NFS: Shift Two new COTD - BMW and Lamborghini

• Sinister 7/18/2009 3:05 PM

The BMW 135i Coupé is considered to be the flagship of the BMW 1 Series. First offered in 2007, it is the world's first car with a double-helical ball bearings differential which have the advantage of running at an even lower operating temperature reached more quickly than in other cars.

Apart from slight modifications, it uses the same front end design as the rest of the 1 Series so as to ensure some visual consistency within the range. The Coupé is 133 mm (5.2 in) longer than the hatch, creating 20 liters of extra boot space. It is 220 mm (8.7 in) shorter than 3-series Coupé (E92).

The 135i Coupé was first announced in Europe and became available in the late 2007. The European models were available in 3 engine specs: the known 120d and the new 204 hp 123d and 306 hp 135i, both twin-turbo engines. Three days after the European announcement, BMW of North America announced the 1-Series Coupé as a 2008 model and detailing it would be available with a 300 horsepower, twin turbocharged 3.0 litre inline six cylinder engine.

Some quick stats on the Performance of the 135i:
- Power: 306 PS (302 hp/225 kW)
- Torque: 400 N•m (300 ft•lbf)
- Manual Transmission Acceleration (0 - 100 km/h): 4.8s
- Automatic Transmission Acceleration (0 - 100 km/h): 4.7s
- Top Speed: 250 km/h (155.3 mph)

This week's Car of the Week is often smothered in superlatives but in the case of the Lamborghini Reventon (pronounced Rebenton confusingly) it deserves every plaudit its received. As one of the world's most expensive 'production' cars; the Lamborghini Reventon is a truly staggering feat, both in performance and appearance. The car has two of the most memorable features in recently car history. The first, a truly-incredible paint job which makes the car look more like a stealth bomber than a mere super car offering up a unique flat-black/grey sheen. In keeping with the jet fighter appeal the car's dashboard is all digital and offers the driver a choice of appearance. With a single flick of the switch the head-up display changes from a traditional 'Car' setting to 'Jet Fighter' where the dials replicate the vertical dashboard of a F22 raptor.

In a car laced with superlatives there are two more than we've not covered yet: the price and the production run. When making the such an expensive car (price is rumoured to be close to $2m USD) Lamborghini obviously realised not many people could afford such a price tag and kept the production run down to 20 worldwide and an extra one built specifically for their own museum. If you are lucky enough to see one in the flesh take your time to appreciate one of motoring's true greats as you're unlikely to see another.

Here is a showroom video of the Reventon.

Check out some High Resolution shots at Needforspeed.com
Check out all the SHIFT screenshots Here.

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