A 21st Century 318is

by Derek Kreindler

December 12th, 2014 11:28 AM

You haven’t been able to buy a BMW 318is since L.A. Law was on the airwaves, but BMW just introduced the next best thing. A 3-cylinder BMW 2-Series Coupe.

Jalopnik reports that BMW is introducing a 218i coupe, powered by the 1.5L 3-cylinder turbo mill from the base Mini Cooper. Pumping out 136 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, the 218i is about as quick as an old 318i, hitting 60 mph in roughly 9 seconds. By American standards, this is dreadfully slow for a BMW (even an X1 can hit the speed limit in 6 seconds), but in Europe, where the car will be sold, it’s just fine.

For now, if you want a BMW packing a triple, you have just one option: the i8 supercar.

#BMW #Bmw218i #MINI #MINICOOPER

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Sketch447 on Dec 13, 2014

So it'll be a Mini Cooper at BMW prices. The American consumer isn't that dumb.......there are plenty of vehicles that capture the spirit of the 318 nowadays, and with much better reliability. The upcoming Jeep Renegade comes to mind. The Bimmer 318 hback was the right car at the wrong time. It was introduced during $1.75 (or less) gasoline. I loved the thing. At the time, I wished I could afford one.

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- Darex on Dec 13, 2014
  
  The Jeep Renegade comes to mind? Really!? Have you driven one? Nope Have you not noticed it's a small SUV, and not a coupe?! Have you sat in one? Nope Have you experienced FIAT reliability for years? Nope Have you touched the interior cheapness that abounds? Nope Silliness!!
  
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- Darex on Dec 13, 2014
  
  The Jeep Renegade comes to mind? Really!? Have you driven one? Nope Have you sat in one? Nope Have you experienced FIAT reliability for years? Nope Have you touched the interior cheapness that abounds? Nope Silliness!!
  
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- Lie2me on Dec 13, 2014
  
  @darex Have you done/experienced any of those things? If not, your presumptions are just as invalid
  
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- Petezeiss on Dec 13, 2014
  
  @Lie2me Shyeah.. dude's on Mars with that one. Not like I don't visit :-)
  
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Dwford on Dec 13, 2014

I'm still trying to figure out 2 Series RWD coupe and 2 Series Active Tourer FWD minivan.

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- Krhodes1 on Dec 13, 2014
  
  Does that make any less sense than calling all of your vehicles MK-something, or that all your vehicle names must start with Q? It's just a name.
  
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- Dwford on Dec 13, 2014
  
  @krhodes1 BMW figured out a naming scheme for their sedans, coupes, crossovers and their new electrified line, but forgot to figure out how to name the batch of front wheel drive vehicles they are about to produce.
  
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Jacob on Dec 14, 2014

So this car has less horsepower than Ford's 4-cylinder 1.5L Ecoboost, and it hits 0-60 in more time than the bigger and heavier Ford Fusion with the 1.5L EB. Why should we be excited?

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Hgrunt on Dec 15, 2014

Interesting tidbit: Adjusted for inflation, the E30 318is is basically the same price as a 228i with Sports Package.

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