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

Volvo XC90 review – still the king of the school run or past its best?
Volvo XC90 front
Reviews

Volvo XC90 review – still the king of the school run or past its best?

Volvo’s star flagship family car has been renewed with more hybrid power, sharper tech and looks and competitive pricing
30 Apr 2026
Toyota GR Corolla review - why the GR Yaris’s big brother will be worth the wait
Toyota GR Corolla
Reviews

Toyota GR Corolla review - why the GR Yaris’s big brother will be worth the wait

It's been on sale for three years and until now only in select markets, but now it's built in Britain it's coming to the UK. We're just waiting for To…
1 May 2026
This secret British sports car is a £5m gamble, inspired by Lotus and with Ferrari looks
Wells Vertige
Features

This secret British sports car is a £5m gamble, inspired by Lotus and with Ferrari looks

Robin Wells fancied a new sports car so decided to build his own. The result is the Wells Vertige, and now you can have one too
28 Apr 2026