2011 BMW 1 Series – New Motor And New Transmission

Set to go on sale in April of 2010, the 2011 BMW 1 Series will be presented to us with quite a different spec sheet than compared to that of 2010. Honestly, I don’t think I can even remember the last time such drastic changes we made to a mid-production car in the BMW lineup. The base prices will not change from those of 2010 either with the 128i coupe and convertible costing $30,025 and $35,075 respectively, and the 135i coupe and convertible starting at $36,925 and $41,225.

Among those changes and the largest in my opinion is a new motor. Yes, the older twin turbo 3.0L inline six N54 is being replaced by the newer and more production cost friendly N55 – a single turbo 3.0L inline six also used in the 2011 335i and the X6 xDrive35i. Do not worry though as the N55 will still deliver the same 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque we’ve come to love. Although no official numbers have been released by BMW, they claim that the latest single turbo 3.0L I6 will offer better fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

Attached to the motor change is also a transmission change. One that will see an improvement in both the coupe and convertible’s performance specs. They will be trading their six speed automatics for BMW’s newest seven speed dual-clutch DCT automated manual transmission. This will add an extra $200 to the price tag (over the $1375 of the automatic) but hey, you are promised greater performance. We aren’t sure how much of a difference this will make in terms of acceleration since nothing has been officially said yet.

Interior Make Over

Get ready for a new interior as well. One laced with leather! No, you will not need to spend money hand over fist to get this over the previous “Pleather”. The good news is that this option can be had at no additional cost. When was the last time you heard that from BMW? This option will also include iPod integration.

In BMW’s suspected efforts to clear the inventory path for their 2012 1 Series debut, they’ve bundled together a bunch of standalone options into what they call the Convenience Package. For the 128i coupe/convertible clients this includes keyless entry and ignition, xenon headlights, alarm system and rear parking sensors all for a $500 discounted sum of $1650. 135i coupe/convertible clients have access to the same package without the xenon’s since those already come standard for them for a $250 discounted even $1000. You will also be seeing a heated steering wheel added to both models for the Cold Weather Package which costs $750 and the previously unbranded Hi-Fi stereo system will be replaced with a premium Harman/Kardon setup for $875.