mikeyb
10-27-2008, 11:59 AM
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p1.jpg
With plenty of power and responsive handling, the 135i Cabrio is already a star among BMWs. It's even more entertaining when turned into a 360-hp ACS1 by AC Schnitzer.
By Nick Kurczewski
Photography by Nick Kurczewski
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to drive a truly rapid and expertly engineered car on Germany’s autobahn, then you know how incredible it is the first time you pin the gas pedal to the floor. As your brain goes into sensory overload, common sense tells you that you’re breaking the rules, and that you’re probably about to spend several months sharing a jail cell with a guy named Tiny.
But you’re not. It’s all perfectly legal, and few things bring about such an immediate bond between a car and its driver as a fast run down one of these legendary freeways.
If that’s true, why are we so desperate to find another road while screaming down the autobahn near Aachen, Germany in an AC Schnitzer-tuned 360-horsepower 1 Series? We haven’t become completely jaded, nor have we traded in our high-performance BMW-loving souls. The thrill of planting throttle pedal to the floor is still there, especially in AC Schnitzer’s new ACS1.
The reason is simple: the engine and chassis combination in the 135i (much less the ACS1) is too good to be enjoyed only in a straight line. Even in stock form, this baby Bavarian muscle car not only goes like hell, it also steers like a dream and isn’t afraid to make you do some actual work when it comes time to get a move on.
The ACS1’s suspension is hunkered down, the engine is roaring and, poor us, we’re stuck on the autobahn. A glance at the speedometer shows that we’re still well short of this car’s 320 km/h (199 mph) top speed limiter. To be honest, the ACS1’s true top speed is closer to 182 mph, but even that is a substantial jump from BMW’s electronic limit of 155 mph though it’s a little shy of AC Schnitzer’s electronic max. The 320-km speedometer also happens to look really cool, so we decide not to nitpick with AC Schnitzer rep Michael Drawz, who has joined us for our drive in the ACS1.
Even if it won’t reach 199 mph, the car is gaining speed at a freakish rate, courtesy of its reprogrammed ECU, a boost in turbo pressure from 0.8 bar to 1.2 and a new sport exhaust. Apparently, AC Schnitzer missed the memo about the regular 135i already being one fast little car.
The standard 306-hp (Euro-spec) 135i is hardly what we’d call underpowered; its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six endows the baby Bimmer with sports car-slaying performance. In standard form, the 135i sprints from zero to 62 miles per hour in only 5.3 seconds—or less, if you take into account that BMW’s official performance estimates tend to be as conservative as a German banker’s taste in suits. With 383 lb-ft of torque instead of the standard 295, the ACS1 now takes 4.7 seconds to go from zero to 62 mph, according to AC Schnitzer. For all you number crunchers, that’s a match for even the V8-powered M3.
We’re well past 60 mph, but luckily for us, Drawz is nonchalant as the speedo needle continues to climb and our grip on the fat-rimmed AC Schnitzer steering wheel tightens. On the horizon is a group of lumbering tractor trailers—which are themselves speed limited in Germany to only 50 miles per hour—giving us the perfect excuse to finally veer off the autobahn for some twistier roads. Swapping down a couple cogs in the six-speed manual, the N54 turbocharged six-cylinder engine sounds as sweet as they come.
Shifting into fourth gear, we can’t resist one extra little punch of the gas pedal. Ker-wump! The sound of that growling six-cylinder has us thinking about whether we might be able to con Drawz into loaning us the car for the trip back to Paris. We suggest it, he smiles, but the answer is no.
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2a.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2b.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2c.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2d.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2e.jpg
Give us some curves!
Merging onto the off-ramp, the ACS1 is staying remarkably level as we arc around the curve. There is next to no body roll, yet the ride remains pliant and comfortable despite the fitment of an AC Schnitzer spring kit and sport suspension system. The 225/35-19 rubber mounted on AC Schnitzer’s 19-inch Type IV BiColor alloys keeps a firm lock on the pavement even when we deliberately try to unsettle the car’s composure with short, sharp bursts of throttle.
We feel the back end start to come into play and the ACS1 begin to squirm and wiggle, but it’s not frightening and never feels anywhere close to being out of control. Instead, it’s more a matter of the ACS1 feeling like it’s bursting at the seams with power, itching to go faster and dive into corners harder.
The ACS1 is alive and visceral, almost like a classic car in that you can break grip and find it again several times over, all in the same corner. After only a few minutes of driving, the balance between throttle and steering gives the feeling that you’ve owned the car for decades. Forget about needing to immediately jump on the brakes—though the standard six-piston front-brake calipers provide incredible stopping power whenever you need them.
And that’s a good thing, because at 4,575 lbs. the 135i Coupe isn’t exactly a bantamweight. It’s only 11 lbs. lighter than the AC Schnitzer-tuned M3 Coupe (the ACS3) we drove the day before, but its smaller size makes it feel much more chuckable. Having driven both cars back-to-back, we find it amazing how substantial the difference in size feels from the driver’s seat.
The ACS1 is more intimate, even if the cabin’s serious styling and large amount of black plastic give the impression that BMW poured its money into engineering rather than pretty, soft-touch surfaces. Space in the rear is also tight: There was a good reason that the 1 Series hatchback was dubbed the “world’s largest two-seater” upon its debut in 2004. The rear is habitable, though not for long drives or by very large people.
Much has been written about the 1 Series 128i and 135i as heirs to the classic 2002. Though the 1 Series is much more attractive and far less controversial than some recent BMWs, its styling lacks the delicacy that made the boxy and upright lines of the 2002 so timeless. Still, this author thinks the 1 Series Coupe and Convertible are seriously good-looking cars, with personal preference favoring the Coupe.
Luckily for those who already like the car’s appearance, AC Schnitzer has wisely left the 135i’s exterior pretty much as-is, restricting changes to the replacement of the front and rear bumpers with its own handsome pieces and giving the option of a new rear spoiler (too boy-racer for our taste). Inside, AC Schnitzer has sprinkled its usual tweaks of upgraded steering wheel, handbrake lever and aluminum pedal set. If you want scissor doors and purple carbon fiber dash inserts, this is definitely not the car for you.
A mini M3?
At the end of our drive in the ACS1, we were in no doubt that this is the car for people who want all of the performance of an M3 in a handier 1 Series package—M1 anyone? It’s not far off the mark, and the ACS1 further exhibits the quality, performance and styling maturity—so long as you don’t order the rear spoiler—that bring us back to Aachen every time AC Schnitzer unveils a new car.
Strange as it sounds, the ACS1’s biggest plus is that it isn’t perfect. Grip levels can be exceeded, reined back in and breached again, because the ACS1 is that rare sort of car that lets you play with its limits without fearing that the back end will suddenly come around. It’s aggressive but forgiving, and it’s also one hell of a lot of fun even when you aren’t traveling at warp speed.
That said, the things we don’t like in the 1 Series remain in the ACS1: small back seat, limited cargo room, dull dashboard. The 1 Series is also expensive, and the price of the ACS1 is unlikely to do much to counter that criticism. AC Schnitzer’s engine mods and exhaust cost about €7,020, the wheels and tires €4,478, the suspension €1,270 and the rest of the mods another €5,600 or so depending on how many interior details you select. It’s an expensive proposition, and even beyond the price the ACS1’s overload of horsepower and mega-sharp dynamics might not be to everyone’s taste.
But hey, any car that makes the autobahn seem dull has got to be pretty special. And if you live where there are actual speed limits and lots of sharp corners, this baby Bimmer packs the wallop of a supercar, minus the arrest-me looks and guilt of a six-figure ego machine.http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/BimEndDot.jpg
With plenty of power and responsive handling, the 135i Cabrio is already a star among BMWs. It's even more entertaining when turned into a 360-hp ACS1 by AC Schnitzer.
By Nick Kurczewski
Photography by Nick Kurczewski
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to drive a truly rapid and expertly engineered car on Germany’s autobahn, then you know how incredible it is the first time you pin the gas pedal to the floor. As your brain goes into sensory overload, common sense tells you that you’re breaking the rules, and that you’re probably about to spend several months sharing a jail cell with a guy named Tiny.
But you’re not. It’s all perfectly legal, and few things bring about such an immediate bond between a car and its driver as a fast run down one of these legendary freeways.
If that’s true, why are we so desperate to find another road while screaming down the autobahn near Aachen, Germany in an AC Schnitzer-tuned 360-horsepower 1 Series? We haven’t become completely jaded, nor have we traded in our high-performance BMW-loving souls. The thrill of planting throttle pedal to the floor is still there, especially in AC Schnitzer’s new ACS1.
The reason is simple: the engine and chassis combination in the 135i (much less the ACS1) is too good to be enjoyed only in a straight line. Even in stock form, this baby Bavarian muscle car not only goes like hell, it also steers like a dream and isn’t afraid to make you do some actual work when it comes time to get a move on.
The ACS1’s suspension is hunkered down, the engine is roaring and, poor us, we’re stuck on the autobahn. A glance at the speedometer shows that we’re still well short of this car’s 320 km/h (199 mph) top speed limiter. To be honest, the ACS1’s true top speed is closer to 182 mph, but even that is a substantial jump from BMW’s electronic limit of 155 mph though it’s a little shy of AC Schnitzer’s electronic max. The 320-km speedometer also happens to look really cool, so we decide not to nitpick with AC Schnitzer rep Michael Drawz, who has joined us for our drive in the ACS1.
Even if it won’t reach 199 mph, the car is gaining speed at a freakish rate, courtesy of its reprogrammed ECU, a boost in turbo pressure from 0.8 bar to 1.2 and a new sport exhaust. Apparently, AC Schnitzer missed the memo about the regular 135i already being one fast little car.
The standard 306-hp (Euro-spec) 135i is hardly what we’d call underpowered; its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six endows the baby Bimmer with sports car-slaying performance. In standard form, the 135i sprints from zero to 62 miles per hour in only 5.3 seconds—or less, if you take into account that BMW’s official performance estimates tend to be as conservative as a German banker’s taste in suits. With 383 lb-ft of torque instead of the standard 295, the ACS1 now takes 4.7 seconds to go from zero to 62 mph, according to AC Schnitzer. For all you number crunchers, that’s a match for even the V8-powered M3.
We’re well past 60 mph, but luckily for us, Drawz is nonchalant as the speedo needle continues to climb and our grip on the fat-rimmed AC Schnitzer steering wheel tightens. On the horizon is a group of lumbering tractor trailers—which are themselves speed limited in Germany to only 50 miles per hour—giving us the perfect excuse to finally veer off the autobahn for some twistier roads. Swapping down a couple cogs in the six-speed manual, the N54 turbocharged six-cylinder engine sounds as sweet as they come.
Shifting into fourth gear, we can’t resist one extra little punch of the gas pedal. Ker-wump! The sound of that growling six-cylinder has us thinking about whether we might be able to con Drawz into loaning us the car for the trip back to Paris. We suggest it, he smiles, but the answer is no.
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2a.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2b.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2c.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2d.jpg
http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/art2p2e.jpg
Give us some curves!
Merging onto the off-ramp, the ACS1 is staying remarkably level as we arc around the curve. There is next to no body roll, yet the ride remains pliant and comfortable despite the fitment of an AC Schnitzer spring kit and sport suspension system. The 225/35-19 rubber mounted on AC Schnitzer’s 19-inch Type IV BiColor alloys keeps a firm lock on the pavement even when we deliberately try to unsettle the car’s composure with short, sharp bursts of throttle.
We feel the back end start to come into play and the ACS1 begin to squirm and wiggle, but it’s not frightening and never feels anywhere close to being out of control. Instead, it’s more a matter of the ACS1 feeling like it’s bursting at the seams with power, itching to go faster and dive into corners harder.
The ACS1 is alive and visceral, almost like a classic car in that you can break grip and find it again several times over, all in the same corner. After only a few minutes of driving, the balance between throttle and steering gives the feeling that you’ve owned the car for decades. Forget about needing to immediately jump on the brakes—though the standard six-piston front-brake calipers provide incredible stopping power whenever you need them.
And that’s a good thing, because at 4,575 lbs. the 135i Coupe isn’t exactly a bantamweight. It’s only 11 lbs. lighter than the AC Schnitzer-tuned M3 Coupe (the ACS3) we drove the day before, but its smaller size makes it feel much more chuckable. Having driven both cars back-to-back, we find it amazing how substantial the difference in size feels from the driver’s seat.
The ACS1 is more intimate, even if the cabin’s serious styling and large amount of black plastic give the impression that BMW poured its money into engineering rather than pretty, soft-touch surfaces. Space in the rear is also tight: There was a good reason that the 1 Series hatchback was dubbed the “world’s largest two-seater” upon its debut in 2004. The rear is habitable, though not for long drives or by very large people.
Much has been written about the 1 Series 128i and 135i as heirs to the classic 2002. Though the 1 Series is much more attractive and far less controversial than some recent BMWs, its styling lacks the delicacy that made the boxy and upright lines of the 2002 so timeless. Still, this author thinks the 1 Series Coupe and Convertible are seriously good-looking cars, with personal preference favoring the Coupe.
Luckily for those who already like the car’s appearance, AC Schnitzer has wisely left the 135i’s exterior pretty much as-is, restricting changes to the replacement of the front and rear bumpers with its own handsome pieces and giving the option of a new rear spoiler (too boy-racer for our taste). Inside, AC Schnitzer has sprinkled its usual tweaks of upgraded steering wheel, handbrake lever and aluminum pedal set. If you want scissor doors and purple carbon fiber dash inserts, this is definitely not the car for you.
A mini M3?
At the end of our drive in the ACS1, we were in no doubt that this is the car for people who want all of the performance of an M3 in a handier 1 Series package—M1 anyone? It’s not far off the mark, and the ACS1 further exhibits the quality, performance and styling maturity—so long as you don’t order the rear spoiler—that bring us back to Aachen every time AC Schnitzer unveils a new car.
Strange as it sounds, the ACS1’s biggest plus is that it isn’t perfect. Grip levels can be exceeded, reined back in and breached again, because the ACS1 is that rare sort of car that lets you play with its limits without fearing that the back end will suddenly come around. It’s aggressive but forgiving, and it’s also one hell of a lot of fun even when you aren’t traveling at warp speed.
That said, the things we don’t like in the 1 Series remain in the ACS1: small back seat, limited cargo room, dull dashboard. The 1 Series is also expensive, and the price of the ACS1 is unlikely to do much to counter that criticism. AC Schnitzer’s engine mods and exhaust cost about €7,020, the wheels and tires €4,478, the suspension €1,270 and the rest of the mods another €5,600 or so depending on how many interior details you select. It’s an expensive proposition, and even beyond the price the ACS1’s overload of horsepower and mega-sharp dynamics might not be to everyone’s taste.
But hey, any car that makes the autobahn seem dull has got to be pretty special. And if you live where there are actual speed limits and lots of sharp corners, this baby Bimmer packs the wallop of a supercar, minus the arrest-me looks and guilt of a six-figure ego machine.http://www.bimmer-mag.com/art2/images/BimEndDot.jpg