BMW built a hatchback with a longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive, a layout no other hatchback maker bothered copying.
Lead trim: 116i (N45) · up to 321 hp
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a BMW 1 Series yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactBMW built a hatchback with a longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive, a layout no other hatchback maker bothered copying.
The first-generation BMW 1 Series consists of the E81 three-door and E87 five-door hatchbacks, the E82 coupé and the E88 convertible, produced from 2004 to 2013 at Leipzig and Regensburg and sometimes called the E8x. It replaced the 3 Series Compact as the entry-level BMW, and unusually for a hatchback has a longitudinal engine driving the rear wheels, with aluminium multi-link suspension and 50:50 weight balance. The hatchbacks were succeeded by the F20/F21 1 Series and the coupé and convertible by the 2 Series (F22/F23).
Real BMW 1 Series cards spotted on the street by Burbles collectors. Tap any card to flip it over, inspect the collector’s binder, or follow them.
VerifiedFIRST PRINTONLY ONE IN VANCOUVERPROIn 2012, UK thieves found they could program a blank key fob straight through the 1 Series's own OBD port and drive off — no break-in required.
18 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116d | 2009–2011 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 114 hp | 192 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 116i (N43, 2.0) | 2009–2011 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 127 hp | 136 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 116i (N45) | 2004–2011 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 114 hp | 111 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 118d (M47) | 2004–2007 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 121 hp | 207 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 118d (N47) | 2007–2013 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 141 hp | 221 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 118i (N43) | 2007–2009 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 141 hp | 140 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 118i (N46) | 2005–2007 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 127 hp | 133 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 120d (M47) | 2004–2007 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 161 hp | 251 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 120d (N47) | 2007–2013 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 174 hp | 258 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 120i (N43) | 2007–2013 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 168 hp | 155 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 120i (N46) | 2004–2007 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 148 hp | 148 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 123d | 2007–2013 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 201 hp | 295 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 125i | 2007–2013 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 215 hp | 199 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 128i (US and Canada) | 2008–2013 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 228 hp | 200 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 130i (2005–2007) | 2005–2007 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 261 hp | 232 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 130i (2007–2011) | 2007–2011 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 255 hp | 229 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 135i (N54) | 2007–2010 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 302 hp | 295 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 135is | 2013–2013 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 321 hp | 317 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
An estimate, for the 116d trim: fuel on its EPA figure and a dated national price, upkeep on a per-mile average for the kind of car it is.
Nobody has claimed one yet.
BMW's own engineers cap this hatchback's output lower in Europe than the same engine gets elsewhere.
Tick the Shadow Line trim and the Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar is shaped into the numeral 1.
The F40 came out 5 mm shorter than the car it replaced, yet front-drive packaging gave it 42 mm more front legroom.
BMW's 2021 update to the M135i retuned its springs and dampers, and turned its artificial engine sound up louder.
BMW swapped the M135i's N55 six for the B58 in 2016 and renamed it M140i without changing the body.
The N54 engine in the 1M was BMW M's second turbocharged unit ever, after the X6 M's V8.
BMW kept the F20 rear-wheel drive while every mainstream rival in its class went front-drive.
In 2012, UK thieves found they could program a blank key fob straight through the 1 Series's own OBD port and drive off — no break-in required.
BMW built a hatchback with a longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive, a layout no other hatchback maker bothered copying.
