Jack be nimble, Jack be quick.

The 2008 BMW 128i is pictured above

MS: To call the One Series the Baby Beemers of the BMW family is a little misleading.  It erroneously evokes the idea that these cars are harmless little things, when in fact they are anything but child’s play.

RT: Well that’s what I thought when I first looked at the 1-Series, it was like geez, a car that I’d probably buy for my teenage kid, but not something credible for day to day use. Since I’ve driven one, my whole perspective has changed.

MS: Launched in 2008, the BMW One Series was born with the idea that driving enthusiasts, if educated, prefer high performance sports compacts over larger sports sedans.  The learned Europeans have been exalting the virtues of small being better for decades, the trick was to win over the North American customer.  Were we ready to give up our silly insecurities of size?  I mean up until very recently, we were a ridiculous automotive culture of SUVs!

MS: The BMW 128i and 135i are exactly the type of cars that can cause a cultural shift towards downsizing.

RT: For the record, I took out a 2010 BMW 135i from Brian Jessel BMW, Michael’s perspective is all about the 2008 128i, supplied by auto/ONE. Up until recently, I’ve been driving Michael’s ’08 128i and I’m not giving it up anytime soon.

The 2010 BMW 135i is pictured above

APPEARANCE:

MS: There will be no question as to the One Series identity. Even without a peek at its trademark twin-kidney grille and round headlights the athletic, sculpted look characterized by the strong shoulder line and prominent wheel arches defines it as a BMW.

RT: One unique thing about the car you’re driving, Michael, the 2008 1-series has “Year One of the One” embossed above the ignition button. A really nice touch which is ultimately going to make this model more sought after by collectors.

PERFORMANCE:

MS: The 128i engine is a 3.0-liter inline six makes 230 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque, and is wonderfully smooth and flexible.  My test car from Auto One had a 6-speed Steptronic automatic with paddle shifters. It was fun to use the paddle shifters for a short bit, but just popping it in drive and listening to the exhaust tone quickly changing its tune with the crisp shifts was almost as satisfying. My preference would have been the 6-speed manual, but then I am not sure if that would be the case if I had to sit in commuter traffic every day?

RT: I also got a 6-speed Steptronic automatic with paddle shifters. Manual is great if you’re on the track all the time but I think the automatic is more my speed – besides, have you seen it handle when you put the car into sport mode? It flies through the gears better than I could ever shift, that’s for sure.

MS: You can guide the 1 Series with gentle, measured movements or bully it and it always responds faithfully, doing exactly what you ask of it.

MS: Exiting a corner on the power is dazzling.  Charge hard into a corner and excellent braking pulls you back to rational speed. Look where you want to go and the car follows your eyes. It is light, nimble, agile and a thrill to drive. The car flatters your every move, making decent drivers look like experts and expert drivers look like heroes.  But get in over your head and BMW’s standard dynamic stability control will intervene to bring you back on course.

RT: I’ve seen plenty of videos on the Internet with the drivers bringing these cars into a drift around a corner. Not something I’d ever recommend but I’ll say they make it look really easy.

MS: So, the 128i has plenty of power. It looks great, hardly like the baby, entry-level BMW that it is. It handles better than the average modern-day vehicle, with true near 50/50 front-engine, rear-wheel drive balance. And unlike the 3 Series, you don’t see as many 1s on the road.

MS: That the 128i is missing a couple of turbos doesn’t mean that it is in any way a slouch. Acceleration is a decent 6.4 seconds to 100 km/h for the coupe and 6.7 for convertibles, and the handling is close to the 135i. It doesn’t have the punch of the 135i, but it still has most of the driving fun.

RT: In having driven both for an extended period, I can say both the 128i and the 135i have a number of characteristics that are unique to only their engine size – the 128i may not have the punch of the 135i, but it’s definitely lighter and gets off the line faster. It’s no lesser of a vehicle.

MS: Coupled with the cabriolet, as was my tester, the 128i is a wonderful way to enjoy a sunny summer day. The top folds in 22 seconds according to BMW and can be dropped at speeds up to 40 km/h – so no need to hold up traffic when the urge to go topless occurs at a traffic light.

RT: I tested that in my 135i too – I was truly amazed that the car could be in motion while the top was coming off. One thing to note, in the trunk there’s a latch that you push or pull – it makes space for the roof. If it’s pushed in, you gain more trunk room, if it’s pulled out, you have storage for the roof. It won’t retract without it and you may be left scratching your head.

MS: The 135i variant with its 300 hp is a serious performance car that will tempt enthusiasts looking for M3 performance on a budget.  This is the same inline six found in the 3 and 5 Series sedans, only powering a much smaller and lighter package. While not as quick as the new V8-powered M3, the 135i is certainly every bit as quick as the old M3. And they say quite possibly more fun to drive.  BMW says acceleration to 100 km/h is 5.4 seconds.

RT: It literally felt like 4 seconds! If anything, the car certainly feels right no matter what speed you’re going. It really responds to the pedal.

COMFORT:

MS: At the reasonably basic trim level of my test car, the 128i has all you need for serious driving, with no distractions. The Sport Package seats are firmly padded for excellent support and comfort, and the leatherette covering is as good as some leather. The pedals are arranged well for performance driving. Instruments and controls are placed for quick visibility and use. In all cases, the trunk has plenty of room for normal use, and far more than in any two-seat sports car.

So what’s not to like?

MS: A couple things:

The back seat.

MS: If you had three folks to go riding, you wouldn’t be able to convince anyone to take a day trip in the back seat. Why BMW would build a car with such all-but-useless rear seats is a head-scratcher. It makes more sense to direct one passenger drivers to the Z4 and have the One Series offering a thrill for those that travel in larger groups than two.

RT: I have sat in the back seat before, it isn’t as useless as some sports cars – I’ve also driven a couple home in a similar situation. It wasn’t too much of an adjustment to accommodate my guests, so don’t be too hard on it. Of course, if you’re as tall as Shaquille O’Neil, you’re probably not looking for a sport compact nor are you going to fit any vertically endowed person in the back seat. The back seat works well for short trips, kids and pets. It especially works well once you put the top down.

The price.

MS: The One series isn’t much cheaper than the Three Series, especially if you get some of the options that BMW is so fond of making you pay for.

RT: Definitely a strategic item from BMW, from the get-go they’ve been touting the 1-series as a credible grown-up series for the enthusiast – I think they’ve hit the nail on the head.

Bottom line:

MS: For people who don’t really need a back seat except in a pinch, the 1 Series might be as much BMW as they need.   If you think a car should be fun to drive, the BMW One Series re-defines fun. I’m sure it will have you looking for a new home with a more challenging commute.

RT: Sounds right, plays right, feels right.

In our minds, the 7-Series is the undisputed king of the road. Packed with every single bell and whistle you could ever imagine and finished in such an attractive package that people just stand and stare, you definitely want to own one. Read more, after the jump.

At the very least, consider taking one for a drive, if not just for the experience. From the moment you sit in the cockpit, you are greeted with comfortable temperature-controlled, fully adjustable, leather seats. The new re-designed i-Drive system helps you control the car’s environment, the sound system, connectivity and more.

Switch on the driver-side butt massager, activate the ‘gentleman switch’ to adjust your co-pilot’s seat and jet off into the sunset, never looking down because you have a heads up display that tells all, a reverse camera that tells you your current trajectory and what the car is capable of and side view cameras in case you’re pulling up close to a wall or perhaps you just want to see what’s going on a knee level beside the car. Either way, the electronics for this car are impressive.

So what high tech features are worthy of talking about? In the 750Li we drove, all of them.

Take the i-Drive ‘knob’ on the centre of the console. I recall being greeted with a large knob in the middle of a BMW some years ago. The system was clunky and in some cases, for fear of wrapping the car around a pole, I stayed away from it. The new i-Drive is a little more approachable and has shortcut buttons for frequenly used features like the CD player, radio, telephone and navigation.

Beside the shifter, there is a switch for the ‘driving dynamics control.’ With this switch the car’s chassis and behaviour can be set to COMFORT, NORMAL, SPORT and SPORT+ modes dependant on your mood or passengers with the fully-blown SPORT+ mode turning off the car’s traction control and unlocking all of the power of the car’s 400hp 4.4liter twin turbo V8 engine (the same engine they have in the new X6 but mis-labeled, shouldn’t the car be called something similar to the 745Li?)

The heads up display is something else – now you don’t have to look down or at your screen to tell how fast you’re going. What’s better is that the navigation system also feeds the driver with cues through the HUD.

The gauges are simple and uncluttered – a speedomoeter and tachometer dominate the view with a smaller reading for fuel level and engine temperature with a small user-definable digital readout.

The center screen and console clearly defines everything you’d ever need access to. Audio volume and temperature can be quickly adjusted with knobs. Navigation readouts, satellite radio information, vehicle information or whatever your hearts content can be displayed on the screen as needed, when needed.

And that’s only a handful of features – don’t even get me started on how you can copy CD’s onto the multimedia library on the car or how each back seat has its own screen, separate audio output jacks, USB input jacks and more  for unhindered DVD viewing, music listening or if you truly have a backseat driver, navigation system control.

Downsides? Not many.

The rear passenger windows and the rear window have privacy and sun shades. Only the rear sun shade is controllable in both directions from the front of the vehicle. If a shade goes down on one of the passenger sides (say someone wants to open a window,) you have to raise it from the back seat.

The passenger seat doesn’t have a butt massager leaving for a passenger who may steal away the role of driving the vehicle from you.

The car’s six-changer doesn’t read Blue Ray DVD yet – look forward to this addition in future models.

The entry key is humungous. It doesn’t fit well in your pants pocket at all.

Small stuff that definitely doesn’t stand in the way of the car’s awesomeness.

When Brian Jessel labels his cars with ‘the Ultimate Driving Experience,’ he isn’t kidding.

A race car camouflaged as a street car.

Background:
BMW established their Motorsport (M) division in 1972, with the M offshoot being designed to facilitate BMW’s racing program. Simply put, it was about taking a 3 series and modify into a street legal race car. At the time, these special “M” cars were given to contracted BMW racecar drivers, to be used as their personal vehicles when driving in public. But that didn’t last long, word got out, and soon the über-mechanics from Munich were graciously sharing their “schnell” passion with anyone who was interested in driving fast.

Now, some people will argue that BMW invented the “super-sports sedan”, while others espouse to another German brand or two, but really it’s all irrelevant, for every one agrees that the “M” badge on the BMW 3 series has played an integral part in defining the category.

My Drive:
“Mein Gott im Himmel” what have the Germans done? Can some one please grab a German-English dictionary for me; I need to know whether the German word “schnell” translates into “Motorsport” in English?

Wow, is this car a grin of a drive! Accelerating and decelerating is so precise, sharp turns come effortlessly, and before you no it the M3′s reflexes confuse you into believing that you are a way better driver than you actually are. It’s easy to forget the M3′s engineering when your ego is being acknowledged every time you hop behind the wheel.

One more thing, actually no, two more buttons:

Button #1, the Sports Mode button- this little button lies next to your gear shift. It is there for you to decide whether you want to drive an unleashed beast or a tamed animal. Activating the “Sport Mode” unleashes the M3′s full range of power. With it off, one can actually pretend to be civilized.

And button number #2, the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) button- this little button is also positioned near the gear shift. It is there for you to decide whether you want to slide and drift with the unleashed beast or whether you prefer to drive with the aid of a safety net. When activated, DSC allows the car’s computer to assist in which wheels and brakes need to be manipulated in order to maximize grip and control.

Fish tails anyone?

Only once did I drive with the sports mode activated and the DSC disengaged. Let’s just say, I don’t recommend it unless there is no traffic around, or you are alone in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Appearance:
How does exterior of the M differ from the rest of the 3 series? The M3 is a tougher, edgier-looking BMW. Its four pipes poke aggressively out the back, the car’s fenders are flared to accommodate the fat tread on the 19″ alloy wheels, a functioning rear spoiler reduces lift and drag, while the larger intake in the front breathes more air into the engine. These understated changes to the car’s exterior are as much about cranking up performance as they are about subtly announcing that this isn’t just a garden-variety 3 Series.

The interior of the M3 that I drove was black, with accents of brushed aluminum. The combo makes for an absolutely beautiful, yet distinctly masculine cabin. The car’s black leather seats hug you with lateral support; as soon as you sit in them you are immersed in the cockpit of the car. And like the feeling you get when you slide behind the wheel, everything about the car is about power. Power mirrors, power door locks, power sunroof, power heated seats, the powerful Harman Kardon audio system with audio steering wheel controls, it’s all there. Yes, of course the perks of a high-end European sports sedan are a given on the M3.

None the less, with that said, you don’t buy an M3 for its power sunroof. This car is about its engine and man oh man, what an engine it is.

Stats:
At 338hp the M3 bangs through its 6-gear manual transmission in a 5 second 0-100kmh, and a 13 second ¼ mile. Mercifully the M3′s top speed is electronically limited to 248kmh. And when you couple this phenomenal engine with a tight racing suspension, a suspension that allows you to fling yourself beautifully through the curves…it quickly becomes apparent that you are driving one of the finest and most exhilirating high-performance cars on the planet.

Feel it:
Okay, so the stats are impressive, so what? How does all that translate into real, every day driving?

The M3 makes you feel like Indy racer when taking off from a stoplight or cutting through corners, it’s the kind of car that will have you running up to Squamish in order to pick up a litre of milk. Who is the M3 for? The M3 is for you if you want to feel like a race car driver on your daily commute, if you want a high-powered machine that can outperform most cars on the road, but without the flash of many sports cars. This BMW is for car enthusiasts, little Hanz in his fancy lederhosen need not apply.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Walking is for wimps.

The stance, the aggressive stance.

In my opinion BMW has been getting the sport sedan right for decades and the 530i is a perfect example of how the über-engineers from Munich can take a 4-door car and make it look and feel like an executive road weapon.

I will presume that you agree with me when I say that a car’s presence either makes or breaks your “driving mood,” and that the exterior design of a car is important. And so as I approached the 530i, the trade mark BMW twin pointed-oval grille coupled with those now famous predatory headlight eyes immediately captured my attention and brought an evil smirk to my face. My aggressive instincts were at the forefront as I slid behind the wheel and sat myself down in the pristine leather, awash in the glow of the jet cockpit display. At that point I had to remind myself that regardless of my road domination fantasies, this was a borrowed BMW, I was not on the Nürburgring, and I wasn’t going to get thrown in the slammer because of a lucky opportunity to drive this German sex machine.

And so behave I did, and oh what a gentleman’s experience commenced!

The BMW 530i is a beautiful mix of sport performance and luxury comfort. Everything from the high gloss polished wood trim; to the beige leather of the supportive power front sport seats… the car’s interior exudes class. When you couple the car’s elegant smart interior with its 225hp engine, an engine that is made up of large, healthy Bavarian horses… well, needless to say you’ve got yourself a winner.

The 530i’s formidable low and mid-range torque and an almost turbo-like rush of top end power makes the 6 cylinder BMW an exciting ride. An adrenalin rush without compromising its nobleman’s driving experience, an addictive package that has you feeling powerful and in control. It’s no wonder that I insisted that I drive the car for every short, walkable errand run. It was easy to convince myself that it was reasonable for me to complete all of my outside movement in the BMW 530i.

Walking is for wimps, and the Beamer is for me.

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To read the press release announcing Urban Mixer Auto, click on to our media release site, HERE.

To find out more about the 2004 BMW 530i 4DR, sponsored by auto/ONE, click on to their website, HERE.