BMW UK just posted on its public site an official press release and a picture of the forthcoming 1-Series Coupe! Albeit the tiny image doesn’t reveal much, the press release included gives us more than we bargained for. Starting with the initial line-up, the 1-Series Coupe will be offered in in three versions: the 135i fitted with BMW’s supercilious 306Hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo petrol unit, the 123d that’s equipped with the new 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel engine that delivers 204Hp and finally the 120d that gets a 177Hp strong 2.0-liter turbo diesel unit. According to BMW, the 135i accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62mph) in just 5,3 sec, the 123d in 7,0 sec and the 120d in 7,6 sec.
Like its 3-Series Coupe counterpart, the new BMW 1-Series Coupé has 50:50 weight distribution and a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration promising to deliver the same –if not better due to its lower weight, driving dynamics. Based on the 1-Series hatchback, the Coupe is 4,360mm long (133mm more than the hatchback) and 1,934mm wide (1mm more). The slight increase in body size helps raise boot capacity from 350-litres to 370-litres. A standard 60:40 rear seat split permits greater load flexibility allowing for items to be stored in place of one or both rear seat occupants.
According to BMW UK, the 1-Series Coupe will go on sale in November which probably means that in the rest of Europe sales should start in September. We’ll have more on the 1-Series Coupe later on, but for the time being follow the jump for the official press release.
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