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      07-13-2010, 09:17 AM   #1
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Cool CAR MAGAZINE's BMW 1M Coupe First Drive

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...t-ride-review/


BMW 1-series M Coupé (2011) first ride review


By Ben Barry

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13 July 2010 09:32

CAR's in Spain today and we've scored a first ride in the new BMW 1-series M Coupé. It's the much-anticipated 'M1' version of the 1-series, albeit badged more sensitively so as not to upset fans of BMW's original 1970s supercar.

The 1-series M Coupé arrives in June 2011 so we're riding onboard a year ahead of UK launch. It looks squat and purposeful, the track stretched out the same width as the E92 M3 coupé's with flared arches at each corner. Turns out the suspension is essentially lifted from the big daddy M3, with fixed dampers. Sounds promising.

What's the engine in the 1-series M Coupé?


A shroud of secrecy hides many of the facts about BMW's new pocket rocket. But we continue to probe the car's minders and driver Frank Isenberg and uncover a fair amount of detail as we lap the Ascari race circuit.

The engine will be the same as the 135i's – right down to the twin turbos. However, an engine remap and extra boost send power spiralling to around 350bhp. All that grunt in a small coupé bodyshell is contained by a limited slip diff and sticky 245/35 ZR19 and 265/35 ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport rubber.

How does it feel on track?


The highly strung, bi-turbo engine sounds very obviously forced induction, with a whooshing rush of air dominating the soundtrack as the revs wind out. The yellow rev limit area starts at 7000rpm, slipping into the red by 7500rpm. We spend most of our time hovering around the red; it sounds exciting, with a light pop when the driver backs off.

Front-end grip feels very strong, but from where I'm sitting the rear feels agile enough if less willing to play than the uber-coaxable M3. It's obviously difficult to say from the passenger seat, but my overall impression is of a clean, tidy, nimble handler.

Our driver, who's the project manager and been working on the 1-series M for a year, says the manual shift suits the car. The 135i doesn't have BMW's twin-clutch DCT 'box and as far as we can make out, nor will the M 1-series.

The brakes, which are drilled and swollen from the 135i's anchors stop us firmly from high speeds, though they grumble in protest during some deceleration runs. No doubt their stopping power though.

Is the 1-series M Coupé a worthy M car?

The acid question. From our passenger seat, we'd say the 1-series M feels fun and agile. At around £35,000, it'll be conspicuously good value for a Motorsport product, too.

Yet we really need a proper drive of our own to judge this car's merits. Only then will we know if the spiritual link to the four-cylinder E30 M3 is a genuine bloodline or mere marketing spin.
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      07-13-2010, 09:36 AM   #2
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three main takeaways from the article: lots of suspension components from the M3 with the LSD, Lots of power on tap but true engine configuration is unknown other than turbo I6, and wait for a test drive of the production model to pass judgment!
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      07-13-2010, 09:42 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyT View Post
three main takeaways from the article: lots of suspension components from the M3 with the LSD, Lots of power on tap but true engine configuration is unknown other than turbo I6, and wait for a test drive of the production model to pass judgment!
Exactly.
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      07-13-2010, 09:53 AM   #4
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this was news to me - The yellow rev limit area starts at 7000rpm, slipping into the red by 7500rpm.

Better than we thought no?
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      07-13-2010, 09:59 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jraymond View Post
this was news to me - The yellow rev limit area starts at 7000rpm, slipping into the red by 7500rpm.

Better than we thought no?
If that's true than no way it's a chipped n54. If that was the case the car would have what, maybe 75lbft of torque at redline because of the torque cliff speculation is fun
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      07-13-2010, 10:10 AM   #6
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The stock twins could hold 300+ hp of boost till 7k is tuned to do so, No biggie, the torque wouldn't be a cliff but a hill if tuned that way. When you look at the other threads pic though it clearly redlines at 7k, maybe that's a trick, I hope so. 7500 rev limit if perfect for turbo's and bigger turbo's will make that much more hp up there.
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      07-13-2010, 10:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason View Post
The engine will be the same as the 135i's – right down to the twin turbos.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason View Post
The 135i doesn't have BMW's twin-clutch DCT 'box...
135i no longer has twin turbos and DCT is available on a 135i, so I'm having a bit of trouble believing anything else he says.
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      07-13-2010, 10:52 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason View Post
Our driver, who's the project manager and been working on the 1-series M for a year, says the manual shift suits the car. The 135i doesn't have BMW's twin-clutch DCT 'box and as far as we can make out, nor will the M 1-series.
Nobody else caught this?

He's probably talking about the N54 iteration which did not have DCT (IIRC) but the 135i is now offered with the DCT.
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      07-13-2010, 10:57 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spiderz17 View Post
135i no longer has twin turbos and DCT is available on a 135i, so I'm having a bit of trouble believing anything else he says.
+1, I actually laughed out loud when I read those erroneous comments. I think Ben Barry got some of his "facts" wrong.
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      07-13-2010, 11:00 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cornhusker View Post
The stock twins could hold 300+ hp of boost till 7k is tuned to do so, No biggie, the torque wouldn't be a cliff but a hill if tuned that way. When you look at the other threads pic though it clearly redlines at 7k, maybe that's a trick, I hope so. 7500 rev limit if perfect for turbo's and bigger turbo's will make that much more hp up there.
No they can't. They are too small to safely hold 8 psi of boost at 7000rpm.

Quick thought...can we see the temperature guage on the interior spy shots of the 1M? Maybe thisthing has a variable redline like the M3
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      07-13-2010, 11:17 AM   #11
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I hope the car no DCT, don't forget DCT adds 20KG to the car.
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      07-13-2010, 11:24 AM   #12
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You know whats funny? Most of these rags drove in the same damn car yet they're screaming out different specs..haha

That means WE HAVE TO WAIT people.
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      07-13-2010, 01:38 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartikus View Post
You know whats funny? Most of these rags drove in the same damn car yet they're screaming out different specs..haha

That means WE HAVE TO WAIT people.
You mean were passengers...i'm beginning to think that 0-60 Magazine and the now defunct MPH magazine were the only two mainstream enthusiast mags, where people actually knew what they were talking about, or said "we think, but we don't know"

Car magazine seems (like most UK mags) not to actually test the cars that they write about, just quote factory times and specs, when most factory numbers from The Germans are very conservative.
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      07-13-2010, 01:56 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KingOfJericho View Post
Nobody else caught this?

He's probably talking about the N54 iteration which did not have DCT (IIRC) but the 135i is now offered with the DCT.
Or maybe 135i in Europe doesn't have DCT? Can someone confirm?
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      07-13-2010, 02:15 PM   #15
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Redline at 7.5K? If yes then this is a true M engine. This would be then the most high reving turbo production engine, 200.000 € expensive McLaren MP4-12C apart (redline at 8.5K). Porsche 911 GT2 RS has redline at 7K like most other good turbo engines (335i, 550i, 760i, Porsche Turbo, RS6, TT-RS,...).
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      07-13-2010, 02:16 PM   #16
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Everything sounds OK to me but the engine. It has been my opinion for a long time that BMW was using the front and rear subframes from the current M3 in the 1M. It fits (with flared fenders) and makes financial and performance sense. But the engine......

I remember Scott26 saying this turbo 6 was a variant of the next generation M3. That leaves this question wide open to me.

Yes it would be easy to use a tuned version of the N54, but I find it hard to believe the next M3 will only have a chipped N54 out of a 335? That's a tuff sell IMO. I know about derived engines in X5-X6 Ms, but they are much improved with a cool intake system that's patented. I just cannot believe that the next M3, and 1M, would not have a more exotic engine?

I hope M puts more effort into the engine. I would be very disaqppointed if they did not. We will see.....
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      07-13-2010, 02:17 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert View Post
Or maybe 135i in Europe doesn't have DCT? Can someone confirm?
It does, so he's a) actually talking about the N54 iteration or b) just ill-informed.


Best regards,
south
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      07-13-2010, 02:27 PM   #18
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I have a hard time believing speculations that a tuned n54 will be used in the final version of this new 1er.

Essentially.... it would just be a smaller package of the 335is+a LSD.

We can only hope BMW will put a little bit more time and money into this thing.

I want something new!!
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      07-13-2010, 02:37 PM   #19
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Sheesh, these different reports can't even get the redline right... If it's 7500, it is not an N54/55. They make peak power at 5700rpms. A 7500 rpm redline would be truly stupid.

If 7500 is the right number, expect to see big #s in the aftermarket. Unless the engine is very small displacement, 360hp would be a major lowball for turbos that could flow/boost well enough to make power over 7k.
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      07-13-2010, 02:39 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by southlight View Post
It does, so he's a) actually talking about the N54 iteration or b) just ill-informed.


Best regards,
south
It didn't when he drove and reviewed it! But it does now and is on the UK configurator.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...009-CAR-review
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      07-13-2010, 02:51 PM   #21
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Maybe they aren't done with the engine yet and the current engine is just a tuned N54/N55 and is a placeholder for the next one. Maybe they are just testing out the suspension/chassis/feel of the car.
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      07-13-2010, 02:55 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marvinp View Post
Maybe they aren't done with the engine yet and the current engine is just a tuned N54/N55 and is a placeholder for the next one. Maybe they are just testing out the suspension/chassis/feel of the car.
This.

Dudes - This is basis for the next ///M3 engine, which to me says it's going to be twin turbo version of the N55, likely with modified internals or bigger turbos.
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