photo courtesy of www.gebrauchtwagen-neuwagen-web.de

The BMW 1 Series is a range of compact automobiles from the German manufacturer BMW. Built to compete in the market segment of the Volkswagen Golf, the 1 series is the only vehicle in its class featuring rear wheel drive and an engine oriented lengthwise.

The 1 series was first offered to the market in 2004 as a 5-door hatchback (called "Sports Tourer" by BMW), replacing the BMW Compact range. Unlike its predecessor, the new vehicle is built on its own platform, but it shares many components with the 3-Series. These include MacPherson struts in the front of the car, and a trapezoidal-link rear axle.

During its first full year on the market in 2005, it became one of BMW's most successful products. 149,493 units were sold, only the 3- and 5-series sold better [1]. For 2006, the introduction of the hatchback to the US market has been announced.

The 1 series is built in Regensburg, Germany, with some of the engines coming from the Hams Hall plant in Birmingham, England.

Engines

The engines available for E87 are basically the same as found in the E90/E91, with exception for the 3.0 L Inline-6, which is slightly modified to produce more power. The engines below are preceded by their model year introduction.

Petrol engines:

• 2004- 116i: 1596 cc I4, 16 valves, 115 hp/85 kW, 150 Nm
• 2005- 118i: 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 129 hp/95 kW, 180 Nm
• 2004- 120i: 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 150 hp/110 kW, 200 Nm
• 2006- 130i: 2996 cc I6, 24 valves, 265 hp/195 kW, 315 Nm

Diesel engines:

• 2004- 118d: 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 122 hp/90 kW, 280 Nm
• 2004- 120d: 1995 cc I4, 16 valves, 163 hp/120 kW, 340 Nm

Above information courtesy of Wikipedia.com