Spoiler alert: this car is an absolute belter. Finally, here’s a BMW that substitutes the synthesised polish of the brand’s recent products with an appealing dash of raw, slightly rough-edged charisma. It’s the same metamorphosis that James Bond made when transitioning from Pierce Brosnan to Daniel Craig.
Yes, the “sheer driving pleasure” mantra now genuinely applies. The M235i – priced from Dh250,000 – has got under my skin in a way that no Bimmer since the free-revving, V8-powered E92 M3 Coupé has managed over the past decade.
With a crackling, snarling exhaust note that signals it as an unapologetic bad boy, there’s a healthy lack of the “bean-counter syndrome” that has diluted the Bavarian brand’s contemporary offerings. In recent years, BMWs have seemingly been tailored to avoid alienating anyone – even the most sedate, non-car-loving buyers.
You’d think the barnstorming M5 and M6 would be rewarding driver’s cars, but as fast and capable as they are, there’s a lack of tactility and driver involvement that makes them come across as somewhat remote and aloof. In contrast, the M235i feels like a pint-sized street brawler ready to stick its oversized tailpipes down the throat of any wheeled upstarts that cross its path.
In case you’re wondering about the M235i moniker, it’s in keeping with BMW’s new nomenclature – whereby all coupé models are denoted by an even number as the first digit. The M235i replaces the old two-door 135i and hardcore 1-Series M Coupé that were discontinued in 2013, and effectively fills the void left by both these models, as it’s every bit as rapid as the much-loved and highly rated “1M”.
Stuffed under its bulging bonnet is a turbocharged, 3.0L, in-line six-cylinder engine that pumps out a robust 322bhp and 450Nm, which are pretty tidy outputs in a car that weighs a trim 1,530 kilograms – more or less in line with the iconic E46 M3 (2000 to 2006) that is regarded as one of the greats to have worn a blue-and-white roundel on its snout.
It’s therefore no surprise that the M235i scorches to 100kph in 4.8 seconds and reaches its electronically governed top whack of 250kph with ridiculous ease. Such is its pace that one must question whether there’s any real need to splash out Dh425,000 on the newly released and much-hyped M4 Coupé.
Unlike the M4, which comes with a new-age, dual-clutch sequential gearbox, the M235i makes do with a conventional eight-speed automatic – but this is no handicap. On the contrary, the eight-speeder pings through its ratios so rapidly and imperceptibly that on first acquaintance I could have sworn it was a dual-clutch box. The transmission is highly intuitive in Sport and Sport+ modes, but you can also take matters into your own hands via the beautifully tactile alloy shift paddles, which rotate with the steering wheel.
The steering itself is accurate and well weighted, but doesn’t provide your fingertips with the sort of detailed information you’d get in Bimmers of old. The first car I ever owned was a pre-thrashed BMW 2002, and its non-power-assisted steering was so communicative that I could almost feel it if one of the front tyres rolled over a matchstick.
But where the 2002 would readily swing its tail out (especially in the wet), the M235i clings to the tarmac with the tenacity of a bulldog that’s attached itself to your trouser leg. It takes a lot of provocation to unstick its rear end, but when you do, the well-calibrated DSC (stability control) gives you the liberty in Sport+ mode to indulge in some entertaining power slides.
The chassis feels terrifically taut and composed, but this does come at the expense of ride quality over sharp corrugations. Cat’s eyes, in particular, need to be diligently dodged unless you like having your brain rattled. Part of the blame for this goes to the liquorice-strip run-flat tyres wrapped around the optional 19-inch rims fitted to our test car.
Our tester comes with the M Performance package, comprising a body kit that includes an aggressive front spoiler, carbon- fibre rear-deck lid spoiler, side skirts and blacked-out exterior trim. In addition, the package brings carbon-fibre mirror housings and an M Exhaust system with carbon-fibre tips. The extra bits and bobs and Melbourne Red paintwork add up to a visually arresting coupé, much more so than the 135i Coupé that the M235i replaces.
The interior, too, is well executed, with the M Performance package bringing lashings of carbon-fibre trim, alloy pedals and a grippy, Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel. The cabin has a sporty, no-nonsense minimalism to it, which couldn’t be more welcome in a car that’s as crisp and devoid of frills as this.
There really isn’t a lot to fault in the M235i – it’s a wonderfully enjoyable device to pedal with vigour. It also gives me renewed faith in BMW’s willingness and ability to make cars for driving enthusiasts, rather than merely being a purveyor of vehicles masterminded by accountants and marketeers.
[ motoring@thenational.ae ]
