History
The 1 Series was first offered to the market in 2004 as a five-door hatchback and is the only rear-wheel drive in its class. It replaced the BMW 3 Series Compact range and is currently the smallest and most affordable vehicle (depending on the engine model) in the BMW range.
Unlike its predecessor, the new vehicle is built on its own platform (E87); however, it shares many components with the E90 3 Series. BMW has stated that it shares over 60% of components with the current E90 BMW 3 Series.
The 1 Series is built in Regensburg and Leipzig, Germany, with the 4 cylinder petrol/gas engines coming from the Hams Hall plant in Coleshill north east of Birmingham, England.
During its first full year on the market in 2005, it became one of BMW's most successful products. 149,493 units were sold, leading to a third-place finish in total numbers sold by model. Only the 3 and 5 Series sold better. In 2008, the 1 Series was credited with helping BMW overtake Lexus as the top luxury brand.
For the 2008 MY, the Coupé (code named E82) and Coupé convertible (code named E88) variant have been introduced by BMW. U.S. introduction is scheduled for second quarter of 2008.
The 2007 Facelift Update
BMW upgraded the 1 Series for 2007 and introduced a 3-door sports hatch variant (code named E81). Changes to the model were minor headlight and taillight revisions, new front/rear bumpers and minor revisions to the interior. The dashboard has been updated, and a recommended gear indicator is now present on models with manual transmissions.
New technologies include auto start/stop, Brake Energy Regeneration, Electric Power Steering, an electric water pump, and a host of drivetrain modifications designed for fuel economy, increased performance, and lower emissions. BMW marketing has named this combination of technologies EfficientDynamics, which will also be implemented in other BMW models.
The 1 Series is effectively the first in the world to have mild hybrid technology as standard equipment, although BMW is careful in its marketing not to label it as a hybrid vehicle, as this brings market expectation of electrically assisted drive.
BMW 1 Series Engines
The engines available for E81 and E87 are basically the same as found in the E90/E91, with exception for the 3.0 L inline-6, which is slightly modified to produce more power. For the 2008 model year, the 135i is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that produces 300 horsepower from 1,400 rpm.
For the 135i Coupé, acceleration from 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) is 5.4 seconds (via BMW website), and top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph (250 km/h). Fuel efficiency is increased to 30.7 mpg-US (7.66 L/100 km/36.9 mpg-imp), an improvement of 18% compared to its predecessor.
In early 2006 the 5-speed manual transmission in the 116i and 118i was phased out in favor of the 6-speed all 2006 and newer models with the manual transmission carry.
