Skip advert
Advertisement

BMW M140i review - 1-series hot hatch offers more polish than precision - Performance and 0-60 times

The M140i is a polished hot hatch offering that starts to unravel when pushed to its limits

Evo rating
  • Sophisticated and impressive drivetrain, polished road manners and well priced
  • Lacks the precision of more focused rivals

Performance and 0-60mph time

Despite a comparative lack of performance focus, the M140i still boasts impressive performance figures, with manual equipped cars reaching 62 from a standstill in just 4.8 seconds. Thanks to a plateau of torque, the BMW feels unstressed, but still rewards the driver when the full 7000rpm rev range is utilised.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The automatic gearbox drops this time a further two tenths to 4.6 seconds, due to the ZF boxes short gearing and sharp shifts. Compared to the likes of the Mercedes-AMG A45 and Audi RS3, the BMW is out gunned, but against more relevantly priced rivals like the Golf R and Audi S3, the BMW will easily show them a fresh pair of heels in the dry, but be left for dead by these all-wheel drive rivals in the wet.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Jaecoo 7 review – impressive in ways, not great in others
Jaecoo 7
Reviews

Jaecoo 7 review – impressive in ways, not great in others

Is what is now one of Britain’s best-selling cars actually any good? We got one in to find out
11 Aug 2026
Jaguar Type 01 interior revealed – futuristic and luxurious to make German cars look old-fashioned
Jaguar Type 01 interior
News

Jaguar Type 01 interior revealed – futuristic and luxurious to make German cars look old-fashioned

Unsurprisingly the Jag’s cabin is as bold and futuristically luxurious as its exterior, if not entirely clear in terms of ergonomics…
11 Aug 2026
Unpopular opinion: Why fast estate cars are almost pointless
BMW M3 Touring (E46)
Opinion

Unpopular opinion: Why fast estate cars are almost pointless

The ‘spork’ of the car world – do-it-all, but two cars each dedicated to their specific job would be better
11 Aug 2026