In the US BMW will continue to only offer the 1 Series as a 128i and 135i.
Official Release: Entering the 2010 model year, the BMW 1 Series as the guarantee for the broad-scale impact of BMW EfficientDynamics and as the epitome of Sheer Driving Pleasure in the compact segment is gaining even greater significance. Two additional, extra-economical low-emission engine variants are enhancing the model range of the BMW 1 Series Coupé as of September 2009: In the guise of the BMW 120i Coupé and the BMW 118d Coupé there will then be two further models with the EU5 emission rating.
Following the successful launch of the new entry-level three-door and five-door models, the BMW 116i and the BMW 116d, in spring 2009, the BMW 1 Series is once again proving its value as the pacemaker for efficient mobility combined with outstanding driving pleasure in the compact class. Other new models as of September 2009 are the Lifestyle and Sport Editions of the BMW 1 Series three- and five-door.
We have received many questions regarding the longevity of the high pressure fuel pump in N54 powered BMW models (335, 535, X6 35, 135) since their inception. While the longevity has not been established for the pumps as they are still fairly new in concept, there have been some premature failures. These failures have affected a small percentage of cars but they have been widely discussed on the internet.
BMW recently sent out letters to customers of 2007/2008 MY cars announcing that the warranty on the HPFP has been increased to 10 years or 120,00 miles. This shows BMW’s commitment to engineering a reliable product and standing behind it. So all you on the fence about buying that used 335i because of possible fuel pump issues can feel a bit more comfortable.
Last year around this time we featured an article on what BMW models are made where entitled “Made in Germany?” . BMWAG has graciously done this work for us this year by releasing a list of production facilities, what models are produced/assembled at each plant and the total number produced at the plant for 2008. This saved us a good deal of time and we thank them!
Worth noting in this official document is that the 5 Series GT will be in production this year as will the X6 Hybrid, but there is no mention of the new X3 or X1 which are both expected this year as well (now possibly in the Spring of 2010?). If you are questioning BMW producing cars in Asia, you will be happy to know that CKD stands for Complete Knock Down, and these are cars produced elsewhere in kit form and assembled for the specific local market in which they are assembled.
Last week I had the privilege of spending some time with Stephen Zoepf, behind the wheel of a 135i equipped with many of the latest offerings from BMW Performance. Stephen is the Accessory Development Manager – Performance, at BMW of North America. Aside from the wonderful car I was able to experience, Stephen helped shed some light on the BMW Performance program in general.
Since it is hard to conduct a full interview from behind the wheel of a car with an intoxicating exhaust, some of this information may be paraphrased. Enjoy!
BimmerFile: Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you became involved with BMW Performance?
Stephen Zoepf: I was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1979 and graduated from MIT in 2001 with a degree in electrical engineering. As a product development engineer with the Ford Motor Company, I acquired my taste for performance tuning as a member of the Ford Focus SVT development team. Started with BMWNA in 2004 as an accessory development engineer, and in 2007 began my position within BMW Performance.
We here at BimmerFile have been fans of the 1 Series since its launch. It is one of the few cars that out of the box is ready for some time at the track and will not completely melt a giant hole in your wallet. That is not to say it is perfect; like most cars designed for the masses there are little things that could be tweaked to make the car even better and of course increase its sporting intentions. Some of those tweaks would discourage most buyers but not us enthusiasts.
We are not the only ones looking for a bit more performance and sport out of the current array of BMW models; the BMW Performance Parts division is right there with us in the quest for the true “Ultimate Driving Machine”.
I recently had the privilege of spending some seat time with Stephen Zoepf, Accessory Development Manager for BMW Performance Parts, and Matthew Russell of BMW Product and Technology Communications in a fully equipped BMW Performance 135i. Outside of being employees of the weiss mit blau they are true enthusiasts and you are likely to catch them out on a track somewhere in an E30 ///M3 or even 328i sport wagon in quest for the perfect line.
Over the course of the week we will be posting our exclusive candid interview about BMW Performance and some other ground breaking things BMW has in store for us in the not so distant future, but for now we will put our focus on the BMW Performance 135i.
How do you make a great car even better? Find its weaknesses and attack them from different angles. That is what BMW Performance has done to this 1 Series.
Official Release: The heralded BMW 135i Coupé is set to take on the muscle of Albert Park at this year’s 2009 Australian Grand Prix.
A specially equipped 135i Coupé, bearing the famed tii livery and featuring BMW Performance gear, will take part in the Ultimate Speed Comparison.
A race between a V8 Supercar, fully prepared BMW Sauber Formula 1 car and road going BMW 135i Coupé, the Ultimate Speed Comparison is a crowd favourite which pits three high performance forms of motoring against each other in a one lap race to the finish line.
A while back we had reported BMWNA was working on publishing a list of recommended oils to be used in gasoline engines.
This was a welcomed move as oil specifics have not been listed in the owner’s manual and some people like to have an independent garage (or alone) complete a mid recommended interval oil change. Then there is the occasional need to top the engine off; it has always been a question as to whether that quart of oil, the life blood of the motor, was up to spec.
The oils listed below meet BMW’s Long-life rating and are acceptable for use in BMW Passenger vehicles and SAVs in the US market with gasoline engines. (Excludes ///M and Alpina models).
BMW Long-life rating LL-01 Approved Synthetic Oils for the US Market
Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30
Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40
Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30
Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30
Use only oils with an API rating of SM or higher.
For ///M or Alpina models as well as the view the BMW document here
Perhaps the most read review on BimmerFile has been our first piece we did on the BMW 135i. The car has often been called a reincarnation of the 2002tii. While we could go always wax poetically about the 135i, I wanted to take another look at the car a year later without the hype and the pretense the surrounded its introduction.
Our 2009 135i test car came equipped with the sport package, cold weather and convenience. At $43k it was about in the middle of what you would expect for the 135i moderately equipped. Driving the car for the first time in awhile was a bit more eye-opening than I expected. For starters steering feel is not (and never was) a strong suit of this car. While the mechanical steering rack in the 135i is an improvement over the electric one found in 128i and other iterations of the 1 its feedback is decidedly less than what you’d find an on M3, let alone an E46 ZHP or any number of previous generation 3 Series. The steering is as weighted as you’d want but simply doesn’t have the feedback that you’d expect given the feel of everything else associated with the car.
We have been asked this question a lot lately: “What is going on with the turbo lag software update?”
We have some good news for all of you that fit the criteria BMWNA laid out in their official statement. The software is out and obtainable, though some dealers may need an arm twist.
Our original post here help spread the word initially. This follow up should answer the questions in regards to obtaining the update and what it entails.
BimmerFile is dedicated to bringing you the most interesting news, links and reviews related to the BMW brand and it's vehicles.
We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
We long for the days of the wave and for the days of roll-up windows. Yet we love the gadgets on the inside and the xenons on the outside.
In short, we can't get enough of BMWs. This is BimmerFile.
Sections: E81/82/E87 1 Series, Official News Jun 28th, 2009 1 Comment 
