BMW 135i Washington DC

Settling in behind the wheel of BMW's new 135i Coupe, I suddenly flash to the early 1990s, somewhere in the south of France, where I'm driving the brand-new E36 3 Series. It's not just the dash layout, but the close-coupled feel of the cabin and the illusion that you can almost touch the passenger-side A-pillar. The body of the car feels as if it's hewn from stone and not pressed steel. The steering action is direct and the handling precise.

This sense of déjà vu quickly passes as I press the 135i harder, snaking my way from Felton, California, high up in the Santa Cruz mountains, to the Pacific Ocean through stands of redwoods. The giant trees crowd so close to the road that some serve as apex cones on the roller-coaster ride down. Driving the new 1 Series is to experience BMW's philosophy in its purest form, thanks to the car's compact dimensions, surefooted manners and abundance of power.

While the company line is that the new 1 Series owes its inspiration to the legendary 2002 models, its execution is more in tune with E36-based coupes, the two-generation forebear of the current 3 Series, which has now grown to nearly 5 Series proportions.

The E36 coupe and the 1 Series share the same aesthetics that has served BMW well over the past 16 years. Muscular flanks instead of the 2002's slab sides. Thick pillars and a rounded roofline contrast with thin pillars and a larger glass area. Even the twin-kidney grille is more horizontal than the 2002's vertical presentation. The only difference here is that the 1 Series' long-hood, tall-roofline, short-rear-deck profile projects an odd, almost ungainly proportion from some angles. Yet, it's clear the 135i owes its inspiration to previous 3 Series rather than anything further back in the BMW catalog.

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