Thrill seekers and Bimmerphiles, rejoice! Your car has landed. The arrival of a car such as the 1-Series M Coupé is a rare occasion under $100,000: More power, badass-ness and less weight are scarcely seen these days, when more eventually leads to more.
The modern-day M3 is a brilliant car, however its bourgeois-ness and avoirdupois have taken away what was once a pure unburdened driving machine; BMW simply acquiesced to what the market wanted. They, as well as we, knew that something had been left behind in the process, something they and I call the “chassis-car” feeling. I'm here to tell you that it's all back.
One cannot help but to compare the new 1M to the one that started the M craze. Some, many in fact, may jump in wielding swords and medieval war hammers belching out the M1 as being the originator of all things M. Sure, the M1 was tight and featured all the latest conceivable bits of technology BMW could cram into it, but the one, the M, is the E30 M3. If you are unfamiliar with this car, you either own a beige 1988 Corolla or hate cars and everything they stand for.
Solidly based on the oh-so-willing 1-Series coupe, the 1M takes every best aspect from the 135i, sheds some weight (35 kg to be exact) and extracts more juice from the N54B30HP twin-turbo inline 6-cylinder engine. It doesn't stop there as the magnificent 1M Coupé's body is 53 mm wider and 13 mm taller. Tracks also grow significantly (71 mm front and 46 mm rear), which is what gives the 1M its incredibly enticing stance. The lightweight, M-specific, BBS-inspired M3 GTS-sourced 19” wheels help as well.
Comparisons can be made on so many levels with this car.
Consider the following: The previous E46 M3 featured a high-content mad-revving 3.2L I6, generating 333 hp at 7,900 rpm and 262 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm. Curb weight hovered in the 1,550-kg range. The 0-100 km/h sprint happened in 4.8 seconds.
The new 1M Coupé has got this M3 clear in its sights. Its twin-turbocharged 3.0L I6 (shared with the Z4 sDrive35is and 335is) punches out 335 hp at 5,900 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. The 1M even features a popular overboost function that belts out an extra 37 lb-ft, for a total of 369, during a brief five-second period of time. It tips the scale at just under 1,500 kg.
The latest E92 M3 sports a high-strung 4.0L V8 good for 414 hp. Massive power, and it covers the 0-100 in 4.7 seconds, the same as the new 1M. How is that possible?
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| The 1M is, in a word, phenomenal. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |
The modern-day M3 is a brilliant car, however its bourgeois-ness and avoirdupois have taken away what was once a pure unburdened driving machine; BMW simply acquiesced to what the market wanted. They, as well as we, knew that something had been left behind in the process, something they and I call the “chassis-car” feeling. I'm here to tell you that it's all back.
One cannot help but to compare the new 1M to the one that started the M craze. Some, many in fact, may jump in wielding swords and medieval war hammers belching out the M1 as being the originator of all things M. Sure, the M1 was tight and featured all the latest conceivable bits of technology BMW could cram into it, but the one, the M, is the E30 M3. If you are unfamiliar with this car, you either own a beige 1988 Corolla or hate cars and everything they stand for.
Solidly based on the oh-so-willing 1-Series coupe, the 1M takes every best aspect from the 135i, sheds some weight (35 kg to be exact) and extracts more juice from the N54B30HP twin-turbo inline 6-cylinder engine. It doesn't stop there as the magnificent 1M Coupé's body is 53 mm wider and 13 mm taller. Tracks also grow significantly (71 mm front and 46 mm rear), which is what gives the 1M its incredibly enticing stance. The lightweight, M-specific, BBS-inspired M3 GTS-sourced 19” wheels help as well.
Comparisons can be made on so many levels with this car.
Consider the following: The previous E46 M3 featured a high-content mad-revving 3.2L I6, generating 333 hp at 7,900 rpm and 262 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm. Curb weight hovered in the 1,550-kg range. The 0-100 km/h sprint happened in 4.8 seconds.
The new 1M Coupé has got this M3 clear in its sights. Its twin-turbocharged 3.0L I6 (shared with the Z4 sDrive35is and 335is) punches out 335 hp at 5,900 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. The 1M even features a popular overboost function that belts out an extra 37 lb-ft, for a total of 369, during a brief five-second period of time. It tips the scale at just under 1,500 kg.
The latest E92 M3 sports a high-strung 4.0L V8 good for 414 hp. Massive power, and it covers the 0-100 in 4.7 seconds, the same as the new 1M. How is that possible?
 |
| Twin-turbocharged 3.0L I6 punches out 335 hp at 5,900 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |