Long Term Test of BMW 1M Coupe by Autocar

[j0hn]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

What is it?

The 1M coupe is the driver’s car that BMW’s M-Division has been threatening (but too often of late failing) to produce. And it’s now on sale in the UK for £40,020, complete with a 337bhp twin-turbo engine and enough real world performance to put even the more expensive V8 M3 in its place.

What’s it like?
Blinding. Although BMW’s claim that the 1M is the spiritual successor to the original E30 M3 must be taken with a small pinch of salt, this is still one heck of a good car to drive. And on the road, in the raw, it looks miles better than it does it pictures, those huge wheelarches appearing to be stretched over the new wider tracks front and rear and the new 19in wheels, to create a definite hot rod character to its appearance.
But it’s from behind the 1M’s chunky new leather wheel that the greatest satisfaction is delivered. This isn’t just a searingly fast car, one with vast amounts of torque that give a genuine sense of amazement to the mid-range; it’s also a proper rear-drive lunatic of a machine in terms of its handling – and that’s what separates it most obviously from one or two other recent machines to wear the M-badge.

Keep its various stability, traction and sport buttons switched on and the 1M feels a bit like the terrible Tasmanian Devil, straining at its leash, yellow lights on the dash flashing pretty much the moment you open the throttle in any of the four gears in the soaking wet rain that we drove it on in the Scottish Highlands. And yet in the dry it feels entirely civilized, most of the time, with a firm but compliant ride and very good control of its body, even over the most challenging of roads.

The only element that’s not quite there, not for personally, is the steering. It’s accurate, precise, and is nicely weighted at all speeds. But like the V8 M3 before it, there’s just a little something missing in the ultimate feedback from the helm at high speed, under bigger cornering loads. And this is magnified most obviously when you turn in to a high speed corner that’s wet.
To begin with, just for quarter of a second, you don’t know for sure if those big front tyres have bitten and the car is going to turn in as desired, or whether they haven’t and you’re about to run wide instead. Once loaded in a corner the feel and sense of grip from the front end is much better; as is the feeling of balance the car displays at the rear once you’ve reached the middle of a corner. And from there to the exit it gets better still.
Which is when you can begin to think about pressing the M-button on the steering wheel, which increases the throttle response, and maybe even engaging the M-diff and, ultimately, turning the TC off as well. What you’ll discover if you do is a car with perhaps a tad more power than grip (especially in the wet) but one that’s actually a lot better balanced than you thought when all the electronic devices were doing their thing.
Be in no doubt, you’re very much on your own on a wet road in a low gear. But in the dry the way the chassis unlocks itself with the driver aids off is a delightful thing to experience – so long as you’re sensible and skillful enough with your throttle inputs, and know what to do if (not when) the tail starts to move around.

And that, ultimately, is what defines the 1M as the old fashioned driver’s delight that it is. BMW has engineered this car to be driven – and enjoyed – by people who at least think they know what they’re doing. It saves it best work, in other words, for those moments that exist quite close to the edge. And for the rest of the time – with the driver aids switched on – it’s just a very decent, surprisingly roomy, surprisingly comfortable fast coupe.

Should I buy one?
At £40,020 the 1M does seem like an awful lot of car for the money. Effectively what we’re talking about is a machine that’s quicker than an M3 in most real world conditions, more rewarding when you want it to be, and not a whole lot less roomy into the bargain. The basic specification is also more than good enough, the interior a tad plain in feel perhaps, but then that’s partly what this car is all about.
If you liked the M3s from yesteryear, you’ll love the new 1M. But get your order in fast; they’re only going to make 450 in right hand drive, and two third of those have already gone.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/...ries-M/257077/

[Nang Vann]

Great car indeed!

[CarJunkie]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Okay, if you don't mind I gotta go for a drive now.

[b33g33]

Looks like the 1M won Sutcliffe over. His earlier reviews were far less glowing.

I'm SO glad I'll be getting into mine in about 30 minutes to go to work

... and this one is not going back!

[MrRoboto]

Love the opening scene in the vid.

[hooner35]

That's a very, very nice drifting, where he had not much room to make mistakes.

[hybris4u]

Nah, not overpraised either… Cannot be praised enough! *laugh* ;-)

[l888apex]

I agree about the steering being my only gripe. Coming from my Evo IX the 1M had a lot to live up to. That car is well-known for that and had the most direct, feedback giving rack of anything I've ever driven. Perfectly sized wheel and ratio. The 1M is a little boat-y and indirect. The car responds nimbly, but you just can't feel it as much in your hands.

[buckeyegirl]

agreed

[Diver]

Should I buy one? It's a bit late for that. One thing that I heard is the LSD is noisy when making tight turns at low speeds. In the US, that is most turns because rounders are not standard here.

[Imola.ZHP]

Who does a "long-term" test on a one-year (low) production car?

lmao

[jonmaceng]

Since this has the same engine as the n54 335i, does all the good things he says about the performance still apply to the 335i?

[antzcrashing]

shame this car is such limited production and the new 1M will be nothing like it

[Eno335]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

Who does a "long-term" test on a one-year (low) production car?

lmao

Ahaha :

[b33g33]

Originally Posted by jonmaceng

Since this has the same engine as the n54 335i, does all the good things he says about the performance still apply to the 335i?

M cars aren't really about engines. They are about chassis. So, no they don't. The 335 is a very good car and the 335is sounds better than the 1M (they gave me one as a loaner for my 1500 break-in service) but it's no 1M.

[///M1]

Those skinny 18" winter tires are sure taking a beating! Good review, seems they like it more with time.

[robertm]

Originally Posted by Diver

Should I buy one? It's a bit late for that. One thing that I heard is the LSD is noisy when making tight turns at low speeds. In the US, that is most turns because rounders are not standard here.

10k miles and never heard the dif make a noise once. Don't know where you got that from but it's atypical at best.

Originally Posted by jonmaceng

Since this has the same engine as the n54 335i, does all the good things he says about the performance still apply to the 335i?

Completely different cars. Not the same at all in terms of driving feel, engine surge of power, raw edginess and also a sense of owning something a bit special and unique.

[Papethova]

Originally Posted by b33g33

335is sounds better than the 1M (they gave me one as a loaner for my 1500 break-in service) but it's no 1M.

I noticed that and I dont get it... why does the stock 335is sound so much better than my N55 piped 1M. Its not even close that thing sounds so mean!!! Totally an aftermarket sound.

[hybris4u]

Originally Posted by b33g33

M cars aren't really about engines. They are about chassis. So, no they don't. The 335 is a very good car and the 335is sounds better than the 1M (they gave me one as a loaner for my 1500 break-in service) but it's no 1M.

Yepp and the LSD is one critical piece in this car. Probably one of the most important differences with a 135 or 335.

[Chris-507]

1M, M5 F10 and M3 GTS are in my garage, and I can assure you that baby ///M is a worthy sister of the other two.
The M5 ridicules 1M in term of acceleration, the GTS ridicules the 1M on track.
But the 1M offers something else, that the two other beasts can not replace...

[Aussie_in_London]

Originally Posted by Chris-507

1M, M5 F10 and M3 GTS are in my garage, and I can assure you that baby ///M is a worthy sister of the other two.
The M5 ridicules 1M in term of acceleration, the GTS ridicules the 1M on track.
But the 1M offers something else, that the two other beasts can not replace...

Interesting mate, you have a nice collection in your stable.......

[ol'mate]

Great clip indeed!
I've watched that opening drift scene about 30 times lol.