SWEET One; BMW makes a big statement with its small 1 Series.

Byline: Greg Kable

Before its unveiling at the Frankfurt show in September, the 1 Series coupe had been one of the most talked-about new models from BMW in quite a while. And with good reason. Here's a car promising a leaner and more agile driving experience than the larger, more expensive 3 Series coupe, a car we hold in high esteem.

Further heightening expectations for the new baby BMW was the news that it would use Munich's superb twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter gasoline engine in top-of-the-line 135i guise. With 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, the inline six-cylinder packs the sort of punch you'd expect from a small V8- this in a car running BMW's traditional longitudinal-front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Can you blame us for counting the days until we could drive it?

Before we start our drive, it is worth pointing out that this is not the first 1 Series model. The hatchback went on sale in Europe in 2004. That car was never considered for sale here, BMW deciding that the coupe and the upcoming convertible were better propositions for the United States.

BMW doesn't see the 1 Series as a cheaper alternative to the 3. Rather, it is trying to pitch its new two-door as a premium alternative to the front-wheel-drive hatchbacks sold here each year. It will be offered only with six-cylinder engines here, giving it what BMW hopes is a performance advantage over its rivals.

The car should be fast enough to compete, that's for sure: 62 mph (100 km/h) arrives in 5.2 seconds, and the 50-to-75-mph fourth-gear split takes 5.1 seconds. For perspective, the new 4.0-liter-, 420-hp-V8-powered M3 requires 4.8 seconds and 5.0 seconds to hit the same marks. It might be small in stature, but the 135i is darn quick in a straight line.

Using a longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive is a departure in the hatch class dominated by transverse engines and front-wheel drive. BMW is convinced that buyers will accept the rear-drive packaging confinements when they discover how well the 1 Series coupe drives. We have to say we agree. The layout dictates the car's proportions, giving it a long hood, sweptback silhouette and short overhangs. The taut-surfaced styling in front is shared with the 1 Series hatchback. At 171.7 inches long, 76.1 inches wide and 56.0 inches high, the car is 8.7 inches shorter, 2.0 inches narrower and 1.1 inch taller than the 3 Series coupe.