New 1M Owner - From a 128i to an M2C to a 1M

[Jophy]

Hello! I wanted to make this post to share my car journey over the last 14 years which started with a 128i and has culminated in me purchasing a 1M.

The first car that I got during my senior year of high school was a 2012 BMW 128i coupe. It was LeMans Blue Metallic, had the M-Sport package, and was automatic. At the time, I wanted a manual, but my parents said no since they didn't know how to drive manual and they were making the payments on it - fair enough! I absolutely loved this car. I fitted a BMW Performance exhaust, black kidney grills, and a carbon fiber spoiler. I put about 80,000 miles on it and it got me through the rest of high school, community college, and university.


The car was in California for the first 5-6 years of its life, and then after college I got a job in Rochester, Minnesota, so I had the car shipped there and fitted it with a set of snow tires for half of the year. It was a beast in the snow and I had no problems!
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In 2020, I moved to Colorado to start medical school and knew it was time to upgrade. While everyone was trying to convince me to get an SUV or something with AWD, there was only one option in my mind - the M2. I traded in the 128i and picked up a 2020 M2 Competition. As this was my only car, I opted to get one with a DCT. I was going to be commuting to different hospitals with minimal sleep, and figured I wanted something that was going to be easy to drive. The DCT was a great transmission and I really enjoyed ripping it around the mountains on sunny days. For the winters, I fitted a set of snow tires and again had no problems. I had also picked up a set of M2CS rims to use as a dedicated summer set.
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Still.. after four years of ownership, I felt there was something missing from the M2C. I missed the hydraulic steering of the 128i, and I missed how analog that car felt. Ever since I got my driver's license, the 1M was my grail car. I loved everything about it. So, I started watching the prices on BringATrailer and AutoTrader. I was watching the prices for about 6 months before I decided to pull the trigger on one.

I ended up winning an auction for a 2011 BMW 1M in Alpine White. It was completely stock had 29k miles. It was in California too so I planned to pick it up when I was home for Thanksgiving. There was only one problem.. I had no idea how to drive manual! I always drove the 128i and M2C in manual mode, so I was familiar with shift points, but still, the idea of 3 pedals terrified me! I spent a few weeks watching YouTube videos beforehand and concluded that it was going to be a trial by fire situation.

I drove down from the Bay Area to Los Angeles with my brother on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend to pick it up, which just so happened to be the busiest travel day of the year. As we were stuck in traffic heading south, a massive wave of buyers regret came over me. Was I a fool to have purchased a car that I didn't even know how to drive? I called one of my friends in LA who knows how to drive manual and had him meet me at the sellers house to give me a quick lesson when I took delivery.

As soon as we pulled up to the sellers house, all that regret melted away. I saw the car for the first time in person and immediately fell in love. Here is my first glimpse of the car:


It was in pristine condition and I felt so proud to finally own a 1M. My friend gave me a quick lesson and we went around a parking lot a few times and then.. I was on my own to face Los Angeles traffic on the busiest day of the year! I ended up getting it to my brother's house with no problems. It felt so intuitive to drive. I could barely sleep that night because I was so excited and just wanted to drive it.


Now, the car is sitting on a battery tender at my parents' house until I graduate later this year and start residency. I ended up trading in the M2C and picked up a 2025 Model 3 as a daily driver in Colorado. The lease deal I got on it was insane! Going from the Model 3 to the 1M is like night and day. The Model 3 will be my commuting car, and the 1M will be reserved for weekends and good weather. No snow tires for this one


I am excited to be back on 1Addicts! Thanks for reading!

[systemofadowM]

Great post, thanks for sharing your story! The 1M is beautiful -- congrats!

[jdt10768]

That's a crash course in manual trans-ology right there. I cannot believe that you jumped right into the 1M like that without some clutch training and muscle memory. Hard Core.
Nice progression of cars, and I agree - your 128i should have been a Manual Trans! Burn that 128 clutch out in training for the 1M. Congrats & Happy Trails . .

[Pharaoh2716]

Wow what a beautiful story! My heart is full! Deehaba

[CravingBavaria]

Congrats! You got an awesome car for an amazing price. Hoping to join you soon and having a 1M as my first manual car as well

[Rekraps]

Amazing how like minds think.... I too have been around the block on the 1M and after 14 years and three previous 1M's, I'm back for good. And.... my new one is a AW also! Bone stock! Just gorgeous.

Enjoy, you will not regret it. The only thing I would recommend is a Dinan Stage 2 map. This will turn the car into a blistering, but safe rocket.

[E46M3forRay]

What an excellent purchase !! Congrats!! Never would’ve thought this would actually be your first ever manual car. It’s actually an easy car to get it rolling from a stop without putting too much effort.

I too came from an M2 but had the CS trim in DCT. Sold it 2 years later for over what I paid originally. Had a difficult time finding a replacement because of how good the CS was and until I test drove the 1M. I couldn’t believe how magical the hydraulic steering and the crispness engagement of the short shifter in the 1M, I was completely sold. Can’t get any better than finding one with low mileage and me being the second owner just sealed it for long term ownership.