The 2019 BMW M140i Finale Edition Is Your Last Chance To Get This Hot Hatch With a Rear-Wheel Drive and Six Bangers Under The Hood

The BMW 1 Series is arguably one of the best hatches to drive on the market today. It has the grunt, it has the power, and it has the Bavarian DNA. The 1 Series is due for a new generation this year, however, BMW has no plans to carry the rear-wheel-drive system and the six-cylinder engine over to the next-gen. To mark the end of this journey, BMW is bidding adieu to the M140i to this unique combination with the Finale Edition model.

A Driver's Car With An Asterisk

Although it feels like a nice tribute, the German automaker will be offering it with without the six-speed manual transmission. When you are anyway dropping it from the next-gen, why not go all the way, BMW? The news of the rear-wheel-drive architecture being driven towards extinction surfaced the internet last year, but now, BMW has confirmed the same. Vikram Pawah, BMW Group Australia's Chief Executive Officer, said, “To celebrate the last six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive 1 Series hot hatch, we are excited to present customers with the BMW M140i Finale Edition”. Pawah added, “Through aesthetic exterior details and key equipment highlights, the M140i Finale Edition builds on the virtues that have made the M140i our best-selling M Performance vehicle. It offers convenience and practicality with a distinctive sporting silhouette and outstanding performance.”

Impressive New Add-ons

The BMW M140i Finale Edition will come with a host of new features, such as:

-* Darkened Headlights and Taillights

-* A High-gloss Black Kidney Grille

-* Black-chrome Exhaust Tips

-* Special-edition Badging

-* Metallic Paintwork

-* Choice of Three 18-inch Alloy Wheel Designs

-* A Power-operated Sunroof

-* Wireless Charging

All these features are in addition to the standard features like:

-* Adaptive LED headlights

-* M Sport braking package with blue calipers

-* Adaptive M suspension

-* Keyless entry and start

-* 8.8-inch iDrive6 infotainment system satellite navigation

-* Harman/Kardon sound system

-* Dakota leather upholstery

-* High-beam assist

-* Front and rear parking sensors

BMW Missed Out Adding The Third Pedal

It produces 335 horses and 368 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the rear through an eight-speed manual transmission in the standard M140i. It takes the M140i 4.6 seconds to sprint from a standstill to 62 miles per hour before losing its breath at 155 miles per hour. I honestly feel BMW should have mated this to a manual transmission for the finale edition to make it all the more special. An incomplete farewell, for sure.

The Extra Amount Is Justified

Do you think BMW offered these new features without making a price revision? Of course not. The Finale Edition commands a premium of Australian $3000 ($2,125), taking its price to $62,990 ($44,631) before taxes and other pocket-burning costs.

The New 1 Series Will Be More Mass-Market Than An Enthusiast's Car

Currently, the 1 Series and the 2 Series share the same underpinnings, but the new 2 Series is expected to be moved to the CLAR architecture that supports a rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configuration. This platform underpins many existing larger BMW models.

The next-gen 1 Series will not be radically different from the current 1 Series in terms of aesthetics. Upfront, it will still feature the same raised bonnet and LED headlights, and it will look more in line with the current crop of BMW family cars. From the side, the hot hatch looks a little more sleeker and taller. In the rear, the next-gen 1 Series will boast a new exhaust muffler and LED taillights that look similar to the ones seen on the BMW X2. The interior will witness a lot of changes. The cabin is an upgrade in terms of space as well as technology. It is a lot more spacious, thanks to the front-wheel-drive orientation.

If you are an enthusiast, this will not please you. Power will be sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission system. The new M140i will take 4.9 seconds to reach the 62 mph mark, making it 0.3 seconds slower than the outgoing model.

If you were on the market for a fast, hot hatch, would you go for the BMW M140i Finale Edition? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.