RENDERED SPECULATION: Is This A GOOD Indication Of What The 1M Replacement, The M2, Will Look Like?

I don't know, I haven't seen it.

00R: "One car that's really blown away expectations this year has been the M135i found abroad."

Meet the car that blew away that car...

Comparison test by German car mag Auto Motor und Sport:

- First place: Audi S3 2.0 TFSI (506 points)

- Second (last) place: BMW M135i x-Drive (486 points)

http://tinyurl.com/dxsshtc

Who knows more about German cars than the Germans car experts?

Thank you for the share!

blew away? Wasnt the M135 faster, more fuel efficient, handled better and stopped better than the A3? Look at the figures since you love to write an essay about the information. And I am sure you will say that the audi was chosen as a better car, and the actual statistics have little bearing ....lol

00R, you're welcome.

BMW4me4ever: “And I am sure you will say that the audi was chosen as a better car, and the actual statistics have little bearing”

I was sure that you would say that you know more about German cars than even the expert German reviewers from the respected Auto Motor und Sports magazine. Audi S3’s 506 points over the BMW M135’ 486 points were the results of many test measures and statistics – on balance, the Audi was better. Go read the full review and test results in the actual hardcover magazine (issue 9/2013) before making your usual exaggerations.

BMW4me4ever: “Wasnt the M135 faster, more fuel efficient”

- Lol, you obviously haven’t driven in Germany, or even Canada. The S3 is more fuel efficient. The S6 can drive for 100 km with just 9.6 liters of fuel. The gas-guzzling M135 needs 10.8 liters. You’ve got to get out of your BMW sales office more often and take your cars for a proper drive.

- You’re inconsistent – in the recent M5 ‘Reality Check’ blog you insisted on using the M5’s 0 to 100 mph numbers because the S6 was faster or as fast up to 60 mph. But here you are hypocritically insisting the M135 is faster, even though it was only faster at lower speeds up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Indeed, the M135 was faster in only 3 of the 7 speeds tested. At speeds above 120 km/h to 200 km/h (125 mph), the S5 is faster or as fast as the M135. Indeed, then S3 hit 200 km/h faster than the M135. What you also conveniently omitted is that the reviewer said the S3 would have been faster had it been fitted with the optional dual-clutch transmission with launch control.
http://tinyurl.com/ns4myms

yes, thank you for the share. Today I learned the M135i xDrive is quicker than the S3, outhandles the S3, and costs less than the S3, but lost to the S3 because it was more comfortable and practical. If comfort and practicality were my primary priorities I wouldn't be looking at M or S models, so I'll go with the car that actually best exemplifies what those two vehicles are about -- performance. We won't get the hatch here anyway, so M235 it is.

JRobUSC: "Today I learned the M135i xDrive is quicker than the S3, outhandles the S3, and costs less than the S3"

Today we learned that more BMW fanboys have comprehension and exaggeration problems:

First, the BMW M135i xDrive clearly costs $5,100 euros more than the Audi S3 (the test cars are the base cars).
- My linked AMS article gave the Germany base prices and clearly stated that the Audi S3 was over $5,000 euros cheaper than the BMW.
http://tinyurl.com/p4g9b6p
- The base price of the all-wheel drive S3 (6-speed manual transmission) is 38.900 euros. The S3 with optional 6-speed dual clutch S tronic transmission is 40,800 euros.
- The all-wheel drive M135i x-Drive costs 44,000 euros (only available with 8-speed Steptronic sports automatic transmission). In other words, the S3 with dual-clutch transmission is still $3,200 euros cheaper than the M135i xDrive
- The rear-wheel drive BMW M135i manual transmission costs 39,850 euros. The M135i with Steptronic sports automatic transmission costs 42,100. Both M135i are still more expensive than the S3 manual and S3 with dual-clutch respectively.

Second, it's really nonsense that M135i xDrive is quicker than the S3:
- The S3 would have been faster than the M135ix at every stage -- had the S3 test car been equipped with dual-clutch transmission (the only version coming to the USA).
- Instead, the test did not compare apples with apples. The Audi S3 test car had the slower 6-speed manual transmission while the BMW M135ix test car was equipped with 8-speed steptronic sports automatic transmission (no manual is available for the M135ix). A proper test should have had the S3 with dual-clutch transmission (but I guess this reviewer wanted to play with the S3's manual).
- The all-wheel drive M135ix test car is the fastest M135 variant, but it only comes with steptronic sports automatic transmission. BMW claims the BMW M135ix accelerates to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.7 seconds -- but AMS timed it in 4.9 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds slower. [The rear-wheel drive M135i is even slower: BMW claims the M135i automatic transmission is 4.9 seconds -- but AMS timed the M135i with automatic transmission in only 5.2 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds slower than BMW's 4.9 seconds claim! BMW claims the M135i manual transmission is 5.1 seconds, but it's likely to be slower as well.].
- The S3 test car had the slower manual transmission. Audi claims the S3 with 6-speed manual transmission accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds -- AMS timed it in 5.3 seconds. Yet, despite starting slowly with the manual transmission, after reaching 100 km/h the S3 with less horsepower just kept out-accelerating the M135xi until the Audi caught up with the BMW by 130 km/h, when both cars were timed at 7.9 seconds! Incredible -- the S3 test car was faster than the M135ix at 160 km/h and 200 km/h.
- The S3 with the dual-clutch transmission would have been even faster than the S3 manual. Audi claims the S3 with 6-speed S tr

- The S3 with the dual-clutch transmission would have been even faster than the S3 manual. Audi claims the S3 with 6-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds -- another German car mag confirmed this 4.8 seconds sprint (Autozeitung has its own test track). The Autozeitung reviewer commented that the car was a "perfectionist" and "rarely has he had so much fun".
http://tinyurl.com/cnowotf

http://tinyurl.com/ns4myms

Third, nowhere does the article say that the M135ix "outhandles the S3". The article only mentioned that the M135's "driving dynamics" were a slight "touch" better than the S3 and it went through the slalom course in a slightly more neutral manner with less rear swing -- partly due the M135's grippier Michelin Super Sport tires and slightly firmer steering. This may also be partly due to the tester driving a manual S3. The largest German car mag Autobild suggests the S3 with the S Tronic dual-clutch transmission: "Thanks to lightning fast and barely noticeable switching S tronic (1900 euros), the driver can concentrate on fast cornering and leave the appropriate gear selection to the electronics."
http://tinyurl.com/bs5dgfv

Remember, this is Germany where all the model variants are available.

Anyone have definitive word whether the M2 will come in a convertible ?

No official word. Not even unofficial rumors.

I'd guess no if BMW's following the same formula that birthed the 1M.

"Even though the S3 is the better overall car, the M135i is the better sports car that will put a smile on your face every time you drive it."

That Sums it up for me..

If i want a thrill, the M135i is the one to buy.

WatAGuy, are you kidding us?

Your quote "Even though the S3 is the better overall car, the M135i is the better sports car that will put a smile on your face every time you drive it."... came from some unknown, obscure car blog that lacks credibility.
http://www.autoevolution.com/bmw-blog/bmw-f20-m135i-xdrive-vs-audi-s3-comparison-58953.html

What the hell is this blog 'autoevolution.com'? And who the hell is the writer Gabriel Nica who made up the quote???

This is such an obscure blog it does not have an address and 'about us' description of the site. I can't find any third-party information to verify this site.

THAT sums it up for me.

Satriani is working hard to convince... I remember how MINI GP beat the S1 around the Nurburgring, I can imagine the BMW will do the same to the Audi

CarCrazedinCali: You must be working hard to dream. The Audi S1 has not been released yet. The only available car is the Audi A1 and A1 Sportback. There is no offcial lap time for an A1 on the Nurburgring. So how could a Mini have beaten the S1 around the Nurburgring?

Whatever it is you are smoking, you should stop.

He must have meant the 256hp A1 Quattro, b/c the mini gp spanked the Audi on track.

Ha ha. This is a joke. Someone photoshopped an X5 front end onto a 1-series body.