BMW 135is

The story

BMW built the 135is as a farewell rather than a manifesto. It took the straight-six 1 Series coupe, retuned the N55, made the free-breathing BMW Performance exhaust and the M Sport kit standard, and sold the result for a single model year before the whole E82 line was retired. On a winding road it is a joy: short wheelbase, rear drive, real weight and feedback in the hydraulic rack, and an exhaust that pops and crackles every time the throttle closes. On a circuit it is less heroic. With an open differential and run-flat tires, the front end surrenders long before the engine runs out of enthusiasm.

Its real enemy was the showroom. It cost almost exactly what a brand-new 335i sedan did, and that car had more room, more doors and more badge, so only about 800 found buyers in North America. It also lived in the shadow of the 1 Series M Coupe, which shares its chassis and proportions but adds a genuine limited-slip differential. The M car became a blue-chip collectible. The 135is became the overlooked side door into the same small, loud, steering-first idea.