Drive MileOne

The phrase ‘concept car’ once indicated a vehicle was a showcase of pie-in-the-sky technologies. Now, it’s relegated to pre-production vehicles gussied up with subtle trim changes before their official introduction. Such is the case with the BMW X1 Concept – though it’s appearing at the Paris motor show as a show car, it’s a fairly unobstructed look at the upcoming X1 crossover.

Photo Gallery: 2008 BMW X1 Concept – 2008 Paris Motor Show Coverage, New Car Reviews, Concept Cars – Automobile Magazine

I’m a big fan of this 128i, more so than our long-term 135i. I know the 135i has the explosive power everyone craves these days, but the substantial cost of that engine makes the 135i a little less attractive to me. This 128i is more than quick enough for my needs and it drives more smoothly because it doesn’t have the huge hit of torque just off idle. The point is you don’t need to get the 135i to have fun behind the wheel. A 128i just might be my favorite Bavarian car for right now.

Photo Gallery: 2008 BMW 128i – BMW 1-Series Luxury Coupe Review – Automobile Magazine

BMW insists that the current 7-series is the most successful 7 ever, but we’re not sure we believe it. With awkward styling (and that’s being very nice) and a dreadful user interface that was inscrutable to twenty-year-old IT geniuses, much less the sixty-year-olds the 7-series was supposed to appeal to, the current 7-series had some big problems.

Photo Gallery: 2009 BMW 750i – First Drive Review – Automobile Magazine

The third time is the charm where two-pedal BMW M3s are concerned. A five-speed automatic transmission offered in the 1995-1999 M3 was for poseurs. The next-generation (2001-2006) M3′s optional six-speed SMG automated manual shifted so neck-snappingly hard that it appealed only to chiropractors.

Photo Gallery: 2008 BMW M3 M DCT – BMW Dual Clutch Transmission – Automobile Magazine