X

Photos: BMW 1-Series coupe. The 2002 for 2008?

Our love of small, sporty, luxurious German saloons — think BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 — can be traced back to the BMW 2002 coupe of the late 60s. BMW says it's revived the spirit of that car with its 1-Series coupe, on sale here in late May.

Derek Fung
Derek loves nothing more than punching a remote location into a GPS, queuing up some music and heading out on a long drive, so it's a good thing he's in charge of CNET Australia's Car Tech channel.
Derek Fung
1coupe_1.jpg
1 of 5 BMW Australia

Our love of small, sporty, luxurious German saloons — think BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 — can be traced back to the BMW 2002 coupe of the late 60s. BMW says it's revived the spirit of that car with its 1-Series coupe, on sale here in late May.

Putting the boot to the 1-Series
BMW's Golf/Corolla-sized 1-Series hatch has been on sale in Australia since late 2004. Shave off two doors, stick a boot on and — voila! — a 1-Series coupe. This was primarily done to make the car saleable in the States; you see, they're not so keen on hatches in them there parts.


1coupe_2.jpg
2 of 5 BMW

2002 turbo
A 1-Series antecedent, the 2002, seen here in turbo trim. Packing a turboed 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, the 2002 turbo had 127kW of power and 241Nm of torque on tap. That seems piffling now, but the 2002 also weighs a scant 1080kg.

1coupe_3.jpg
3 of 5 BMW Australia

What's in a name?
Come late May, there'll be two 1-Series coupes available to Aussies. Starting at AU$54,400, there's a 125i which has, confusingly, a 160kW/270Nm 3.0-litre straight six engine. Meanwhile the AU$71,400 135i Sport comes with a 225kW/400Nm turbocharged version of that 3.0-litre engine.

1coupe_4.jpg
4 of 5 BMW Australia

Flame grilled
Sharply defined creases and all manner of body scalloping are part of BMW's house style. To our eyes — slightly heavy-set taillights apart — the 1-Series coupe looks more pleasing than the awkward hatch.

1coupe_5.jpg
5 of 5 BMW

iDrive, you drive, we all drive
Specify satellite navigation and you'll get a pop-up screen plus BMW's much maligned iDrive control knob (it's behind the gear lever on this Euro-spec model). A USB port for MP3 players and Bluetooth hands-free come standard in Oz.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos