It's not a "real" M car

[Imo135]

I have heard this quite a bit at dealers down here as well.

This is what the salesman and parts guys say:
it is not a true M car as it was an after thought by BMW as a marketing ploy and does not have any unique M charcateristics built specifically for the car. It borrows the N54 engine from two other models and borrows some M bits on suspension from the M3. It also has no DCT option, the M button on the steering is of no significance etc . Some magazines have also being critical on BMW not producing a specific perhaps 3.5 litre engine etc. They indicated that many 135i owners have added all the suspension, diff and brake upgrades to there 135i's already before BMW so how can this car be a true M as BMW copied the 135i fraternity...

So this BS is going around alot, they say its a limted edition 135i...... and that drivers who want a true M car must buy the m3....

[ChrisBuer]

Originally Posted by DownshiftArtist

So tired of people going on about the fact that BMW no longer uses high revving NA engines in M cars anymore. The turbo engines are more powerful at a lower rpm so that you have a more usable powerband, hence better performing....isn't that M is all about, performance? Screw that guy and congrats on your 1M

I can honestly say, after having owned NA cars, supercharged cars and turbo cars, that if the M division offered me a turbo or NA version of the 1M, I'd take the turbo every single time!

Why? Well I like the fact that I have very usable performance from very low revs, I love the shove you get in the back from the turbos boosting up, I love the sound the turbos make, the list goes on....

Don't get me wrong, I do like NA cars, however I do think their time is ticking just with the way fuel prices are going (especially here in the UK!). Give me a car that I need to rev the living daylights out of which has very little torque in comparison or a turbo car that I can use the immense torque on to waft past most other cars and I'll snap your hands off for the turbo.

In most modern day driving situations, sitting on a motorway doing 60mph and wanting to overtake the car in front, I don't want to have to drop a gear and thrash the car (making a bit song and dance in the process) just to pass the car in front, whilst I get 15-16mpg in the process! I want to be able to leave it in 4th or 5th gear and use a massive wallop of torque. The fact that I can do that and still not really suffer at the pumps in the process is an added bonus.

Plus if you're going to remap a car, put a remap on an NA car and you may get 10-15bhp if you're lucky. Do the same with a turbo car and it's more like 50-60bhp.

Yes NA cars sound nicer, but my 1M doesn't exactly sound like a bag of old nails. In fact, I've had a lot of very positive comments about it's sound

[ChrisBuer]

Just to add that I drove an M3 and 1M back to back and I would have paid MORE to get the 1M given the choice between the two!

[Zuzu]

Well I had the opposite comments from the salesman's and tech guys on delivery of my 1M.. All I got was, "why would you buy an M3 if you could have this"...

[ESC OFF]

I love how the same idiot salepeople who claim it's not a real M car are also trying to get $10K over sticker. I'm turning all of my M badges upside down and I'm going to start calling a BMW 1W coupe...problem solved.

[Simsims]

Originally Posted by ESC OFF

I love how the same idiot salepeople who claim it's not a real M car are also trying to get $10 over sticker. I'm turning all of my M badges upside down and I'm going to start calling a BMW 1W coupe...problem solved.

should change it to W16

[ESC OFF]

Originally Posted by Simsims

should change it to W16

Even better! or WD40

[1SerieStud]

I was on the phone with a guy from the parts department at my dealer, to ensure they have the proper fluids for my 1200 mile service this coming Saturday. Somewhere in the conversation I asked if the full synthetic 5w30 oil will be used (just for reassurance) to which replied "yes, that's the same oil that all other bmw's get since this is not a real M car, I mean the engine is not...it's still an N54 engine..."

I ignored it and kept about the conversation, but I will see him this Saturday and ask him what he has to say of the new M5...or the upcoming M3 for that matter.

Some people simply don't understand. Now mind you, this person was completely unaware of the existence of mtf-lt5 and insisted that the required fluid was lt3, adding that I shouldn't believe everything I see online. Again, some people do not understand the difference between educated research and simply googling something...he stood corrected after calling BMW and being informed of lt5 indeed.

[fastauto]

i love people like this. the talk shit and then get back in their honda civic and drive home. true M car or not, the 1M is a pretty bad ass little car

[spoon]

It just amazes me how uninformed these people are.

[EmmDrei]

I've never been phased by this "M vs. Non-M" bs. I don't care about the sticker. It's just a product name, essentially no more. The thing that is important to me is if it's my car or not. Will it make me grin? Each and every day? And this one does. The M3 didn't and I had it for three years. Again that is not saying, that the M3 is a bad car. No, it's not. It was just never my car. And once you mention that to "those" people, they will look at you like you are a pink elephant with poka-dots. All they know is what they read and those that write know little more. How long have they driven the cars... hours, minutes? And they know? Yeah, sure. My answer would simply have been "there is a point when it is better to just shut up, if one has no idea what one is talking about". Very politely and calmly spoken.

[FLEX///M]

Guys who cares. Look, dynos are coming soon to speak for themselves. But i'll tell you this much.

Last week I had to run a dyno for the sponsors of the Clockwork Orange build. There were 2 M3's there. I'll get into the full adventure when I have time to make the full write up but to cut to the chase, the 1M stock baseline was 346whp (I won't even get into torque...yet... Or the after results either...yet). M3 guys were hitting 340whp.

So when it comes to power, there is no envy. It's smaller, more nimble. Simply put, this is what the e30M3 should've have evolved to.

After that day, whenever I hear someone say that I just answer 'keep telling yourself that' or 'if you say so'. Whatever helps them sleep better!

[bdaddylo]

Originally Posted by FLEX///M

Guys who cares. Look, dynos are coming soon to speak for themselves. But i'll tell you this much.

Last week I had to run a dyno for the sponsors of the Clockwork Orange build. There were 2 M3's there. I'll get into the full adventure when I have time to make the full write up but to cut to the chase, the 1M stock baseline was 346whp (I won't even get into torque...yet... Or the after results either...yet). M3 guys were hitting 340whp.

So when it comes to power, there is no envy. It's smaller, more nimble. Simply put, this is what the e30M3 should've have evolved to.

After that day, whenever I hear someone say that I just answer 'keep telling yourself that' or 'if you say so'. Whatever helps them sleep better!

Can't wait for your write up!!!

[1SerieStud]

Originally Posted by FLEX///M

Guys who cares. Look, dynos are coming soon to speak for themselves. But i'll tell you this much.

Last week I had to run a dyno for the sponsors of the Clockwork Orange build. There were 2 M3's there. I'll get into the full adventure when I have time to make the full write up but to cut to the chase, the 1M stock baseline was 346whp (I won't even get into torque...yet... Or the after results either...yet). M3 guys were hitting 340whp.

So when it comes to power, there is no envy. It's smaller, more nimble. Simply put, this is what the e30M3 should've have evolved to.

After that day, whenever I hear someone say that I just answer 'keep telling yourself that' or 'if you say so'. Whatever helps them sleep better!

Wait a minute: your car dyno'd 346whp 100% stock, without a single power adder? If so, this is great news of bmw's typical underrating!

[BMW Gator]

Originally Posted by 1SerieStud

I was on the phone with a guy from the parts department at my dealer, to ensure they have the proper fluids for my 1200 mile service this coming Saturday. Somewhere in the conversation I asked if the full synthetic 5w30 oil will be used (just for reassurance) to which replied "yes, that's the same oil that all other bmw's get since this is not a real M car, I mean the engine is not...it's still an N54 engine..."

I ignored it and kept about the conversation, but I will see him this Saturday and ask him what he has to say of the new M5...or the upcoming M3 for that matter.

Some people simply don't understand. Now mind you, this person was completely unaware of the existence of mtf-lt5 and insisted that the required fluid was lt3, adding that I shouldn't believe everything I see online. Again, some people do not understand the difference between educated research and simply googling something...he stood corrected after calling BMW and being informed of lt5 indeed.

1Serie,
Why would they be changing the gearbox oil? Since it's not mandated in the US is the dealer going to cover the service? With all of the horror stories involving the wrong LT fluid, I'm definitely going to do this myself. I want them to read codes and change the engine oil and thats it. And they better not wash it either.

[1SerieStud]

Originally Posted by BMW Gator

1Serie,
Why would they be changing the gearbox oil? Since it's not mandated in the US is the dealer going to cover the service? With all of the horror stories involving the wrong LT fluid, I'm definitely going to do this myself. I want them to read codes and change the engine oil and thats it. And they better not wash it either.

They are not. This was in reference to my 3rd service just to make sure they are aware of the product and have it in stock by then.

[TunedM2C]

Originally Posted by Zuzu

Well I had the opposite comments from the salesman's and tech guys on delivery of my 1M.. All I got was, "why would you buy an M3 if you could have this"...

My dealer follows this same thought process.

[BMW Gator]

OK - Thanks -I guess I should also add diff fluid change to my list above.

[1SerieStud]

Originally Posted by BMW Gator

OK - Thanks -I guess I should also add diff fluid change to my list above.

First service should only include engine oil/filter change, and differential fluid change - make sure they use the version with friction modifier.

Everything else is simply an inspection, oh and they know me very well at the dealer...they know better than to put my car through a car wash

[MusclezMarinara]

Here goes the engine thread again !

[ESC OFF]

Originally Posted by 1SerieStud

Wait a minute: your car dyno'd 346whp 100% stock, without a single power adder?....................

That's proof...definitely not a "M"... it's better!

[1SerieStud]

Originally Posted by ESC OFF

That's proof...definitely not a "M"... it's better!

That's insanely underrated...assuming a 15% drivetrain loss, this equates to 407hp at the crank!