Review: BMW's New 1-Series

IT WAS THE EARLY 1970s, and a tiny, little-known German carmaker was beginning to attract a devoted American following with a compact car called the 2002. It was small and nimble but still sat four well. The doors closed with a tight, satisfying thunk. And as one ad for it declared, it "goes like schnell."Nothing quite like this car — essentially, the world's first compact sports sedan — was coming out of Detroit. And oh, the manufacturer's name probably rings a bell: BMW.

Four decades later BMW is at it again, trying to recapture some of the same mojo that put it on theAmerican road map. Hoping to convince a new generation of drivers that a premium car doesn't need to be big, the company hails its new entry-level 1-series coupe as the 21st-century reincarnation of that pioneering cult favorite. But harking back to the disco era has its challenges, whether it's replicating the commodious feel of the 2002's famous "greenhouse" cabin — all squared-off shoulders and glass — or successfully luring entry-level buyers to the brand with a practical, come-hither price. The 2002 model, after all, sold for a modest $2,500.

The new 1-series — currently available in two versions, the 128i and the more powerful 135i — is part of a mini-invasion of Europe's little luxury cars, including the Audi A3 and the Volvo C30. With the EU demanding lower carbon dioxide emissions, and gas prices here climbing toward $4 a gallon, small is in keeping with the zeitgeist. Some 3 inches shorter than a Honda Civic, this bantamweight Bimmer has the athletic proportions of its bigger brothers. But less is still less. Trunk space takes it on the chin, and the backseat offers very little room for mischief — or long legs.

But what the new 1-series lacks in size it may make up for in chutzpah. That deep side-body pucker looks like the car is sucking in its cheeks, vamp-style. Inside, the bucket seats, a reminder of BMW's racing ethos, come in lipstick red. And under the hood the German engineers crammed a hairy-chested 3.0-liter, six-cylinder, 300-horsepower engine into a baby's body. Toss in rear-wheel drive and pulling out of the driveway in the 135i immediately evoked our youthful yahoo moments driving a go-kart. The twin-turbo engine delivers power smoothly — that is, once you get used to how little pedal pressure you need to bolt from a stoplight.

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