[Jason]

Some excerpts from http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/29/2...view-road-test

Quick Spin: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

BMW's Version Of A Blue Light Special For Speed

There's a well-worn automotive axiom that plays out many different ways: The amount of money you spend is proportional to how fast you go. You want more speed? You spend more money.

If you've priced a BMW M3 these days, you see the principle at work. Back in the old days (1987), a U.S.-spec M3 boasted a 195-horsepower four-cylinder engine and did 0-60 miles per hour in about 6.7 seconds on its leisurely way to a 143-mph top speed – all for just over $30,000. Today, the least expensive 414-horsepower V8 M3 will set you back $58,400... as it should. In every conceivable performance metric, the new M3 trounces the old, with its 4.6-second 0-60 mph run, supercar mid-range and electronically-limited 155-mph top end.

This reality left enthusiasts wishing BMW would offer something a little less speedy for a commensurate drop in MSRP. Seeing the opportunity with its 2012 1 Series Coupe, BMW will soon show us how much speed around $45,000 will buy at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. But to tide you over until then, come with us for a ride in a BMW 1 Series M Coupe prototype.

BMW shied away from giving track measurements, but they did divulge that the body is a full 80 millimeters (3.14-inches) wider than a standard 1 Series Coupe. The bulging fenders, especially at the rear, look like rippled muscles under a tight t-shirt. The body, including the flares, is all steel. When asked why no carbon fiber, an engineer explained that the cost/benefit ratio didn't favor the choice.

The motor spooled up quickly, smoothly and quietly. The short shifter moved easily into gear. Unlike some modern performance vehicles, there are no adjustments for the suspension, the steering or engine management. It is what it is. And it's very good.

The BMW Servotronic steering is a pure hydraulic setup that operates without any electronic intervention. The response is linear, direct and builds predictably through corners.

Likewise, the suspension takes a set in corners and plants itself. Unlike other 1 Series, there is no understeer, the model's Achilles' Heal. Thank the wider stance and big Michelins.

While it felt good to not have a computer intervene and give it what you think you want or need, on the damp German roads, we were glad to have BMW's Dynamic Stability Control on in the background. During our exuberant drive, DSC waited for us to screw up or be surprised. It never saw action. To burn off the mph, the brakes proved strong and balanced with good bite and better progression.

The country roads around Scheyern were full of tight to medium curves. Regardless of the corner's radius or gearbox cog, the hottest 1 carved through each one and then roared onto the straights. The torque came on like a freight train's diesel-electric motor, never flagging. Above 1,400 rpm, the entire rev range is rich with power. Turbo lag? Yes, there's some, but truly just a moment's. In most situations, you'll never notice.

Engine control was exceptionally precise. On throttle, moving from 60-percent pedal to 80-percent, the coupe surged. Going from 80-percent to wide-open-throttle (WOT), the 1-Series jumped again.

The only thing the engine lacked was an exhaust note that matched the engine's performance. Our thinking is that the turbos remove so much energy from the pipes that the sounds we were looking for are used to create boost.