PistonHeads - BMW 1 SERIES M COUPE: PH HEROES

[1'M Blue]

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A cast iron investment that's an utter riot to drive - what could be more heroic than the 1 M Coupe?

Originally Posted by PistonHeads.com

From such humble origins - namely BMW's dumpy 1 Series coupe plus a big box of M3 and Z4 bits - it's hard to believe BMW M created a car already elevated to a legend in its own lifetime.

In fact, it's just four years since we first saw the 1 Series M Coupe and since then it's lost none of its impact. That cartoonish silhouette is hardly subtle. Even non-PHers can spot that this 1 Series is nothing like its more prosaic brethren. But few would be able to comprehend the sheer pace and pleasure offered by this pint sized hot rod.

Because it's fast. No quantifying statements needed here. We're not talking about "in class", or "compared to the base model". We're simply talking FAST. As in pull up next to anything this side of a supercar and look 'em dead in the eye fast.

That N54 turbocharged straight-six, tweaked to 340hp in a sub-1,500kg car, was never going to be found wanting. But even those figures don't do the 1 M justice. First there's the delivery of that maximum 369lb ft of torque. While it might be momentarily hesitant on big throttle openings with few revs, hold the loud pedal open for anything more than a few seconds on most British roads and speed limits are breached very easily.

Aural pleasure
That noise is pure bliss for BMW fans too; a grumbly six-cylinder idle right through to a top-end howl. Although the two teeny turbochargers do sap a fair bit of the character and provide some interestingly harsh overtones, we'll let them off the hook because they do such a sterling job of keeping the 265-section rear rubber warm.

The fact that this kind of power and response is hooked-up to one of BMW's best ever gearboxes (hat tip to the Z4) just adds to the endless pleasure of driving this car. The stubby shifter slides Teflon-smooth from gear to gear and the ratios are perfectly matched to the engine. Feed it lower gears for ridiculous neck-snapping sprints, or higher ratios for belly-rumbling turbo torque.

And although the hateful SMG had thankfully met its demise by 2010, there was always the chance that some bright spark could have suggested a DCT or even automatic as an option. So whoever said "manual only" for the 1 M deserves a small PistonHeads medal for keeping this car so pure.

And it's pure alright. Pure hooligan. Don't ever be deceived by the generous cockpit and hand-finished Alcantara dash. Yes, those superbly plush seats might lull you into believing this car is comfortable. And yes, when cruising from point to point with kids on the back seats, only the shock of a cats eye passing under the wheels might remind you how focused it really is.

Dial M for murder
BMW's latest M3 and M4 offer a multitude of buttons to switch from back lane thrasher to Monday morning commuter. There are three settings for steering, three gearbox speeds and three powertrain modes just as a starter. Is that really easier than the old days?

While tempting to harp on about the purity of old cars that lack even the simplest driver aids, that's just not a wise idea for most drivers in everyday use, especially with this much power. So the 1 M has just two buttons to worry about; the stability control on the center of the dash (on, M Dynamic Mode, off) and the M button on the wheel (off, on). With ESP on and the M button left alone, power is cut before you slide and a full range of active braking will control understeer and oversteer situations. In MDM the car will poke its bum out with heartwarming regularity, but will steadfastly refuse to spin without some sort of outside influence (oil, grass, hitting other cars...). And off is off. See the first comment of this paragraph.

And the M button? Half real, half placebo, the magic button on the steering wheel immediately causes the car to surge as the throttle position you're cruising at suddenly delivers a few more ponies. And when you punch it? Overboost. A little page from Porsche's book on excitement yields extravagant grins when driving a little BMW. But that's it, really.

Complicity
The chassis, of course, handles all of this drama without the slightest grumble. This is a PH Hero, after all. So without providing the Crown Prosecution Service material for a gift-wrapped conviction let's just say that it's communicative. It's responsive and it's fun. Whether it's committing to your favourite bends just a bit quicker, or navigating a slippery roundabout in a manner that would cause a traffic officer to regurgitate his fried dough confectionary into his lap, the 1 M delivers with style and aplomb.

We could moan a little about the brakes, which aren't quite up to the task of holding the car in check on the fastest of track days, or about the system which adds more pressure to the calipers for the same given 'feel' at your foot when they inevitably overheat, but these are definitely minor problems.

Committed M purists might baulk at the backward model naming or none-S drivetrain (the 1 M has a breathed-on N45 motor shared with regular BMWs, whereas most M cars get a bespoke engine like the S14, S50 and S62) and turbocharging (less of an argument about that these days), there's one other trait the 1 Series nails. Desirability.

At peak there were just over 400 1 Ms registered in the UK, and they started at close to £40,000 without options. Add in the thoroughly modern media package with smartphone hook-ups, Bluetooth and internet enabled gubbins and you were closer to 45 than 40.

Supply and demand ... lots of demand
One look at the PH classifieds will amaze... as this article goes live the cheapest car is offered at a smidge under £35,000 and the most expensive at over £45,000! See here. With only 381 cars still on the road, supply can't increase. What about demand?

The current F22-shaped M235i, even launching with a manual box at £35,000 earlier this year, utterly failed to make an impression on 1 M values. And that's still a great car. Only the as-yet unconfirmed BMW M2 Coupe even comes close to denting the appeal of the already legendary 1 M.

So if ever there was a car that could offer you the headiest mix of modern technology with downright anti-social driving dynamics, and the tantalising possibility of negligible depreciation, the E82 1 M Coupe is it. Hero status guaranteed.

Source : http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=31384

[GimmeanM]

...

[1M SUSI]

HERO STATUS

[Artemis]

"Pyrat" Power.

[Luca335]

[eeghie]

Nice, thx for posting.

Judging by the M2 teaser campaign so far, I trust we'll see articles like this re-appear in a year or two ...

[Aussie_in_London]

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=31402

[GimmeanM]

I wonder if they like the 1M?

[Mdecisive]

For sale
Left testicle
Reason - to buy a 1M

[wdeerfield]

Originally Posted by eeghie

Judging by the M2 teaser campaign so far, I trust we'll see articles like this re-appear in a year or two ...

i agree. im curious if they will offer the m2 with awd as well since you can get it on the m235i now. could be their first step into the rwd or awd option for m cars to see how enthusiasts take it

[Downeaster1]

Am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that special? I've driven them a bunch of times, around nice twisties and romped on the gas pedal, and it really doesn't feel like anything special. Don't get me wrong, I like it and it looks great, but I don't see what all the hype is about.

[jhall1957]

Originally Posted by Downeaster1

Am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that special? I've driven them a bunch of times, around nice twisties and romped on the gas pedal, and it really doesn't feel like anything special. Don't get me wrong, I like it and it looks great, but I don't see what all the hype is about.

You aren't the only one, no. you are in the same boat as the E90 M3 owners and many other drivers that missed out on the opportunity to own one and now are trying hard to convince yourself its nothing special!

Before ordering mine I had a 135i, several M3's and a bunch of 3 series cars. Since getting my 1M I have owned another 135i, a M3, several 3 cars and now also have a M235 and I can tell you, it is special. Not because it's so awesomely fast or beautiful but because it is the intersection of old and new. I have owned 3 different E30 M3's and won't bother owning another because as the saying goes, I've been there, done that and have the tshirt.

The 1M is a better car to drive then the E30 M3, period. It's faster, cheaper to run. Better on track (in stock form) and nicer DD. Don't get me wrong, I like and understand the love affair with E30 M3's and all the rest, but yes, the 1M is a VERY special car! Stop fighting it and buy one, if you can find one you like.

[The long haul]

I really loved my 1M, but truthfully I'm glad to see it gone. It went to a good new owner that will appreciate it.
Me, the novelty wore off after about a year. It just became a angry 1 series. That's not to take away from it. I've got some super fond memories and loved the personality it had. I honestly would rather have someone else appreciate it more. These cars deserve that.

[The long haul]

Originally Posted by Downeaster1

Am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that special? I've driven them a bunch of times, around nice twisties and romped on the gas pedal, and it really doesn't feel like anything special. Don't get me wrong, I like it and it looks great, but I don't see what all the hype is about.

It is a very special car, it's a step up from anything BMW sells right now.

[Downeaster1]

Originally Posted by jhall1957

You aren't the only one, no. you are in the same boat as the E90 M3 owners and many other drivers that missed out on the opportunity to own one and now are trying hard to convince yourself its nothing special!

Before ordering mine I had a 135i, several M3's and a bunch of 3 series cars. Since getting my 1M I have owned another 135i, a M3, several 3 cars and now also have a M235 and I can tell you, it is special. Not because it's so awesomely fast or beautiful but because it is the intersection of old and new. I have owned 3 different E30 M3's and won't bother owning another because as the saying goes, I've been there, done that and have the tshirt.

The 1M is a better car to drive then the E30 M3, period. It's faster, cheaper to run. Better on track (in stock form) and nicer DD. Don't get me wrong, I like and understand the love affair with E30 M3's and all the rest, but yes, the 1M is a VERY special car! Stop fighting it and buy one, if you can find one you like.

60-70k for a car that has near identical performance to any other 135? no thank you. As a BMW technician, It's not uncommon to drive these things for duplication of complaint road tests. It just lacks the wow factor. Like I said though, it's a beautiful car and I like it a lot, but it just needed "more". No disrespect to the owners obviously.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

i agree. im curious if they will offer the m2 with awd as well since you can get it on the m235i now. could be their first step into the rwd or awd option for m cars to see how enthusiasts take it

No, they won't. Everything hierarchically under the M5 will be in the near future RWD-only.

[Alex07M3]

Originally Posted by Downeaster1

Am I the only one who really doesn't think it's that special? I've driven them a bunch of times, around nice twisties and romped on the gas pedal, and it really doesn't feel like anything special. Don't get me wrong, I like it and it looks great, but I don't see what all the hype is about.

No you are not the only one, although I like the car and the idea of such a car, I think BMW went the cheap road with this one, hope the M2 has more thoughts put into it. I think "rare" is a better word to describe the 1M then "special". The E9x is special IMO, mainly because of the engine, but 1M not so much, just a wide body 1serie with a tuned 1serie engine and some M3 components, cool idea but nothing to dream about, let's see what happen to the prices once the M2 is out!

Carlos Lago also seem to share our view on the 1M, those are his last words about it: "...it just does'nt feel special!"

[Diver]

A great car, but a lot of the legend is due to scarcity.

[-Z-]

Originally Posted by Downeaster1

60-70k for a car that has near identical performance to any other 135? no thank you. As a BMW technician, It's not uncommon to drive these things for duplication of complaint road tests. It just lacks the wow factor. Like I said though, it's a beautiful car and I like it a lot, but it just needed "more". No disrespect to the owners obviously.

You guys can argue all day long... As an original owner, it brings smile on my face every time I see people trying to take pics of my 3 year old ride, parking lots, gas stations, on the road

Same with 135? M3? M4? I don't think so! LOL

P.S.
There is a word for that feeling you might have when 'one' will drive in the next lane to you on highway... you know it Just be honest with yourself. You will be searching for answers in your head... what was that?!! and then you will find yourself a need of modifying the hack out of your 135/M3, spending 10/15/20K range trying to be as cool... until that moment again... and you will feel that all of your efforts was a waste of time, because your 135/M3 will never become an 1M...

buy one, if you want it! Or, get something that can truly compete on the cool factor, like a GTR, and Porsche RS 4, a Black Mecr, or some other beast

[antzcrashing]

Also it was featured in The gambler. Got a nice shout out from the nba player hopeful: "you drive a M1 you cant be doing to bad". Anyone cringe at that them calling it M1?

[z19930612]

It's just a N54 135i with M3 rear subframe :

2016/3/16 Now I take it back...

[norMcal]

Originally Posted by jhall1957

You aren't the only one, no. you are in the same boat as the E90 M3 owners and many other drivers that missed out on the opportunity to own one and now are trying hard to convince yourself its nothing special!

Before ordering mine I had a 135i, several M3's and a bunch of 3 series cars. Since getting my 1M I have owned another 135i, a M3, several 3 cars and now also have a M235 and I can tell you, it is special. Not because it's so awesomely fast or beautiful but because it is the intersection of old and new. I have owned 3 different E30 M3's and won't bother owning another because as the saying goes, I've been there, done that and have the tshirt.

The 1M is a better car to drive then the E30 M3, period. It's faster, cheaper to run. Better on track (in stock form) and nicer DD. Don't get me wrong, I like and understand the love affair with E30 M3's and all the rest, but yes, the 1M is a VERY special car! Stop fighting it and buy one, if you can find one you like.

I have to be honest, I have never owned or driven a 1M, but other than that I can relate to everything else you wrote. I have owned every 3 series under the sun over the last 20 years, similar to you, and currently have an e30 M3 with and S52 engine for my HPDE/fun car. I have thought many times the 1M would be the perfect alternative, but I have a feeling the hype and values will come down to earth when the M2 is released.