Directv will allow you to download an application that will run a series of tests on your computer to see if it is compatible with the new program. Mine came up with one error that said I could not watch protected content from HDMI on my computer because I did not have the correct driver. No big deal because my graphics card is a piece of junk and only supports VGA.

After you download this application. You need to put in your name an an email address for Directv to send you a key for the main application that connects you to any of the compatible Directv HD PVRs on your network. It takes a while to donwload the application, so don’t start it if you have to log off any time soon.

Next, I ran the application. It is pretty cool because it will allow you to watch HD programs that you have saved on your HD PVR’s hard drive. It also includes forward, reverse, pause, replay, stop, menus, info, back, and 30 second skip buttons. Currently, it does not allow the user to watch live programming, but you can start a recording in the main room and then watch the recording on the computer in another room. Therefore, you can watch a program that is currently being recorded.

A separate feature that Directv rolled out a few months ago allows the user to log into the Directv website and pick a program to record. This allows you to start a recording at the computer and use Directv2PC to watch it. It is convenient to be able to do this from the computer rather than having to go into the room of the DVR to start the recording.

Another feature I like about Directv2PC is that it does not simply take over the DVR like a Slingbox (which I also recommend). It allows someone to watch one program on the living room TV and another on the computer. It is also in HD, so you get great picture quality. The fact that Directv is offering this feature for free gets two huge thumbs ups from me!

You can download the program and learn more about it from here.

I know a lot of people are not happy about the merge, but I am delighted. I got Elvis Radio, Radio Margaritaville, E Street Radio, etc.. and did not have to give up my favorite channels like Real Jazz and Deep Tracks.

The real kicker is that I got the Sinatra channel (Franks Place on XM, then Siriusly Sinatra on Sirius) back. One of the reasons I went with XM many years ago was for Frank’s Place. A few years later it was moved to Sirius. On the Sinatra Forum, I remember Nancy complaining about Jonathan Schwartz and how forum members were banned from talking about him or his show on XM. I believed at the time that the Sinatra name was being moved to the Sirius because of some feud between the two.

Today, I was excited about getting the Sinatra channel back, so I flipped it on this morning and heard a lot of Sinatra and other “American Songbook” artists. However, my mouth fell open when I heard Jonathan Schwartz! Never, in a million years, did I expect him to be on a another station with the Sinatra name on the door.

After some curiousity, I looked to see if he was mentioned on the Sinatra forum. Yep, Nancy posted that “Jonathan Schwartz, my family and I have cleared up past misunderstandings”. Yet later, she posted ” I only have one vote and there are many other votes” after another poster pointed out that she “would not do anything to tarnish the station”.

Well, I am curious to see how this turns out. Hopefully, Sinatra’s name will stay on Sirius/XM. With Elvis, Willie Nelson, and BB King having channels named after them, it is only right that Sinatra gets one, too. We can determine whether the Schwartz show is worthy of being on the channel for its own merits, but I have a feeling that some people will hate him before they ever really give him a chance. I guess we will see….

The Cowboys were already suffering at the cornerback position with 2008 Pro-Bowler Terrence Newman out with an injury. I expect teams to exploit that weakness with a lot of passes. Pacman already looked extremely rusty after his year probation, so I am not sure he will be worth anything if he is allowed to comeback next month. Of course, a rusty Pacman is probably better than the other corners that play for the Boys. I should also mention that safety Roy Williams has been out since the Eagles game and is supposed to return soon. It should help, even if Williams is not what he used to be.

Speaking of Roy Williams, the Cowboys did get a new RW for the team. He is a wide receiver that should take some of the pressure off of T.O. I guess instead of worrying about defense, the Cowboys are going to try to outscore the other teams that they play. I bet we will see a lot of points on the scoreboard in future Cowboy games even if Brad Johnson is the starting QB.

Mainly, the 135i is cheaper with better performance than the 335i. It is smaller, so those that transport large adults with any frequency should rule out the 135i. However, those that only need a small backseat get a lot for their money.

TO moved into second place, all time, on the touchdown reception list. Yep, I am sure all of the media still thinks it was a mistake to bring him to Dallas. He made a 72 yard touchdown reception to move into that position. Not sure he will ever catch the great Jerry Rice, though.

The Dallas offense looks incredible right now. When the get a healthy Terence Newman back into the lineup full time, the defense should be better, too. Pacman Jones is still a little rusty and is getting a lot of balls thrown his direction. With Roy Williams out for the next few weeks, the backup safety and DBs should see a lot of action.

A couple crappy shots I took with my Treo 755p phone below:

My favorite team by a mile is the Dallas Cowboys. I am lucky enough to have tickets to the Monday Night Philly game and I may have a shot at going to another game (that fits into my schedule) later in the year. With it being the final season in the current stadium, it is a privilege to see them play there this year. Also, I am not sure I will be able to afford tickets to their new bazillion dollar stadium next year!

For my own use, I am putting their schedule below. Also, I am including the Carolina Panther schedule since Tiger great, DeAngelo Williams should be starting for them this year. Also, I have an interest in seeing Favre and the Jets, so I am also adding their schedule. With NFL Sunday ticket and a DIRECTV HD DVR, I will be in football heaven this season!

Dallas Cowboys:
Sep 7 @Cleveland 4:15pm
Sep 15 Philadelphia 8:30pm
Sep 21 @Green Bay 8:15pm
Sep 28 Washington 4:15pm
Oct 5 Cincinnati 4:15pm
Oct 12 @Arizona 4:15pm
Oct 19 @St. Louis 1:00pm
Oct 26 Tampa Bay 1:00pm
Nov 2 @N.Y. Giants 4:15pm
Week 10 BYE
Nov 16 @Washington 8:15pm
Nov 23 San Francisco 1:00pm
Nov 27 Seattle 4:15pm
Dec 7 @Pittsburgh 4:15pm
Dec 14 N.Y. Giants 8:15pm
Dec 20 Baltimore 8:15pm
Dec 28 @Philadelphia 1:00pm

Carolina Panthers
Sep 7 @San Diego 4:15pm
Sep 14 Chicago 1:00pm
Sep 21 @Minnesota 1:00pm
Sep 28 Atlanta 1:00pm
Oct 5 Kansas City 1:00pm
Oct 12 @Tampa Bay 1:00pm
Oct 19 New Orleans 1:00pm
Oct 26 Arizona 1:00pm
Week 9 BYE
Nov 9 @Oakland 4:05pm
Nov 16 Detroit 1:00pm
Nov 23 @Atlanta 1:00pm
Nov 30 @Green Bay 1:00pm
Dec 8 Tampa Bay 8:30pm
Dec 14 Denver 1:00pm
Dec 21 @N.Y. Giants 1:00pm
Dec 28 @New Orleans 1:00pm

NY Jets
Sep 7 @Miami 1:00pm
Sep 14 New England 4:15pm
Sep 22 @San Diego 8:30pm
Sep 28 Arizona 1:00pm
Week 5 BYE
Oct 12 Cincinnati 1:00pm
Oct 19 @Oakland 4:15pm
Oct 26 Kansas City 1:00pm
Nov 2 @Buffalo 1:00pm
Nov 9 St. Louis 1:00pm
Nov 13 @New England 8:15pm
Nov 23 @Tennessee 1:00pm
Nov 30 Denver 1:00pm
Dec 7 @San Francisco 4:05pm
Dec 14 Buffalo 1:00pm
Dec 21 @Seattle 4:05pm
Dec 28 Miami 1:00pm

Since I bought the 135i, I obviously like it, but I will discuss some of the things that reviewers have said and whether I agree with them. I should mention that many of the reviews are for the coupe version of the 1 series, but the coupe is similar to the convertible, so I will address the responses with that in mind.

Exterior looks:

The LA Times nearly always has an opinion that disagrees with my views, however, to see that they also disagree on the 135i is still a little surprising:

“The new 1-series BMW is ugly. Seriously ugly.”

Seriously?? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe it could be argued that the 135i looks more sassy than the “classy” 3 series. For my tastes, I prefer the looks of the 1 series convertibles to the 1 series coupes. However, I like them both.

I have some pics below so you can judge for yourself:

As you can see from the shots above, the car is squattier
and has a more aggressive styling than the 335i.  It is
probably less suited for the family man because of its
limited backseat leg area than because of its styling. 
The funny part is that some people call it "cute" while
others say it is "ugly".  Not a lot of middle ground…although,
1 series owners are probably more offended by the "cute" comment. ;-)   The writers of
Automobile magazine, seemed to think it was one of the
"least tortured" of the current designs:

"Like the 3-series, the 1-series
is one of the least tortured of BMW’s current designs,
although it suffers the Z4-style sow’s-belly curve along the
bottom of the front doors. Still, the 1 an the 3 both work
well as convertibles, with fairly upright windshields that
keep the A-pillars out of the driver’s and front passenger’s
faces plus a near-horizontal belt line that preserves the
view out for rear-seat riders."

It took me a long time to get used to the new 3 series
designs, but I guess that made it easier for me to adapt to
the looks of the 1 series.  When I first saw the car, I
was at the dealership and thought it was a good looking,
smaller version of the 3 series.  I later read that some
people thought it was ugly, but I think there are a lot of
columnists that have contempt for Chris Bangle (BMW
designer), so they come into any new BMW review thinking that the car is ugly
before they ever see it.

Priced too high:

It is surprising to me that so many reviewers think the
car is priced too high.  The convertible, as I
explained above, costs about $4,000 less than a 328i
convertible (although, good luck finding a 328 vert on a lot
that costs less than $54,000 - trust me, I looked).  The 328i does not have the twin turbos,
so plan to spend another $5,000 if you want those on a 3
series.  Seriously, the car has M3 type performance for
a lot less money.  Does everyone need a car that can go
from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds?  No, but most cars with that
type of speed on a BMW chassis are going to cost you some
money.  It is not like a Porsche Boxter is a practical
car.  However, the 1 series can be a fun track car or
it can be used to transport your young children to soccer
practice.  The Porsche Boxster, on the other hand, has
no practicality whatsoever.

The complaint has more to do with the number 1 falling
below the number 3.  BMWs have always priced their cars
so that the lower numbers were less expensive (with the
exception of the M cars).  In Europe, there are several
1 series cars including some that get great gas mileage
while losing some performance.  If they lack performance, they should cost less. 
However, the 135i  is just short of being an M series
and the pricing should be compared on that basis.  In
that case, the pricing would be very low in comparison.

It should be mentioned that I have read less about the
convertible being over-priced when compared to the coupe.  
However, some people just want the added performance of the
smaller car and prefer it to a more family sized car. 

Another thing reviewers like to do is compare the price
of their test model that has all of the added options with a
3 series without any options.  Yes, if you decide that
you can live with a stripped down leatherette version of the
335i coupe, but have to have navigation, leather, heated
seats, sports package, premium radio, etc on the 1 series…
you can spend more on the 1 series.  However, comparing
starting price with starting price you get a nearly a $4,400
difference between models with the same engine.  I
could do a lot of things with $4,000 and not all of them
would be bad. ;-)  The convertibles are even a larger
difference (over $10,000!! difference).

Automatic transmission - Oh No!

Many of the performance oriented owners of the 1 series
opt for the manual transmission.  Driving manual
obviously gets you more in tune to the car than auto, but
the BMW Steptronic is an amazing piece of machinery.  
It has a sport mode ("DS") that allows it to stay in the
same gear a little longer for higher revs.  It
also has optional paddle shifters with the sports package
that allow you to control it manually via the steering wheel. 
Of course, it can also be manually controlled with the
automatic gear stick.  For those that do not want to deal with manual on a daily
basis, the steptronic can be a lot of fun.   Of
course, enthusiasts will frown on not getting a manual, but
I could care less.  In stop and go traffic, I prefer to
concentrate on music playing and relaxing while my car does
the work. 

Notice the paddle shifters and the chunky M Steering wheel. One reviewer does say he felt fatigue from gripping it. I guess some people are just endowed with bigger hands because many owners and reviewers love it:

In any case, even in the regular "D" mode, the twin
turbos can pin you to the seat when you mash down on the
accelerator.  However, BMW is not only about going
fast.  It is also about near 50/50 weight distribution
and maneuvering on twist and turns.  The 1 series gets
that feature in spades.

The Interior:

The 1 series convertible is a compact car, so it is a
little cozier than the 3 series.  As a result, the
driver sits a little closer to the passenger and the backseat is small. 
However, the car has unbelievable room for driving. 
Below is a chart comparing its interior room to the 3 series
convertible (the left side has the 135’s data):

As you can see from the chart above, there is actually a
lot more headroom in the front for drivers.  This made
it feel more roomy to me than a 335 coupe.  You do get
less shoulder room and less leg room, but for most people,
it really does not make much difference.  Who do you
know that has a 41 inch inseam?  Also, while there are
tons of complaints about the backseat, it actually has more
head room than the 3 series.  Anyone that has had to
slouch down in the back of a car knows that it is great to
have more head room.  Personally, I will not have very
many people back there, but it is not nearly as small as the
reviews indicate.  It does have a lot less shoulder
room, so keep hulky people up front.:-)

The leather in the car is also something that BMW spent
time thinking about.  It has sun-reflective
technology that keeps the seats cooler.  While it may
keep things cooler, I also bought
one of the lighter interior colors just in case (Gray Boston Leather):

The interior has a couple cup holders.  One of
them is partially covered by the center armrest, so it will
not hold a normal sized cup.  Under the armrest
is an aux input for an mp3 player and an outlet for charging
it.  The premium package that I ordered includes BMW
Assist.  In addition to getting security coverage
similar to "Onstar", it covers the owner for 4 years
without any additional monthly charges. 
BMW Assist includes Bluetooth hands free calling that pairs easily
with my Treo phone.

Unlike the typical iPod setup that is usually in the
center armrest, I had an iPod adapter added to the glove
compartment.  The iPod setup is pretty cool and will
allow you to play/shuffle/scan by song, look up an artist, album,
genre or playlist. 

Convertible Features:

I have to admit that the most idiotic review of the 1
series convertible was by (drum roll please):

Jonny Lieberman (The Truth About Cars)
"Unseasonably hot, 97-degree late-April weather be damned.

Within 60 miles, it
was clear I was the one who was damned.
Perching on leather seats without a roof on
a cloudless day is a combination only out-dumbed
by a fresh-off-the-plane, no-SPF sojourn at
an Australian beach. Sure, I could have
pulled over and raised the 128i’s lid. But
I’m a journalist
damn it! Heatstroke is who I am and
what I do.

After building the
bridge on the river Kwai, I left the 215 in
Upland. Could the BMW 128i really be this
awful?   Seriously; 60 miles had never felt so
tortuous. I could only justify the misery by
telling myself that the hot, windy, loud and
uncomfortable ordeal was good practice for
my upcoming LeMons race. But in reality,
there is no way a $100 Volvo could be this
bad."

It is one thing to say you don’t like the handling or the looks, but to blame the weather on the car is about the dumbest thing I have read. So, somehow it is the car’s fault that they decide to review this car (with the top down) on a day that most non-idiots would have the top up? Good thing it was not storming or snowing outside! Sheesh! I could see him complaining about how BMW did not plan for top-down fun in a hurricane.. Also, where can I find a $100 Volvo?

Anyway, the convertible top can be put up or down when traveling speeds under 30 miles per hour. It takes around 22 seconds to go from top up to top down. The soft top leaves a lot of room in the trunk. We actually stored two suitcases and a couple smaller travel bags in the trunk while we had the top down on a recent trip to Florida.

Below are pics of the 135i’s trunk with two sets of golf clubs. If you have oversized drivers in both bags, it can take some maneuvering to get them both to fit. Also, as you can see, both of my bags are cloth and one of them is made for carrying. I think two large leather bags would be a tough fit in this trunk because of its shape. With my golf bags in the trunk, I am still able to have room to take the convertible top down.

The climate system comes with a “convertible mode” that is supposed to be adjusted for wind, sunlight, etc.. I guess it kicks in when the top is down, because I could not find any special settings for it. For those traveling fast, it helps to have a wind reflector. The car can be very windy at speeds of 65 without it.

The soft top is equipped with a glass back window, so it should last longer than the plastic that is included with a lot of convertibles. It includes a defroster for the back window, so winters will not be such a hassle. The window is bigger than what you see in most convertibles, but it still offers plenty of blind spots. The driver of the car will also have to contend with the small side mirrors to cover more area. I think it also makes sense to add front heated seats to extend convertible season.

Finally, the 1 series convertible is not for everyone. If you want to transport around a couple of adults in the backseat for long stretches, look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for BMW handling, combined with quickness and speed, for less money than an M3, the 1 series may be in your future. If you want drop top fun when the weather is right, get the convertible and enjoy! Just try not to complain when you decide to put the top down on an oppressively hot day!

To be fair, there are a lot of great reviews of the 1 series, I just decided to focus on the short list of more critical reviews. However, I would recommend test driving the car yourself to see if the car is right for you.

The upsides:
1. Drop top fun!
2. Fantastic handling
3. Very Fast
4. A backseat for small passengers (my dogs)
5. A usable trunk with the top down
6. Unique. Not many of these on the road
7. Glass back window with defrost

The downsides:
1. Driver head rest does not tilt (a minor gripe, but I liked the headrest in the 3 series)
2. No fog lights
3. I miss the small grab handles on the door that were available on the 3 series
4. Could use a bigger back window
5. Can’t see the stereo display with polarized sunglasses on (hopefully, the fix I read about will alleviate this problem)
6. driver side vent cannot be directed to hit the driver in the face

You can see some videos of the 1 series that I gathered together here.

The logical choice for me was the 160GB iPod. While it may be more difficult to manage tons of music with my car’s controls, I elected to use Apple Lossless encoding to get the best quality sound, which severely restricts that amount of music that can be loaded on it when compared with 128kbps mp3 files.

Why choose Apple Lossless over mp3 or AAC? Well, I only have 128kbps files in mp3 format (that I burned a long time ago and the encoders are better now), so it was a choice of using those files, re-encoding the lossless files to something with better sound quality like 256kbps AAC files, or to just use the lossless files that I have available. Even in the less than audiophile-friendly confinements of a soft top convertible, the tinny sound of my 128kbps files is very noticible. I could not live with that setup very long, so I had to go with a different plan.

In the world of digital music, as you increase compression you get farther away from the sound of the original source file . So, lossless files take up a lot more space than highly compressed files. This means that you have to be more selective when choosing what music in your collection you want to make portable. Even with 160GB of space to play with, there is no way to get even a third of my lossless audio collection on my iPod. However, for now, I have chosen to use lossless, but I will probably convert all of my lossless files to 256kbps so I can get between two to three times more music on the player.

Since I am using lossless for now, I had to be selective with the music I wanted to put on the player. To make the selection process easier, I created special playlists to include the music I thought I would need with me (sort of an emergency kit of music). AC/DC, Beatles, Buffett, Cash, Clash, Dylan, Miles Davis, Ramones, Rolling Stones, and Sinatra (of course) are all a necessary part of my multiple playlist setup.

In my car, I can listen to my music by playlist, artist, genre, or album. However, the playlist setup gives me a lot of variety for my current mood and “random play” makes the expereince unique from day to day. It is also nice to have my “emergency kit” with me at work. I can plug it into the aux port of my radio and take a nice break to the beach with Buffett and the Beach Boys playing in the background.

All in all, I am very happy with the the 160GB iPod. A 1TB size would be even more beneficial. However, 160GBs is a going in the right direction!

BMW Blog - BMW 135i Convertible Exterior Review - They look like they are having issues getting the top down. It usually takes around 20 seconds for that to happen. Anyway, a nice overview of the styling

BMW 135i Convertible Exterior Review from BMW Blog on Vimeo.
First footage: the new BMW 1 Series Convertible

BMW Blog - BMW 135i Review

BMW 135i Review from BMW Blog on Vimeo.

As a PS3 fan, this Grand Turismo footage (posted by Terry Willard) is one of my favs:

BMW from Terry Willard on Vimeo.

BMW Debuts Its 2008 1 Series Convertible

BMW 1 Series Convertible: kbb’s Jack Nerad Interview

New 2008 BMW 1 Series Convertible Design promotional video

BMW 1 Series Cabrio (non-English commentary, but nice video)

New 2008 BMW 1 Series Convertible Details promotional video

New 2008 BMW 1 Series Convertible promotional video (interesting look at the headlights)

New 2008 BMW 1 Series Coupe/Convertible Test Drive video

BMW 135i | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X [Motor Trend] - 135i wins

Fifth Gear: 135i vs. Cayman Pt. 1

Fifth Gear: 135i vs. Cayman Pt 2. - “BMW beating a Porche”

BMW 135i Post Test Drive - “Feel like a mini-M3″:

MSN Cars test drive of the BMW 135i coupe

Roadfly.com - BMW 135i 1 Series Coupe on Track

BMW 1 Series Coupe road test

2008 BMW 1-series Convertible - Car and Driver

2008 BMW 128i Convertible carbuzzard.com RoadSkill Rprt I

2008 BMW 128i Convertible carbuzzard.com RoadSkill Rprt II

New 2008 BMW 1 Series Convertible television commercial

BMW 1 Series Convertible

Is the New BMW 1 Convertible the ONE For You?

BMW 1-Series Convertible (Driving while putting the top down)

“The BMW 1 Series is here” spot by Asa7

Introducing the new BMW 1 Series at Checkered Flag BMW

2008 BMW 128i convertible

2008 BMW 135i Behind the Wheel Profile

Edmunds compares 335i, 135i, and 2002 M3 - M3 and 135i tie, but M3 gets the edge based on sticker price. I wish they would have taken into account the cost of ownership. The 135i comes with full maintenance and warranty. Buying a used luxury sports car will cost you more in upkeep and god forbid you have a major problem. Also, the “combined” MPG for the M3 is 17 miles, while the 135i is 21 miles.

2009 BMW 135i - Car and Driver - “It actually looks pretty good… Looks really interesting, fresh and modern.” “Good car, good value.”

Cnet Review of the 2008 BMW 135i - Almost too much power…LOL

Reviews:

The Good:

Consumer Reports picks BMW 135i as its top-rated sports car - “Consumer Reports has given the BMW 135i an overall score of “Excellent” beating the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Volkswagen R32, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (which followed the 135i in that ranking order).”
Time Online - Clarkson says “he 135 coupé is the best car BMW makes”
Motor Autority - “When you consider it’s only half a second slower than an M3 to 60mph the 135i is excellent value”
Bimmerfile.com - Gabe writes “After a day in the 135i I came away as smitten by it as I have ever been with an automobile. The new M3 I had driven just 12 hours before was fantastic, but the 135i is just so much more enjoyable in all situations.”
Automobilemag - “What it is, though, is something of a renaissance. In essence, the 135i is BMW doing what BMW does best.”
Cnet - “Our few minor critiques won’t stop us from giving the BMW 135i our Editors’ Choice award.”
Car&Driver 1 series convertible review - “But convertibles aren’t about practicality; they’re about the wind in your hair and sun on your cheeks, and if those are the things that set your heart atwitter, the 1-series convertible begins to look like a steal—so long as you go easy on the options.”
Car&Driver 135i Road test - “Unless the slightly larger size of the 335i is necessary for one’s lifestyle, the 135i provides all the thrills and refinement and will provide the same, if not more, grins than the 335i. See, smaller is better. You’ll notice that we’ve only compared the 135i with its bigger brother. That’s because there really aren’t many other cars on the market that compare with the 135i. Indeed, it’s in a very small class: a class of one.”
Caradvice.com.au - “This 135i receives five stars because it’s the best at doing everything.”
Motortrend - “Says editor at large Arthur St. Antoine, I’m blown away by this little stealth fighter. I can’t recall another car that’s been more surprising to drive; I expected the 135i to offer solid performance, but it’s breathtakingly quick. Refined, too-it’s a bona-fide BMW. Direct and communicative steering feel, bags of grip. An absolute blast to drive.”
Edmunds - “The 2008 BMW 135i cuts right to the heart of what a BMW is meant to be about. You can argue about its appearance and complain about packaging, but in just about every other respect, it delivers a unique and exhilarating driving experience, which is what matters most.”
Automobilemag reviews 1 series convertible - “Even with electric power steering, the 1-series convertible is easily the best drive in its segment. Provided you don’t often carry rear-seat passengers and can live with a fabric roof, it does everything its bigger brother does at a price that’s ten grand less. That’s a package that fits us just fine.” (FYI — they reviewed the 125i and noted that the 135i has the “superb” hydraulic-assist steering)
Windingroad -”Goad to Spring” - “The interior and exterior feel right on the money”

The Bad:

LA Times - “The new 1-series BMW is ugly. Seriously ugly. Ugly with X-wings locked in attack formation.”
Thetruthaboutcars - “The 135i’s steering is a big part of the problem; its ponderousness makes turn-in an unnecessarily onerous chore. The 135i’s manual transmission doesn’t help matters. Like most latter day Bimmers, the clutch is a two-footer that engages with rubbery imprecision. And while the 335i has a most excellent ZF automatic transmission, the 135i does not.” Note: The 135i has the same ZF auto transmission as the 335i. So, in other words, the guy does not do his research. As a side note, the site did not like the convertible version because it was hot outside. (see my webpage for more on that).

Video

Webrides TV - video of 135i convertible in action
WebridesTV - 135i profiled
Roadfly (video at bottome of page) - “If you miss the iconic BMW 2002 or if you just want to get back into a sports car, then the BMW 135i Coupe is perfect for you.”
MSN Cars test drive of the BMW 135i coupe - “The 135i is a revelation!”

More reviews can be found at 1addicts forum.