BMW M135 Dynamic Pack

FIRST DRIVE The M135 is already a test-winning hot hatch, but can a new bundle of options sharpen up its handling even further?

- Ellis Hyde [e-mail]

LATE last year, we pitted the freshly facelifted BMW M135 against the Audi S3 and while it was a close battle, the M-car emerged victorious.

We praised it for delivering “plenty of power to put a smile on your face” and having a “lively chassis that really appeals, with involving handling and plenty of grip.”

However, BMW’s boffins have fettled the car’s chassis some more, and all their refinements (plus other goodies) have been bundled together into a new ‘M Dynamic Pack’. It costs £3,000 — or at least it would on its own, but if you want it, BMW forces you to add either the £1,550 Technology Pack or £2,750 Technology Plus Pack as well.

As greedy as that is, the M135 costs more than £45k before you've even added metallic paint — because that’s not standard either. Tick just a few boxes on the options list, including the one for the M Dynamic Pack, and the price tag quickly breaks through the £50,000 mark, putting the BMW in the same league as the sensational Honda Civic Type R.