Quote:
Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls
If we're going by the tradition definition of what a M car is, I think the 1M is up there. M cars has always been primarily about chassis - everything else was a bonus. From what was written in reviews and what was shown in videos, 1M had that in spades.
|
Exactly right.
For BMW enthusiasts we almost never talk about engines that much. What were people doing with m engines? Putting in chips and air intakes at best? The car was always about the handling and the completeness of the package to us. Amgs were farcical jokes because they were comically unbalanced. It never mattered how fast they were. The handling was shit and the balance even worse.
This is just a reflection of the new gen of BMW customers that have come in with the Infiniti g35/37 thinking that engine power is what makes a car. Well engine power and some stupid color fit for a 5 year old. That's what's important in an m car now...
For us it was always exclusively about the handling and more importantly that feel of a chiseled piece of engineering behind the steering wheel. The rest didnt matter all that much. We could care less how fast the Nissan, mustang or whatever else in the next lane was.
That is why the 1m was/ is such a cult classic and will remain that way for a long time to come. It captured the fun that a lot of us dedicated bmw fans really look for, into a newer package.
What's crazy is that there was a time when every m3 out of the factory and most standard 3 series would deliver similar levels of magic right out of the dealership lot to every Joe Shmoe.
But these are different times with different customers so it's not a real m car to them. Don't forget it doesn't have that many m badges on it either so it's definitely not a real m car to them off the bat.