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      08-19-2014, 10:41 AM   #1
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Cool Late to the party... are all the cool kids gone?

Hey guys,

I finally joined the 1M club from the land of Oz last week , but from reading the forums it looks like people are already all partied out after 3 years and are off chasing newer cars...

[Incoming wall of text ]

Anyway for those interested, I got myself a reasonably low mileage 31k km (19k miles) AW June 2011 car in reasonable condition. Most of it was highway miles, as the previous owner did long commutes, but not every day as he had other cars. It is still on its original Michelins! (must be a record for PS2s?) I looked at a more-abused car with double the mileage and lots of nicks and scrapes and much cheaper, but I am the fussy type who would not have been happy with that, so decided to splurge a bit more for this one.

I actually had an R33 GT-R for the last 10 years, and loved driving it. When I got rid of it, I bought my first BMW, an auto E90 N54-engined 335i thinking it would be a welcome change to have a comfortable ride and luxurious interior while still having some grunt and a reasonably responsive flappy-paddled transmission. I remarked to the salesguy that the era of manuals was at an end, it was going to be DCT and autos in the future!

And it was a welcome change. For a month. I even put in an MFactory torsen-type LSD which makes a world of difference to the traction (should be standard on all BMWs, IMO!!). But in the end, I missed DRIVING the car! I missed the steering response and grip of the GT-R. Heel and toeing. Rev matching. So when a family member liked my car and wanted to buy one, I sold them mine instead. And started looking for a proper replacement. Considered the R35 but it is still crazy expensive here, and very expensive to run and insure. Considered the Lotus Evora S 2+2 coupe (would have preferred the Exige, but having no back seats, no matter how small, is too much of a compromise) but they are very rare (even moreso than the 1M!!) and quality control seems a bit iffy. Cayman? Fuhgetaboudit. P cars seem to attract double the (already outlandish) Aussie Price Premium, which means they are 4x the price here instead of "only" 2x.

In the end, the 1M ticked all the boxes:
- Compact body (although heavier than the R33!!)
- Rear drive and good weight balance
- direct hydraulic steering (2 turns lock to lock!)
- M3 suspension bits
- reasonably economical (one of the things that dissuaded me from getting an E9x M3)
- N54 engine which I was already familiar with and can be tuned for more power down the road
- surprising amount of carrying capacity inside
- insurance was dirt cheap (they think it's just another 1-series, whereas Porsches, Lotuses, and GT-Rs had huge risk premiums)
- All mod cons with bluetooth phone and nav (a must nowadays)
- relatively rare which slows the depreciation (although at 300 cars for our small population, not exactly hard to find)
- Not too attention grabbing (most people think it's just another 135i, and the AW helps)
- One of the few cars in Australia where the Aussie Price Premium is not as much, so it's a bit of a moral victory. (BTW, you know how much your new USD$60k M3 is in Australia? USD$158k. Buy 3 and get just 1! Hurry Hurry Hurry!)
- surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride (much better than the GTR33)
- I must admit, the car is not a great looker, but muscular stance helps and it's growing on me. I wish it came in Space Grey, my favorite color.

I don't intend to mod the car much (no more money!) but here are a few things I'm planning on doing:
- Dimple magnetic plugs for engine, transmission and LSD
- Nitto NT05 tyres 245/35R19 and 275/35R19 (could not find Hankook RS3s in the right size for cheap)
- 3M tinting
- DrColorChip (to fix a few paintchips)
- RB Turbo PCV valve and cap
- Storage nets (can never have enough)
- Lower wheel covers (to solve rubbing issue)
- Blackvue Dashcam
- Fire extinguisher with OEM bracket under seat
- Schroth harness
- Cobb (maybe later)
- I really should stop reading the forums if I want to save money...

In my short time of ownership though, I have found a few observations and annoyances:
- You sit really high up and upright in this car. The car also feels very tall compared to other "sports cars".
- Footwell is a little small, I keep catching on the footrest or the sidewall beside the accelerator. Don't Germans have big feet??
- Quite a bit more buzzing around the interior (not talking about the exhaust) than the 335i.
- The "suggested" gear is always way higher than I expect! It seems want to drive like a big block V8, revving at just 1500 rpm! A huge change from the GTR33 where I'd need to be at 3000 just to get anywhere. (Having said that, redline was 8000... )
- Car does not have dynamic cruise control! (only S540A, not S544A) <rant on> This is highly annoying, I have it on the 335i and it's great for when you just want to cruise at mind numbingly low speed limits. Australia has become insanely fixated on speed as a strategy of imposing a hidden tax to plug their budget holes while convincing the sheeple it's all about safety. I was caught 7km/h over the limit in the other car... that's 4 mph. Half walking speed. Barely even noticeable on the speedo. </rant off> Bottom line is, I need my Dynamic cruise control (with braking function). I had a quick look with NCS expert, but I don't know if the M1DSC module can be coded for DCC... If anyone knows about this subject please PM me!!

Anyway, glad to be part of the L33T club. Here's a picture of the car we all know and love. (Needs a good detailing, coming soon!)
Attached Images
  
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      08-19-2014, 10:45 AM   #2
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2011 BMW 1M  [8.40]
congratulations, man!!!

there are definitely a 'second wave' of owners arriving these days....i am one of them. The ironic thing is that in the US, at least, the 'second wave' of owners are often paying MORE for these cars than the 1st wave of owners!! LOL.....i guess we aren't the smartest bunch?

your car looks great.....you are going to LOVE IT!
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      08-19-2014, 11:05 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IEDEI View Post
congratulations, man!!!

there are definitely a 'second wave' of owners arriving these days....i am one of them. The ironic thing is that in the US, at least, the 'second wave' of owners are often paying MORE for these cars than the 1st wave of owners!! LOL.....i guess we aren't the smartest bunch?

your car looks great.....you are going to LOVE IT!
Hey congrats to you, too! You have good taste!

Well, the fact is, even though you are paying more than the new US price, it is STILL less than what I paid, and my price is ALREADY depreciated from the new Oz price. That shows you how much we got gouged (the new price here was USD$100k back in 2011!!) So I think it's safe to say Aussies are the dumbest of all. Not only do we put up with this shit, there are some here who are so brainwashed that they are DEFENDING these ludicrous prices, and they aren't even the dealers, they are the consumers!

I really don't understand why BMW didn't ship more of these cars to the US though. I guess the flipside is that they have become a lot more collectible there. I have a feeling even after the M2 comes out, the M1 will still be sought after.
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      08-19-2014, 11:42 AM   #4
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congratulation,
looking very fabulous,
as IEDEI and me agreed already,
the 1M is brilliant as is.. its a future classic!
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      08-19-2014, 11:44 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acediac View Post
Hey congrats to you, too! You have good taste!

Well, the fact is, even though you are paying more than the new US price, it is STILL less than what I paid, and my price is ALREADY depreciated from the new Oz price. That shows you how much we got gouged (the new price here was USD$100k back in 2011!!) So I think it's safe to say Aussies are the dumbest of all. Not only do we put up with this shit, there are some here who are so brainwashed that they are DEFENDING these ludicrous prices, and they aren't even the dealers, they are the consumers!

I really don't understand why BMW didn't ship more of these cars to the US though. I guess the flipside is that they have become a lot more collectible there. I have a feeling even after the M2 comes out, the M1 will still be sought after.
Congrats...the car just gets better and better!...you do know its a 1M, correct?..
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      08-19-2014, 12:03 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reedomn View Post
Congrats...the car just gets better and better!...you do know its a 1M, correct?..
Haha, typo, of course I know it's a "1-Series M Coupe"! I did my homework.
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      08-19-2014, 12:05 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay-K View Post
congratulation,
looking very fabulous,
as IEDEI and me agreed already,
the 1M is brilliant as is.. its a future classic!
Thanks Jay-K. I have been reading about how you got your second one too!
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      08-19-2014, 12:06 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay-K View Post
the 1M is brilliant as is.. it's a future classic!
As years go by, we may start calling it righteously "a classic".

Quote:
Originally Posted by acediac View Post
it looks like people are already all partied out after 3 years and are off chasing newer cars...
Speaking for myself, currently no plans on the horizon to check out of "Hotel 1M".

Swing it the way it should...

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      08-19-2014, 12:21 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acediac View Post
Hey guys,

I finally joined the 1M club from the land of Oz last week , but from reading the forums it looks like people are already all partied out after 3 years and are off chasing newer cars...
Welcome!! Enough of us around, original owner, fashionably late to the party or even boomerangs, everyone is welcome. Entry level is some enthusiasm for the 1M; we're not a fussy community!

Quote:
Originally Posted by acediac View Post
...
- The "suggested" gear is always way higher than I expect! It seems want to drive like a big block V8, revving at just 1500 rpm! ...
That's a 'ecodynamics' thing, which in most markets is not activated as this fuel economy feature is deemed not appropriate for a sportscar. Does AUS have it as a standard feature? Wanna get rid of it? IIRC when the feature line in your display is empty, push the BC button for ~5 seconds.

Quote:
Originally Posted by acediac View Post
...
- Car does not have dynamic cruise control! (only S540A, not S544A) <rant on> This is highly annoying, I have it on the 335i and it's great for when you just want to cruise at mind numbingly low speed limits. ... Bottom line is, I need my Dynamic cruise control (with braking function). I had a quick look with NCS expert, but I don't know if the M1DSC module can be coded for DCC... If anyone knows about this subject please PM me!!
The good news is that if you had it on any E9x (or even E8x model) any feature can most likely be retrofitted, as the electronics platform is equal. Cruise control is processed in the KOMBI unit. But you want to look at the WSD diagrams for this feauture, then make sure you have all the hardware and sensors and then code a VO (SXXX are vehicle options). Finally process all modules, that will make sure that all modules involved for a certain VO get the correct settings. Not saying it is easy, just saying that with determination, it can be done. Check the coding forum, i'm sure such a retrofit has been done before.
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      08-19-2014, 12:23 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Artemis View Post
Speaking for myself, currently no plans on the horizon to check out of "Hotel 1M".

Swing it the way it should...
Hey Artemis, your log of all known 1M issues was a great help to me when making a decision to buy the car. Thanks

And cool tunes!
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      08-19-2014, 12:45 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eeghie View Post
That's a 'ecodynamics' thing, which in most markets is not activated as this fuel economy feature is deemed not appropriate for a sportscar. Does AUS have it as a standard feature? Wanna get rid of it? IIRC when the feature line in your display is empty, push the BC button for ~5 seconds.
Good to know, thanks. I don't mind it, since I can always ignore it. I've just never owned a car that drives at 1500 rpm!

Aus cars were all pretty fully specced including the Nav (BMW Australia trying to justify the price). About the only option was Comfort Access (on my car) and maybe High Beam assistant (not on my car but I saw it on another car).

Quote:
Originally Posted by eeghie View Post
The good news is that if you had it on any E9x (or even E8x model) any feature can most likely be retrofitted, as the electronics platform is equal. Cruise control is processed in the KOMBI unit. But you want to look at the WSD diagrams for this feauture, then make sure you have all the hardware and sensors and then code a VO (SXXX are vehicle options). Finally process all modules, that will make sure that all modules involved for a certain VO get the correct settings. Not saying it is easy, just saying that with determination, it can be done. Check the coding forum, i'm sure such a retrofit has been done before.
Actually I already did some work on this. I coded the DCC in the KOMBI unit but it had no affect. Apparently it requires the DSC module to provide braking info and to apply the brakes to slow the car down to the right speed when going downhill etc. However, our cars have the special M1DSC module which provides the MDM mode and controls our LSD etc. that obviously the normal E8x/E9x don't have. M3s have an M3DSC module, and as far as I can tell, they don't get the Dynamic Cruise Control S544A either. So maybe the M1DSC and M3DSC are not programmed for DCC? If that is the case, we will never be able to retrofit it, unless we learn to program (not just code) the module!

I will have to do more research. I have searched the various coding forums but not many 1M or M3 drivers seem to care about this feature... And most people seem to talk about retrofitting the Adaptive Cruise Control which is a different thing (allows you to follow the car in front, which I don't care about).
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      08-19-2014, 12:49 PM   #12
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Congrats on your new purchase - North American cars don't seem to have the EfficientDynamics display on so I was curious when you say "suggested gear" as I don't have that - I'm kind of used to keeping the revs low under normal circumstances (occasionally drive my sister's 2012 Golf R which is direct-injected turbo 2.0). 1500 rpm seems to be a sweet spot for me if I'm feeling relaxed, 2500 rpm if I want it to be playful. For me, I came from an AWD STi swap so revving a motor is 2nd nature (and 8k redline sounds so nice) but this have quite a different soundtrack, and you don't really need to redline it either as the torque curve is flat and starts low (and drops early as well)
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      08-19-2014, 01:21 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CP 1///M View Post
Congrats on your new purchase - North American cars don't seem to have the EfficientDynamics display on so I was curious when you say "suggested gear" as I don't have that - I'm kind of used to keeping the revs low under normal circumstances (occasionally drive my sister's 2012 Golf R which is direct-injected turbo 2.0). 1500 rpm seems to be a sweet spot for me if I'm feeling relaxed, 2500 rpm if I want it to be playful. For me, I came from an AWD STi swap so revving a motor is 2nd nature (and 8k redline sounds so nice) but this have quite a different soundtrack, and you don't really need to redline it either as the torque curve is flat and starts low (and drops early as well)
On page 6 of the BMW_1M_Technical_Training.pdf (see Artemis's Manuals post ) you can see the Up and Down arrow on the top right of the bottom middle display - that is what changes to a recommended gear number when it thinks you should change. Up and Down means you are in the "correct" gear.

Yeah, have to relearn driving a flat-torque engine... it's counter intuitive to me that shifting at 6000 rpm (well before the redline) is the most optimum... it feels like short shifting!
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      08-19-2014, 02:33 PM   #14
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What a great read how you got your 1M after all.

Congrats and welcome here.

Cheers
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      08-19-2014, 03:47 PM   #15
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Congrats! Late or not.. 1M is an amazing car still relevant in today's sport's car scene
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      08-19-2014, 04:01 PM   #16
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Congrats on your 1M purchase. Things have died down here a bit with people getting the itch for a new car, but there are still several Original Owners still around.
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      08-19-2014, 04:13 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acediac View Post
...
- You sit really high up and upright in this car. The car also feels very tall compared to other "sports cars".
...
Here your option is to source a manual/non-electric (driver) OEM seat which sits ~2cm lower

Looking at the trace file for the 1MDSC it does indeed not seem to have any DCC specific parameters. DCC sounds very useful for DD though, have you had a look at regular DSC trace for identifying any parameters?.
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      08-19-2014, 04:52 PM   #18
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Just read in full again and realize you were looking at an Evora S before this - I did the same! There was a black 2011 Evora S and in the end, I needed more practicality than that for it to be my only car - I figure the handling and power would have been superb (the seller's friend just gave me a ride - wouldn't blame him for not allowing a test drive) but it would be such a cop magnet and potentially a nightmare to live with even just driving it around town on the weekends. Not to mention the much higher asking price but owning a modern Lotus is on my bucket list (maybe the new V6 Exige S when it finally becomes road-legal in North America)

I guess the motorized seat is still too high at its lowest setting? The bucket Performance seat looks amazing though
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      08-19-2014, 05:06 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eeghie View Post
Here your option is to source a manual/non-electric (driver) OEM seat which sits ~2cm lower
Source?!

Congrats, drive it, maintain it, polish it, enjoy it!!! and nI love Einser M's so much. I want to get one when I grow up.
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      08-19-2014, 05:19 PM   #20
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Congrats and welcome from Oz.
There is still of plenty of us original 1M owners still on the Australian forum..
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      08-19-2014, 08:07 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swagon View Post
Source?! ...
Several in here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=698747
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      08-19-2014, 08:15 PM   #22
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Congrats and welcome mate.

PS: The easiest way to get rid of the Efficient Dynamics "suggested gear" is to always drive with M Mode on.
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