1M - THE First Australian Review Done In Australia

[Alpine*]

Brief but IMO accurate!

Ausmotive (aka Lima for those who don't know him) met up with me yesterday for a brief lunchtime run across Canberra. This is the resultant review from http://www.ausmotive.com/

Thanks Lima!!

http://www.ausmotive.com/2011/06/16/...s-m-coupe.html

[Lima]

I think I should be the one handing out the thanks John.

[WAY]

Nicely done Lima. I had a very brief drive in Dianne's car when they picked up the car, and you can sense the eagerness of the steering from the first time you take a turn. It's a really nice car. Just as well my car arrive into the country in 10 days.

[gazz]

Nice write up Lima.
Re the skittish front end - did you check the tyre pressures? Mine came delivered with 45psi in one of the fronts when it should be 33 psi with two passengers according to the tyre plaque. I do agree it can get a little unsettled on a series of corrugated bumps though. Part of the go kartish character. And re the linear delivery, I realise that the car is fresh so you probably couldn't push it but I can assure you however, now that I have opened mine up a little more, that there is a very different character to the power delivery when you open the taps, particularly in the last third of the throttle travel in the lower gears. It is a real rush and it will catch you by surprise the first time it happens.

I'm interested in your opinion on what car you would most liken the 1M to? Given that you have most likely driven quite a range of cars. Current and past.

[Lima]

gazz, unfortunately I don't get to drive/review as many cars as I would like. Mostly because, for now, AUSmotive is a part-time gig I do after hours. I just don't have the time to do too much more.

Having said that I did drive the TT RS last year and while it has some inherent and obvious differences to the 1M it also left a huge smile on my face and had me wanting more.

In regards to the skittish behaviour I reported, it wasn't unsettling, I made that comment more as an observation. Pushing harder, on a bumpier road, perhaps it might be worse, but that's all part of the fun in terms of being able to push to both the car's limits and those of the surface you're driving on.

[M1one1M]

Thanks for the informative review.
Not to take anything away from John and Dianne letting you drive their car, but you mentioned that you thoroughly enjoyed driving the TTRS, I also note the Vorsprung Durch Technik under your name.

You could quite possibly one of the only people locally who have driven the two cars. I am currently torn between them (1M and TTRS) price aside, how would you compare the two. It will become my daily.

I understand this is 1addicts, and I ask this question without any bias either way, I hope you can answer in the same way.

Many thanks in advance

[NPVPositive]

Originally Posted by Lima

In regards to the skittish behaviour I reported, it wasn't unsettling, I made that comment more as an observation. Pushing harder, on a bumpier road, perhaps it might be worse, but that's all part of the fun in terms of being able to push to both the car's limits and those of the surface you're driving on.

Coming from an Audi TT into the 1M I would say that the unforgiving suspension is the one thing I question. You feel every bump or poor surface-- and there are lots of them in Sydney!

Before I get flamed, don't get me wrong, the car handles brilliantly and I love it. But . . . but there are other cars out there with brilliant handling that manage the bumps and poor surfaces with much more composure. For example, a 911.

[BBK]

Originally Posted by NPVPositive

Coming from an Audi TT into the 1M I would say that the unforgiving suspension is the one thing I question. You feel every bump or poor surface-- and there are lots of them in Sydney!

Before I get flamed, don't get me wrong, the car handles brilliantly and I love it. But . . . but there are other cars out there with brilliant handling that manage the bumps and poor surfaces with much more composure. For example, a 911.

I haven't driven a 1M, but have the TT-RS and the suspension in the RS is a lot stiffer than a TT, and the 135...

[Alpine*]

Originally Posted by BBK

I haven't driven a 1M, but have the TT-RS and the suspension in the RS is a lot stiffer than a TT, and the 135...

In another twist, we came from a 135i to a TTS and now the 1M.

Very briefly:
135i
Some initial lag then bang off she went, soft body rolling suspension with a hardish ride (RFT).

TTS
A real point and shoot car, quick in the wet (Quattro at it's best). Hardish ride very compact and to some, clostrophobic.

1M
Fast and taught, very practical, looks sooo much better than a 135i very aggressive.

So if you want Quattro and Audi crap resale (cause they rip prices new) versus an M car that is 20+k less dollars that offers practicality withe some handsome looks and alot of M3 genes (THE best car in the less than <200k price point, R35 aside) has to count for something.

My comments may cause burnage but what the heck.

[Lima]

Originally Posted by M1one1M

Thanks for the informative review.
Not to take anything away from John and Dianne letting you drive their car, but you mentioned that you thoroughly enjoyed driving the TTRS, I also note the Vorsprung Durch Technik under your name.

You could quite possibly one of the only people locally who have driven the two cars. I am currently torn between them (1M and TTRS) price aside, how would you compare the two. It will become my daily.

I understand this is 1addicts, and I ask this question without any bias either way, I hope you can answer in the same way.

Many thanks in advance

I’ll answer from my own perspective and hopefully that helps you in some way. Please don't take my comments as gospel. Apologies in advance if this gets a bit long, too.

First, though, the short answer is I would happily own either car. In fact, if I had the money, I would find it a very hard decision to make to choose between a 1M and TT RS.

On paper the 1M might just edge it because I think it will always have a bit more of an aura around it than the TT RS. BMW did a great job at drip feeding information, building hype and suspense with the 1M. That would have counted for nothing if the car was a dud. Thankfully, it’s not, so in effect they have created a mini-legend. Being the first M model in the 1 Series range will help that, too, just as the Mk1 GTI and the E30 M3 are remembered so fondly.

You could argue the same theory applies to the first RS in the TT range, but in terms of brand cachet M has more runs on the board than the RS brand (in my eyes anyway). Some people complain the TT RS hasn’t got flared guards and adopted other RS styling cues, but I reckon it still looks pretty good. Inside the TT RS is a fraction nicer than the 1M, but it stems in part from the 8P A3 which is almost 8 years old now, so some of its technology (dash displays, nav etc) is a generation old.

That’s the boring stuff out of the way.

It’s almost a year since I drove the TT RS, but I got to take it out on a nice twisty road and while I still only had the car for a couple of hours, I was able to really give it the beans. I found it to be a real hoot. It’s not perfect by any means but it’s one of the more enjoyable cars I have driven. The engine note from the five cylinder is sublime and is a clear win over the 1M, as good as the inline six sounds.

People say the Haldex-based quattro system is too understeery, not a proper all-wheel drive and so on. After owning my S3 for almost two years now, which has the same system, I say pfft to those comments. If you live your life on the track then fair enough, maybe, but for a car that is mostly driven on the road it’s really just lazy to make such comments, especially if you haven’t had any decent experience with the system. I’m not saying there’s not an element of truth to the criticism, but I’ve tracked my car a few times with Evos and WRXs and its handled itself pretty well. I also tested the 135i before buying the S3 and drove them back-to-back on my favourite road on the same day. You know what, when I pushed hard enough the 135i understeered like the S3. But people seem to avoid that because they can’t just say, oh the engine is too far forward or the quattro is crap. The simple facts are the Haldex-based quattro provides ample grip in almost all situations and I’ve really enjoyed that aspect of S3 ownership (coming from a number of FWD cars). Yes the car will understeer, but send any car into a corner too fast and it will do the same.

As for the 1M, even though I didn’t push as hard as when I tested the 135i or the TT RS you can just sense that it is a well sorted car. Personally, I found the 135i to be a bit too wallowy (we’re talking small margins here) and it didn’t inspire the same confidence for me as the S3 did. And I went in expecting the 135i to be miles better, so it’s not like I had a preconceived bias towards the Audi. In fact it was the other way around, I was genuinely surprised. Driving the 1M, though, I didn’t encounter any of the concerns I recalled from the 135i. It’s a great looking car, sounds nice, drives nice and really is a special machine.

That you are considering the 1M and TT RS as daily drivers tells me you don’t mind a firm ride and on that front I would expect both to be very easy to live with. At least in Canberra, with generally okay roads, this is the case. It may be different for you, but I’d not be too concerned.

I know you have said not to factor money into the decision, but it’s probably one of the only ways I could decide between the 1M and TT RS, haha. In my review of the TT RS the cost was the thing I thought would prove its greatest hurdle. It’s an awesome car, but it’s approaching Boxster/Cayman territory. Even though sales of the 1M and TT RS in Australia will likely be the same, the 1M will always be known as a limited-run car. There may never be a 1M again either with the likely move to M2 badging. All these things, really, are minor concerns, but when the two cars are so closely matched they have to be considered.

So, I would choose the 1M, but if I couldn’t get my hands on one, I’d happily walk down to the Audi dealer. It’s a cliché, but you’re in a win-win situation as I see it. Lucky you!

I know as an S3 driver I may have painted a big target on my back with my comments on the 135i and it’s not my intention to cause a stir. The 135i is a bloody good car and I still think about buying one, so not for a moment do I think it’s not good. It’s just that I personally found the S3 suited me better. Vive la difference!

[abb6027]

Great review and commentary on the differences bewteen the TT RS and the 1 M.

Having owned a 2000 model S3 I can understand peoples comments about the haldex system as it was very slow to respond and was more like FWD.

However, owning a 130i and an R32 golf I agree with you that the haldex system is very good now. The R32 whilst not great in the interior compared to an audi it is sensational in the wet and you can go near as fast as you can in the dry.

The 130i on the other hand just feels so balanced compared to the R32 which you can feel the weight of the V6 and the haldex man handling the car into line. Whilst I'm sure the 135i and the 1 M are far superior in handling for my first BMW the 130i has been a real revelation to what a difference a balanced car can be.

[WAY]

I've driven both 1M (very brief though) and TTRS, and I'll take the 1M everytime. TTRS is damn fast and damn capable, but it is a tad clinical. You come out of a corner with you foot burried into the carpet early, and it will just grip. Whereas with the 1M, you can play with the throttle when you come out of corners and have a few degrees of slip in the process. No John, I didn't do that to Dianne's car, but I base my experience on my extendedly modified 135i and M3. 1M will be much more fun if you are that way inclined. However if you like point and shoot sort of car, the TTRS is it. In fact the TTRS really reminds me of a 911 turbo, except the Porsche has much livelier steering. As for ride, I think both cars are more than acceptable. But then again I would happily use my GT3 as a daily driver so maybe that is just me.

[MikeVictor]

Great write up, Lima, and I think your follow up post was nicely balanced too thanks for sharing.

[M1one1M]

Thanks to everyone for their input,

It is a true credit to the members on this forum that they are able to have a mature discussion about rival vehicles without getting into a uneducated slagging match.

I too have driven a TTRS recently and was amazed at its sheer pace and accessibility to the average driver, not to mention the 5 cylinders intoxicating offbeat burble. The big question for me was how easy it was to extract the same level of pace from the 1M?

I certainly don't proclaim to be a track day warrior nor a driving aficionado but I love my cars, and motorsport in general, and value the merits in driving a car well and exploring its limits. Will the 1M provide the same level of amazement when it comes to its ease of eating up roads like the TTRS?, thats probably the biggest concern I have about it, as lazy as this may sound, I don't want to have to be 'up it' for the rent to get that same feeling you get in the TTRS easily?...any comments

I still have a lot to learn, however coming from an R53 JCW Cooper S, to a Mk4 R32 then onto a Z4 M Coupe I have come to appreciate the nuances that each drive type displays. The one thing I am trying to avoid, (I hope some you 1M owners can shed light on this) is having to really get stuck into the car like I had to with the Z4M to get any form of serious enjoyment from it, any comments in this regard would really be appreciated.

Apologies for the lengthy post, but as I see it, the more commentary on the contentious points we struggle with as individuals ( in my case 1M or TTRS) the easier it is for that individual to pinpoint what they really want.

I look forward to everyones informative comments, and once again thank you to all who have contributed so far.

[gazz]

Originally Posted by M1one1M

The one thing I am trying to avoid, (I hope some you 1M owners can shed light on this) is having to really get stuck into the car like I had to with the Z4M to get any form of serious enjoyment from it, any comments in this regard would really be appreciated.

I haven't driven a Z4M but I think I know what you are saying. I have driven M3 manuals and they can be tiring to have to wind them up, with a lot of sound and fury, to exploit their phenomenal potential. Open road, racetrack, fantastic. Around town, a chore. The 1M is a totally different animal. I also have a tuned 335i and the 1M eats it for grunt and snap acceleration. You can ride this car on the torque like a lazy V8 if you want to, but as soon as you put your foot down it goes like scalded cat. Quick, easy, accessable acceleration and grunt from 1500 rpm. The Audi and the 1M would be the same / similar in this regard I imagine. If you want a classy styled ( to my eye there's nothing else like it ), great sounding, beautifully built point and squirt machine that doesn't require much of the driver- the Audi. If you want agressive styling, still great sounding, though more of a howl than a growl sound, well built ( though not to Audi standards ), driver involvement that puts you in command then go the bulldog.

I wonder if in the final analysis - with the Audi every drive is the same. With the 1M every drive has the potential for a new reward.

[alik01]

Well said Gazz and others above. I think the concensus is more or less the same here.

I am yet to drive the 1M and am patiently waiting and counting the days. I have however had a fair bit of seat time in the TT-RS including a few Audi sanctioned track days. It has to be by far my favorite handling Audi - R8 included. R8 is far better balance and has more feel but I love the smallness and chuckability of the TT. That said it's a cold lover, there's very little to actually do to pound out a quick lap after the other. The TT is beautiful and built with sublime quality. But it is, as Way said, clinical and lacking soul.

I personally like to do a bit of work at the helm, and my love of BMWs stems from this. I expect the 1M, except it's the new breed of M, with torque around town and grunt around the track! I love the Z4M, would have in a heart beat, but never as a daily! Now, a GT3 is a whole another story...

[Lima]

I think M1one1M will like the driveability of the 1M thanks to the torque offered by turbocharging. Certainly a stock R56 Cooper S is far more tractable around town than the old R53 JCW (I used to have a modded R53 MCS). You can drive the 1M lazily around town with minimal gear changes if you choose, and then let it rip on mountain pass when the time and mood is right.

The good thing with the 1M, as well, is there's bugger all lag.

[WAY]

M1one1M, from engine perspective, the 1M is very similar in feel to TTRS in the sense that it has a lot of low end torque, and is very tractible. But I think it would be useful if you clarify the type of handling characteristics you prefer. I'm very familiar with all the cars you've owned, and the 1M would be quite similar to the Z4M at the limit of handling based on my modified 135i and M3 experience, in that it would be quite twitchy at the limit. Therefore, if you are giving a go on mountain roads for example, you need to be at your best to catch the rear end at all times. The TTRS on the other end, is effortless. It would take some incredibly stupid level of driving to be able to provoke that car to lose traction. Therefore, the TTRS will always be effortless fast, whereas the 1M will require much more work to eat up the twisties. As I said, depends on what type of characteristics you prefer. To be honest, you can't lose either way!

[WAY]

HvS is talking about the bumpy ring, and that would make sense. But if the 1M is sprung softer, it would definitely suffer massively. It is impossible to have one suspension set up that suits every track.

[Tit]

What a terrible decision you have before you, M1one1M!

[Steve Brown]

Originally Posted by WAY

HvS is talking about the bumpy ring, and that would make sense. But if the 1M is sprung softer, it would definitely suffer massively. It is impossible to have one suspension set up that suits every track.

That review was the only common sense that has come out of Canberra for quite a long time....well done LIMA. I’ve done 1500km in my 1M and owned the first 135i in Australia for over three years so can compare the two. I agree with your review in all respects but the point I’d like to make is the engineering in the 1M seems of a better quality than the 135i. The doors close thumpier, there are no rattles from the glove box, the sound system doesn’t distort, the gearbox is smoother. It just seems a better engineered car as well as a better/faster drive which you'd expect. It’s almost as if it comes from a different factory!! Does it?

[Alpine*]

Originally Posted by Steve Brown

That review was the only common sense that has come out of Canberra for quite a long time....well done LIMA. I’ve done 1500km in my 1M and owned the first 135i in Australia for over three years so can compare the two. I agree with your review in all respects but the point I’d like to make is the engineering in the 1M seems of a better quality than the 135i. The doors close thumpier, there are no rattles from the glove box, the sound system doesn’t distort, the gearbox is smoother. It just seems a better engineered car as well as a better/faster drive which you'd expect. It’s almost as if it comes from a different factory!! Does it?

Good question Steve, but yes they all come from Leipzig. This is the same plant that does E8X as well as the new X1. The parts specific for the 1M are shipped (trucked) there and added on the same line from what I understand.