We're in Las Vegas at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,
which is an oval-shaped track where car races are held
and Americans drive in circles and turn in only one direction.
Left.
But we've come here to drive a car which can also turn right.
A car which is a novelty in its segment: the BMW M235i. It's taking the place of the 1 Series coupe,
is a bit longer than its predecessor and has bigger wheelbase.
Today, we'll drive a 2 coupe with the most powerful engine - the M235i.
It's a 6 cylinder turbocharged engine with an output of 326hp.
The size of the new 2 coupe is very similar to one of our favourite BMWs in history - the E46.
With this engine, you could suspect it takes after the famous M3.
We're about to find out.
You're probably wondering why a German company decided to show its car in the States,
so far from its fatherland.
It turns out that the Germans expect around 1/3 of all 2 series to be sold in the States,
which is why this market is prioritized.
A car with the most powerful 326 hp turbocharged engine.
Just a few years ago, BMW engineers probably would have laughed hearing
they'd produce only turbocharged engines,
but today it turns out that all 2s have turbocharged motors.
You can't order a 2 without a turbocharger, which, some will feel, discredits the brand.
But remember that in the 60s BMW used a turbocharger in a similar car - the 2002ti,
whose position in the production hierarchy was similar.
At the time it was one of, if not, the first turbocharged cars in Europe.
So we're going back to the roots.
And we're going back in style.
I must admit that the handling in this car is really good.
It has a quick steering ratio.
At first, I tried to move my hands on the wheel but
the active steering system allows you to keep your hands in one position.
The front-end is rather light, no impression of sudden understeer.
The engine is completely at ease revving up to 6,500 rpm.
Braking - the 235i version has special reinforced brakes because it's much more powerful than 4-cylinder cars.
Let's see if we can slide it a little bit.
Sure we can.
The car has only an electronic diff but if you pay extra you can order a mechanical one.
And that's the beauty of this model.
You can order a solution, which allows you to drift any time you like plus it improves the traction of the car.
I'm really surprised because I remember the M135i, which was a very heavy car,
not particularly pleasant to drive.
Whereas here it turns out you can make a car which can be much more pleasant, effortless to drive.
The brakes don't fail, letting you apply as much braking force as you need.
I don't know how many laps I can do here.
The Germans keep saying "no drifting, no drifting" but hey, we have a rear-wheel-drive Beemer here.
You could just as well go to Rome and not meet the Holy Father.
4 laps is not enough to tell more about this car.
It sure gives you loads of fun, which is something BMW has lost in recent years.
It started to produce big, comfortable, bulky cars.
Yes, many people like them but purists, who are keen on sporty ride, have been missing something since.
But this rear-wheel-drive 235i is making a good impression.
I'd love to drive it all day on some track
which has a little more bends and is a bit longer than the one in Las Vegas.
But being hungry for more makes you want to come back to a car
and check out how it would behave in different conditions.
I think it's a good recommendation for the Beemer
- the 235i makes you want to try it once again in different circumstances and places.
It intrigues and delivers on the promises made by BMW engineers.
It gives a lot of fun, there's a lot of interaction with the car.
And it's fast, real fast.
The mix of 326 hp supported by a turbocharger and 450Nm of torque is a promise of great performance.