Had the pleasure of visiting Bracknell, Berks for the first time in my life yesterday. Not sure I’ll be hurrying back. Called in on BMW to borrow a new 1-Series for a couple of hours as I couldn’t make the launch event. The 2004 original was nobody’s favourite BMW – mainly because of the styling – but you can’t argue with 100,000 units sold in the UK alone. It was a good car to drive, and the engineers haven’t lost that spirit in the MkII model. It’s also a damn sight prettier, looking far more like a compact estate. The newcomer rides and handles very well, and it’s less crashy over bumps than its predecessor. But what struck me most was the attention to detail on the interior. My 116i Sport had delicated touches of Coral Red trim around the cabin, and they were replicated on the key fob. I’ve never seen that on a new car before. Also, the twin cupholders ahead of the gearstick had removable plastic inserts, which turned them from a dumping ground for the car key and a mobile phone into an appropriately shaped storage area. The car’s one problem is the rear; it’s still not very spacious, despite an extra 30mm in the wheelbase.
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