With Variable Steering and M Sport adjustable Suspension the car is transformed , shame you did not try it.
I drove the M135i for a day and found (for me anyway) it was to noisy over 3K rpm for general driving and on the motorway revs were high at 80 MPH cruising speeds, this and the small size would limit it's appeal to me, but thats my requirements only.
Driven hard the M135i was great, but in my neck of the woods "performance" would not used much, so it's advantage lost in that department.
I still marvel at the Pace of the 330D and astounding accompanying economy.