Buying a fast car in Singapore isn't exactly buying a fast car. We say this with conviction because purchasing a capable hot hatch like the Audi S3 Sportback or the obnoxious Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG gives you more boasting rights than outright speed. The lack of open clear roads and jammed packed traffic will see to it.
Perhaps another consideration of buying a fast car in Singapore is the ability to have a sizzling century sprint, which matters most when you're driving around town and performing overtaking manoeuvres. Of course the ability to practice occasional hooliganism on the road is always a welcome trait.
But the BMW M135i, on the other hand, seems to have taken all the above considerations to another level, and then some.
Up close and Personal
Minor plastic surgery has helped lift the car's looks by a couple of notches. The car now sports a more chiselled appearance, thanks to sleeker headlamps, sharper kidney grille and more sculpted taillights. Fog lamps have been replaced by large air intakes to assist in aerodynamics and cooling efficiency purposes.
Apart from visual mass that cohesively complements its unadulterated package, other small touches like twin tailpipes and stronger-looking M light-alloy 18-inch wheels aid in the hot hatch's hulking form.
Perhaps another consideration of buying a fast car in Singapore is the ability to have a sizzling century sprint, which matters most when you're driving around town and performing overtaking manoeuvres. Of course the ability to practice occasional hooliganism on the road is always a welcome trait.
But the BMW M135i, on the other hand, seems to have taken all the above considerations to another level, and then some.
Up close and Personal
Minor plastic surgery has helped lift the car's looks by a couple of notches. The car now sports a more chiselled appearance, thanks to sleeker headlamps, sharper kidney grille and more sculpted taillights. Fog lamps have been replaced by large air intakes to assist in aerodynamics and cooling efficiency purposes.
Apart from visual mass that cohesively complements its unadulterated package, other small touches like twin tailpipes and stronger-looking M light-alloy 18-inch wheels aid in the hot hatch's hulking form.
On the inside, bucket seats are nicely wrapped in alcantara and leather, completed with sporty blue stitching that matches the credentials of the car itself.
Apart from that, everything else is BMW-familiar. Ergonomically placed controls and buttons fall to the driver's hand easily, with an overall premium feel that's synonymous with the Bavarian marque.
As a full on proper five-door hot hatch, the M135i doesn't fail in terms of space too. The already deep 360-litre boot space will further expand to a massive 1,200 litres with rear seats folded should you find yourself having the need to practice spirited driving to IKEA to get your furniture.
Apart from that, everything else is BMW-familiar. Ergonomically placed controls and buttons fall to the driver's hand easily, with an overall premium feel that's synonymous with the Bavarian marque.
As a full on proper five-door hot hatch, the M135i doesn't fail in terms of space too. The already deep 360-litre boot space will further expand to a massive 1,200 litres with rear seats folded should you find yourself having the need to practice spirited driving to IKEA to get your furniture.
The Drive
Powering the hot hatch is a healthy dose of 326bhp and 450Nm of torque that will send the Bimmer spinning its rear wheels off the line at the lights and leaving the rest of the pack behind. It completes the century sprint in a rapid 4.9 seconds. That's the same 0-100km/h time the sexier and more powerful Jaguar F-TYPE S is good for.
That said, power delivery is linear. While you get a surge of power coming in as you mash the throttle, it isn't exactly neck snapping. Perhaps this has to do with the creamy eight-speed autobox as well as the fact that power is readily and evenly available throughout the rev range.
Accompanying the car as you kickdown and savagely head for the horizon is the satisfyingly tame exhaust note. It isn't by any standard raucous or obnoxious but it's a sweet spot between being sufficiently aggressive to challenge the Porsche Cayman beside you at the lights yet humble enough to drive to dinner functions.
Like all cars from BMW's stable, the M135i scores high on its ride and handling fronts. Despite its taut suspension, the car never feels intrusive over uneven surfaces and humps, which helps a lot when you're toying with the car around curves and corners.
Powering the hot hatch is a healthy dose of 326bhp and 450Nm of torque that will send the Bimmer spinning its rear wheels off the line at the lights and leaving the rest of the pack behind. It completes the century sprint in a rapid 4.9 seconds. That's the same 0-100km/h time the sexier and more powerful Jaguar F-TYPE S is good for.
That said, power delivery is linear. While you get a surge of power coming in as you mash the throttle, it isn't exactly neck snapping. Perhaps this has to do with the creamy eight-speed autobox as well as the fact that power is readily and evenly available throughout the rev range.
Accompanying the car as you kickdown and savagely head for the horizon is the satisfyingly tame exhaust note. It isn't by any standard raucous or obnoxious but it's a sweet spot between being sufficiently aggressive to challenge the Porsche Cayman beside you at the lights yet humble enough to drive to dinner functions.
Like all cars from BMW's stable, the M135i scores high on its ride and handling fronts. Despite its taut suspension, the car never feels intrusive over uneven surfaces and humps, which helps a lot when you're toying with the car around curves and corners.
You're in full confidence, thanks to a precise and talkative steering, as well as its tight body control. Throw it around a bend with wild abandon and what you get is a balanced rear-wheel drive fun and a tenacious grip that will want you coming back for more.
Conclusion
Apart from its boasting rights and its ability to sprint from lights to lights within seconds, the BMW M135i is a hot hatch in every sense of the term that provides good fun whenever you feel like breaking the law. Yet, it behaves in a respectable and matured manner when the time calls for it.
And it's exactly these traits that give the car such a substantial appeal. You will probably never hit 180km/h on the highway or tackle a bend with smoke coming out of its rear but it's always nice to know you can, and then some.
Conclusion
Apart from its boasting rights and its ability to sprint from lights to lights within seconds, the BMW M135i is a hot hatch in every sense of the term that provides good fun whenever you feel like breaking the law. Yet, it behaves in a respectable and matured manner when the time calls for it.
And it's exactly these traits that give the car such a substantial appeal. You will probably never hit 180km/h on the highway or tackle a bend with smoke coming out of its rear but it's always nice to know you can, and then some.
