BMW 1 Series 130i 2006 Review

But you know it's coming.

This is what the launch of the original BMW 1 Series was like.

Here was a car with obvious gifts — a road-carving chassis, sublime steering and an abrupt wheelbase — but none of the power needed to fully exploit them. We've got used to driving the 118i and 120i and, luxury accoutrements and lovable steering feel aside, to not expecting much from them.

At first glance, the 130i Sport doesn't look a lot racier than these conveyances — in short, it doesn't look fast.

It does, however, manage the impressive trick of feeling very quick indeed. It takes just one grip of the muscular, M3-styled steering wheel, which would make a brutal truncheon if you straightened it out, to know that this is a serious bit of kit.

The M-labelled door sills and the ridiculously grippy seats, which hold your hips, sides and kidneys in a boa constrictor grip, are other big clues as well.

Then there's the sound, which my better half was entirely bemused by. She seemed to think there was something "wrong" with an engine deep-bass burbling like a vat of brimstone, even just off idle.

Enthusiastic application of the throttle produces a raging, metallic snarl — as if popcorn is being made out of ball bearings.

These sounds were applauded as quite wonderful by the formerly baffled beloved, but it's easy to see why she was confused.

That sort of fuss and fury isn't normally associated with small, five-door hatches — imagine Lleyton sounding like Lawsy and you've got the idea.

What's making all that noise is the engine that makes BMW the envy of so many: its 3-litre straight six.

In the increasingly bulky new 3 Series range it turns up in the 330i as a stonking, slamming powerplant, but in the 1 Series shell it's even more impressive, thanks to a weight difference of 90kg. (The 130i tips the scales at1465kg.) The 330i races to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds, but the 130i would already be gone, hitting the ton in just 6.1 seconds.

Even more impressive is the price difference, with the 130i's $62,000 sticker a massive $34,500 cheaper. Unlike the latest 330i, this baby version even comes with a six-speed manual gearbox.

While the gear lever feels lovely to the hand, the shift action is not as good as, say, the Volkswagen Golf GTI. It's not a pig to use, by any means, it's just further than you'd expect from class-leading.

What makes gear shifting a pleasure, though, is heel-and-toeing on the downchange, with the pedals perfectly positioned to make it feel natural, and that gorgeous metallic burp/blip sound.

Around town you've got to love the engine's 315Nm. It's got enough teeth to snap at you from 100km/h in fifth as if you've just prodded it with a burning stick.

With 195kW, this really is the full Federer. Even in third gear, on a dry road, you'll light up thetraction light if you plant the foot.

Much fun is to be had by pulling up at the lights next to an ordinary 3 Series and leaving it languishing.

It's almost as good as frightening hell out of other 1 Series drivers, who look at you as a kindred spirit when you pull up, then shake their heads as you disappear towards the horizon, wondering why the dealer sold them a dud version.

Street-light fights are one thing, but it's in the twisties that the 130i really shines, punching you in and out of corners and providing the sort of meaty steering that makes it feel like you're cutting big chunks out of each bend. The only criticism is that the car does not cope too well with really big bumps, but most of the time it stays as hunkered down as a tortoise.

Finally the engine can ask the questions we've wanted to ask of the chassis, all of which it answers with a derisory snort, as if to say it could cope with even more power if you asked it to.

It sounds like crazy talk, but at $62,000, this car is something of a bargain. Those who seek to buy the Bavarian brand for cache rather than corner-carving will counter that you can have a new, and far bigger, 320i from $49,900.

Ignore the space issue and you realise that, compared to a 330i, or even a second hand M3, it's a hell of a cheap way to experience the magic of a BMW at full noise with perfect poise.

It's interesting to ponder what else you might buy for the money, and only the Mitsubishi Evo IX really comes to mind. While the Evo is quicker, and cheaper, the difference in cabin quality and feel would make up the difference.

And, considering our Cayman cover story last week, it's also apt to point out that, while the Porsche is a faster, and far prettier car, the levels of fun and involvement are nowhere near as far apart as the price differential would suggest.

Truly, BMW has got this 1 right.