2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupé First Impressions

[ahmed_7erzon]

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?

The new 1M actually shares a large number of its mechanical components with the current M3. The entire rear differential with sub-frame, the 5-link rear suspension, the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering and brakes are all lifted from the M3. You see then, why the lesser 1M can go toe-to-toe with the M3.


But there end the similarities. The 1M is highly involving and a tad of a handful, especially for an unskilled driver, on a track that is. Under heavy breaking, the car becomes mildly twitchy and under hard acceleration, the rear end wants to break loose. From where I stand, the 1M is perfect; nothing says fun like working your way around a track, especially one as exciting as Monticello Motorsports.

There were two M3s on hand, and I could not help myself but to snake one around the bends. By comparison, the M3 is clinical, riveted to the tarmac and unflappable. Oh, and insanely fast. But, it won't make you sweat like the 1M.

Power delivery from the 1's blown engine is explosive and with little, if any, discernible lag. With the “M” button engaged, the car's throttle response sharpens up considerably, and every hp is immediately on tap. This wheel-mounted magic button only works throttle mapping whereas in other M cars, suspension, DSC and M Servotronic adjustments are possible. It was stated during the presentation that this was the case “at this point in time”. I like the sound of that!

In every dimension, the 1M is only slightly larger than the E30 M3. This includes the wheelbase which is roughly 8 cm longer than the old car. This is where the “chassis-car” comes in. The new 1M is tossable, manoeuvrable and has lightning-fast reflexes. Turn-in is immediate and front-end grip is so strong that with every consecutive lap, I was attacking apexes at higher rates of speed. “Chassis-car” is a notion where a car is so competent, so well engineered that it is not overwhelmed by its power and where every action is centred around the driver and the middle of the car. It's tough to explain, but this is a precision-crafted automobile.

And yet, the 1M cruises happily along highways and byways, revving at scarcely a needle's width above 2,000 rpm at 110 km/h in 6th gear. The ride is surprisingly compliant and the 2+2 cabin is genuinely well put together, not to mention comfortable. It also gets a slew of M goodies, such as pedals and footrest, M shifter, M embossed 14-way sport seats and delectable Alcantara inserts. A true thing of beauty.

On a daily basis, the only giveaway to this car's true potential, other than the creased and bloated sheetmetal, is the exhaust note. It is scrumptious, deep and plenty vocal even when crawling through stoplights in the ‘burbs. The four tailpipes are tell-tale as well...

The words “Do Want!” popped up in my head every 10 seconds while in the presence of this car. Available only in Valencia Orange, Alpine White or Black Sapphire (white for me, thank you), the 1M embodies everything holistic about BMW performance cars. It all comes down to size, performance and feel, and this BMW's got it all except for girth. Perfect!


The final point concerns pricing. At $53,600, the 1M faces stiff competition from no other direct competitor. The closest “like-minded” car is the Audi TTS at over $57k, but it falls short in the specs and numbers game. The $58,000 Shelby GT500 also comes to mind, but that would be like comparing David on steroids, two cases of Red Bull and cocaine to Goliath... Now there's a battle I'd pay to watch.

One could argue that the 1M is priced against the Audi S4 and Infiniti G37S. Sure, they have four doors and a larger boot, but that's missing the point of the 1M.

The 1M is, in a word, phenomenal. In only a few hours, this car has hoisted itself into my Top 10 favourite cars that I have driven in my 12+ year-long career. Do want!