1 Series M: BMW’s most important car in the last 20 years

[Eccentric]

1 Series M: BMW’s most important car in the last 20 years


In the modern world of capitalism, companies are run by accountants. These money-crazed wizards allot funds for supplies, regulate advertising budgets, and influence product direction. The free thinkers have been ruled out by math equations, and the passion in automotive organizations is limited to the now-frowned-upon practice of sleeping with a co-worker. If BMW does not step up, and produce itself an efficient, affordable, fast, and fun car, it could become Germany’s General Motors.

When companies start to penny-pinch, a product line becomes hollow. So while the efforts to save money work well in the short run, in the long run automotive companies’ money saving tactics make their products become bland. This is caused by chassis being shared between different models and companies, as well as engines being unchanged in both their car and SUV use. The practices prevent cars from being unique. It’s not hard to see why this makes sense financially, though. After all, why build 6 different chassis and 6 engines for 6 vehicles when 3 chassis and one engine will sell just as well? The king of this practice is, in this case, a general. General Motors had been badge-engineering, and sharing its platforms between its brands for years. Eventually, their cars became uninspiring, in-differentiable, and genuinely unwanted. The company had too many models, too many brands, and too few buyers. Sure, the General couldn’t market their company worth dick, but unfortunately the problem started with a lack of inspiring products.

Luckily for BMW it has its Motorsport Division. That means that no matter what kind of bland, chassis-sharing Flintstone-mobiles BMW Gbmh produces, they will get a full makeover, and a shot of testosterone courtesy of those bonkers engineers. However, BMW is not in the clear, because it is beginning to over-expand its product line. Even though the Corvette is exciting, that doesn’t mean all the other GM cars are. In effect, M Division won’t be able to save BMW by themselves. While the golden-age BMW had 4 models (3,5,6, and 7 series) the present day behemoth has 9, not including the vast number of useless in-between models that haven’t been put into production yet. Its models are getting fat too, and are pretty much the automotive version of inbred children (look at the 5 series GT, and tell me that it doesn’t look like the love child of a 550i and an X5). They need to get back to the winning formula.

RWD, light weight, and good fuel efficiency make a car fun to drive, and when cars are fun, people are more likely to buy them. It’s not difficult to understand. Great news! BMW already has a car that does this, and it’s called the 135i. Now, if the hero car I’m calling for has already been made, why is the new 1M the most important car in recent history? The fact is, BMW has always been about making sacrifices in performance in its non-M vehicles in order to have more room, have AWD, or get better gas-milage. However, it has never made an M car that takes into account the qualities that will be important in the future, like fuel economy, while still making the car fun and relatively inexpensive. And the M division is where enthusiasts look to see the core values of the company are held. And wether manufacturers like it or not, the importance of fuel efficiency is here to stay. This is where the 1M will hopefully succeed. With modern turbocharging technology, an engine like the twin-turbo N54 I6 can return identical milage to the naturally aspirated N52 I6. As long as the car has instant throttle response, active and flat steering, and enough power to send the car sideways, BMW is going to have a game-changer on their hands.

What the company needs is a car that everyone lusts over and can also afford. I like to call this the Mustang Principal. Everyone can afford the car, so long as they make other sacrifices in order to get it. By making a affordable M car like the 1M, BMW will be able to show that good fuel efficiency can be had in a 4 seat car, with a useful trunk and a track-ready stance.

As industries change, it is easy for nostalgia to take over, and make decisions for us. However, with the 1M, BMW has been able to pair a dated technology -the manual transmission- to a completely modern automobile and make us feel like we are living in the good ol’ days, just with the modern convenience of efficient speed. If that’s not enough for BMW to recapture its soul, i suggest they find a new market to sell its product, because clearly here in Yankeeland we’ve lost our marbles.

-Adam