AC SCHNITZER ACS1 35i

New chassis set-up and design elements bring BMW M135i some extra sparkle

- WILL BEAUMONT

TESTED 22.12.21, NORFOLK ON SALE NOW

The AC Schnitzer recipe usually goes like this: tease some extra power from a BMW’s engine, cut some flab from the chassis and add a bit of glitz inside. But the transformation from M135i to ACS1 35i is rather timid. The problem is the hot hatch’s eight-speed automatic gearbox: the 2.0-litre turbo four’s 302bhp output is pretty much all it can cope with, so AC Schnitzer hasn’t added any more power.