BMW E82 135i named Drive’s Best Performance Car in Australia

Drive, an Australian automotive publication, has just announced the winners of their 2010 Cary of the Year awards. The BMW E82 135i won for the Best Performance Car Over $60k AUD category, beating the Porsche 911 Turbo, Audi RS5, and Ford FPV GT. Here’s an explanation why BMW won:

BMW’s 135i Coupe sits at the other end of the pricing spectrum in this group, though our optioned-up test car would still set buyers back $82,055 for a car that is smaller than a Mazda3.

As one judge remarked, however, the 135i is “expensive for a car of its size but cheap for a car of its performance”.

Unlike the new 5-Series 35i models, the 135i sticks with the older 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine with two turbos rather than one. With the same 225kW and 400Nm to propel a 1455kg body, though, the baby BMW has supreme pulling power through its seven gears – allowing it to take the silver medal in the sprint to 400 metres.

The snarling engine begs to be revved hard, with super-quick shifts courtesy of the new paddle levers and dual-clutch auto that are new to the model this year.

Strong, consistent brakes and steering that is arguably the best in the BMW world also contributed to making the 135i a pocket dynamite on both road and track.

The BMW doesn’t smooth out every bump on the road and its interior has plenty of hard plastics, but these are merely minor blemishes on a sports car that nails the criteria and stands out for a third successive year at Drive Car of the Year.

Source: Drive