Video: the BMW 128ti flexes its muscles at the Nürburgring

BMW surprised the world a few months ago when it unveiled the BMW 128ti, a variant that sits just below the M35i and that arrives to rival sporty compacts. And the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Hyundai i30 N, the Renault Mégane R.S and company have a problem with this new and unexpected Bavarian contender, which has decided to take a “stroll” through the Nürburgring to show off its performance and fine-tune its setup, as well as send a message to all its rivals.

We all know the fierce battle waged in the sporty compact segment, where there are always fights to determine a king of kings. With this bet, BMW aims to revolutionise the sector and offer a vehicle with a perfect balance between comfort and sportiness, two factors that make hot hatchbacks so special and unique.

To achieve this, the engineers at the German house have opted for a rather understated design compared with some of its rivals. The main attraction in this respect is the M135i, but that does not mean the 128ti is slow; it simply adopts a design more fitting of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, ready to scare off anyone who dares to challenge it.

Behind this unassuming design lies a setup that places the BMW sporty compact in the middle of the segment. The 128ti uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine capable of producing 265 CV and 400 Nm of torque, figures that allow it to go from 0 to 100 in 6.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 km/h.

With this in mind, BMW has returned to the Nürburgring to continue working on the 128ti. Although the reasons are unknown, everything points to an attempt to set a new lap record at the Green Hell, a goal that the new Volkswagen Golf GTI and CUPRA León will also try to achieve, models that have yet to post lap times and that aim to take the victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSofInvnSE&t=46s

Either way, the sporty compact segment is getting hotter by the day, offering new options and alternatives to a range of customers who will find it increasingly difficult to choose their travelling companion. The new BMW 128ti arrives to complicate matters further and offer itself as a very interesting alternative.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackBMW Serie 15 versions · from 35,150 €