VIDEO: Joe Achilles tests a BMW M135i alongside his M2 Comp

For most BMW enthusiasts, the M2 Competition is the best Bavarian on sale. To most of those same enthusiasts, the all-new BMW M135i is the antithesis of the M2. Its front-wheel drive-based, it sports a transverse four-cylinder engine (on account of it being front-drive) and it only comes with an automatic gearbox. So what does a BMW M2 Comp owner think about having an M135i for a bit?

YouTuber Joe Achilles is currently the owner of an M2 Competition and is a big fan. But BMW UK has lent Achilles an M135i for a few months, which is a really interesting contrast. So his two car garage for the next few months consists of one of the best rear-drive sport coupes in the Bavarian stable and its new front-wheel drive-based, all-wheel drive hatchback.

Even more interesting is the fact that Achilles used to also own the predecessor of the BMW M135i — the old M140i hatchback. The previous M140i was rear-wheel drive an beloved by BMW enthusiasts for its tail-happy antics that made it an outlier in the segment. So his opinion on the new 1er is actually quite valuable, considering he’s owned the new car’s predecessor and currently owns the brand’s handling benchmark.

There’s admittedly a big power and performance difference between the two. The BMW M2 Competition uses a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged I6 engine with 405 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. His M2 has a six-speed manual gearbox, too. So it’s about as much of an enthusiast’s Bimmer as you can currently get. While the BMW M135i uses a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes 306 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. So comparing the two cars’ performance isn’t exactly fair.

So what does Achilles think of the new little 1er? Obviously, there’s some good and some bad. It’s obviously not as exciting as the M2 Competition but it has some real benefits. Check out the video to see what Achilles thinks.

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