1M or not..

[Griffster]

I'm at an inflection point.

I bought my 09 135i new. I now own it outright, nothing owing on it. I've only just clicked over 40k's on the clock and I still love it to death. I've done a PTF tune + IC + exhaust, but i'm at the point where i'm going to need to dump some serious money into it to get to the next level on enjoyment - suspension front and rear, some new wheels, LSD.. and some of those stage 1 turbo's look pretty interesting.

But i've always thought the 1M's just looked so much tougher. I wanted a burnt orange one from the day I saw one in the flesh. And a 2012 model can be bought for $70k or so from a dealer.. with a trade i'd be back paying quite a reasonable amount under a finance deal.

So.. do I just put mine back to stock, trade it in, and get the car I really want. But then I wonder about whether i'd ever want to modify a 1M or if doing so would kill the resale.

Has anyone here owned both? Do 1M owners even modify their cars or are they good enough to enjoy stock?

And then there's the M235i....

[Prodigy.]

I've been tossing up selling the 135i and getting a 1M for ages now (wish i would of just bought one instead a buying a new 135i 2 years ago ) but have always wondered if it's worth trading up, question i've always wondered though is is the 1M that much better?

If i was you, i'd put the money towards the 1M, unfortunately you will never get your money back that you would of spent on the mods when it comes time to sell the 135i.

[thezone135i]

I'd buy one purely for the suede interior and red stitching.

Oh and the speedo which goes up to 11.

[Solo_M_Tech]

This shouldn't even be a question. Of course you should. 1M's will always be a no-brainer.

[Zuzu]

Originally Posted by Griffster

Has anyone here owned both? Do 1M owners even modify their cars or are they good enough to enjoy stock?...

I have owned both as many here on the forum.

08 / 135i vert for 3 years then the 1M since 2011.

Honestly, there is no reason even to discuss, until you go and test drive a 1M.

No matter what mods you have done to the 135, there is absolutely no comparison you can make to the sheer driving experience of an M car..

As far as mods, why not if its a keeper, I have had mine heavily modded since the first 6 months.

[thezone135i]

Originally Posted by Zuzu

I have owned both as many here on the forum.

08 / 135i vert for 3 years then the 1M since 2011.

Honestly, there is no reason even to discuss, until you go and test drive a 1M.

No matter what mods you have done to the 135, there is absolutely no comparison you can make to the sheer driving experience of an M car..

As far as mods, why not if its a keeper, I have had mine heavily modded since the first 6 months.

Great, so now I want to bin my 135i. But seriously, out of interest and for those of us that have never driven a 1M, can you please talk us through the differences? I mean the ones that truly make it the better car.

[BMWRX]

For me, your last line is the more important question. Although not an M car (no amount of M badges will make it so) the M235i is similar in price to a good, low km's 1M. So, it's a decision of a second hand car that is awesome or a brand new car with all the shiny bells and whistles (including an auto box) with the warranty, etc that comes with it.

Personally I'm waiting for the demon spawn of both...

[PeteA]

With mods the playing fields are much more even.

Get the 1M for the kit. Tune the 135i if you just want performance.

[thezone135i]

I know its a better car, but with my tuned N54 step, I find even the fastest of cars (especially manual and dual clutches) that I have come up against are all playing catch up after I get off the line and that's starting in 2nd. How quick is the 1M in manual form off the line?

[sparoz]

1M is not about fast; it is about fun, with the wider base. There won't be much difference between a 135i and 1M if both are modded if you are talking about alright performance.

Now, the M235i is a little something that some of the older forum members quite appreciate.

In terms of value the 1M is definitely holding the value quite well, but with the M2 coming soon, there will be a few coming on to the market.

However, the 1M is a keeper for me.

To the OP - most 1M owner on the forum has modded theirs.

[Griffster]

Thanks All..

So many things to ponder. Let's be honest, i'd love to hold out for an M2, but the rumours about price scare me... it might be $130k by the time it lands in your driveway, and i'm in the middle of renovating a house so that's serious cash for me at the moment.

Although i'd really love the thought of that M2 with the 7 or 8-speed DSG.. and there's even rumours about a later 4wd version..

[Kiwi Peter]

1MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

The last BMW fun car

[05C4R]

Originally Posted by thezone135i

Great, so now I want to bin my 135i. But seriously, out of interest and for those of us that have never driven a 1M, can you please talk us through the differences? I mean the ones that truly make it the better car.

the wider front end, lsd, brakes and of course the badges make a huge difference

[Pig Farmer]

Originally Posted by beemer

the wider front end, lsd, brakes and of course the badges make a huge difference

Don't forget the 12.5:1 steering ratio. That's the one thing that makes me jealous.

[questionable]

Id love a 1M but i've modified my car so far and beyond a factory 135i it would be pointless trading up, id be better of just doing the body conversion and spending 10K

[Zuzu]

Originally Posted by thezone135i

But seriously, out of interest and for those of us that have never driven a 1M, can you please talk us through the differences? I mean the ones that truly make it the better car.

Originally Posted by sparoz

1M is not about fast; it is about fun, with the wider base..

Originally Posted by Peter@Advan

1MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

The last BMW fun car

Originally Posted by beemer

the wider front end, lsd, brakes and of course the badges make a huge difference

Originally Posted by Pig Farmer

Don't forget the 12.5:1 steering ratio. That's the one thing that makes me jealous.

What they said..

[david.orr]

Originally Posted by Griffster

I'm at an inflection point.

I bought my 09 135i new. I now own it outright, nothing owing on it. I've only just clicked over 40k's on the clock and I still love it to death. I've done a PTF tune + IC + exhaust, but i'm at the point where i'm going to need to dump some serious money into it to get to the next level on enjoyment - suspension front and rear, some new wheels, LSD.. and some of those stage 1 turbo's look pretty interesting.

But i've always thought the 1M's just looked so much tougher. I wanted a burnt orange one from the day I saw one in the flesh. And a 2012 model can be bought for $70k or so from a dealer.. with a trade i'd be back paying quite a reasonable amount under a finance deal.

So.. do I just put mine back to stock, trade it in, and get the car I really want. But then I wonder about whether i'd ever want to modify a 1M or if doing so would kill the resale.

Has anyone here owned both? Do 1M owners even modify their cars or are they good enough to enjoy stock?

And then there's the M235i....

the yay and nay here in this thread are mostly long term 1M owners, long term 135 owners or 1st time bmw owners in non-1M cars. best you pm and ask some recent 1M converts from heavily modded 135s - Knightelf, Harlequin and IEDEI (US). Would be interesting to know the outcome.

[davemawshall]

I bought a slightly modified 1m earlier this year with 15,000km.. Had coilovers, exhaust, tune, better pads. Unfortunately I never drove a stock one!

I never gave the 1 Series a second look, but was totally hooked by the 1M when I saw it tucked away in the corner of the dealership. Park your 135 next to one.

Go for a test and when you post next my guess is you'll be the owner of one

The m235i looks more modern and has slightly better idrive, bit more comfortable... It's like a new 135i not a new 1M, so you'll probably still have the same sentiment about it. As stated above there alot more at work than just an lsd and cosmetics

[BEAM3R]

I've had both. I unfortunately had to sell my FBO 135i because of a weird circumstance... 2 months later.. Bought the 1M and did it all over again. Don't regret a thing.

[PG]

I am in the market for a manual 135i, so let me know!

[Goombeh]

OP, have you made a decision?

I test drove a 135i when I went in to get myself an E92 M3, and put a deposit on a 1M.

My wife has a 125i M-Sport and great car and obviously no comparison in power, but regardless of the power, the 1M feels unbelievably different.

The Steering is faster but heavier with more feel, it tramlines, the clutch take up is completely different and is heavier. It's friction point is narrower and it grabs hard. The brakes have much more feel and are stronger, the ride is completely different, the way they corner, poles apart.

The way they ride bumps and handle ripples, nothing alike. The driving position is the only thing which is the same, but because everything else is so different, it kind of feels different also.

Now I'm assuming the chassis on a 125i MSport is the same as the 135i MSport, and if that's the case, I'd say drive the 1M and let it convince you. As I mentioned, I had my heart set on an M3 but it just didn't take me. And that was after 4 different test drives. 10 mins in the 1M and I'd decided.

Go and drive it.

[dcaron9999]

Allways had a crush on the 1M's, but even the used ones have been out of my price range. I purchased my second hand 2011 135i 6MT in June 2013, and gradually modded it since then, to make it more track worthy and predictable. All mods were done purposely, to address a weakness, and stay within budget.

Really happy with the car now, especially with the square 255/35R18 Extreme Perf tire setup, 3,46 final drive Quaife LSD, custom PTF tune, M3 bits, brake cooling, and Swift Spec-R/Bilstein B8 spring/damper combo.

No reason to get a 1M anymore, except for the sexier interior, exterior, and quad exhaust ...