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Originally Posted by CarandDriver
Generally speaking, we are wary of purists. You know them, the evangelists who know that their diaper-wiped, garage-kept, first-generation Panther V500 is the quintessential—nay, the only—pure version of the breed. Never mind that newer versions of the Panther have functioning electronics and more than 90 hp and don’t spontaneously burst into flames.
BMW has given M purists plenty of reasons to dislike the BMW 1-series M. It is not much quicker than the 135i, and— gasp!—is not powered by a high-revving, small-displacement, naturally aspirated engine. Indeed, it is powered by exactly the same 335-hp twin-turbo engine that powers the Z4 sDrive35is, which not only carries one of the industry’s dumbest names but isn’t even an M car.
The truth is that the 1-series M is a parts-bin car. If they are offended by the engine, though, M purists should have no beef with the other loaner parts. The brakes, the limited-slip differential, the aluminum dampers, and the rear subframe and suspension components come directly from the M3.
No Surprises
Not surprisingly, then, the inherent goodness of the package shines once you get the car on a decent road. The 1 M’s super-quick steering (2.2 turns lock-to-lock), combined with a short wheelbase, makes it feel like a go-kart, despite its upright, relatively tall seating position. Its grip is stunning. It borrows the Michelin PS2s from the M3 Competition package (245/35-19 front, 265/35-19 rear), and the body appears to be shrink-wrapped around these monster meats, which are barely contained by the absurd and kind of awesome fender flares. They help the 1 M return an impressive 0.97 g on the skidpad compared with the 0.91 g achieved by the standard 135i we tested in 2009 (on Bridgestones). The brakes, too, are stellar. Everything about them feels right, and they haul the car to a stop from 70 mph in just 159 feet.
Actually, we, like many of the M faithful, are sad to see the days of high-revving, naturally aspirated M engines draw to a close. But we are comforted by the N54’s flexibility, which provides a driver with more gear-selection options than a peaky engine would. On tight, twisty roads, you never have to bother with the short-throw shifter, powering out of corners in third with gusto. Or you can drop to second, should you want to hang out the tail more easily on the exit before upshifting to third. In a straight line, the 1-series M bests the 135i’s 4.8-second sprint to 60 by 0.3 second and puts another 0.1 between itself and the non-M car by the quarter-mile, tearing past in 13.0 at 109 mph compared with the 135i’s 13.4 at 105.
A Few Compromises
For all its back-road prowess, the 1 M doesn’t ask you to make big *sacrifices in day-to-day driving. Despite a stiff tune and short-sidewall tires, there’s little impact harshness to the ride. Visibility and comfort are admirable by coupe standards.
The M’s interior betrays its high-end aspirations, however. The quality of the materials and the fit and finish are fine, but there’s a distinct whiff of economy sedan inside the this coupe. BMW tried to class up the joint with pieces of the always-racy synthetic suede, but its placement on the center of the dashboard, the shift boot, and the instrument-cluster hood is beyond weird. The relative lack of features on our preproduction car amplifies the impression of cheapness. The full-production U.S.-market cars will have a heftier pile of standard equipment for the vehicle’s $47,010 base price, including automatic adaptive xenon headlights, automatic climate control, cruise control, and keyless entry.
BMW offers a Convenience package that includes a nav system and park distance control and costs $2700. The Premium package adds auto-dimming mirrors, power front seats, an iPod adapter, and other things not exactly critical to the task of an M car. It’ll run you $2400. The metallic orange paint of our test car is, for the record, Valencia Orange Metallic and costs $550, as does Black Sapphire Metallic. The one other available color, Alpine White, is a no-cost option.
So where does all of this put the 1-series M in the pantheon of sports coupes and BMW M cars? We suppose that depends on what you’re looking for in a sports coupe or M car. What we can say for sure is that the BMW 1 M is great and weird and fun. No matter what the purists may say, we’re always happy to have more cars like that.
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