(Photo) 1M in Alpine White alongside an M3 GTS

[providence]

I still like it... still in!

[UsualSuspect]

Originally Posted by Oshin02

The offset on the GTS looks like garbage

I was thinking the same thing!

[Driv3r]

Originally Posted by Cygnusx1

Look at the similarities!

1) Eyebrows/ headlight brows.
2)Lower jaw line / rocker panel line.
3) Cheek shadow / Door shadow
4) Lip Corners/Front bumper corner
5)Puffed up lip ends/Front flared area
6)Thin nose/ space between kidney grills
...and more.

Is it just me that sees this?

Please. Dont. Do. This. Please? I know the design is off but cueing the two in my mind from that picture really is disturbing..maybe it could use say a few sharper edges.. But PLEASE leave Joan Rivers out of this..lol

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by twenzel

I am starting to think $45k is even too much for this car....

I'm hoping you are right. Car and Driver has an estimate price of 43k and that would 7k more than a 135 and a maxed out car would be under 50k, which is about 5-7k less than the M3. Since the motor is not unique to the car, the premium should be a little lower. Pricing under 45k gets back to e36 m3 pricing (towards the end of the run)and that would go a long way towards reaching the goal of making it an affordable M car.

[ad78]

45K for the base price.. not worth it really. save more and get the M3

[blueshark]

The M3 may not be the best comparison for the 1M.
The 1M will probably be more livable and more practical.

[cstavaru]

Originally Posted by blueshark

The M3 may not be the best comparison for the 1M.
The 1M will probably be more livable and more practical.

Sorry, but this is true only from a fuel consumption point of view. The 1M is more cramped, too small inside to be livable and practical.

[Steve Brown]

Gentlemen,
The current M3 is A$180K in Australia and the Oz dollar is US$1.02 as of today. The 1M will be about A$110K. Remember you're spoilt rotten in the US. Stop sulking about minutia and be happy that you get such bargains.

[aus135i]

Originally Posted by Steve Brown

Gentlemen,
The current M3 is A$180K in Australia and the Oz dollar is US$1.02 as of today. The 1M will be about A$110K. Remember you're spoilt rotten in the US. Stop sulking about minutia and be happy that you get such bargains.

FACT!

[Trier Germany]

1M<M3

Is it me or the 1M looks like crap from the side view. ///M Division screwed the pooch putting the Z4 35IS motor in this car. This car Should have been designated 135IS M-sport
The Motor is suppose to be special for an M car not some handed down variant from other models. Dr. Siegler next time get back to your roots and get a proper ///M motor when you want to designate an ///M car!

[Art__Vandelay]

Well, we sure can talk about the engine, which is my main objection to the 1M. But the look is a question of taste, and honestly, I've never liked the E92 (and the E90 neither). That's actually the main reason why I currently drive the 135i. The E92 got way too big, it looks so heavy and unathletic... and has an ugly rear. The only part I really like is the front, especially the headlights.

But it's not really fair to compare these 2 cars. Okay, the price difference in the US isn't that big, but that's not the case in almost every other country. In Germany the difference is about $ 25'000, in Switzerland probably almost $ 30'000. And the M3 consumes almost 30% more petrol.

[T1T2GRE]

(Lurker here)

I still want it.

This comes down to personal preferences. Do you want an obese, naturally aspirated vehicle (i.e.M6, E92 M3), or a less powerful, lighter, forced induction vehicle? There's no right or wrong, just what you want to get out of it.

I don't feel ///M has pooched anyone. I think what they're offering with the 1SMC is pretty amazing when you consider the timeframe and budget they had, and what their goal was. This is a decent "throwback" to E30 days.

Given the current trend, forced induction motors will likely become more prevalent in all of the M cars. I think they were testing the waters of NA vs. FI moreso than trying to pooch folks with a "faux M engine".

Whatever. I'm still excited about the prospects of a return to roots. All of the current BMWs are morbidly obese and stellar engineering can only stave off physics to a point.

[Trier Germany]

Return to roots is a High revving N/A true ///M motor. For the size of the car it is still porky and overweight. If I had to choose a motor I would have used a true ///M motor. A S-54 would be perfect for this car.

[spiderz17]

I wonder what the sentiment would be if either the Z435is didn't exist or if it had been badged an M. Would we here the same level of griping about the "lack of a true M motor?"

I get the feeling that some (not all) of the folks on here aren't so much disappointed with the motor itself, just disappointed that the line has been blurred between M and non-M, which is a load of crap.

[Trier Germany]

The line is getting blurred. Put an LSD and wider track and upgraded brakes on the Z4 35IS and it is deserving of an M badge as the 1M coupe?

[008]

Originally Posted by Steve Brown

Gentlemen,
The current M3 is A$180K in Australia and the Oz dollar is US$1.02 as of today. The 1M will be about A$110K. Remember you're spoilt rotten in the US. Stop sulking about minutia and be happy that you get such bargains.

I don't understand why people make these characterizations. The exchange rate of the currency is meaningless in these calculations unless you are paid in US dollars in Aus and taxed at US rates. Look at it this way, minimum wage in Aus is like $15 while in the US it about half that at $7.25. You most likely make many more Aus $ for doing the same job there as compared to a counterpart in the US.

[Grey Dove]

I hope i will have the opportunity to buy a black "poor man's" M. The specs are what they are. My wife wants a small car with manual transmission and i chose the rest.
So i am asking you: any alternative?

[mojo_78613]

It doesn't look good in AW IMHO!! I'd rather have it in Valencia Orange and the fact this car is being produced in limited quantities makes it more appealing. As far as pricing goes in my case, I'd be OK if the MSRP is around $43,000. Any amount over this, I'd rather wait and save more money and get an M3 or even a 335is as a second option. Cheers!

[spiderz17]

Originally Posted by Trier Germany

The line is getting blurred. Put an LSD and wider track and upgraded brakes on the Z4 35IS and it is deserving of an M badge as the 1M coupe?

That's my whole point. I don't think the motor is really "not worthy of an M-car." It's just that a lot of people seem to have an issue that an M car and a non-M car share the same motor.

So I think you hit the nail on the head. The motor is not the reason the Z4is is not an M, it's all of the supporting pieces. Ignore the motor and look at all of the other differences when comparing 135 vs 1M and Z4s35 vs Z4s35is. Besides the motor, what's the difference between the two Z's? Different front and rear bumper?? Whereas the 1M has a completely different suspension and subframe setup from the 135 plus the LSD. That's why I think the 1M is deserving of the M badge whereas the Z4is is not.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Trier Germany

The line is getting blurred. Put an LSD and wider track and upgraded brakes on the Z4 35IS and it is deserving of an M badge as the 1M coupe?

if the suspension is redesigned, then yes. But guess what.. ? There is no " blurring " of the line because the 335 is and Z435 got motor tweaks and body tweaks. Did it get a full suspension redesign? no. Does it have an M differential? No. Does it have an upgraded braking system? NO. Does it have manual steering? NO. M cars usually have different motors, suspension, and body components and M division goes through and improves many parts of the car. That's not what happened with the 335is or the Z435is as it really only got a couple of updates, another being the DCT. An M car is a lot more that just the motor.

The motor for the 1M *has* been redesigned, when compared to the underlying 1 series model. So the N54 is motor is in another model.. big deal. All the people that want a unique motor shouldn't even be considering this car because if they had stayed with your mandate of a unique motor then the car would never have been built. So... All the motor purists can lay back and wait for the second generation 1M... while those of us that do appreciate that the 1M even came to fruition will enjoy it. And I don't think that the unique motor phreaks would be satisifed with the S54 being recylcled anyway.. it's still used in another car.. and my god.. it's like a decade old now..!

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Trier Germany

Return to roots is a High revving N/A true ///M motor. For the size of the car it is still porky and overweight. If I had to choose a motor I would have used a true ///M motor. A S-54 would be perfect for this car.

Let's, see.. the motor in the E30 M3 revs to 7200rpm. The motor in the US spec E36 M3 had a 7K rev limit. So M should go back to 7K rev limit motors? Oh wait..

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by 008

I don't understand why people make these characterizations. The exchange rate of the currency is meaningless in these calculations unless you are paid in US dollars in Aus and taxed at US rates. Look at it this way, minimum wage in Aus is like $15 while in the US it about half that at $7.25. You most likely make many more Aus $ for doing the same job there as compared to a counterpart in the US.

Not to mention differences in trade embargos between different countries..