Automobile Magazine's 1M test mule drive review

[as7920]

http://m.automobilemag.com/reviews/d...ive/index.html

1M test mule drive review by Georg Kacher, so may appear in several mags.

Positive overall.

[Joer]

Originally Posted by as7920

http://m.automobilemag.com/reviews/d...ive/index.html

Review by Georg Kacher so may appear in several mags.

Positive overall.

Nice find Mark. Thanks!

[Dan Parker]

Good stuff! Thanks.

[elitt13]

thanks

[fastauto]

a great friend of mine had a chance to drive one and he said the same exact thing. he said that its extremly twitchy but a blast to drive. he currently drives a nicely modded e90 and said the e90's larger chasis makes it feel a lot more planted in certain situations

[Boxercup]

I don't see twitchy as a bad thing, Ever driven a S50 Z3M Coupe in the wet?

My most recent everyday cars have been (in order) - E91, E61, E92, E90.

Hell, I dream of twitchy!!

[fastauto]

Originally Posted by Boxercup

I don't see twitchy as a bad thing, Ever driven a S50 Z3M Coupe in the wet?

My most recent everyday cars have been (in order) - E91, E61, E92, E90.

Hell, I dream of twitchy!!

agreed. this thing sound more and more like a pure drivers car.

[///1M]

Originally Posted by Boxercup

I don't see twitchy as a bad thing, Ever driven a S50 Z3M Coupe in the wet?

My most recent everyday cars have been (in order) - E91, E61, E92, E90.

Hell, I dream of twitchy!!

+1

[hwelvaar]

I like this part:

"What the 1-series M coupe does remarkably well is indulge in various octaves of power oversteer. In the wet, the DSC's M Dynamic mode easily induces a tail-happy attitude. With DSC off, you almost wish for side window wipers so you could look more clearly into the shocked eyes of oncoming motorists."

This is for sure one area where an Audi (RS) can't beat the 1M.

[darkvaderr]

Lol, first mod: wipers for driver and passenger side windows

[snowfro]

What does he mean by twitchy anyways. Like it feels like it wants to let loose when driven at it's limit on a continuous radius (like a carousel on the track)? Sorry that's a new way to describe handling I'm not familiar with!

[hajohehe]

I wonder how comfortable this car would be. I read review from Chris Harris saying that this car has really good ride. But this review suggests that it is very harsh. I wonder how mine will be. I can't wait for the delivery.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by hajohehe

I wonder how comfortable this car would be. I read review from Chris Harris saying that this car has really good ride. But this review suggests that it is very harsh. I wonder how mine will be. I can't wait for the delivery.

Since I have driven a 1M, even on cobblestone roads in Europe, I can tell you the ride is very good. It's never harsh or jarring unless the road is.

The person writing the article didn't say the ride was harsh at grocery getting speeds.

Read again.

"Thus, the fastest 1-series bobs and jiggles more than such a focused driving machine should. While this restlessness is barely notable on smooth surfaces such as a racetrack, it is an issue on patchy back roads tackled at aggressive speeds."

Ok, so the ride will be rough at aggressive speeds on patchy back roads. Well that's probably to be expected from most sports cars but even if the ride is more unsettled than an m3, it's not like he is saying it's like a fox body ford mustang.


On smooth roads or even not so smooth the road handling is excellent . Perhaps not e90 smooth, but then again the 1M will carve corners way more than an E90 can dream of. Want a fast GT, buy an e90/e92. Want an agile sports car, get a 1M.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by snowfro

What does he mean by twitchy anyways. Like it feels like it wants to let loose when driven at it's limit on a continuous radius (like a carousel on the track)? Sorry that's a new way to describe handling I'm not familiar with!

The steering is only 2.2 turns lock to lock. It's REALLY QUICK. Perhaps on a bumpy surface it might feel a bit nervous or twitchy but when I drove it, it tracked straight and true in curves and bends, even traveling at over 180kph in those bends, and even with wet pavement from persistent rain!

[snowfro]

Makes sense! Like the twitchiness of a go-kart. The exact opposite of my 4.0 turn lock to lock e30 steering.

...actually having a hard time wrapping my brain around such a tight ratio on the steering. I feel like the karate kid trying to simulate it...

wax on
wax off
wax on
wax off

It's a serious difference.

Its actually closer to a go kart than my e30 318i rack.

Thanks for the clarification.

[M3 Adjuster]

exactly... the original rack in my E30 M3 was 3.5 turns lock to lock, and even the Z3 1.9 rack installed in my car is about 2.75 turns lock to lock... so you know exactly what I am talking about snow.

See also post #2 in this thread here where an actual owner talks about the steering.
It's phenomenal... it really is..

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=511414


I love the Automobile mag final summary...


"... on the smiles-per-mile charts, the 1-series M coupe can't be beat. It is a challenging piece, a triple-X-rated driver's machine for semi-professionals. Its handling balance provides an open invitation to indulge in latent oversteer, and provides an opportunity to separate the men from the boys. It is an absolute hoot on the track and an addictive plaything on your favorite twisty back road. "

[dominoM]

M3 Adjuster: thanks for the additional comments. The twitchy description had me a little perplexed as well. Good to hear some feedback from somebody else who has driven the car.

[hajohehe]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

On smooth roads or even not so smooth the road handling is excellent . Perhaps not e90 smooth, but then again the 1M will carve corners way more than an E90 can dream of. Want a fast GT, buy an e90/e92. Want an agile sports car, get a 1M.

Thanks for your reply. I currently drive S2000. I am sure that it will not be harsh as S2K. I have never driven any M3 yet. I only driven 335IS, 328I, and 535I(F10). I can't wait to drive 1 Series M! And my car is finally in production.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by hajohehe

Thanks for your reply. I currently drive S2000. I am sure that it will not be harsh as S2K. I have never driven any M3 yet. I only driven 335IS, 328I, and 535I(F10). I can't wait to drive 1 Series M! And my car is finally in production.

Wow. Well.. to be absolutely honest... I would *definitely* describe the S2000 as twitchy at the limit. It doesn't seem that way in normal driving or even in track driving, but put an S2000 in a slalom in an autocross, perhaps throw in some uneven spacing and the rear definitely acts like it has an invitation to swap ends. It's not HORRIBLE.. and you can catch it... (or else I would then say it is Horrible!) but it is a little surprising, particularly when compared with say... a Mazda Miata, which doesn't feel the least bit twitchy. Actually.. now that I think of it... the Z3M is very similar, and I don't think this was completely exorcised in the Z4M... Perhaps it's just a function of short wheel base vehicles, and the further from 50/50 front/rear weight distribution .. the worse it is. I got a chance to run the 1M through a slalom several times, but it was wet, so ultimate grip was not there. From my experiences thus far, I agree.. The 1M is more composed than the S2K or the Z3/Z4M.

I'm definitely curious to hear your thoughts after you get your 1M.

[M3Power79]

Great review and so curious to exeperience all this on my own!

[theblackangus]

After reading that review, I wonder what the same reviewer would say of an exige S.

I can imagine anything more "Twitchy" (influenced by the road) than that.

But glad to hear the steering is so lively. I love it!

Also I wanted to ask a question that he brought up.

He mentioned that the steering was very smooth, but the feedback had some kick and twist (not his words, but close).

Every "Lively" car I have driven that had (to me) good road feel has some kick and twist. So do really nice "Lively" cars not have that same go-kart feeling?

I mean when I drove the M3 (various times) I could only think how aweful the feedback from steering was I couldn't really feel the road at all. To me it was like there was a pillow between the steering and the road.

How do others feel about this? I mean honestly I like my 135's road/steering feel alot more than the M3. Sure the M3 is calm and controlled, but its too much so for me to really be happy with (Go karting is awesome!).

Road Feel:
Mustang GT = good but lesser than the 135. (Steering ratio too large?)
135i = good
Cayman S = better (But he torque leaves me wanting)
Exige S = best I have ever driven (But I can't get myself to buy one of these little death traps)

To me I don't want sitting in the front seat to feel like I'm sitting on my couch at home.

Thanks for the thoughts!

[TMR013]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Wow. Well.. to be absolutely honest... I would *definitely* describe the S2000 as twitchy at the limit. It doesn't seem that way in normal driving or even in track driving, but put an S2000 in a slalom in an autocross, perhaps throw in some uneven spacing and the rear definitely acts like it has an invitation to swap ends. It's not HORRIBLE.. and you can catch it... (or else I would then say it is Horrible!) but it is a little surprising, particularly when compared with say... a Mazda Miata, which doesn't feel the least bit twitchy. Actually.. now that I think of it... the Z3M is very similar, and I don't think this was completely exorcised in the Z4M... Perhaps it's just a function of short wheel base vehicles, and the further from 50/50 front/rear weight distribution .. the worse it is. I got a chance to run the 1M through a slalom several times, but it was wet, so ultimate grip was not there. From my experiences thus far, I agree.. The 1M is more composed than the S2K or the Z3/Z4M.

I'm definitely curious to hear your thoughts after you get your 1M.

That's interesting becuase I used to have an S2000 and I would never use the word 'twitchy' to describe it. Even at the limit. That car was always rock solid, even on an uneven surface. It always amazed me. That was one of the reasons it was so fun to drive