2012 BMW 118i

2012 BMW 118i

2012 BMW 118i

2012 BMW 118i

2012 BMW 118i

2012 BMW 118i

2012 BMW 118i

The opportunity to unleash the latest rendition of the 1 series. We were given the keys to a 6-speed manual 118i which is curiously named, and in actual fact sports a 1.6 liter under-hood. The track layout was short and twisty, a tire melter that requires high levels of agility. For a full track report on the car’s dynamics, read on…

Sitting track-side the new 1 series looks the part, with flared wheel arches filled by 17 inch lightweight alloys wrapped in sticky Pirelli rubber. The longitudinal prominence in the hood suggests a lion’s heart lies beneath – and while it is admittedly tiny, it’s still a relative beast (think crazed rabid squirrel with really big teeth). First things first – let’s get rid of the electronic nannies grannies and get a proper feel for the chassis towards the limit.

Up through the gears and the 1.6 keeps pulling. Okay, so it doesn’t snap your neck back – but it does give your neck a work out. As you come upon the turbo boost, strong thrust is felt from your stomach – this is the stuff we lust for, the reason we buy BMWs. Their engines – apparently of any size – are magical. While our track had very short straights and we could not reach high speeds, on the autobahn we were two breaths away from 230 km/h. Leafing through the official press release, BMW claims a top speed of 225, so either I had a strong back wind in my favor (the road was level, not downhill) or they have slightly more juice in the package than they admit. It wouldn’t be the first time – and this fresh engine wasn’t even broken in; expect slight power increases once the surfaces machine into each other, as with any properly broken in internal-combustion engine. BMW claims 170 hp at 4,800 rpm and 184 lb ft of torque from 1,500 rpm to 4,500 rpm. Factory 0-60 time stands at 7.4 seconds, but we suspect some of the magazines may get it there slightly quicker.