In the battle of the hot/hyper hatchback, BMW’s choice to give the 1-series a rear-wheel drive drivetrain is one that has baffled its rivals while gathering a religious fan base. This hind-powered setup has proved to be detrimental in some areas that buyers find relevant in this segment – acceleration, grip and predictability. But in a world where the Kardashians are considered relevant, who are they to judge the clearly driver orientated rear-wheel drive BMW hatchback? Ask a real driver what he wants from a car, and you’ll get answers that all relate to skidding and drifting (Disclaimer: Results may vary depending on demographics).
Also known as “the most fun you can have with your pants on”, drifting a car is seen as the ultimatum of car control since it is so rewarding when done correctly – it’s like fighting a shark and having a sushi party after you’ve beaten it (the sushi will probably be made out of the shark). While driving it on its limits, you forget about the slower acceleration and slower laptimes because the M140i’s fun factor takes over – it becomes more about the driving experience over any other statistic and as we all know, you cannot quantify fun. cars.co.za shows us how rewarding the M140i is compared to its comparatively dull rivals which are prone to understeer when the grip disappears – understeer is like running to your mom when you’re losing a fist fight. While the all-wheel drive cars run to their mothers (cough Golf R cough), the BMW M140i sticks out its back-end and shows its rivals what driving is all about. Just watch the video below and see for yourself.
