A ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission
puts the power down onto the rear wheels, along with steering mounted paddle
shifters for true F1-style gear changes. But all these pale in comparison when
you gun the M235i all the way to its heady 7,000rpm redline and just relish in
the insane soundtrack and awesome blend of speed and control.
The
familiar-looking dashboard follows suit in the M235i - there're no qualms about
its ergonomics but it is starting to feel dated
Sizzling century sprints are delivered with
clinical precision thanks to launch control and a very well sorted out chassis.
Throttle response is instantaneous and the mid-range pull is absurdly strong,
to be exact its 450Nm strong coming in from as low as 1,300rpm and all the way
to 4,500rpm. In Sport mode, the 8-speeder drops or charges up a gear or two
with almost dual-clutch-like speed.
Curiously, even with the firmed up suspension,
the M235i absorbs road irregularities surprisingly well. It feels much more at
home than the jittery old 135i while at the same time leaves enough space for a
more hardcore version (i.e. M2) as a true successor to the awe-inspiring 1M
Coupe.
The
eight-speeder is well and good when left to its own devices, but will heighten
the driving fun further when put to manual
Regardless of what anyone else is going to
tell you, people who buy M235is have only one thing on their minds – really
serious driving. And sitting snugly in that superb, supportive driver’s seat,
looking over that deeply sculpted bonnet – that’s what the M235i driver is
exactly going to do!
Send the coupe into a corner at insane
speeds and those massive brakes will pull the M235i through quickly with
physics-defying grip and barely any nose-dive. The steering’s sharpness and
responsive front-end deliver pin-point accurate turn-ins, allowing the driver
to step on the gas much, much earlier in the corner while providing a tonne of
grip at the rear end.
Driver's
seat is both widely adjustable and comfortable, if a bit high-set for a coupe
Driving the M235i on the edge, you would
probably notice that even with the razor sharp steering and tight body control,
there’s still a significant amount of comfort and day-to-day liveability added
in for good measure. Despite its amazing performance, the car possesses a fine
balance between these two extremes which make it one of the best coupe
all-rounders.
More
head and legroom back here makes for enough space for average-height adults.
Access is a bit of a squeeze, though
For a little less than 260-grand, you’re
getting near supercar levels of performance with the only other vehicle that
comes close being the M135i hatch that has the same engine but in a softer body
and five doors. The Coupe is the sharper of the two with more power, two lesser
doors but still extremely practical. It’s well behaved when pottering around
town, tears up long winding roads with gusto and will probably make you think
long and hard about purchasing that pre-owned M3.
Until the M2 gets launched, the M235i will
remain this editor’s choice when it comes to the ultimate daily driven two-door
coupe.
