Tag: 1M

Categories
BMW Drive Thru Porsche

Drive Thru: 1M v Cayman R v M3

BMW 1M v Porsche Cayman R v BMW M3

The BMW 1 Series M Coupé is the ‘it’ car of the moment. Everyone is talking about it and everyone, it seems, cannot praise it enough. We’ve already had one drive of the 1M and quickly learnt why it has been creating so much fuss. It really is a cracking car. Overseas, it’s even been compared against the Porsche Cayman R; a genuine sportscar with a sharpened focus.

We’re not sure why that comparison is being made, to be honest. They’re at different price points (especially here in Australia) and they don’t really sing from the same hymn sheet, either.

But when a long-time AUSmotive reader offered us a drive of these two cars who were we to say no. For good measure, the owner decided to throw us the keys to his 2008 BMW M3 as well. Lucky us!

All wearing black wheels with white paint, the trio were tailor made for a mini group-test. So, out to the favoured AUSmotive test route we headed. I drove the 1M on the outward journey and this provided a good chance to get reacquainted and develop a better sense for its daily capabilities.

Continue reading “Drive Thru: 1M v Cayman R v M3”
Categories
BMW

BMW 1M CSL rumour ignites

BMW 1M Coupe

At the recent UK launch of the BMW 1M Coupé the seed for a new and possibly very exciting rumour was sewn. We’re told James Morrison, BMW UK product manager, is the man responsible after he said, “There is scope for a CSL version.”

Adding context to that comment is the fact 300 of the 450 1M Coupe models alloctaed to the UK market were sold prior to its official release. Demand that BMW wasn’t expecting, and on a worldwide scale too, could have them thinking there is some more 1M cash to milk.

Morrison explains, “This car [1M Coupé] has certainly generated a buzz. When we planned for this car we were cautious, but now there’s some hype surrounding the 1M so there’s clearly going to be some people looking at what we can do next.

“M is the pinnacle of engineering so if there’s a CSL proposition or something really different that we could consider then we would. If there’s something special and unique we can do with it then absolutely we would.”

We’re doubtful a 1M CSL could happen so late in the 1 Series model cycle, but we remain hopeful. Then there’s the cost to consider; would you pay M3 money for a slightly lighter and quicker 1M?

[Source: Car Dealer Magazine]

UPDATE: A reminder that a 1M CSL was hinted at last December. How does 332kW (445hp) sound?!

Categories
BMW

BMW 1M Coupé really makes its mark

BMW 1 Series M Coupe

A couple of weeks ago we showed how the BMW 1 Series M Coupé was beginning to make its mark with owners. Since then the press reviews have started rolling in and it’s all good news for the baby M.

First, 1addicts brings news that German rag Sport Auto has run the 1M through one of its famous track tests at Hockenheim. The result? A best lap time of 1:14.1. That’s one tenth slower than a manual equipped Porsche Cayman S. Impressive, hey? Well, consider this; it’s one tenth faster than an E92 M3 with DCT.

Autocar said: “The longer you spend at the wheel of the M Coupé, the more you come to appreciate its overall ability. Its focus is perhaps a little broader than we’ve come to expect from BMW M… It’s not a junior M3, as many suggested it would be. No, it has its own distinct character and, in real-world terms, is a good deal faster than its more expensive sibling.”

Car said: “The 1-series M is a proper M car, no doubt… It’s definitely not a hotted-up 135i, and now we’re looking forward to the future of M.”

Inside Line said: “Let’s not extend the suspense any longer. The 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is a fantastically compelling machine. It is fast… It has a truly brawny engine that sounds great at wide-open throttle, handles with all the precision expected of a car wearing the evocative M badge, and is super practical given its performance brief.”

Yeah, you’d like one too?

[Pic: Sport Auto]

Categories
BMW

BMW 1M Coupé begins to make its mark

BMW 1M Coupe

The highly anticipated BMW 1 Series M Coupé is starting to find its way into the garages of some very chuffed new owners. Australian buyers have to wait until June for their own 1M experience, but those on the waiting list will be encouraged by a couple of stories that have come our way via Bimmerpost.

First 1M story off the rank, so to speak, centres around one very lucky Canadian buyer who took the European Delivery option for his 1M. This is something not generally open to buyers down under and we recommend you put aside some time to read the excited tale of 1addicts poster WLKSFTLY. Well, wouldn’t you want to collect your 1M by having a chat with the M GmbH engineers who helped create the car and then cap it off with a few laps at the Nürburgring if you could?

The Alpine White 1M you see above belongs to a Swedish buyer and he has also been on a tour of sorts, knocking out laps at the Ring, as well as Spa and now Dutch circuit Zandvoort. While in the Netherlands Driving Fun had a crack and wrote a review of the car. Of course, they wrote their thought in Dutch, so we only have a crudely translated para to share with you:

“On the circuit. With over 240km/h approaching the next corner. Short and hard braking, submit, and in passing through the apex challenge your right foot off the engine again. On the adjacent straight feel the adrenaline flowing through your body—a pleasant tingle.”

Dr Segler’s goose pimples we presume? Follow the links below for more.

[Source: Driving Fun via Bimmerpost]

Categories
BMW

BMW 1M Coup̩ РAustralian bulletin

BMW 1M Coupe

A copy of a dealer bulletin for the 250kW 1M Coupé, produced by BMW Australia, has arrived at AUSmotive HQ. We thought it was only fair to share it with you and a screen grab of the email is shown in full after the break.

Included in the bulletin is the standard specification and options pricing for the entry-level M model. The official list price is not included in the email, however we understand BMW will price the 1M Coupé from $99,900 (plus delivery and statutory charges).

We expect BMW Australia to announce a limited run of 100 1M Coupés for local sale.

According to the email BMW Australia has kitted out the 1M Coupé with a comprehensive list of standard goodies. Just a handful of the included standard equipment reads Professional Navigation, Adaptive Headlights, harman/kardon Surround Sound, Voice Control and Internet.

The most notable item on the options list is metallic paint which will apply to two of three colours in the 1M palette. Only Alpine White is a no-cost option, while Valencia Orange and Black Sapphrie will attract a $1700 charge.

It looks like Audi will be giving BMW a free kick by not bringing in its comparable RS3, is BMW’s $100K price tag low enough to allow them to kick a few goals?

Continue reading “BMW 1M Coupé – Australian bulletin”
Categories
BMW

BMW drags out 1M Coupé tease even more

BMW 1M Coupe at the 2010 Autosport awards

The world’s longest ever new car launch took another step at the recent Autosport awards when BMW revealed yet another 5cm2 of 1 Series M Coupé bodywork. This time it is the rear valance we are seeing uncovered, in full, for the first time. The pics have been added to the Closed Room of the M-Power.com website and show Dr Kay Segler and British racing driver Andy Priaulx uncovering a bit more skin.

Thankfully, we won’t need to endure too much more of these shenanagins as it is expected the 1 Series M Coupé will be revealed, in full, on 12 December (likely to be Monday 13 December Australian time).

More pics after the break, showing even less than the one above!

[Source: M-Power.com]

Continue reading “BMW drags out 1M Coupé tease even more”
Categories
BMW

Could BMW make a 332kW 1M “CSL”?

BMW 1M CSL rendering

Apparently, by this time next week BMW will have lifted the wraps from its highly anticipated 1 Series M Coupé. But that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from working overtime and we think most will like the latest 1M news to emerge.

Remember a couple of weeks back when we showed you that screen grab of engine specs, believed to be from an internal BMW source. Well, on that list was an N54B3OTO engine spec listed with 332kW (445hp). That’s a fairly healthy increase over the expected 250kW we will see in the 1M Coupé, right.

Turns out there is a chance that BMW, through a new Performance Program, could be getting ready to make a CSL-style 1M. The theory being this will be a nice little earner for the Munich massive while they’re busy developing the next model M3.

Is it really going to happen; well, we don’t know for certain. But it would be the perfect way to see out the 1 Series Coupé model cycle in 2012, that’s for sure!

[Source: Jon Sibal via BimmerFile]

Categories
BMW

BMW 1M Coupé test drive winner tells all

BMW 1M Coupe test drive winner

Remember the competition BMW was running where the prize was one of 12 places at an exclusive 1 Series M Coupé prototype test drive event? Sounded pretty good, didn’t it. Well that event took place a few days ago. You can see a brief promo video from BMW after the break.

However, perhaps of more interest is a first-hand account of what this goose-pimple inducing 1M Coupé is like to drive. The chap on the left of frame above was one of the lucky few. He goes by the name of Woland’s Advocate on the 1addicts forum.

Here’s a taste of what he had to say, “The engine is astonishingly flexible with bags of torque to spare, so even at motorway speeds, strong effortless acceleration is available without shifting down from sixth. But when shifting is this slick, that would be a pity, especially given the engine’s epic mid-range punch. The gearshift’s throw has been shortened and the box on the car I tried was largely slick and intuitive—you can lightly flick it between gears with speed and precision.”

Follow the link below to get the whole story, it’s quite a good read.

[Source: 1addicts]

UPDATE: You can read another review from a 1addicts user HERE.

Continue reading “BMW 1M Coupé test drive winner tells all”
Categories
BMW

Close to you

BMW 1M Coupe

BMW specialist website BimmerFile has a nice gallery of images showcasing the 1M Coupé. The pics of the newest M car were taken at the BMW Welt in Munich. Although still mostly under cover, as we’ve already seen, these shots do offer some closer details of the car. BMW are expected to show the 1M Coupé in full before Christmas, so we’ll be able to see how close these renderings are to the mark.

Follow the source link to access the full gallery.

[Source: BimmerFile]

Categories
BMW

Chris Harris drives 1M searching for the best of M people

Chris Harris drives the BMW 1M Coupé

Chris Harris has just driven a near production-ready BMW 1M Coupé. It was an odd gig, really; BMW flew him from London to Munich for a 20 minute test drive. Knowing his time would be brief, Harris compiled a list of the best things he likes about M-badged BMWs. When driving the prototype he cross-checked the feedback from the car against his “M car” list. He used words “like an M car” a number of times and concluded that he is “really, really excited” by the 1M Coupé and can’t wait to drive a full production version in the near future.

All of these thoughts were recorded to video and you can watch the clip after the break. Some of the audio is not great, but the content is definitely worth the effort. It sounds like the 1M Coupé has the potential to be future classic.

Continue reading “Chris Harris drives 1M searching for the best of M people”
Categories
BMW

Time for one more BMW 1M Coupé rendering

BMW 1M Coupé rendering

This is the most accurate rendering to date showing the rear of the BMW 1 Series M Coupé. It was created by resident 1addicts forum P-chop guru Alpine325ci and follows two previous efforts (all renderings are shown below). We got a hint of the rear valance just last week; there’s a lot of detailing there from the BMW designers and it’s almost starting to look a bit too fussy. Overall, though, it still gets the AUSmotive tick of approval.

A drive would be nice. But we’ll have to wait until 2011 for that, I’m afraid.

[Source: 1addicts]

Continue reading “Time for one more BMW 1M Coupé rendering”
Categories
BMW

Did they have goose pimples?

BMW 1M Coupe

Recently, a select few motoring scribes fro around the globe got some one-on-one time with the BMW 1 Series M Coupé test mule. When the car was first announced Dr Kay Segler guaranteed goose pimples for us all. So, how did the chaps from Autocar, Inside Line and Motor Trend fare?

Autocar said: “There was sufficient evidence to suggest it will be stiff competition for the current crop of performance coupés. Changes to the suspension provide a noticeably more fluid feel than the standard 1-series, with more enthusiastic turn-in and added levels of grip. The electro-mechanical steering, for all its accuracy, delivers little feedback on centre but it is quite direct, at 2.4 turns lock to lock.”

Inside Line said: “First impressions once you’ve slotted the key into the ignition and hit the starter button are more than encouraging. The reworked engine is extraordinarily strong within the lower end of the rev range thanks to its solid reserves of torque.

But while its part-throttle properties are truly impressive, it is under boost, when its two turbochargers are spooling up, where the 1 Series M Coupe really comes alive. Planting your right foot at middling revs unleashes a heady rush of acceleration fully befitting its billing as the spiritual successor to BMW M division’s original M3. The reworked engine doesn’t mind being worked hard, either; the delivery remains strong all the way to the 7,000-rpm cutout point.”

Motor Trend said: “The 1M moves out smartly indeed with zero turbo lag and a healthy snarl that’s dominated by mechanical and induction noise. Servotronic steering retuned for the 1 Series M Coupe relays plenty of road feel with ideal levels of effort. The chassis’ broad stance and high level of control permit cornering that seems impossible outside the virtual world of Sony’s Gran Turismo. Those oversized brakes erase big speeds just as smoothly and effortlessly as the twin-turbos produce it. BMW claims its Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time falls just a bit shy of the M3’s, and that seems plausible.”

So, the general vibe is quite positive, but I wouldn’t say the goose-pimple-meter is in any real danger of blowing a fuse just yet. The teasing from BMW will continue until January next year when the proper 1M will make its public debut at Detroit.

[via BimmerFile | Pic: Inside Line]