You can get a six-speed manual if you
please, but the eight-speed auto is the one everyone will buy. The auto has the
full gambit of functions from blink-of-the-eye shifts in Sport Plus mode to a decoupling
coasting mode in Eco Pro when you take your foot off the gas above 50km/h. And
there’s auto stop-start as well.
While there is an AWD version available in
Europe, our M235i stays the traditional BMW rear-drive course, and utilises an
open diff equipped with the ‘Active Differential Brake’ function which uses the
stoppers on the rear to brake spinning wheels, sending the drive to the wheel
with better purchase. The car can also be optioned with a full mechanical LSD.
But the way the car drives with the standard set-up, you’d probably only tell
the difference on the race track, or when the LSD binds up during slow turning
manoeuvres. Or if, perchance, you accidentally experienced sustained loss of
traction.
Step
inside and the spacious, high quality interior of the M235i still impresses
But such uncouth behaviour is not what you
buy the M235i for. No, the M235i delivers the classic rear-drive nirvana. The
M235i is all the ultimate things that BMW rant and rave about, being
beautifully balanced with uncorrupted steering and the sweetest turn-in. BMW
makes sure to sort its zeros and ones when programming its electric steering,
the system here quick thanks to the progressive rack but also feelsome and well
weighted. The chassis tune is one of strict control, and while it can struggle
to ride all out of the bumps on a road, the body control and stability of the
suspension geometry, particular at the rear help sharpen that front end. It’s
adept at revealing the available balance in its grip account, and this is what
makes the M235i such a confidence-inspiring machine. It’s surprisingly
tractable given how eagerly the engine doles out the torque. The stability aids
get a fair old workout in Sport while Sport Plus mode delivers that extra
leniency towards wheel rotation and tyre scrub to better enjoy the poise of
that well anchored chassis before the traction aids step in. the driveline
delivers as well, the engine revving with a broad spread of the good stuff and
is satisfyingly noisy too, while the auto is simply all class. Unfortunately
the grippy Pilot Sport rubber is rowdy so best then to wind the engine right
out, as the song of the six is more sonorous than the monotone of the
Michelins.
Driver's
seat is both widely adjustable and comfortable, if a bit high-set for a coupe
The M235i has a consumption rating of
7.8L/100km, which might be achievable if you tootle around in Eco Pro mode all
day, but it’s hardly why you buy an M Performance model. It’s a pretty
misleading figure, as we saw the average hit 19.2L/100km at one stage, and the
52L tank can limit your range at that rate. It does settle down once normal
progress resumes, however, and low teens are what you should expect to live
with long term.
More
head and legroom back here makes for enough space for average-height adults.
Access is a bit of a squeeze, though
The M235i is not just a single-purpose
performance machine mind you. Coupes are never really practical but the M235i
is civilised and spacious enough for easy everyday use. Its dynamic attributes
can be appreciated on a casual commute, its nimbleness working for it in
traffic too, and the low down pull helps ease you along in congested driving.
The variable steering is light weighted in Comfort mode and with just 2.l turns
lock-to-lock, it also makes parking easy, as do the modest dimensions. Even the
ride is sorted, at least when running in Comfort mode. The boot is
semi-practical, being a sizeable 390L, though it has a tight opening. Added
convenience comes from a handy split folding rear seat with a 40:20:40 arrangement
while the two seats in the back provide enough comfort space for more than just
short trips. Even access is reasonable. While the spec sheet reflects the
six-figure fee you'd think a smart key would be part of the deal.
BMW
has tuned the engine's sonic performance to unique effect, it claims
This sportster has no real direct rivals on
the market, though the likes of the AMG CLA 45 would figure, but you'd have to
go up to the more expensive and less practical Cayman to get a better drive
experience. The M235i is good enough to tempt M4 tyre kickers who haven't quite
made up their minds on whether the 317kW full strength M coupe is for them.
With the M235i, they'd be getting 85 percent of the performance and driver
appeal while being able to exploit more of its potential on road, all while
saving $60k. Well worth considering
then.
