The second-generation BMW 1 Series known internally as the F20 (five-door) and F21 (three-door) was launched back in 2011 and stayed in production until 2019. It remains the brand’s last rear-wheel-drive hatchback to date that was also available with six-cylinder engines. The range-topping M140i was unveiled with the facelift from 2016 and is still a very capable hot hatch even by today’s standards.
In fact, the third-gen 1 Series (internal designation F40) doesn’t have a powertrain that matches the performance of the M140i. As a reminder, the latter has the company’s famous B58 3.0-liter inline-six twin-turbo mill under the hood, good for 335 horsepower (250 kilowatts) at 5,500 rpm and 369 pound-feet (500 Newton-meters) of torque between 1,520 and 4,500 rpm. The most powerful third-gen model, in turn, has a 2.0-liter turbo mill with 302 hp (225 kW) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of twist.
As far as we know, the car featured in the video at the top of this page is a completely stock example. On paper, it should be capable of 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) acceleration in 4.6 seconds (making it 0.2 seconds quicker than the new M135i xDrive) and a top speed of 155 mph (250 kph). Interestingly, if you pay attention to the speedometer around the end of the video, you’ll see a top speed of 160 mph (257 kph), which is slightly above the factory numbers. However, this figure probably is a bit higher than the actual GPS-measured velocity of the hot hatch.
What’s the future of the 1 Series? BMW is currently working on a refresh for the third-gen model, which is expected to bring a more powerful range-topping version. The M135i could be renamed to M140i to reflect the increased output of the four-pot turbo unit, which is expected to grow to around 315 hp (235 kW). The tweaked engine is expected to come with corresponding visual changes compared to the pre-facelift model, as well as possible tweaks in the chassis department.
