Here are six BMW ‘ti’ cars: a Top Gear guide

BMW’s near-bankruptcy in the Fifties was followed by an exceptional purple patch, kicked off by the humble 700 – the car that saved the company – and headlined by the Neue Klasse.

And in this 'New Class' resided the first car on our list, 1963’s 1800 TI. Caps lock ‘ti’, you’ll note. It stands for ‘Turismo Internazionale’, and was applied to this three-box saloon (designed by one Signor Giovanni Michelotti) to denote it was the faster one.

It had new dual solex carburettors, new valves, and a new compression ratio for that ‘M10’ 1.8-litre four-cylinder (later applied to the 1600 TI), lifting power to 110bhp (up from 90bhp). Fun fact: the tweaks were designed by a company called ‘Alpina’.

Even more fun fact: the M10 would go on to form the basis of BMW’s monster 1,000bhp ‘M12’ unit that took F1 victories in the back of a Brabham. And the M10 would also star in a little-known hit called ‘M3’…

Arguably the BMW people get most gooey over. Well, at least the Turbo version. Still, the 2002 TI’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine was treated to – once again – twin carbs and a higher compression ratio, to deliver just under 120bhp. 

A little later a 2002tii would appear, that additional ‘i’ denoting Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection. Power rose once more to just under 130bhp. The big boy Turbo featured, um, a big boy turbo to boost overall power to just under 170bhp. In 1973!

Fun fact: Hans-Joachim Stuck and Clemens Schickentanz won the very first Nürburgring 24hr race in 1970, driving a... that's right, a BMW 2002 TI.

How best to resurrect a badge that signified an extraordinarily high point in your company’s history? Simple. Put it on the back of a car that prompted most ‘get a real BMW’ jokes. Welcome back to - whether you want to or not - the BMW Compact.

Sure, the actual philosophy is the same: buzzy engines, compact chassis, RWD and a BMW badge. While the E36 Compacts never elicited much passion – even among people who love BMWs – by most accounts it wasn't half bad to drive. Unless you got a 318ti, which was s-l-o-w.

The 323ti did better, packing a 2.5-litre inline six with just under 170 horsies.

Somehow, BMW made the looks even more polarising with the E46 generation Compacts. Weird, huh. All three petrol engines were badged ti: the 316 was actually a 1.6-litre that you didn’t want and the 318 was a 2.0-litre with a decent slug of power, but the 325 was the only one that could out-accelerate the jokes made about its looks. Straight-six, 190-ish horsepower.

One suspects we’ve lingered over pictures of the Compacts long enough for one sitting. Let’s move on.

We’re cheating a little here because this isn’t an actual production model, more a concept. Actually, it’s exactly a concept, called the Concept 1 Series tii. It featured redesigned front and rear bumpers and a new grille for better airflow into the engine (remember the ‘ti’ theme), carbon fibre body parts and a rear spoiler.

The compact-but-sporty theme continued inside with bucket seats, Alcantara and even a white rev counter with red needles! Sadly, no info was offered on the engine; some reckoned on a 2.0-litre four pot, others a 3.0-litre sixer. All of it is moot because it doesn’t really exist.

And so to the latest ‘ti’ badge, adorned across the boot (and at the rear of the side sills) of BMW’s latest 1 Series hatch. Will modern hot hatch buyers immediately glance upon that famous badge and recall BMW’s glory days of the 1800 TI and 2002 TI? Jury's out on that one. Also, it's not a 2.8. Still rankles, that.

It’s a hot, fast 1 Series, which at least keeps in with the ‘ti’ philosophy. There’s a lovely boosted four-cylinder up front, just like the originals. And if you ignore the name, it’s a genuinely fantastic hot hatch; one that easily rivals the Golf GTI.

Reckon the 128 deserves the 'ti' badge, or does the existence of a Compact ti render this entire discussion moot?