Sixty large for a BMW 1-series? ? ? ? (
- too bad there's no "heart attack" emoticon...) Uh, no thanks. When you're in $60K territory, there are just so many other options. The Porsche Boxster starts at $58,000 and although Porsche option prices are even more dear than BMW's, if you exercise restraint you can get one within a stone's throw of the 135's loaded price. The M-B SLK starts at $59,900. Both offer the same top-down motoring experience; the Boxster is the purer sports car (and much better looking IMHO); the SLK brings a folding hard top to the table. Yes the 135 offers vestigial back seats, but honestly, how many people use them? Heck, for that chunk of change, if you insist on BMW, you can either get into a 328 convertible ($57,300) for driving al fresco, or if performance is your priority, you can get a 335 for $53,400 and still have change left from your $60,000 bill, or even spring for a 335is. Its funny - as I write this, I keep referring back to the article over and over and over just to make sure that I'm reading correctly that the as-tested price of the 135 is $57,590 - it's like
I can't even believe the price-point comparisons I'm making.
That would explain, however, why I don't see any of them on the road...