Remember the 1-Series Coupe Tii Concept that BMW revealed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show? It was a lightened, more aggressive version of the 1-Series with racing decals and it looked like it was going to be the hardcore version of BMW’s smallest car. Remember the one? Well, this 1-Series Sauber Edition isn’t it.

The performance-oriented ‘motorsport’ version will likely arrive in late 2010 with a philosophy – and no doubt parts – borrowed from the M3, and it’ll have either the ‘Tii’ or the SuperSports moniker (it can’t be an M1 for obvious historical ProCar reasons).

So what about this Sauber Edition? Essentially, it’s a collaboration between BMW and AC Schnitzer, created to shift a few more cars before the real deal comes along – an attempt to reap some positive aspect from Munich’s ailing F1 operation. It borrows the concept car’s ideas with lighter forged wheels, a Gurney flap lip at the rear and carbon fibre mirrors and interior. Ignore the M badges on the door sills (this isn’t an M car, remember) and look instead to the steering wheel that’s covered with suede at the all-important quarter-to-three position. In it is the display for water and oil temperatures, a lap timer and a G-metre. Either side are the LED rev lights, which light up in stages towards the display and flash insistently when it’s reached the end of the gear.

That’s BMW’s bit. AC Schnitzer has done the rather more significant part by reprogramming the engine management. Peak power is up by 54bhp and torque by 73lb ft – a sizeable gain in a small car. And as you’d expect, it’s faster. The 0-100 dash is down by 0.4sec over the standard 135i M-Sport at 4.9sec (that’s 0.1sec slower than the M3) and even though a 293kph top end sounds quick, there are no official figures for a de-limited 135i, so knowing the exact improvement over a standard 135i is a case of guesswork.

There’s also another minus. Peak torque now starts 2500rpm higher in the rev range, so where the 306bhp 135i had no qualms about being in sixth gear when you should’ve been in second, the Sauber Edition will feel a touch reluctant in fifth given the same situation. Thankfully, that beautifully exploitable engine hasn’t changed much in terms of mechanical flexibility; it still has an urgency about it that goes all the way to the end-point, and that mid-range grunt is always a very useful asset in the real world when it comes to picking your way through building material-laden trucks and vans in the middle of a large roundabout. It’s no lazy American V8, but at the same time, it makes long-distance stints at the wheel bearable.

With no changes in weight or suspension components, it feels much like a 135i: stiff chassis; firm but well-damped ride; direct steering; a balanced setup. And much like the standard car it’s angled towards understeer. If anything, it’s even more apparent this time round with the extra power. Every centimetre of throttle travel now results in more power, and consequently, more forward shove. With the underpinnings remaining unchanged, there’s nothing else to do but carefully modulate the movement of your right foot – a frustrating task given the 135’s otherwise excellent poise. That’s why, once you’ve got round this foible, the Sauber Edition turns into a pleasure to drive. Plus, the raucous six-cylinder note from the new exhaust is encouraging.

But still, considering only 200 will be sold, attempts to make the Sauber Edition seem special appear a little half-hearted. The carbon fibre details look smart, but those sharp ‘eyelashes’ over the headlights and the use of Sauber-themed stripes makes the 135 slightly effeminate when it should be aggressive and muscular. Is that acceptable at $ 76K? Maybe to the kind of diehard BMW fanatic who collects Sauber F1 memorabilia, but for few others. Taking into account that the upcoming Tii incarnation will arrive soon, it isn’t going to be long before you begin to feel that what you’ve bought is, in essence, only a build-up to a far more serious 1–Series.