MT Tested: BMW 1M vs BMW M3

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by BBK

Cool video, but the guys contradicted themselves by saying they use the same suspension parts, but at the end say the M3 is better because it has 'excellent' suspension, 'excellent' brakes etc.

When really, the only difference is the engine. The 1M should handle better due to being lighter and shorter!

I agree, they are using the same components for brakes and suspension so not sure why they would come to that conclusion. I would think the M3 feels more stable and planted with the longer wheel base. Plus it feels more prestigious. The 1M would feel a lot lighter, faster and more tossable. Both are great cars but I can't justify the premium in price for the M3 especially when I think the N54's powerband can be utilised more often as a daily driver.

[evolution80]

Originally Posted by ///Metak

You keep saying "BIG NA V8" engines. The E9x M3's 4.0l engine is actually considered to be a small V8. It's lighter than the previous S54 I6 engine from the E46M3. The S65 is one of, it not the greatest NA engine of all time! A total overachiever when compared to much bigger more powerful MB and Audi engine.

you are right, and i never said anything against any NA-///M engine - especially the s65

i know it is lighter than the one from the e46 and i agree that it might be the best NA engine of all times!
as for calling it big - i guess anything over 3.0 liter is considered a "big engine" here

[davett]

Cool video but wished they did a few side by side runs

[edwardio]

there acting is too painful to watch..

[evolution80]

the 1M looks cute?

[!mspinster]

Originally Posted by edwardio

there acting is too painful to watch..

I totally agree. I had to skip to end.

With all the performance parts especially the exhaust and if its fully loaded that M3 would be in the low $80K. With that price it SHOULD be better than a fully loaded 1M.

[TunedM2C]

Ah Motor Trend....the most trusted magazine in the industry....

[1SerieStud]

I want my 10 minutes of life back. Seriously, either you like it or you don't, but that back and forth game combined with terrible acting makes for a very irrelevant review.

[MrRoboto]

Think about it guys, the 1M is being compared to the likes of much more expensive cars like the M3 an Cayman R for crying out loud. It's a one series! The fact that this thing is even at the dance speaks volumes about this beast...and with the money I save by selecting the 1M I think I will buy a used S4 for the winter.

In the past the 1 series was compared to VW Golfs.

And a side note. I find it curious how some statements made by M1 fans are censored so as not to offend the M3 folk. By reading some of the M3 threads on the other side of the house whats good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

[1SerieStud]

Originally Posted by MrRoboto

Think about it guys, the 1M is being compared to the likes of much more expensive cars like the M3 an Cayman R for crying out loud. It's a one series! The fact that this thing is even at the dance speaks volumes about this beast.

In the past the 1 series was compared to VW Golfs.

I couldn't have said it any better! +Uno.

[Brandon26pdx]

Definitely not better than a M3, but definitely not a letdown either.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by BMW86

This review was a bit lame. Wish they did some lap times or some runs. They merely stated the obvious, both cars are great but the M3 has the name.

Definitely Motor Trend

It was at least neat to see all the test figures..

[l888apex]

My friend with an M3 on order showed me this, and here is my response.

"Already saw the article but did you actually read it? Still not good for the M3. The fact that this comparo is even being done speaks volumes about how good the 1M is. Why would a car that costs $34,367 more NOT be better? Nearly identical acceleration numbers and handling performance. Same 0-60 and .2 in the 1/4 mile, mostly because of the DCT. The only thing they liked better was the V8 engine which stock for stock is better no doubt. But you can't spend $1000 and make 50 hp and 80 ft/lbs of torque. And I can. With that and an exhaust there are already 1ers making 440+ hp. It's obvious the only place that the car is lacking is the powerplant and I'm fine with that because the N54 is a damn good one anyway. The M3 is a better car, not a better value. I'm happy with my choice, you should try to be too. And now it's even, 1-1"

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=530271

[EmmDrei]

I don't get the "1M is better", "M3 is better" bs.

Fact is, both are two different cars. I had an M3 and I now have a 1M. The 1M is the car that better suits ME. And ME is predominantly who I buy a car for. Comparing the two cars will go one way or the other depending where the comparison wants to go. The M3 is the more comfy daily driver. The M3s top speed is faster. It get's there faster too (if you don't give a shit about the mechanical bits and pieces that have to convert the power to speed). Porsche drivers give up against an M3 on the Autobahn after a while... they can't maintain that kind of speed long enough. But if you start moving to winding roads and handling takes over, then the M3 feels as nimble as a tank compared to the 1M. The 1M is "Fahrvergnügen". Pure Fahrvergnügen. Same as i.e. a GTS or a CSL, just on a slightly lower level. And that you feel. There is no need to explain it. And if you don't feel it, don't bother with the car. Buy an M3, buy an M5, whatever. They offer more prestige. If you're buying a car to impress the neighbors, the 1M is the wrong car. But for ME... I don't miss my M3 and surely never will!

[DiavelM3]

Originally Posted by l888apex

My friend with an M3 on order showed me this, and here is my response.

"Already saw the article but did you actually read it? Still not good for the M3. The fact that this comparo is even being done speaks volumes about how good the 1M is. Why would a car that costs $34,367 more NOT be better? Nearly identical acceleration numbers and handling performance. Same 0-60 and .2 in the 1/4 mile, mostly because of the DCT. The only thing they liked better was the V8 engine which stock for stock is better no doubt. But you can't spend $1000 and make 50 hp and 80 ft/lbs of torque. And I can. With that and an exhaust there are already 1ers making 440+ hp. It's obvious the only place that the car is lacking is the powerplant and I'm fine with that because the N54 is a damn good one anyway. The M3 is a better car, not a better value. I'm happy with my choice, you should try to be too. And now it's even, 1-1"

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=530271

Dude, you don't get it do you??? It's evident in your response that you are one of the few people who try to make the arguement that the 1M is better than the M3. The 1M is an evolution of things to come from ///M. This is their attempt to go back to their roots and they used M3 components on the 1M to do so. This says alot about the M3 and alot about the 1M. Period... Any attempt to say your car is better than the M3 (value or performance-wise) is pathetic
They are both in the same family. If you want to compare 1M against Cayman or RS3 (value and performance-wise), then, you have a fantastic argument

[DiavelM3]

Originally Posted by EmmDrei

I don't get the "1M is better", "M3 is better" bs.

Fact is, both are two different cars. I had an M3 and I now have a 1M. The 1M is the car that better suits ME. And ME is predominantly who I buy a car for. Comparing the two cars will go one way or the other depending where the comparison wants to go. The M3 is the more comfy daily driver. The M3s top speed is faster. It get's there faster too (if you don't give a shit about the mechanical bits and pieces that have to convert the power to speed). Porsche drivers give up against an M3 on the Autobahn after a while... they can't maintain that kind of speed long enough. But if you start moving to winding roads and handling takes over, then the M3 feels as nimble as a tank compared to the 1M. The 1M is "Fahrvergnügen". Pure Fahrvergnügen. Same as i.e. a GTS or a CSL, just on a slightly lower level. And that you feel. There is no need to explain it. And if you don't feel it, don't bother with the car. Buy an M3, buy an M5, whatever. They offer more prestige. If you're buying a car to impress the neighbors, the 1M is the wrong car. But for ME... I don't miss my M3 and surely never will!

+1

[escobar929]

nice article, but really just makes want an M3 all the much more, no disrespect to the 1M, its a great car but the high rev v8 is godly and wont be around for much longer

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by escobar929

nice article, but really just makes want an M3 all the much more, no disrespect to the 1M, its a great car but the high rev v8 is godly and wont be around for much longer

Thank god for that. From every performance stand point, I've wanted an E90 M3 since it was announced. But the 14/20 mpg rating has kept me from it. It's nice to see the 1M be lighter and much more efficient (not counting HPFP's in the land fill) and hopefully the next M3(4?) will continue this trend.

[Redadair]

I have wanted to point this out about the V8 in the current M3 for a long time. Yes, Yes it's a great engine, sounds fabulous at 8K RPM's overall it a great engine however:

Why does it use sooo much fuel, it's only a 4.0 liter engine? Even the GM Corvette, Camaro 6.2 liter old school Push Rod Engines, the new DOHC Boss 302 5.0 liter and many many other V8 engines these days with much less sophistication manage to avoid the Gas Guzzler Tax. 14 MPG city, 20 MPG highway? My 335i gets almost 30 MPG on the highway.

Why can't BMW include Direct Injection on it's NA engines? They claim they can't meet emissions with DI on NA engines, yet GM, Toyota and most all other auto makes can?

What is up with the fake air intake on the hood of the M3. To me it's bad enough to have the Power Budge on the Hood, but to only make one of the Two air intakes actually be part of the intake system just seems rather GM'ish.

Lastly for me at least I am Downsizing from my 335i to the 1M because of overall size and weight of the car. My 335i feels like a 5 series to me, just very heavy overall missing the nimble feel of the older smaller BMW's. The current M3 feels this way to me as well.

This is IMO though.

[!mspinster]

Are you guys serious about MPG on an M3? Wasn't there a video out there that it gets better gas mileage than a Prius?

Next thing you know we'll be talking about hybrid M's and how we miss the turbo's.

[Dackelone]

I have heard that the M3 can only go about 280 kms on a tank (70L) of fuel driving hard on the autobahn.

Last year after visiting the 'Ring and filling up on fuel there,,, This M3 vert came up from behind me and passed me onthe bundes strasse/highway. I let him go. Then about 80 kms latter I caught up to hi by chance and we started to play nice on the autobahn. We drive FAST... from Koblenz until Wuerzburg. We were driving mostly around 230 -to 250 kph. Both of us had equeal rides, meaning we couldn't out run the other guy. Traffic was medium so we kept it at 220+ kph for the most part of the drive.


When the M3 got to Wuerzburg he bailed out at the autobahn gas station there, because he must have been riding on fumes. Wu is exactly 279 kms from the little no name gas station at the 'Ring. The M3 vert driver was a BMW employee (I am pretty sure) bc there was a BMW M event going on that day and bc of his plate numbers. I suspect he also bought a full tank at the 'Ring gas station inside the Ring only for the manufactures velhicles.

M3 needed fuel at 279 kms and probably 70L and I kept driving fast, and bought gas in BA at 340 kms. I filled up on 52L of fuel.


Btw... I think the reason why the S65 uses so much fuel is bc most enegines use the fuel to cool down the valves. Perhaps BMW just did not feel comfortable going too lean on that motor design. I am sure there must be a logical reason as to why.


Dackel

[EmmDrei]

Originally Posted by !mspinster

Are you guys serious about MPG on an M3

I don't feel like doing the mpg maths right now to convert my M3s / 1Ms average fuel consumption. My M3 did an average of 16.4L/100km and my 1M is at 13.4L/100km right now. That's almost 20% less. Same daily drive, same driver, same driving style, just different cars.

@Redadair: Actually the hood vent on the M39x is not an intake, it's an outlet. The intake is on the bottom left (where the non-M 39x have their fog lights) and the left opening in the hood lets the air out. No problem on right hand drive cars. Mine was a left hand drive though and that meant you get water scooped up when it rains and the outlet blows it onto your windshield. Exactly into your line of vision to be precise. Really practical! But... no question about it... the M3 is still a great car!