Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamb1t
1M is. 135i...128i will share the same fate as the past 3-series of old. In time everything becomes precious again. Some are just more precious.
A manual boxer-6 Cayman will be highly sought after when we all drive electric cars and long for the visceral thrill of great driving experience.
Anyone remember that old convertible scene in Demolition Man?
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BMW sold twice as many 3-Series in the US in 2013 as they sold 1 Series for its entire 6 year run, and even the old E30 sold anywhere from 3x-6x more cars per year than the 1er. The 911 outsold all 1 series for a few years, too. Relatively few bought 1ers, so they’re already developing a bit of a cult following, and the OP’s 135is version is the rarest 1er. I’m not saying it’ll be as valuable as a Cayman, but their sales numbers are somewhat similar, so who knows???
Anyways, to answer the OP, I went from a manual Cayman to a manual 135i, because I wanted to drive my fun car with my wife and son along for the ride. While the Cayman is actually pretty good with storage for what it is, the 135i is much more practical.
From a driving standpoint, the Cayman is about as good as it gets, but after I did
suspension mods, lsd, custom tune, etc., on my 135i, I don’t miss the Cayman much, even though it does feel more special. It’s hard to compete with a buttoned down little mid-engined car. Oddly, though, I do prefer the seats, shift knob and steering wheel of the BMW.
I don’t really miss the attention, both good and bad, that comes with driving a Porsche, and, for whatever reason, the 911 drivers were much less impressed by my Cayman at Porsche Club events than BMW drivers are of my 135i at the BMW club, if that matters to you.
As far as Cayman versions go, I’m partial to the 987, because it feels more go-kart’ish and has the manual steering. Next I’d go 981. The 718 sounds so mediocre that, when I’m near one, I almost want to rev my BMW engine to show off.
Ultimately, if practicality is of no concern for you, and you don’t mind the extra attention, you’d probably be fine with a Cayman as your only car. I used to take mine snowboarding, camping, etc., without much issue.