09-30-2012, 01:01 PM | #1 |
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1 year with the 1M
Well it's been nearly one year and 13,000 miles since I took delivery of my VO 1M and I wanted to share some of my impressions. For starters, I think it's important to say that I've been very fortunate thus far when it comes to car ownership. I don't say this to brag--just to provide relative reference. Here are just a few of the vehicles that I've owned:
GT3RS, Boxster Spyder, GTR, Challenge Stadale(s), Murcielago, Diablo, 355, NSX, Exige, S2000, and one of my favorites--CLK63 Black Series (along with many others). As you can probably tell, I tend to get bored with cars quickly and end up switching frequently. The cars I've kept the longest in the recent past are the Black Series (20k miles) and the GTR (9k miles). My plans for the 1M are different. I plan on putting >100k miles on this car for the first time since I was a teenager (put 183k miles on our family's Accord) and it started to get me thinking why. Here are some of the reasons I came up with: 1) I feel it's the perfect daily driver--ideal balance of comfort / amenities (blue tooth, nav, etc) and performance. Some of the others (GT3RS for example) are more of a pain to drive daily with clearance issues, etc. 2) Fun to drive at any speed with tight steering feel and smooth shifter (reminds me of my s2000)--in contrast the GTR is boring to drive around town at normal speeds. 3) Efficient--tire wear on Black Series combined with small gas tank and poor gas mileage get annoying--have to fill up every 200 miles or less. These trivial things start to add up when you're driving the car daily. 4) Sense of occasion when driving--some cars just lack this feeling--hard to elaborate but the 1M has it--even 1 year later. 5) Value--I tend to want to sell a car sooner if I sense I'm going to lose my tail on resale--just one of my quirks that I've never been able to stomach well. The low initial cost of the 1M combined with excellent resale just makes you feel less guilty about owning the car. In contrast, I've always had a guilty pleasure when putting miles on cars more exotic. I find myself wanting to drive the 1M more and more as opposed to monitoring miles on some of the others. 6) One and done--no offense to M3 owners (I've owned 2) but I also sell my cars when the next and almost always better version of something comes out or is in the pipeline. For this reason, I would never be inclined to put over 100k miles on any M3, etc. Again, this is just one of my quirks. I like the fact the 1M was only manufactured for one year and I feel it will age well. 7) Build quality--The 1M has and I'm confident will remain relatively trouble free. 8) Pride of ownership--I feel that cars like "plain" 911s don't cater to the true die hard car enthusiasts--in contrast, the 1M captures the true car guy's spirit. Cars that lack this quality often feel replaceable and eventually get sold. I could probably go on and on but in short summary, after one year I love multiple components of this car. Despite my vast prior car ownership experience, I do not find myself longing for anything different for the first time since I was 16. I'm curious to hear some your thoughts as well as many of us are coming up on one year of ownership. Best, Vivek |
09-30-2012, 01:56 PM | #2 |
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Glad to see the 1M still stirs your soul.
Nice writeup with a twist on 1M ownership.
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09-30-2012, 02:21 PM | #3 |
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Nice, I would like to hear you comparing it with the other cars you own/owned it terms of handling/engine since you owned so many driver oriented machines, compared to the GT3/GTR/Boxster Spyder etc, what are the highs and the lows of the 1M? What did you not like in the others and make this one special etc. Thanks for sharing!
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09-30-2012, 02:50 PM | #4 |
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Well thought and well written review from someone who obviously has enough personal experience on sports cars
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"The mark of a great car is one whose overall competence exceeds what you should expect from its individual components and the 1M does just that", Chris Harris.
BMW 1M-SOLD-: TECH: Evolve Race+N55mids, Evolve IC, Michelin PSS, ER cp, aFe filter, CDVx, Vorshlag camber plates, BMS OCC EXTERIOR: trunk spoiler, blacklines, black grills, IND goodies INTERIOR: Alcantara steering wheel, steel pedals, custom mats, MPower e-brake. |
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09-30-2012, 03:17 PM | #5 |
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What makes the 1M outclass a lot of cars: it ain't only the way the 1M moves - it's also the way this car moves people driving or encountering it. An engaging package and appealing to the senses in a pleasant way. A rare find - real gem.
So, play for keeps.
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09-30-2012, 04:26 PM | #6 |
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yoooh a 1m is soo nice! very nice car list! Good read .
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09-30-2012, 04:40 PM | #7 |
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Nice write-up, captures the essence!
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09-30-2012, 07:16 PM | #9 |
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Nice write up and cool cars! I've done something similar with my previous cars (though not as exotic) and traded after 2 years. I just became bored with them, the excitement always passed. So far after 6000kms and almost year that hasn't happened with the 1m.
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09-30-2012, 08:02 PM | #11 |
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The 1M of Dan is, unfortunately, grounded as we speak.
And while it's taking dust and eventually growing some plants in some warehouse or garage, BMW is - for the time being - lost in thoughts and translation of what could have happened to the N54 engine of his 1M: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=727559.
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09-30-2012, 09:26 PM | #12 |
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1M does it all, and it has a back seat for the kids!! I also own a spyder too:
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