To me, that simply makes perfect business sense, and yet, it is something which several other manufacturers have tried and failed in the past. In fact, cast your mind back to Porsche in the 70s and its 924 model. That was actually a very good car, particularly the turbo model or the Le Mans edition which I owed. Unfortunately for Porsche, its 911 customers took offense at the cars which they considered had misplaced motors (in the front), and they basically turned on the company. The upshot was, the motoring world lost out on some wonderful machines like the 944 Turbo as the company decided to pander to its 911 customers and scaled down its front-engined lineup.

It looks like a BMW, it feels like one inside, and it handles like one!

Skip forward a few years and the very same customers accepted a Porsche SUV into the lineup??? I guess times and opinions change, eh?

This kind of problem would never happen to BMW as the company never strays too far away from its heritage, and I'm glad to say that this is certainly true with the 135i. It looks like a BMW, it feels like one inside, and it handles like one!

The Drive!
Well, it has a more go-kart feel to it than the 3-Series, particularly if you go for the M package which includes a nice fat-rimmed M-Power steering wheel. The suspension is a little on the firm side, and bear in mind that you're getting that from a European who is accustomed to such things. In fact, if I'm brutally honest, it was a little too firm for my liking. Maybe that's because I'm getting a little long in the tooth, but if you hit one of our highway's delightful potholes, which appear to be everywhere nowadays, you really do feel it.

Another reason could be that my tester was fitted with the M Sport package which includes 18-inch wheels. These look great but offer very little rubber between the rims and the road. Of course, that's always a trade-off because they also supply amazing grip in the corners and heaps of traction.

Speaking of which, this is one of those vehicles where traction control can be your friend, because without it, or if you turn it off (well, I had to try that, didn't I?), the 135i can become quite a handful, especially for someone who is perhaps a little inexperienced.

The 135i can become quite a handful, especially for someone who is perhaps a little inexperienced.