PETROLHEADS can pick up a super-fast hot hatchback with speed that can even beat certain Ferrari models – all for a bargain price.
The BMW 1-Series hatchback, which ran from 2011 until 2019, once cost £30,360 from new – and while it didn’t boast the same sporty looks you’d expect from BMW’s fastest motors (notably the M models), it does pack a surprising punch.
In fact, the M135i model is one of the more beastly hot hatchbacks available, capable of producing 315 bhp from its 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine – enough to hit a top speed of 155 mph.
If that’s not enough, its acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is timed at just 4.9 seconds.
Better yet, 10-year-old examples of this motor can be bought at a very reasonable price – sometimes less than £9,000.
We found an incredibly well looked after 2013-model on the PistonHeads website with 108,000 miles on the clock for just £8,679.
Featuring an automatic gearbox, it also boasts sat-nav, leather interior with heated seats, parking sensors and Apple Play.
It’s finished in a striking blue colour, and also sports snazzy alloy wheels.
To put this BMW motor into some context, the iconic Ferrari 400i – which can cost around £60,000 – has a top speed of 149 mph, with a 4.8-litre engine that produces 311bhp.
It’s also faster than classic models such as the retro 208, 308 GT4 and the Mondial.
Thrill seekers looking for a hot hatchback may also be interested in the evergreen Honda Civic Type-R.
Motoring guru Shahzad Sheikh, who runs the YouTube channel the Brown Car Guy, said: “I drove them here, there, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates on some mountain roads – I had a whale of a time in them.
“The thing about Type Rs, as anyone who has a Honda and VTEC engines will know, is you have to rev the nuts off them.
“If you’re below 6,000 to 7,000rpm, it’ll just drive like a normal Civic, but once you get through that rev range, that’s when you’ll be impressed.”
Meanwhile, Wheeler Dealers’ star Mike Brewer revealed recently that a retro BMW was the “most expensive car ever bought in Wheeler Dealers’ history.”
This comes as BMW fans recently discovered the meaning behind the German brand’s iconic logo.
