The BMW 128ti is the biggest rival of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and is more fun to drive than the four-wheel drive steel cannon! ——Car And Driver
Since the BMW Group gradually compromised with the market, there is such an impure thing as the UKL platform, the engine is horizontal, the drive form is changed from push to pull (front drive), the space has been significantly improved, etc., and the fans can't help but sigh that BMW is no longer pure!
However, this is not the case, and a model called the BMW 128ti has been launched in Europe, and although it is a front-drive model, it is no less fun to control than a traditional rear-drive model! Its handling performance even points directly to the popular steel cannon in Europe - volkswagen golf GTI, let's take a look at the perspective of overseas media, how does this car perform when it is driven!
Before compiling, let's take a look at what the "ti" logo in BMW 128ti is.
"ti" full name Turismo Internazionale, as early as the sixties, BMW in order to participate in the world touring car competition at that time, and then on the basis of 1800, at that time by the BMW royal modification factory Alpina and then launched the 1800ti model, at this time the "ti" logo symbolizes high performance.
With the increasing advancement of engine technology, after the addition of direct fuel injection technology, the "ti" logo was also changed to the "tii" logo, and the second "i" represented the meaning of injection.
However, after entering the 1970s, the ti series began to bid farewell to the market, and it was not until the 1990s that it appeared again on the high-end models of the BMW 3 Series Compact (first and second generation).
In fact, the BMW 3 Series Compact and the BMW 1 Series are inextricably linked. Although the IDs of the two are not the same, the structure of the hatchback and the longitudinal rear-drive layout have been retained, and everyone can understand it as a model with a real hatchback structure from the "2.5-box" BMW 3 Series Compact. Therefore, the predecessor of the BMW 1 Series is actually the BMW 3 Series Compact, which is just an operation for BMW to become more clear about the positioning of the model
Therefore, it is also the BMW 1 Series that still adheres to the layout of the vertical rear drive, which makes it deeply loved by Bimmer, but only limited to the first two generations. Since the 2019 BMW 1 Series replacement, it has been built under the FAR platform, from a rear-drive car to a front-drive car, which has become one of the biggest reasons why consumers do not buy it.
- At least BMW 128ti it won't!
Although Bao compromised for the market, it abandoned the rear-wheel drive form. But BMW is still BMW after all, to create a sporty model, like the human body's conditioned reflexes or muscle memory, hand in hand.
So even though the drive is no longer pure, the BMW 128ti still has an impressive driving feel.
The first full throttle step down, you can feel the BMW 128ti violent traction, its power reserve is enough to give the driver a hearty driving experience.
In the case of the original factory equipped with LSD, the drive wheel is like a tacit friend, both striving for a common goal, and the two do not interfere with each other. As a result, compared to the regular BMW model, its steering will be lighter and more agile (except for the one with the M).
If you have the option of a large 19-inch wheel (standard 18 inches) and are equipped with Michelin PS4 tires, its grip will be enough to impress you, give you more confidence in cornering, and cleverly defuse the situation that the front-drive car is prone to understeer.
If you have some slower, more compact corners, it is still easy to feel that the grip of the front wheels is still slightly lacking, but by closing the throttle to make the tail have a slight impulse to go out, so that the body can be cornered in a more comfortable posture, alleviating its shortcomings of understeering. It is also this setting that makes it more enjoyable to drive than the steady feeling of a traditional four-wheel drive steel gun.
For its chassis can not give too high evaluation, after all, it is not an M product, it is not equipped with an adaptive shock absorber, for some rugged mountain roads or poor road conditions, it is absolutely not comfortable, the body bounces a lot but the sense of fit is still strong, not the hard kind.
As for the power, although the positioning of the FAR platform is relatively low, BMW is still equipped with a mainstream 2.0T (B48) engine and is equipped with an 8AT gearbox. The maximum power of 195kW peak torque of 400N·m, such an outrageous power performance, even the BMW 330i said it wanted to scold the street.
In addition, the BMW 128ti has a curb weight of only 1520kg, although it is still slightly heavier than the Volkswagen Golf GTI, but under the strong power, the lightweight body and the excellent chassis tuning of BMW engineers, the driving pleasure is no less than the popular Volkswagen Golf GTI, or even better!
Of course, it also has many drawbacks. After all, it is not an M product, its paddle shifters do not have much weight when tapped, and this light feeling does not create a more enthusiastic driving feeling for driving.
At the same time, its cabin plastic cover is more, even if it has the exclusive logo of "ti" in the details, but its sense of cheapness is still a little less bloody.
In summary, although the BMW 128ti car can not be as sporty as its own M products, but for the BMW 128ti, its significance is not to be how hardcore its sportiness is, but like the Volkswagen GTI, it is a car that can be driven comfortably every day, occasionally need to run the mountain can have good driving pleasure, and the price can be bought by ordinary consumers, which is its value. But who can believe that the BMW 128ti's pre-tax base price ($35,600) is cheaper than the Volkswagen GTI ($39,400) of the same size. If Heaven could give me a chance to choose, I hope it would be – choose them all! [doge]