You really must wonder what went through the minds of the madcap BMW engineers who dreamed up the M135i.
“So, we have this brilliant 3-litre engine lying around,” they must have said to themselves. “Why don’t we put it into one of the smallest cars that we currently have?”
And the rest, as the old saying goes, is history. The M135i was this magazine’s favourite hot hatch last year, receiving unanimous praise from our scribes for its engaging personality and that aforementioned pearl of an engine.
Even without any work being done to it, the M135i is already plenty potent – its turbocharged, 3-litre inline-6 develops 320bhp, and it hurtles from a standstill to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds. Even with all that performance on tap, it’ll still handle the daily commute, or do the grocery and school runs, with ease (perhaps even all the above in one sitting).
With such a complete package as a base, Juzz For Cars has kept the mods to this M135i fairly light, all the better to let the natural beauty of the car shine through.
Key to all that are the improvements to the M135i’s engine and throttle system. This takes the form of a Juzz Power piggyback ECU and Juzz Power throttle controller. This not only has the benefit of boosting the stock car’s performance, it also enhances throttle response to cure any “laziness” that may have been present.
Not that the M135i was wanting for zing, but responsiveness, like horsepower and money, are things you can never have enough of. Helping that along is something to help the small (but powerful) Bimmer “breathe” a little better.
Juzz For Cars has added an Arma Speed carbon fibre cold-air intake, which gulps fresh, cool air into the engine via a high-volume carbon fibre air box (the piping of which is also made in the automotive wonder material). But the really clever thing about the Arma Speed intake system is how it has a variable-flow valve design, which optimises airflow at high and low speeds for optimum performance and minimum fuel consumption.
Helping the M135i “exhale” just as well is an Eisenmann exhaust system, which was a recent addition to this little demon. Crafted from the finest stainless steel, Eisenmann’s brand motto sums it up better than we could: “We are driven by sound”. It’s something we find difficult to disagree with – the throaty growl from Munich’s hot hatchback is now noticeably more aggressive than with the original pipes.
Since we’re on the topic of aggressive, this M135i has undergone a little “cosmetic surgery” to that effect. A rear spoiler from AC Schnitzer has been added, along with a full bodykit (front and rear bumpers and side skirts, plus a rear diffuser) from BMW’s official M Performance Parts accessories range.
That’s not forgetting the M135i’s improved “stance”, provided for with a set of lowering springs from H&R. Filling up those wheel arches even more impressively is a set of subtly dishy (and totally delicious) 19-inch alloy wheels from VMR, which are shod with Continental ContiSportContact
5 tyres.
More than making BMW’s little wonder look the part, the changes to the M135i’s “footwork” have the added benefit of making it a whole lot better around corners. The reworked suspension sees the car’s roll centre lowered for more precision when turning in, and the wider tyres afford it more grip so it fires out of corners better.
And like how it seems Juzz For Cars’ M135i would rather let its performance do the talking, the interior is kept simple. It has just a lick of carbon fibre trim and new aluminium foot pedals (both bits coming from the M Performance Parts catalogue) to dress things up.
Against the wild interiors of some tuned cars, this hot 1 Series can look a little plain with its (mostly stock) interior. However, we also wonder if that’s the point of this M135i. Like the standard car, unless you look under the bonnet or get an eyeful of the badge, you won’t have an inkling of its true performance potential.
And that might be what both Juzz For Cars and those delightfully mental folks over in Munich were gunning for with the M135i – it’s a little rocketship that doesn’t quite look rapid at a glance, but when you want it to, oh boy does it go.
EXTERIOR
BMW M Performance Parts front spoiler
BMW M Performance Parts rear bumper
BMW M Performance Parts rear diffuser
AC Schnitzer rear spoiler
INTERIOR
BMW M Performance Parts carbon fibre trim
BMW M Performance Parts pedal set
ENGINE
Juzz Power piggyback ECU
Juzz Power throttle controller
ARMA Speed carbon fibre cold-air intake
Eisenmann exhaust system
SUSPENSION/HANDLING
H&R lowering springs
WHEELS/TYRES
VMR 19-inch alloy wheels
Continental ContiSportContact 5, 225/35 R19 (front) & 255/30 R19 (rear) tyres
