A source from BMW said that the sports version of the 135i will bear the name 135is, not M1. The model is expected to begin this autumn.
As you know, the Motorsport division of BMW is working on a sports version of the 1-Series coupe. It will be turbocharged and is based on the 135i. Although rumors first announced that the new model will be called M1, it seems that Bavarians from BMW will designate it 135is, in a similar manner with the new BMW 335is launched in the United States of America and the Z4 sDrive35is.
American journalists from Insideline heard this information from a source within the BMW brand, located right in their booth at the Geneva Motor Show. The new BMW 135is is expected to begin thisautumn equipped with a more powerful version of the N54B30 engine and more aggressive suspension settings. Spy photos have already caught a number of test models with modified wings to accommodate wheels of 18″, necessary for extra stability and to provide additional power easily on the road of the modified version of the N54 engine.
