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

Kia K4 2026 review – can it fill the gap left by the Ford Focus?
Kia K4 – front
Reviews

Kia K4 2026 review – can it fill the gap left by the Ford Focus?

With Ford killing the Focus, there’s space in the market for a semi-premium family hatch to take on the Volkswagen Golf. Kia hopes to fill it with the…
23 Mar 2026
Peugeot’s new petrol engine swaps belts for chains to improve reliability
Peugeot Turbo 100
News

Peugeot’s new petrol engine swaps belts for chains to improve reliability

New engine isn’t performance-oriented but does address some reliability issues around so-called ‘wet belts’, swapping them out altogether for chains
16 Mar 2026
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet review – a 701bhp answer to the Ferrari Amalfi Spider
Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet – front
Reviews

Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet review – a 701bhp answer to the Ferrari Amalfi Spider

At £209,100 the new Turbo S Cabriolet is currently the most expensive 911 on sale, and the most powerful. Is it the ultimate open-top supercar?
25 Mar 2026