More powerful BMW 135i for Australia

BMW Australia is working on building a special, high-performance edition of its award winning BMW 135i coupe that is expected to close the gap yet again between it and the mighty BMW M3.

The twin-turbo pocket rocket 135i has won numerous awards both locally and overseas since it went on sale two years ago, and it is the biggest seller in the 1 Series coupe range despite being the most expensive model.

The price and timing of the special edition 135i are yet to be confirmed, but the Carsales Network understands it could be in local showrooms by this time next year, costing up to $20,000 more than the current car's $80,000 starting price.

BMW Australia is not yet sure what to call the limited edition model but it is unlikely that the prestigious 'tii' badge will be used. BMW unveiled a 1 Series 'tii' concept car at the 2007 Tokyo motor show, in homage to the classic (four-cylinder) BMW 2002 tii coupe from the early 1970s -- the most collectable of the 2002 models today.

BMW Australia believes there is a niche market for buyers who want a 135i with even more power and so it is considering a special edition with a 240kW (up from 225kW) and 450Nm (up from 400Nm) version of the twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and bigger, race-bred brakes.

The extra grunt is expected to trim 0.2 seconds from the 0 to 100km/h time -- to 5.1 seconds from the regular 135i time of 5.3 seconds, according to official BMW claims. However, given that the regular 135i has already recorded a time of 5.1 seconds in the hands of a number of car magazines, it's possible the hi-po 135i could dip into the 4.9 second bracket.

Other upgrades include a performance air intake, new exhaust as well as carbon fibre highlights under the bonnet and across the lower rear bumper.

"The 135i is one of the icon cars in the BMW range and we believe there is room in the market for a limited edition that is even a little more special," says BMW Australia spokesman Toni Andreevski.

One of the options being considered is a performance upgrade package available through BMW Performance, the M division you have when you don't want to call it an M division.

"It's available, it's off the shelf, but a car like this could be a good way to introduce the BMW Performance brand to Australia," Andreevski said.

Normally the items are a dealer-fit accessory but BMW Australia is considering building a special run of 35 cars to identical specifications.

The last time BMW did a limited run, locally built performance program in Australia was when it built 15 M3-R coupes in 1994 to compete in a production car championship.

Meanwhile, the hi-po 135i could prove to be a contender in the Bathurst 12 Hour as it will still be well under the event's performance car price cap of about $125,000.

"We're not doing this to compete in the Bathurst 12 Hour but it's likely that this car would appeal to those who want to compete in that event for outright contention," Andreevski said.

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