BMW sure seems to have a soft spot for Thundernight Metallic. Why? Because it keeps showing the new 1 Series in this striking purple shade. This F70 was part of a press event the automaker organized in the United Kingdom. It’s a lesser 120 flavor rather than the M135 hot hatch but it still has nearly £10,000 worth of optional goodies.
Aside from the eye-catching paint job, this 1 Series gets the M Sport Package Pro, hence the blacked-out details. A darker finish has been applied to the grille, making the funky-styled kidneys less in your face. The chunky rear spoiler, red M Sport brake calipers, and the darkened headlights are also part of this optional package.
Stepping inside the right-hand-drive cabin, you’ll likely first notice the panoramic glass sunroof. As you can probably imagine, BMW UK will charge you more for it. The electric front seats with a memory function are also extras, and so is the split-folding rear bench. Even automatic AC is an option in Britain where the electric tailgate will make 1 Series customers reach deeper into their pockets.
As is always the case with press cars, BMW went to town when it configured this 1 Series in 120 guise. It gave it everything from a heated steering wheel to a Harman Kardon sound system. That’s how this car ended up with a price tag of £42,335 after factoring in a few miscellaneous items such as the tinted windows. At current exchange rates, that works out to about $55,000 or €50,500. It’s a lot of money for a 1 Series that’s not even the M Performance model.
Since this is merely a 120, it means there’s a three-cylinder engine underneath the hood. It’s the same turbocharged 1.5-liter “B38” found in MINIs. It packs 168 hp and 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) of torque routed to the front wheels via a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. Some markets also get an even lower-powered 116 with just 122 hp and 230 Nm (170 lb-ft).
Source: BMW