Bimmer Mag's pre-production road test 1M...

[Dackelone]

Anybody see/read this artcle? February issue #96...






The feature story is not yet up on their website. I suppose soon it will be though. Bellow is the entire article.


http://www.bimmer-mag.com/index.php


Bimmer ran a short three page article. It's really only about one page of text with the same old photos we all have seen before.




Here is the entire story/quote:

Bimmer Mag:
Written & photographed by, Ian Kuah


One look at the 1 series M coupe tells you it’s dressed to kill! A new front bumper, larger air intakes and brake cooling ducts give it more presence, while aggressively flared fenders confer a wide and purposeful stance.

If the car’s appearance wasn’t enough to announce its purpose, the fact that BMW provided an original e30 M3 for me to drive alongside of the newest M car made the message loud and clear. The 1 series M coupe is aimed at the hearts and minds of hardcore enthusiasts who’ve bemoaned the absence of a compact sports sedan within the M division’s increasingly bloated lineup.

Like mainstream BMW’s on which they are based, the M cars have grown bigger and heavier over the years, and that is not a good thing. This upward spiral has also meant that each generation has required a larger and more powerful engine to exceed the performance of its predecessor even slightly.

A return to roots was called for, and building an M car one the basis of the 1 Series Coupe was a natural move. The 135i Coupe has good power, torque and handling right out of the box, and its been the enthusiasts choice in the 1series range from day one. It just had to be sent to finishing school to qualify for the M badge.

A new engine couldn’t be justified even though the car is sure to be a sales success, nor would be necessary since this smaller lighter car would need significantly less power than the V8 powered M3. Besides BMW already had a great motor on hand in the twin turbo N54 first used in the Z4sDrive35is. With 335 Hp and 332 - 370 ft/lbs of torque. They also said the 1M should be faster than the Z4's 4.7 sec time to 60 mph.

The one series M coupe promises to be a better driver’s car than that Z4, however thanks to three major factors. First of all its available with (only) a six speed manual where the Z4sDrive35is comes with a dual clutch gearbox only.

Secondly, if lighter is better, BMW says the M coupe has a relatively low curb weight of 1,500 Kg (3,300 lbs), as measured with a full tank of gas and no driver.

Finally, its chassis has been honed by M GmbH, which puts it in a different handing and grip league from any other model produced by BMW’s mainstream division.



An N54 tweaked for performance

So what effect does all his tweaking have on performance? As the M engineers explained, the 1 series M coupe has roughly the same horsepower and weight as the e46 M3, but the new car can lap Nuerburgring Nordschleife around 10 seconds faster thanks to its superior torque, more advanced chassis and improvements made in tire technology since the last e46 M3 left the line in 2006.

All of that suggest a car to be dynamite on the road. But as I quickly discovered during my test drive near Munich, the 1 series M coupe dispenses its performance in a well controlled explosion.

Before I could begin to exploit the car’s straight-line speed and corning prowess, I had to pass through a couple of villages and negotiate lots of secondary roads damage by the hard winter earlier this year. Here the car’s supple ride and lack of steering kickback over bumps immediately alerted me that this wasn’t necessarily going to turn into a white knuckle ride when I started to push harder.

Nor would it prove intractable in daily driving, as I learned by driving as slowly as possible in third, fourth and fifth gears. While the engine will pull happily in the higher gears at the posted 50 kph (31mph) speed limit, it felt best in third, which also delivers fast pickup when you reach the open road.

The opportunity to push hard came as soon as I cleared the last village and got onto a fast, twisting, cross county route with very little traffic. As the tachometer needle reached redline in third and fourth gears, it was obvious that power and torque are present in plentiful measure.

As good as it is, however, the N54 is not a true M engine, and it lacks the characteristic edge of the naturally aspirated motors found in the M3 or M5, which will always have keener response than their forced induction equivalents. The bottom line is that N54 feels like a tuned 135i motor which is exactly, what it is.

Superb steering, tremendous grip

No such criticism can be aimed at the chassis, however. The steering is superb, and so is the steering wheel itself. Just the right size and shape, it feels directly connected to the front wheels, with no slack and bump steer on less than smooth road surfaces despite the wide tracks and wider rubber.

The car has a full 80mm (3.1 inches) of additional track width compared to the 135i, thanks to use of a combination of M3 and bespoke suspension components. As the 1 series M coupe is roughly 400 pounds lighter than the M3 coupe but wears the M3’s “ZCP’s” 9.0 x 19.0 inch front and 10.0 x 19 inch rear wheels shod with 245/35ZR19’s and 265/35ZR19’s Michelins, its mechanical grip is awesome. With front end that delivers good communication bolstered by rear end sticks like crazy glue in fast turns thanks to the M differential, the M Coupe has rock solid stability that gives its driver immense confidence when pressing on.

A size smaller than the current M3, the 1 Series M Coupe isn’t much bigger than the original e30 M3, which makes it easy to thread down narrow country roads. It is therefore potentially faster on such roads than the more powerful mid-engine supercars whose greater physical width and reduced visibility restrict real world performance.

The driving experience tells me that the 1 series M coupe is going to be an extremely popular car, not the least because it effectively recaptures the spirit of the earlier M3 models(e30) that were small and light as a matter of course. Downsides? None that I can think of except that “1 series M1 moniker 30 years ago.

The car will make its formal debut at the Detroit Auto Show in early January, with its European launch scheduled for May, 2011. Only about 30% of the production will stay in the EU, however, with half slated for North America and the remainder for the rest of the world. Wherever these cars end up, they’re going to make enthusiasts happy, particular those who’ve been longing for a true successor to the original e30 M3.


Dackel

[rca06Mcoupe]

Quote..
"As good as it is, however, the N54 is not a true M engine, and it lacks the characteristic edge of the naturally aspirated motors found in the M3 or M5, which will always have keener response than their forced induction equivalents. The bottom line is that N54 feels like a tuned 135i motor which is exactly, what it is."

.................................................

"than their forced induction equivalents" --Is he comparing the N54 to the 414hp M3 or 500hp M5? That does not seem fair. A fairer comparison would be a comparison to the Z4 M Coupe.

I could not find the basis for this downer of a conclusion from the article....he really did not criticize the engine in the text of the article. Then he implies it does not have "a keen edge" which is not the feedback we got from other test drivers who have said there is no noticeable turbo lag.

I'm still holding out for news from M Division that they had alot of imput into the N54 development.

Also, I'm looking forward to driving the 1M myself, having driven the E46 M3 and Z4 M Coupe every day for the last 10 years.

[Dackelone]

I posted the "full article" above. Enjoy!

Dackel

[elitt13]

thanks !!!

[_Jono_]

thankyou!

[sho-one]

Thank u

[Diver]

Read it and drool...

[crackberry]

interesting read. this article sounded very even handed imo, and didnt really sugar coat anything (like the engine).

[Grey Dove]

Thanks ! bdw: as anyone have an idea how much 1M cars the Leipzig factory can make in one year?

[manicm]

The 1M will be extremely limited in number - apparently only 300 to 400 will go to the UK. That will be more exclusive than some Ferraris!

[StealYourFace]

I really want one

If I have a second car though it makes no sence to spend that kind of dough and I'll wind up getting a clean E46 M3 that won't hardly depreciate.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by gs/e60/1m?

Thanks ! bdw: as anyone have an idea how much 1M cars the Leipzig factory can make in one year?

1 series coupes (includes 1m) convertibles, hatchbacks, and the x1 are all built on the same car line at leipzig and the plant puts out 730 cars per day currently. Ostensibly, they can produce as many as are needed. We were advised that 70 percent of production fills the current demand from orders.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by rca06Mcoupe

Quote..
"As good as it is, however, the N54 is not a true M engine, and it lacks the characteristic edge of the naturally aspirated motors found in the M3 or M5, which will always have keener response than their forced induction equivalents. The bottom line is that N54 feels like a tuned 135i motor which is exactly, what it is."

.................................................

"than their forced induction equivalents" --Is he comparing the N54 to the 414hp M3 or 500hp M5? That does not seem fair. A fairer comparison would be a comparison to the Z4 M Coupe.

I think that the paragraph above is more than self-explanatory, it has nothing to do with being "fair". It is what it is and nothing more.

[pyrat]

Originally Posted by Technic

I think that the paragraph above is more than self-explanatory, it has nothing to do with being "fair". It is what it is and nothing more.

yes, but some magazines tend to shy away from the reality - or even make the engine into something its not. This is one of the candid reviews

[Grey Dove]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

1 series coupes (includes 1m) convertibles, hatchbacks, and the x1 are all built on the same car line at leipzig and the plant puts out 730 cars per day currently. Ostensibly, they can produce as many as are needed. We were advised that 70 percent of production fills the current demand from orders.

Thanks for info and if i read you right there is 30% left to full capacity?

[1M Fan]

Originally Posted by gs/e60/1m?

Thanks for info and if i read you right there is 30% left to full capacity?

But that 30% may be the third shift that doesn't exist...

[PKumarM3]

question - how much of the e9x m3 suspension could you transplant onto an 135? 50%? 75%?100%?

[MDORPHN]

Originally Posted by PKumarM3

question - how much of the e9x m3 suspension could you transplant onto an 135? 50%? 75%?100%?

You may want to check out HP Autowerks (www.hpautowerks.com).

Edit: Better link - http://www.hpashop.com/category.sc?categoryId=165

They sell E9x M3 suspension packages for the 1 series.

Neil

[ES BMW]

A new front bumper, larger air intakes and brake cooling ducts....

Aren't the side ducts dedicated to the coolant and oil coolers?

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by gs/e60/1m?

Thanks for info and if i read you right there is 30% left to full capacity?

Originally Posted by 1M Fan

But that 30% may be the third shift that doesn't exist...

I'll try this again. Of the 730 cars per day that are CURRENTLY BEING PRODUCED, seventy percent (730 x 70%= 511 ) are spoken for. The other 220 cars per day I presume are ready to go to dealers as inventory.. Even if just 10 cars of this 220 per day are 1Ms and assuming the factory runs 300 days a year (this is a total guess.. ! ) that would be 3000 1Ms in a a year. If you are wondering about production, I am sure that they can build as many 1Ms as are needed.

The factory can put out even more cars than the 730 they do now, by either extending the production line (adding more workers) or adding a third shift. The bottle neck in the factory is the paint process time.

[Grey Dove]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

I'll try this again. Of the 730 cars per day that are CURRENTLY BEING PRODUCED, seventy percent (730 x 70%= 511 ) are spoken for. The other 220 cars per day I presume are ready to go to dealers as inventory.. Even if just 10 cars of this 220 per day are 1Ms and assuming the factory runs 300 days a year (this is a total guess.. ! ) that would be 3000 1Ms in a a year. If you are wondering about production, I am sure that they can build as many 1Ms as are needed.

The factory can put out even more cars than the 730 they do now, by either extending the production line (adding more workers) or adding a third shift. The bottle neck in the factory is the paint process time.

thks!!! gottit now

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

I'll try this again. Of the 730 cars per day that are CURRENTLY BEING PRODUCED, seventy percent (730 x 70%= 511 ) are spoken for. The other 220 cars per day I presume are ready to go to dealers as inventory.. Even if just 10 cars of this 220 per day are 1Ms and assuming the factory runs 300 days a year (this is a total guess.. ! ) that would be 3000 1Ms in a a year. If you are wondering about production, I am sure that they can build as many 1Ms as are needed.

The factory can put out even more cars than the 730 they do now, by either extending the production line (adding more workers) or adding a third shift. The bottle neck in the factory is the paint process time.

Right now BMW Leipzig only has two shifts, that work six days a week. I was told when I did my factory tour there last year... that BMW Leipiz produces about 177K cars per year. Most of the product at Leipzi (75% I think they said) are X-series cars. I also think the workers only work for 42 weeks per year. The rest is holdays.

one series production at Leipzig...

25% for Germany
25% for USA
25% for EU
25% for the RoW (Rest of the World)

here is my original post on my factory tour:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...g+factory+tour



Dackel