Spied in the classifieds

£16,500

Hot deals on a BMW M135i

Hands up those of you who’ve noticed how cheap the BMW M135i has become lately. Go on, be honest. Well, okay, maybe you had, as an astute reader of these pages, but clearly you’re in the minority, because otherwise they’d be being bought up in their droves.

The M135i is, of course, that rare thing: a rear-wheel-drive hot hatch, last heard of in the days of the Renault Clio V6 and, before that, the Vauxhall Chevette HS. But that isn’t the only thing that makes it special. For one thing, there’s a 316bhp powerplant that combines a glut of low-down shove with a soaring top end, and then there’s the balanced chassis with a fabulously sticky front end that makes hurling the little BMW through corners at everincreasing pace a delight.

And when you’re not out giggling yourself senseless, the M135i plays the part of a sophisticated family bus with consummate ease, with plenty of space in the back for two kids, high-quality plastics up front for mum and dad, and a decent-sized boot for everyone’s detritus. There’s even a five-door version.

This four-year-old example isn’t one of those, but it is just £16,500. Truth is, these days you can actually buy high-mile M135is for less than £15k, which seems like a steal. This private-seller car has covered a measly 30,000 miles, though, and comes with a generous helping of options, including the performance exhaust to help liberate the sound of that straight six when you’re on a charge. There is, as you’d expect, a full history as well.

All of which sounds like the sort of thing one should jump on before the rest of the world catches up.