This thread is very entertaining....
For what it is worth, not counting the AST's, swift springs, and labor, I spent $2000 on parts just to get the M3 suspension bits on the car. You add a $2000 coilover/damper kit of your choice and you are now to $4000.
So what is missing: LSD ($2000), wider track, bigger wheels/tires, BMW engine tune/cooling kit, and the exclusiveness of being an M-car.
I read in a post that the 1M is going to be ~$9k more than a 135i. Personally, I think that is a heck of a deal!! I was going to sell my 135i because of the way the thing handled stock. I didn't really fall in love with how it drove until I did the suspension work. The 300hp is enough that I already am buying tires every year. My guess is that the wider track is going to make the car feel much more like the handling of my E30 M3. Yes, my 135i is a faster car than my stock E30 M3, but there is a magical feeling to the E30 in a corner. If that is what the 1M is going to be like, it is going to be hard for me to pass up (even with the styling things I don't like too well). MSRP for my car was about $45k for my 135i and I would have paid $1k more to have a sunroof delete. The 1M may in fact be perfect for me, even though I really want an E90 M3 before it goes out of production. I'm one that would love to see the M DCT on the 1M, but it not an option....oh well.
So I guess as I get older I am entertained more by the people who say they wish it was this or wish it was that. Take the car for what it is. It isn't going to be the car for everyone....
I for one, think that this car is special
Lastly, for me the deciding factor will be what it actually takes to put my AST's on the 1M. I'll just transfer them over. I'd like to do the same with my performance steering wheel!!!