http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/arch...t-mix-20140412

Published April 12, 2014

Motoring

The perfect Mix

The BMW M235i Coupé has the ideal combination of size, power and handling. By Samuel Ee


VERSATILE MODEL
Perhaps the nicest aspect of the BMW M235i Coupé is that it can be driven hard or normally. Most cars are able to do one or the other well, but rarely both.

BMW's M Performance range is attractive because it promises good performance with everyday driveability, and one especially enticing model is the M235i.

Slotted between a normal BMW and an M car, the BMW M235i Coupé looks and feels more special than a conventional Beemer but is otherwise devoid of any hard-core overtones.

This extends to its styling, where the small and sleek two-door model gets subtle tweaks like an M front apron and grey door mirrors. It also wears a small M badge on its front fender and 18-inch M light alloy wheels. The latter is a mixed set with fatter rear tyres and rubber that was developed specially for the car by Michelin.

Inside, there are front sports seats and a thick-rimmed M steering wheel for the perfect driving position, unless of course you're an NBA player.

The meters look no different from a conventional BMW's although they are. But one cool feature stands out - a virtual image of the M235i badge in full colour at the bottom of the instrument cluster when the engine is running.

Under the hood is BMW's familiar 3.0-litre straight six turbocharged engine. But unlike the versions in the 335i or 435i, the M235i's unit has been upgraded by the M division.

Alert and enthusiastic

Its usual cast iron crankshaft has been replaced by a stronger one made of steel, and the engine mapping is new. The cooling system is also improved.

With 326 hp and 450 Nm instead of the usual 35i engine's 306 hp and 400 Nm, the just under 1,500 kg M235i is a potent package. With so much extra torque, the small coupé feels so alert and enthusiastic.

The familiar eight-speed Sport automatic transmission drives the rear wheels with the same rapid shifts using the electronic gear lever or the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

In keeping with the understated nature of the M Performance line, the M235i has a low but purposed exhaust growl. It does get deeper further up the rev range but it is never intrusive.

As with other BMWs, there is the option of Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ driving modes.

Each modifies the accelerator mapping and steering characteristics accordingly, with Sport mode tightening the steering, making it more reassuring at speed but at the same time also reducing the feedback you would normally get in Comfort setting.

Perhaps the nicest aspect of the M235i is that it can be driven hard or normally. Most cars are able to do one or the other well, but rarely both.

The M235i offers both options - sporty driving pleasure when you're feeling aggressive, or a relaxed driving style when you're more chill.

The firm fixed rate dampers mean that handling can get a bit choppy if you start thrashing it but the M235i will settle down as soon as you do too. Because of all these attributes, it is the refined alternative.

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SPECS

BMW M235i Coupé

Engine 2,979 cc inline-6 turbocharged

Transmission 8-speed automatic

Max power 326 hp @ 5,800-6,000 rpm

Max torque 450 Nm @ 1,300-4,500 rpm

0-100 kmh 4.8 secs

Top speed 250 kmh

CO2 emissions 176 g/km

Average OMV $47,000

Price $258,800 (with COE)

Distributor Munich Automobiles

Tel 6899 6996