My thoughts harken to the brilliant 1M vs M2 comparison thread.
For me, it's all about emotional connection to the car and the road. The 1M captures this in a magical and unique way that I haven't felt since my beloved GTV6.
The development of the 1M was something I compare to political revolutions--all of which, through human history, have been instigated by a desperate, passionate, poorly funded minority fighting against the status quo. For better or worse THAT'S where history is made.
Qui audet adipiscitur.
We live in a watered-down, cowardly, committee-driven world that mitigates risk for a few dullards, by keeping the majority in an AWD, paddle-shifting, diaper-wearing bubble where oversteer and drifts are frowned upon by electronic nannies. A45? RS3? TTRS? STi? GTR? *eyeroll*
Thank you no. Give me a tall ship and a star to steer her by--or a manual tranny and a buttload of torque.
While I'm sure that there will be cars like the A45, built by the performance divisions of most marques that will outdo the 1M on paper, the simple fact remains that they will never outdo it in the one area where it truly counts: the happiness that it brings to the driver. God gave me a left leg and a right arm for a reason. If I ain't mashing down on a clutch and moving a shifter I ain't a happy person. And I ain't drinking no Kool-Aid to convince me otherwise.
While I admire the intellectual curiosity of my fellow petrol-heads when it comes to comparos, my own humble observation is that after I've read any comparison to the 1M by anyone, I honestly shrug my shoulders and smile.
I know what I got and I'm happy. And you know what? Sometimes the lil bulldog surprises you when it meets up with one of these soulless AWD abominations, as this repost shows. Just scroll to 1:37 and look at his smile.
Just my 2cents. It could be the Vicodin and prednisone talking. Gotta love a back injury.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...49641647,d.cGE