Just because I know someone will question my post about the first gen 1M lacking what the M division considers a full M effort....see below for quote.
"Unfortunately everything that makes a great BMW M Coupe was not attainable due to the low budget. When you take into consideration of crash testing etc. Had the 1M be equipped with a standard carbon fibre roof it would not be heading to the USA as BMW would not have funded extra crash testing.
BMW did not want to fully commit seeing as the car has a relatively short production window. At first not everyone was convinced but now everybody is a believer.
Look at this car now and look at it closely. Because it is what is attainable ,when you have limited resources to work with.
It is also the appetizer , given the response to the car when it was undergoing development. The next generation 1er M Coupe or M2? has been given a much larger development budget so next time round , there is more freedom to progress ideas that could not be attained this time around, because of cost within the next car."
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=464177