brosnan end up driving something similar to this car instead of that Aston in the Bond flick, “Die Another Day” to kick off the end of the Brosnan/BMW era of the 007 franchise? I believe so; I mean, tracing back 15 years, when he first appeared as the dazzling British secret agent, in the movie “Goldeneye,” he had driven the very first BMW to ever come onto the Bond set. Then, there was the historic E38 BMW 750i(L) in “Tomorrow Never Dies,” and finally, the BMW Z8 in “The World is Not Enough” when it miserably and wretchedly got sliced in half long-way by Elektra King’s henchmen (L); MGM three to four years later wanted Bond (or Brosnan for that matter) to go back to Aston Martin? Come on, at least he could have driven the E46 M3 with the SMG transmission or an E39 M5 with the standard manual transmission. But anyway, that was just on a sidenote. Now on to the reviews. After doing a few test runs with the 135i at various BMW dealers (both coupe and convertible) in sunny Southern California, I have found its interior to be quite comfortable. The black Boston leather seats, which I mostly adore, are not really firm, but also does not get the plushy feeling when the Premium Package is included, and the StepTronic transmission (for the 2008-2010 models) is very smooth and efficient. Again, if you want M3 performance without the M3 price, the 135i is definitely the car for you. The 135i convertible is nothing but a coupe with an extra $5000 “jacket” that does not even fit to look like an Armani-like suit; not to mention, that soft-top actually adds an extra 500-600 pounds in the back. So if you are thinking of lugging your golf clubs or some luggage in the back of the 135i convertible, think again. I would rather go with the 135i coupe rather than the convertible any day; the coupe is lighter, more attractive-looking, and gets better 0-60 mph and ¼ mile numbers on a straight Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11
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