So here it is… The BIG one. 2014 has been an excellent year for cars of all shapes and sizes. We have had MPVs that brought style to a class where traditional there is none, trendy crossovers, sleek superminis, a batch of fantastic sports cars and family cars that just keep raising the bar. It was genuinely a tough decision to make, but after whittling down the list of potential winners we eventually came to a solid conclusion. The overall winner of Inside Lane Car of the Year 2014 is the BMW M235i.
When we say this car is a deserving winner we really mean it. In a world where driver involvement in being quashed and the enthusiast is a minority, here is a car to meet your petrol headed needs. Whilst not a fully fledged M car, we thought that this M235i possessed a great balance between performance and everyday usability. Powered by a turbocharged 3.0 litre straight-six engine producing 321BHP, the BMW M235i will get you to 62MPH in just 5 seconds. Looking handsome and arguably the right proportions to be a modern day M3, the current model is huge in comparison to the original, its driving manors fit like a glove. Sharp, responsive and just a tad tail happy, this is the recipe manufactures should strive for.
Find out exactly why this car has won the grand prize of 2014 in its review HERE.
There is nothing like owning a convertible on a sunny day. Roof down, sun beating down and the wind in your hair. Having a car that is actually half decent beneath you amplifies this great sensation dramatically and the BMW 1 Series Convertible ticked the boxes. It was one of the best compact convertibles but has now been replaced by the BMW 2 Series Convertible, one of the final pieces to the new German number game.
As BMW finishes its rebranding of coupes, convertibles and saloons we find ourselves with this, the 2015 BMW 2 Series Convertible. Making its debut at the Paris motor show, this sleek drop-top inherits the handsome flowing lines of the coupe but adds a folding fabric roof. Said roof can complete the cars transformation in 20 seconds and can be operated at speeds of up to 30MPH. Prices will start from £29,180 and before you ask, yes there will be an M235i variant. That top spec car will push out 322BHP and 332b ft of torque from its inline six cylinder turbocharged engine. 0-62MPH takes just 5.2 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155MPH is also possible. 218i, 220i and 220d models are also on offer.
Drifting was once confined to 70’s film cop chases when it was used to portray the worst driver starting to lose control and taking a slower line than the hero. Today it is a very different story with controlled slides being engineered into an art form, one that a certain Mr Block has made a career from. BMW has shot a video of ace drivers putting the BMW M235i through its paces… Sideways. Named the BMW Driftmob, they are very good.
Starring in likely the most impressive piece of synchronised driving you will witness today. The BMW Driftmob take over a roundabout and preform a choreographed routine that not only includes prolonged slides, but also some manoeuvres that come within inches of each other. These five M235i’s burn rubber like there is no tomorrow and then simply vanish into the city. Fantastic driving from each of these highly talented drivers.
We know that the BMW M235i is a very capable car with its 3.0 litre straight six engine producing 321BHP. See our review here. With a 0-62MPH of just 5 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 155MPH, it walks the walk and talks the talk.
The driving enthusiast is a dying breed. Not only are we ferociously taxed and penalised at any opportunity, but car manufacturers are losing their appetite for driver focused machines. Look around todays showrooms and see how the manual gearbox is going the way of the dodo. Most cars now have electronic nannies telling you that your exuberant driving is killing too many baby seals. Fun behind the wheel is simply seen as inefficient by far too many engineers these days and so those who truly enjoy driving find themselves in this predicament. However, there is solace to be found in the 2014 BMW M235i.
BMW divided the 1 Series into two separate models for hatchback and coupe last year and so this car goes by the name 2 Series. But you would be foolish to think that this is simply a run of the mill BMW 2 Series coupe. It is in fact an M235i and whilst not a fully fledged M car, like its 1M stablemate, it is something quite special. This is a neat little package proportionally with a long bonnet and short rear overhang. Muscular creases run up and down the stout body creating a real presence. The iconic BMW kidney grills sit proudly on the nose of our test car that also sported some rather handsome blue paint.
Behind those grills and below the contoured bonnet sits a turbocharged 3.0 litre straight-six engine that produces 321BHP. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6 speed manual transmission and in action this package can crack 0-62MPH in just 5 seconds. To say this car is quick is something of an understatement, especially with a top speed of 155MPH. But they are just numbers. What is the 2014 BMW M235i like out in the wild?
In short… Bloody fantastic! Hit the starter button and fire all six pistons into life. From the word go this car feels like it has a pulse, one that begs to beat even faster at any opportunity. Whilst stuck behind a van, on what would otherwise be a rather delicious stretch of tarmac, I got the sense that the M235i just wanted to pick up and go. An almost impatient fizz emanates around the cabin as you are alerted to your low seating position and sporty steering wheel that is beautiful in its simplicity. At low speeds this car is well behaved and refined. Although the ride at times is a bit firm for our battered British roads, the body hugging seats and widescreen infotainment make life comfortable. The cabin feels compact but never cramped and will happily seat four in leather upholstered German tranquility. Well, it was tranquil until I spotted an opportunity to overtake the van… Kicking it down a gear and mashing the throttle results in a fantastic rush of acceleration narrated by a burley engine note. As you are sucked back into your seat and the traction control fights to put all of those ponies down on a rather greasy road, the adrenaline rush begins. Cracking through the gears like a sniper reloads a bolt action rifle, you can’t help but have a childish grin on your face. The world outside becomes blur just before the heal and toe action begins ready for the pending sequence of tight bends. Its stopping power is confidence inspiring and only serves to encourage you to brake later next time. This M235i feels light on its feet when it eagerly changes direction. Its precise steering makes short work of the apex as the car dances around the corner. Grip levels are good but you would be wise to remember that a generous prod of the throttle mid-corner will kick the back end out. Body roll is almost nonexistent in the sportiest setting that also increases throttle response. The level of driver involvement and sheer pleasure this car creates will have any petrol head cooing over it. Once you have finished smoking the tyres and acting like a complete child, the 2014 BMW M235i is very capable of settling down and getting on with the journey ahead in an almost “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” fashion. Visibility is good all around meaning that urban environments shouldn’t be much trouble. It even has a decent sized boot! Whilst BMW’s i-Drive infotainment system is still one of the worlds great enigmas and the centre console leaves much to be desired aesthetically, the cars list of shortcomings is spartan.
The engineers at BMW should be very pleased with what they have created in this machine. It is a genuinely emotive experience behind the wheel, something that all enthusiasts crave. Our test car may have come to a princely £42,000 with all of its toys, £7,700 worth, but in our eyes it is worth every penny.
BMW is continuing to restructure its model range by separating coupes and saloons into their own models. We saw it earlier this year with the 3 Series coupe becoming the 4 Series, a trend that was set with the introduction of the 6 series and 5 Series years ago. The new BMW 2 Series will represent the coupe variation of the 1 Series and today it has been revealed to the world.
From launch in March there will be three models on offer; the 220i, 220d and M235i. They will cost from £25,040, £25,865 and £34,250 respectively. Replacing the much loved M135i is the M235i with a turbocharged 3.0 in-line six that can shuttle the coupe from 0-62MPH in 5 seconds in manual guise, or 4.8 seconds with the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox. Total power output for this top model is 321BHP. The new, rather good looking, addition to BMW’s lineup sports a more conservative appearance than its predecessor allowing for a considerably more grown up tone to be conveyed by its body lines. That isn’t to say that its stance isn’t eye catching, I believe the Germans would describe the the new 2 Series as “adequately handsome.”
Two additional engines in the form of a 218d and 225d will join the party in May 2014.
