Driving the adorably stubby 135i, it was hard not to imagine a BMW X5 and 7-Series somewhere playing the part of the little car’s parents, nervously wringing their hands as Junior went out into the world for the first time.

Mom and Dad needn’t worry, of course.  BMW’s new sport compact may be just a puppy, but it’s more than capable of taking care of itself.   BMW’s newest is a compact coupe that enters the lineup a step below the increasingly expensive 3-Series.  It’s a more economical alternative that still wears the vaunted BMW badge and doesn’t make buyers give up any performance for the sake of economy.
The truth is quite the opposite in fact, when you consider that the 135i’s powerplant is shared with the considerably larger 335.  Shedding pounds has always been one of the quickest ways to boost performance, and the 135i is proof positive that this strategy is a good one.  Since it’s carrying the 300 horsepower turbocharged I6 from the much larger 335i under the hood, the 135 is wickedly fast.  The six-speed selectable automatic transmission offers manual gear changes on demand and is quicker than in past years, though it’s not as instantaneous and twitch-free as Audi’s similar DSG.  A six-speed manual is also available, of course.  It’s a delight to drive.  Bury the go pedal and 0-60 comes up so quickly you’ll be going 70 before you register that it’s time to back off to avoid speeding tickets.  The 1-Series is also available in 128i guise, with a 230-horse, naturally-asiprated version of the 3.0 straight six.
The 135i floats down the freeway with the greatest of ease, solidly planted and powerful.  An all-aluminum suspension keeps the weight down, and the double-pivot front suspension all but eliminates flex in the front end when cornering.  The 135’s multi-link rear suspension keeps the rear wheels on the road, and the standard Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) is almost a requirement to keep it from getting squirrely under power.  Since it’s not hauling around a lot of extra weight, the 135i is tossable and easy to drive, and wide tires wrapped around eighteen-inch wheels provide instantaneous response and copious grip.  Six-piston front brakes ensure that it’ll stop as quickly as it goes.  The hype calling the 135i an economy car may be a bit overblown, but its handling makes it one of the friendliest BMW products going in spite of the power to weight ratio.
BMW styling keeps everything in the family.  At a glance the 135i looks like a shrunken 3-Series, but the details are very different.  Flame-surfacing style is evident on the hood, around the wheels and on the flanks where the fenders curve gracefully upward and downward, wrapping the eighteen-inch wheels.  An integrated spoiler and LED taillights give the rear end sporty distinction.  The short greenhouse is rounded, and the hood and trunk exaggerate the long-hood, short-deck profile of the larger 3-Series in a smaller scale, heightening the impression that the 135i isn’t fully grown.  It’s one of the cutest seriously powerful cars out there, in fact.
The diminutive 135 manages to be comfortable inside as well.  It’s as snug as you’d expect a 7/8-scale car to be, but ample elbow and knee room are still available for front-seat passengers.   Considering that the 135 is smaller than many subcompacts, that’s pretty impressive.  Four passengers can be squeezed in, if you need to, and the ten cubic-foot trunk is large enough to be useful.   My test car featured a sport-seated interior in black with red seats.   A navigation system is available, but requires the addition of BMW’s love-it or hate-it iDrive system.  Sirius satellite radio and an iPod or MP3-ready sound system are also available.
The only downside to the 135i is that it’s not quite the second coming of BMW’s legendary 2002.  That car had similar attributes to the 135…except it was affordable.  With prices starting at $29,375 for the 128i and $34,900 for the 135i, the baby BMW tops any other “premium compact” and costs more than some mid-sized luxury sedans and coupes.  My tester was optioned up with a cold weather package, sport seats, an iPod adapter and other accessories, and stickered for $43,675, which is decidedly out of entry-level territory, even for a premium car.

Specifications:  All specs are for the BMW 135i.
Length:  172.2 in.
Width:  68.8 in.
Height:     55.4 in.
Wheelbase:  104.7 in.
Curb weight:   3384 lb.
Cargo space:   10 cu.ft.
Base price:  $34,900
Price as tested:     $43,675
Engine:   3.0 liter twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine
Drivetrain:  six-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower:  300 @ 5800
Torque:  300 @ 1400
Fuel capacity:  14.0 gal.
Est. mileage:  18/26