derBayerische January/February 2023 - 34

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relatively clear. For us Americans,
that makes driving the European
" freeways " even more pleasant.
Since it was right-hand drive,
I did NOT feel confident putting the
118i through my typical evaluation
paces. Frankly, my left-hand-drive
instincts kicked in a little too often for
my liking. Also, the beauty of the
Irish countryside motivated me to
drive at an appropriate pace to
explore and to take in the sights.
During this evaluation drive,
the 118i averaged 35 miles per
gallon. It was interesting to discover
that after converting from liters per
euro to dollars per gallon, I paid less
for gasoline in Ireland than I would
have paid in San Francisco!
There is no doubt that once a
■ (From the Left) We're not in the US anymore. When it makes sense to have an automatic.
I drove one from Southern California
to the Monterey Car Week events.
Well built and feeling like a proper
BMW, my three passengers and I
very much liked the 318ti. However,
the lack of four doors and the lack of
the expected BMW interior features
gave the vehicle a bit of an " incomplete "
feel. Now, I hope that if/
when Delight Lucas (THE powerhouse
behind the wonderful BMW
CCA LA Chapter, and a 318ti zealot)
reads this, she won't have the urge
(again) to strangle me!
There is NOTHING incomplete
with the 118i interior design. This
vehicle had all the features one
expects in a BMW, there was NO
" de-contented " feel.
As with all BMW front-wheeldrive
products, the 2023 118i is built
on the UKL modular chassis. Used
for a number of BMW models, the
UKL chassis gives the 118i a very
spacious interior, with plenty of room
for passengers in the rear seats and
lots of cargo space. Due to the higher
roof line, the rear-seat room felt
bigger than that in the 2 Series Gran
Coupe.
As with the other BMW front34
wheel-drive
products (as well as my
Shelby GLH-S), the 1.5 liter threecylinder
turbocharged engine is
transversely mounted. The engine is
rated at 135 horsepower and 163
foot-pounds of torque. The Shelby
GLHS turbocharged, intercooled
2.2-liter four-cylinder engine
produced 175 horsepower and 175foot
pounds of torque. While both
vehicles produce decent acceleration,
it's the handling that makes
both of them extremely fun to drive.
After the first few (very) tentative
miles, I slowly became more
comfortable with the Irish freeways.
As with crossing the streets in the
UK, I found myself looking in all
directions before changing lanes and
making turns. While smooth and
well maintained, the Irish (both
Ireland and Northern Ireland) freeway
system is somewhat limited.
To reach the major tourist attractions,
one quickly finds oneself on country
roads. If you've never driven a UK
country road, watch a few episodes
of the current remake of " All
Creatures Great and Small " ; that will
not only show the typical road surfaces
you'll encounter, but also the
width of the typical road.
The width of these roads, many
of which are only one lane (especially
bridges), are worth noting.
Mindful of my previous Irish driving
experience (March/April 2020),
I approached every shrub-lined road
with care, knowing that the shrub
and overgrowth most likely covered
a rock wall. And driving a brandnew
rental vehicle, I knew that any
scratches on the side of the vehicle
would be attributed to me.
My father once told me that in
Europe, BMWs and Mercedes are
analogous to Dodge, Ford, and
Chevrolet brands in the U.S. While
these European brands offer premium
performance luxury vehicles,
their volume products were
designed for the middle-class
family market. In urban areas one
even sees BMWs and Mercedes in
police and taxi service. In the
suburbs, it was a bit of a surprise to
see the number of BMWs and
Mercedes parked in the driveways of
average households.
Due to the extensive, affordable,
and reliable European rail network,
the freeways tend to be
derBayerische
BMW CCA member drives a
1 Series, they'll wonder why BMW
will not sell it in North America.
Simply speaking, it's very difficult to
make a positive business case for
offering this model. First, the 1
Series is priced very close to the VW
GTI; which would detract from BMW
NA's desired " upscale performanceluxury "
marketing. Second, the
1 Series would most likely take away
from MINI Cooper sales. Third (and
most importantly) a 1 Series would
add yet another product line for the
BMW NA dealers to market and
support. At last count, BMW NA
offers 90 different products for sale;
and there is not one North American
BMW dealership that is large enough
to have that current full product range
in stock.
The 2023 BMW 118i M Sport is
an entry level vehicle worthy of the
BMW name. No doubt, it will create
many new BMW fans. However, we
will not experience that in North
America.
So, when you're in Europe on
vacation or business travel, rent a
BMW 1 Series and have some fun.
Driving that vehicle on European
roads will prove that BMW still
makes the " Ultimate Driving
Machine. "

derBayerische January/February 2023

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