AMS Reviews BMW 1M Coupe. Convinced It's a Pure Sports Car

[aaron529]

article makes makes it seem to be a regular stock 135i..but with more power

[MrRoboto]

^^^I dont think nachob is referring to the standing mass of the wheel/tire. I suspect he means that more of the mass is pushed further out from the hub. From the calculations in the below link it seems the affect on acceleration from a slightly heavier wheel/tire combo is very little. If you are a serious track guy then I suppose every fraction counts however.

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/wheel13.shtml

[DiavelM3]

I think we are splitting hairs with weight differences, times, etc....
I have ridden sport bikes for many years. I've also tracked them....
I have seen guys on 600cc and 750cc bikes outperform guys on 900cc and 1000cc in the Mountains and track days.... I know I am comparing bikes to cars but my point is simple. I think there is TOO MUCH back and forth over numbers here.
Buy what you like.... In the end, most people ONLY have bragging rights because their car are fractions quicker than another car
but can they handle the car and take it to it's FULL potential???

[Grey Dove]

Originally Posted by ferrari4evr1

I think we are splitting hairs with weight differences, times, etc....
I have ridden sport bikes for many years. I've also tracked them....
I have seen guys on 600cc and 750cc bikes outperform guys on 900cc and 1000cc in the Mountains and track days.... I know I am comparing bikes to cars but my point is simple. I think there is TOO MUCH back and forth over numbers here.
Buy what you like.... In the end, most people ONLY have bragging rights because their car are fractions quicker than another car
but can they handle the car and take it to it's FULL potential???

Yes you got a good point there. And yes you can compare, cuz in the end it comes to to same and final verdict. I for one am not able (so far) to take a car (1M) even at 80% of it's potential. I know it will take me several years
to achieve this and it can only be done on a track if you don't wanna risk of wrecking your car or whorse cause an accident.
It toke me several years of riding my 650 twin motorcycle to take it to it's full
potential. Having a 1200 gs for several years now I can say that i seldom use more than 80% of it's possibilities.
HO and btw I and don't like to brag cuz there are a lot of better riders then myself

[dominoM]

Could somebody please explain, in semi technical terms, why the tail-happiness of the 1M on wet pavement would be much different than a 135? It keeps feeling like a warning for amateur drivers (like me)?

You have the added torque, but also much more traction ability.

Thanks.

[Boxercup]

Originally Posted by dominoM

Could somebody please explain, in semi technical terms, why the tail-happiness of the 1M on wet pavement would be much different than a 135? It keeps feeling like a warning for amateur drivers (like me)?

You have the added torque, but also much more traction ability.

Thanks.

The bigger contact patch of the larger tyres will grip better, however, they will also 'let go' more abruptly when they do finally give in because you will be going that much faster. Couple this with more direct steering and you have a car which will 'snap' into oversteer AND will require more delicate steering to control.

...personally, I can't wait!

[Kurt_OH]

Originally Posted by Boxercup

The bigger contact patch of the larger tyres will grip better, however, they will also 'let go' more abruptly when they do finally give in because you will be going that much faster. Couple this with more direct steering and you have a car which will 'snap' into oversteer AND will require more delicate steering to control.

...personally, I can't wait!

There's also less difference between the size of the fronts and rears on the 1M vs 135.

[TX]

Could someone please explain to me why they called it a 1M instead of a M1 like the other M lines? Is it any less of an ///M than a M3 and a M5, M6 are?
Please dont steal my M3 sunshine with your zippy little 1M cars ;-)

[WAY]

Tx, Google M1 and you might find out. It's legendary.

[WAY]

Originally Posted by dominoM

Could somebody please explain, in semi technical terms, why the tail-happiness of the 1M on wet pavement would be much different than a 135? It keeps feeling like a warning for amateur drivers (like me)?

You have the added torque, but also much more traction ability.

Thanks.

It's a number of things, but mainly because of LSD and suspension tuning. Manufacturers can tune any suspension with the right combination of spring and damper rates and swaybars to induce oversteer or understeer at the limit. Also, the shorter wheelbase compared to a M3 also makes it easier to snap overstate. Hope that helps you understand a bit better.

[EmmDrei]

Originally Posted by dominoM

Could somebody please explain, in semi technical terms, why the tail-happiness of the 1M on wet pavement would be much different than a 135? It keeps feeling like a warning for amateur drivers (like me)?

My personal 2 cents:
Problem #1 are the Michelins. That's why my 1M will have the Michelins taken off the moment it arrives. I have driven Sport Pilot on four or five different BMWs and the tires have never impressed me. I don't like their wet handling and even in the dry, there is better uhp rubber (mind you... I am not comparing uhp to semis, those are two completely different leagues).

Problem #2 is simply power. Low down, animalistic grunt. The 1M has it in abundance. I personally would indeed warn inexperienced drivers of this car. Don't EVER touch the DSC button! The 1M will easily swap ends in fourth if you don't know what you're doing and gears 1, 2 and 3 require experience even in a straight line.

With a regular 135 (without LSD) the power will just evaporate in tyre smoke. The LSD get's the power down, it will just make the back end move. Not a problem if a driver knows what he is doing (or allows the electronics to help him). If the driver doesn't know, the car will kick him in the butt faster than he can get his untalented foot off the accelerator. Besides... you have more power than the 135. And more torque.

My personal opinion is: the 1M is a beast. That's why I love the car, that's what I was looking for. Never forget that, never lose the respect, allow for your own learning curve and you'll be ok. Try to mess with this car and you'll end up getting hurt or hurting others. You don't go to the zoo and try to pet a tiger if you want to keep all your hands!

[TX]

Originally Posted by WAY

Tx, Google M1 and you might find out. It's legendary.

Blah

[EmmDrei]

Originally Posted by TX

Are we talking about the m1 rifle? I wasn't asking for a google search. I was just asking why the change in naming conventions.

No, it's not the M1 rifle. It's the M1, the car. The first mid-engine sports car BMW built. Just use Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M1_(E21)

[TX]

Originally Posted by EmmDrei

My personal 2 cents:
Problem #1 are the Michelins. That's why my 1M will have the Michelins taken off the moment it arrives. I have driven Sport Pilot on four or five different BMWs and the tires have never impressed me. I don't like their wet handling and even in the dry, there is better uhp rubber (mind you... I am not comparing uhp to semis, those are two completely different leagues).

Problem #2 is simply power. Low down, animalistic grunt. The 1M has it in abundance. I personally would indeed warn inexperienced drivers of this car. Don't EVER touch the DSC button! The 1M will easily swap ends in fourth if you don't know what you're doing and gears 1, 2 and 3 require experience even in a straight line.

With a regular 135 (without LSD) the power will just evaporate in tyre smoke. The LSD get's the power down, it will just make the back end move. Not a problem if a driver knows what he is doing (or allows the electronics to help him). If the driver doesn't know, the car will kick him in the butt faster than he can get his untalented foot off the accelerator. Besides... you have more power than the 135. And more torque.

My personal opinion is: the 1M is a beast. That's why I love the car, that's what I was looking for. Never forget that, never lose the respect, allow for your own learning curve and you'll be ok. Try to mess with this car and you'll end up getting hurt or hurting others. You don't go to the zoo and try to pet a tiger if you want to keep all your hands!

So you're saying it's more of a beast than the M3 is with 80hp more? I can get sideways on dry ground and walk it sideways at a stand still in any kind of rain in the m3. . Granted you do have more Tq... but the m3 only weighs 243 more pounds for that extra 80hp. Both are running 265 rears. Is the 1m even more tail happy than the m3? I assume we do have a wider stance in the rear, but I dont have the numbers to back it up. That might help some.

[AW 1M]

Originally Posted by EmmDrei

My personal 2 cents:
Problem #1 are the Michelins. That's why my 1M will have the Michelins taken off the moment it arrives. I have driven Sport Pilot on four or five different BMWs and the tires have never impressed me. I don't like their wet handling and even in the dry, there is better uhp rubber (mind you... I am not comparing uhp to semis, those are two completely different leagues).

So please tell us. What will be replacing the Michelins on your 1M???

[EmmDrei]

@TX: The power delivery in the 1M is completely different than in the M3. The engine feels like the entire grunt is there at 1.500 rpm. Plus the 1M has a shorter wheelbase and less weight. Yes, it handles differently than an M392 does. "Tail happy" is a description I would not use for a car. Because it's not precise, as it is refering to something primarily the driver controls. If an idiot turns any rwd car in like one, he'll have understeer. Because he's turning it in like an idiot and not because of the cars setup. And if you slam the accelerator on any rwd, you'll have power oversteer at some point. One could call that "tail happy", I'd call it stupid. The basic facts that define the 1Ms handling, are: the power to weight ratio, the wheelbase, the ratio of the stance to the wheelbase.

@AW 1M: Either Pirelli "P Zero Corsa System" or "P Zero System". Whereby the "Corsa System" are my preference. But it depends what Pirelli has in stock and can deliver asap. Right now I'm more worried about trying to find out where my car is! It was released to the trucking company last week, but my dealer doesn't have it yet.

[WAY]

Originally Posted by TX

So you're saying it's more of a beast than the M3 is with 80hp more? I can get sideways on dry ground and walk it sideways at a stand still in any kind of rain in the m3. . Granted you do have more Tq... but the m3 only weighs 243 more pounds for that extra 80hp. Both are running 265 rears. Is the 1m even more tail happy than the m3? I assume we do have a wider stance in the rear, but I dont have the numbers to back it up. That might help some.

1M front and rear tracks are pretty much identical to M3 actually. With a shorter wheelbase and more torque, it certainly would be much easier to induce oversteer at any speed.

[NYC6]

Any powerful RWD car is only as tail happy as the drivers right foot allows. Using ones brain and discretion keeps a car going down a wet(or dry) road and not spinning into oncoming traffic.

[335iLondon]

Cash under the mattress

[335iLondon]

Yea maximise the noise!

I would probably put the cup wheels on it as they look lovely, black set would look mint on that car

Cracking thing anyway, currently having reoccurring dreams about the lightweight m3 four door.

In my opinion the only bad thing about this gen m3 (coupe) is that it's not as subtle as they have been in the past. The four door is a lot more Q car looking.

[superchargedman]

Use the search button. The name was well discussed months and months ago.

Originally Posted by TX

Blah

[335iLondon]

Welcome

Car stuff- try Santa pod, not in London but a short train journey and taxi ride, well worth it if you go on the right day

Car stuff in London, take a walk around Hyde park and down to Mayfair for the high end car dealers, not sure what you are looking for exactly, but can be good fun as you go past the hotels lots of exotic stuff on show, my best spot was a veyron in full chrome finish!

Music wise I would recommend soho and Camden for the best actual record shops ie vinyl
Check out some of the jazz clubs, can remember the name but one just off of regents street is brilliant

For the dubstep etc check out ministry of sound for a night out or fabric for the mainstream
Something a bit off the beaten track try some of the clubs in Brixton- don't get too drunk though, may need you wits about you haha!

All the best for your trip, let us know how you get on, the best thing to do when in London is just wander randomly and try somewhere which looks busy but without anyone trying to get you in there, ie don't fall for promotors crap.