THE BMW 1-SERIES IS THE RWD BARGAIN WE'RE ALL SLEEPING ON
This is an open letter to everyone who loves a dynamic rear wheel-drive platform: go buy a BMW 1-series before they start exploding in price. The Internet is full of people crying out for the halcyon days of the 90s and early 2000s, when small- and mid-sized RWD cars seemed to be everywhere, and it was fairly easy to make them not just fast in a straight line, but good to drive as well.
The days of budget Silvia and Skyline builds, or affordable E36 and E46 M3s, are long past now. The newest of those JDM classics are almost 25-years-old! With dwindling supply and prices rising we need a new hero, and I reckon that hero is the first-generation BMW 1-series.
Lets get one thing straight right off the bat: these things are no oil painting in standard form. In fact, when I went to the media launch way back in 2005 I recoiled in horror at the narrow, tall styling of the 120i, looking like a regular BMW wearing an over-sized top-hat.
In time, however, I've seen so many modified examples the styling has grown on me massively.
Allow me to present my argument as to why the 1 Series BMW is the RWD project car we should all look into:
THEY'RE THE LAST VESTIGES OF CHEAP 80/90S DRIVER'S CARS
What other small RWD car on the market offers such a wide platform from which to build a cool car? And affordably?
From Japan you have the MX-5, S2000, and 350Z. But, these are only sold as 2-door, 2-seat sports cars, which sucks for people with families or who need space.
RWD Mercs of the era are mostly autos and upgrade parts access is a huge barrier. They also don't have the small, sporty vibe of the BMW.
Holden's Monaro (aka Pontiac GTO) is a great RWD performance car, as are Falcons and Commodores of this era, but they're two whole platform sizes larger and good base model cars are much more expensive than the BMW 1-series. Plus, they're really only popular in Australia and NZ, counting out the rest of the world for access.
THE E30'S SPIRIT IN A BETTER, STRONGER PLATFORM
Many of us love the E30 for its small dimensions and light weight, which helped greatly make the tiny economy model into the enthusiast hearthrob we love - the semi-trailing-arm rear-end certainly wasn't it! The good news is even the cheapest 1er, the 5-door 120i, is around 1350kg and which is is a proper featherweight today.
And even moreso given the plushness of the factory interior (for the time). And they've got great neutral handling balance so you won't completely cook the cornering fun by slamming a similar-generation 3L in-line six up front in place of the asthmatic 2L four!
The suspension and brakes are great, the chassis is stiff, and they're capable of handling way more power through their chassis and suspension than earlier enthusiast BMWs like the E30 or E36.
THE 1 SERIES IS MASSIVELY PRACTICAL
Available as a hatch in both 3-door (E81) and 5-door (E87) variants, there was also a two-door coupe (E82) as well as a convertible (E88). Inside there is a good amount of space, even in the rear for tall passengers, though luggage space is obviously heavily compromised by the car's compact dimensions.
Inside featured all the features we wanted in any premium car of the day (2005), with plush trim, A/C, power windows, cruise control, and keyless entry featuring on almost every 1er. This means they're still quite nice to drive as a cheap daily driver and, with ABS, traction control, and SRS airbags, they're far safer than our old 80s and 90s project cars.
E8x 1ers have a generous 2660mm wheelbase, but compact exterior dimensions of 4220/4380mm long (depending on the model), 1700mm-wide (1800mm for 1M), and a kerb weight of between 1250kg and 1540kg (E88 convertible). They've got an excellent footprint for making into a proper handling machine.
THEY'RE PLENTIFUL (CHEAP) AND UPGRADE PARTS ARE EASY TO GET
Produced from 2004 until 2013 the E8x BMWs were available in petrol or diesel, with factory manuals not uncommon to make engine swaps easier. All up approximately 1,547,751 E8x 1 Series were built in the model's 9-year run, and today a good number have survived.
The breadth of the model range, from base 118i up to the bombastic 1M, means there is not only a huge aftermarket for servicing consumables, but also for upgrade parts. There are also plenty of ripe pickings in the 1-series range for OEM+ upgrades off high-performance 130i, 135i, and 1M models.
As the E8x platform shares many of the E9x 3-series designs, it means there are also a huge number of upgrades which can be poached from the larger sedan/coupe... like the E9x M3's 4-litre V8 and 6-speed manual, which is a popular swap.
FACTORY TURBO MODELS MAKE FOR EASY MODDING
One of the reasons so many of us love old muscle cars and 90s Japanese tuners is because you just look sideways at their engines to get them making more power. Unfortunately (as an E30 tragic) 80s and 90s Euro cars are not in this same boat, but the 1-series represented a huge change that we should all be excited by: affordable turbo performance RWD cars.
Launched in 2005, the 130i (E87 5dr only) had a 190kW (195kW in some markets) N52B30 three-litre NA six-cylinder and six-speed manual, but horsepower junkies got their prayers answered in 2007 with the 135i. The 135i coupe (E82) was offered with two different direct-injected turbo three-litre in-line sixes over its life.
From 2007-2010 the N54 offered 225kW (300hp) of twin-turbo power, replaced for the 2011 model year with the single-turbo N55 that was rated at the same power. Opinions are divided over which engine is better for modding, as some prefer the stronger (forged) base of the N54, while others wanting milder upgrades like the simplicity of the N55.
Both of these engines have been proven to handle over 800hp with appropriate engine work, so you're spoiled for choice.
So, that's my open announcement that I reckon the BMW 1-series is a car we RWD junkies should be looking at more closely. Yes, they're a bit Noddy-looking, but this can be wildly improved with the right kit, wheels and stance. They're common. Cheap. Light. They handle well and have nice interiors. And (if you service them) they're reliable.
What's stopping you?
