Second postive review from Autocar - but this time with Steve Sutcliffe. "If you liked the M3s from yesteryear, you’ll love the new 1M" Review: BMW 1-series M Coupe - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk
Somebody please scan the latest Evo subscribers edition. Its the review Ive been waiting for. There's a 16 page group test between 1M (5 stars), Cayman R (5 stars), Nissan 370z (4\5 stars), TTRS (4/5 stars). The 1M is 0,4 seconds slower to the Cayman R and quicker than the rest. There's also a 3 page comparison to the M3 E92, and the concusion is "the M3 is an absolutely wonderful car, the 1M is even better" Wow that's what I've been waiting for.. Dede please scan or somebody who has a copy.. Source: ....
Surprising laptimes from EVO magazine. 1. Cayman 1.25.5 min 2. 1M, 1.25.9 min 3. 370Z 1.27.1 min 4. TTRS, 1.27.3 min
Car Enthusiast - | First Drive | Inverness, Scotland | BMW 1 Series M Coupé | Forget the 1 Series part of this car's name - mechanically it has more in common with the BMW M3. Yet it's quicker, purer, easier to exploit, very nearly as practical and £14,000 cheaper. BMW has essentially made a touring car, taken the stickers off and asked if you'd like to buy it. Phenomenal. The way BMW has stretched the wheel arches to accommodate the M3's wider track gives this short coupé a brilliantly nefarious aesthetic, whichever angle you see it from. M Division specifics like twin stalk mirrors - much mimicked - and quad tailpipes finish the job, rather than acting as the beginning and the end of the cosmetic overhaul. It really is an awesome looking thing. Inside is a little more conservative, but the 'one of 450' plate on the centre console, Alcantara dashboard trim and orange accent stitching distinguish it just enough from your average 123d Coupé. As ever, the driving position and pedal placement are spot on, and there's actually a lot more cabin space than you'd expect. There's no such thing as the perfect driving experience, but the 1 Series M Coupé so brilliantly satiates expectation that we have to give it full marks. For a start it's absolutely rapid, with the sort of propulsive savagery that even an M3 can't match. On the track the bigger car's V8 might just have the edge (the M3 is, officially 0.1 seconds quicker to 62mph), but everywhere else, the brute pick-up of this twin-turbo engine has it pummelled. It's more tractable than an M3 too. Sending the rear of the car to one side is as easy as mashing the throttle (especially in the switchable M Dynamic Mode, which loosens the rear LSD), but the short chassis means it feels that little bit less edgy, less eager to break away. The result is a car with a real purity of balance, but which can be pitched into corners almost like a hot hatch. Full Story: Car reviews | BMW 1 Series M Coup | First Drive: BMW 1 Series M Coup | by Car Enthusiast M
I have this issue in the mailbox, will not read it here! I'm guessing this review will be rather hard on the 1M, given the competition, but also very telling...
Amazing review. I'd love to have a drive of the 1M, no mistake. :t-cheers: I'll have to pick up a copy of this edition when I'm next in the UK.
There is also a 1M vs Cayman R in latest Autocar. From germancarforum.com 'In an impromtu side by side comparison starting at 1500 rpm it left the Porsche for dead. By the time the BMW limiter arrived it had opened up a 70/80 metre gap. And when we tried in fourth, fifth and sixth the gap grew wider' 'The amazing thing though is that the BMW can stay with the Cayman R across the Scottish highlands. It can live with the Porsche because it handles, rides, steers and stops just how an M car should' 'The Im pulls like a mad dog from pretty much any engine speed' They just give the nod to the Cayman R but it's so close. 'To quote It's a heck of a lot of car for the money the 1M' http://www.germancarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=535802
Winding Road | Driven: 2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe While the natural reaction is to compare the 1-Series M Coupe to the 135i, BMW has used the original E30 M3 as the inspiration for this car. It shares proportions with the 1988 M3, being just 4.8 inches wider and 1.3 inches longer, with a wheelbase 3 inches longer. Compared to the 135, it the 1M has the same wheelbase and slightly wider track (2.8 inches in front and 1.8 inches in the rear). It’s 11 pounds lighter than the 135i, at 3362 pounds. It borrows a lot of components from the current M3, including its aluminum rear subframe and suspension, centrifugal M variable differential lock, and nineteen-inch wheels. The visual changes to the exterior of the 1M Coupe from the 135i are refreshingly subtly. Most notable are the aerodynamic touches, the more widely flared fenders, quad tailpipes, and, of course, the M emblems. Inside, the interior is black leather with contrast stitching, and an Alcantara headliner. The gauge cluster is M-typical, and arches nicely and compactly above the steering column. There’s no moonroof, as BMW opted for the weight and space savings instead. Under the hood is an all-aluminum, directly injected, biturbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, producing 335 horsepower and, under normal driving conditions, 332 pound-feet of torque (the most powerful six ever put in an M car). Under high load at low revs, the car has an overboost feature, which briefly pumps torque output up to 369 pound-feet for a real kick in the pants. The engine delivers power beautifully, with lots of torque from the get-go, with plenty of on-demand power throughout the rev band. The car accelerates uphill with ease, and with such a forgiving powerband, being in the right gear is a secondary concern at best. Press the M button on the steering wheel if your looking for sharper acceleration, as the button’s sole function is remapping the throttle response. Leave it off if you’re trying to drive smoothly in the city (is that the helmet rolling around in the trunk?); otherwise, keep the M button poked in case of spontaneous self-expression through the art of easy speed. The engine sings a beautiful song as you drive. Not nearly as brutal as the demonic howling of the M3, the 1M is tuneful and melodic. At one point we got that special shivery feeling on a downshift into third gear at about 65 miles per hour, placing the tach needle near the 4000-rpm line. The smoothly reverberant exhaust note, held steady at that output, was like the sweet song of a siren. We were hooked. Later, at the track, we would get the opportunity to hear the car from a few hundred feet away at wide-open throttle, bringing to mind a stealth jet, not particularly loud or sonorous, but rich with massive amounts of moving air—a different character than that of the sound within the cabin, but thrilling nonetheless. The 1M is noticeably different from the 135i upon driving it. The motor pulls much harder, and torque is readily available all over the place. The addition of 35 horsepower and 32 pound-feet of torque make a worthwhile difference (as does the overboost), and help to give the M car a character befitting of a true sports car. The ride, too, feels more sporting than that of the 135, particularly because of the M3-derived tech in the chassis. Compared to the M3’s screaming 414-horsepower V-8, the 1M seems relatively subtle, and the car definitely feels lighter. With more torque and less weight than the M3, the 1-Series M doesn’t require the same high-revving heavy-footedness that its bigger brother demands. A pretty fine balance, if you ask us. The drive to and from Monticello took us along winding roads through the hilly, wooded area where your author’s Huguenot ancestry settled in the 18th century. Passing stone houses and fields of black soil nestled between meandering, green hillsides, we spent many miles getting to know BMW’s newest M car. Steering the car through turns, we felt an excellent sense of balance, with the car rotating evenly, and the tires sticking firmly to the road. The weighting of the tiller felt natural, and any lack of communication at the wheel was made up for by the clear sensations directed through the chassis. This 1-Series really felt like a true sports car. We could feel the road through the suspension, and it could be a bit jostling over broken pavement—just how we like it for a feeling of confidence when pushing the car hard and fast. Our seats held us in place through the turns, but we wouldn’t have minded some even more aggressive bolstering for our upper torso. That said, the ride and seating did a great job of negotiating the blend of a reasonable degree of comfort with that hard-edged racer feeling. Shifting felt good, with a natural weight and take-up to the clutch, and the shifter being very solid and precise. We could have enjoyed driving through this part of New York for many more hours, but eventually we reached the Monticello Motor Club. In the pit lane on the south course of Monticello (a ten-turn configuration using half of the full course), we donned our helmet and waited for the two M3s on hand to lead us around the track. After a couple laps getting to know the lay of the land, the track and the 1M were all ours. It took a few laps to really get the hang of the car, and we got a chance to play with some of the settings. Left to its own devices, the 1-Series M’s stability control will intervene quite readily when you start to break traction. We hit the M button on the steering wheel, and tapped the traction control button once for M Dynamic Mode, which allows for a little more wheel spin than standard. Then we were really flying. On a tight right-hander with a late apex, we pushed the car hard, accelerating out of the turn, and the 1M gripped harder than we expected, encouraging us to go faster. The tires sang through the bends, and the steering wheel kept the car headed precisely where aimed. We were surprised with the speed we were able to build between turns, and how much we could hold onto through them. Eventually, and more quickly than we’re used to, driving on the track became more one flowing operation rather than a series of individual turns. As we pushed the car ever harder, it never once threatened to lose its composure. The car was indeed faster than us, and it was clear that the potential for speed extended our confidence in our own abilities. We experienced remarkably neutral cornering, with almost no oversteer or understeer—just a controlled sideways pull as the tires fought (and won) for grip. For lap after hot lap. The brakes, which are borrowed from the M3 but are fighting against significantly less weight, are very strong, and allowed us to wait longer and brake harder before turns as we mustered the courage. Never did we feel the brakes begin to fade (thanks surely in part to being required to take a cool down-lap after every three laps). The instructors in their M3s could not say the same. Overall, we simultaneously felt both humbled and heroic, perhaps taking corners faster than we ever had, and yet not being able to truly challenge the limits of the 1M. Perhaps the only fault with the car we experienced on the track was that it was too good. It made speeds that would seem insane in another car feel completely sensible. Then we watched as a member of the BMW team took a few laps with the traction control completely turned off. Smoke rose from the tires at every corner, with some scary-to-watch twitches and adjustments being made as the car got real loose. Another journalist mentioned that, in hopes of getting his heart racing, he turned the nannies totally off for a couple laps. He reported the experience to be thrilling, yet intimidating enough that he probably drove slower than with the car in M Dynamic Mode. It seems that when the going gets too easy, the 1M has the ability to make them tough, if you’ve got the stones. The 1-Series M coupe starts at $46,135, and is only available with the six-speed manual transmission. It comes in three colors: Alpine White is available at no extra cost, and Valencia Orange and Black Sapphire Metallic tack on an extra $550. The black interior is the only interior, as BMW claims it to be the best to reduce glare for the driver. We recommend the Premium Package for $2400, if only for the power seats which make it easy to get your seating position precisely right for hard, three-pedal driving. That also comes with auto-dimming mirrors, lumbar support, Bluetooth, iPod adaptor, and ambient lighting. Also available is the Convenience Package for $2700, which includes navigation, rear park distance control, anti-theft alarm system, and the Comfort Access system, which allows you to keep the key fob in your pocket when driving. Stand-alone options include heated front seats, Harmon/Kardon surround sound, satellite radio, and BMW Apps. Overall, the BMW 1M Coupe is a great car to drive fast, especially if you’re not a hardcore racer. With forgiving driving dynamics and a safety net of non-invasive stability technology and lots of grip, it would make a great car for the track novice, or for those of us who have to get our kicks on public roads. More advanced drivers are going to like the effortless power and great handling capability, as well as the rear-drive, nanny-free antics of which the 1M is capable. Some people may dig the leather interior, xenon adaptive headlights, rain sensors, and slick M badges. We like it simply because it allows us to go really damned fast. VS: Chevrolet Corvette If you’re already spending $46K on a rear-drive sports car, a base Chevrolet Corvette is a pretty tempting option at just $3,000 more. That gets you a 430-horsepower V-8 and some serious American heritage. If you want raw power, that would be the way to go. If you want a bit more refinement, and the peace of mind that comes along with driving a grippy, great handling car that doesn’t feel like it’s trying to kill you (or if you have a driveway that that isn’t perfectly flat), definitely opt for the German. VS: Nissan 370Z Nismo For a tighter budget, the Nissan 370Z Nismo is a pretty compelling car at $40,580. Again, you’re going to have to enjoy very raw driving dynamics. The BMW just feels like the more complete package, and is less grueling to pilot at high speeds, particularly on real-world roads. Also, another thing the 1M offers that neither the Z nor the Vette do is a back seat. VS: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR The Evo rivals the 1M in terms of its ability to attack fast corners with composure, thanks in no small part to its sophisticated all-wheel drive system. Plus, it does the gravel and snow thing like a champ. Still compared to the 1M, the Evo is less powerful (at 291 horsepower), thirstier for fuel (17/22 mpg), and its ride is a lot less forgiving on broken pavement. Saving nearly ten grand isn’t so bad, if you don’t particularly crave the purity of the rear-drive, 6MT setup. 2012 1-Series M Coupe Engine: Biturbocharged inline-6, 3.0 liters, 24v Output: 335 hp/332 lb-ft (369 lb-ft with overboost) 0-60 MPH: 4.7 sec Top Speed: 155 mph* Weight: 3362 lb Fuel Economy, City/Hwy: 19/26 mpg Base Price: $46,135
BMW 1-series M - simple, raw and raucous... - Anything goes BMW 1-series M - simple, raw and raucous... Adaptive drive, integral active steering, driving dynamic control – who needs ‘em? There are just two buttons that alter the driving characteristics of the BMW M Coupe – one turns off the ESP and the other, mounted on the steering wheel, alters the throttle mapping of the 340bhp straight six, although the storm of torque stirred by its twin turbos is so swamping that you barely need it. Otherwise, this is a refreshingly straightforward car to drive. It’s a manual. It has manually adjusted seats, an unalterable setting for its dampers and a solitary map for its Servotronic steering. You just get in it, and drive. And if you’d planned to be somewhere in an hour, there’s a good chance that traffic permitting, you’ll be arriving well before that, because it’s hugely fast. Whatever the gear, whatever the revs, arcing that floor-mounted accelerator through a chunk of its travel will squish this BMW’s full-fat rubber into the tarmac for a solid assault on the space-time continuum. Dare to keep the throttle sunk, and the M gains momentum like avalanching snow. Deploying its power, then, is simple. Just as simple is the obediently assured way it deals with corners, and this despite the ever-growing temptation to deep-dip the accelerator, coupled to a surprising bounciness through scab-crested bends. Bounciness? Show it a small, jabbing walnut lump of a bump and this BMW squirms it away, just as it soaks up long, heaving crests. But launch it over anything in between, and it suspension jerks and checks in a way that has you wondering whether the road is going to fling you into a high-speed slither. Yet even with the ESP recklessly turned off, the tyres hang on no matter what the suspension fails to absorb. Fling it at a tight bend, though, and you’ll learn that the ESP, which intervenes with the subtlety of a seasoned diplomat, is a very necessary fitment. All of which gives us a car that is not quite as simple and unsophisticated as it seems. The engine is a paragon, its near diesel-like torque delivery perversely contriving to diminish its pleasures because you don’t have to work it to extract the go you need. And though the chassis is troubled by the kind of bumps that are what most British B roads are about, its trick linkages and those super-sized tyres allow the M Coupe to maintain a surprising grip on things. It has good steering too, whose feedback you’d feel even more of were the wheel’s rim not so absurdly thick. But the suspension fields a curious, velvet crudity, proving quiet and mightily grippy but short of the supple panache of a Cayman or an Evora. So though electronically stripped for simplicity, this Motorsport machine falls short of delivering the ultimate in rewards, because its engine is almost too able, because its damping lacks subtlety and because it doesn’t demand enough of its driver to go fast. Simplicity is great – but we need more engagement, too.
2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe Full Test and Video It's here, on Willow Springs Raceway, the self-proclaimed "Fastest Road in the West," that our mind begins to wander. Even though we're ripping through Turn 8 at 121 mph in the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe, it's hard to concentrate. "Are these wheels forged?" "Did I lock the house this morning? "Only one day until the rapture? Really?" "Man, this thing has a lot of grip." The last thought hangs around for awhile, mainly because it's this car's grip — more than any other M car — that defines it. We're not surprised, as it wears the same set of Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires included in the M3's Competition package. More importantly, those four generously sized contact patches support only 3,346 pounds, about 210 fewer than an M3 Coupe. BMW says the M3 represents everything the company understands about driving dynamics. But the 1 Series M Coupe is half M3 — utilizing not only its tires but also its suspension hardware, brakes, steering rack and more. Its attitude, however, is different. Still, this is a proper M car. Subjective Feel By now you probably know the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe shares its engine with the Z4 sDrive35is convertible — a machine so poorly named we often forget it exists. But the engine's source and origins are far less important than its numbers and its influence over the M's chassis. Here the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 is rated at 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, which is sent through a six-speed manual transmission only. Also, because big surges of torque are quite enjoyable, the M-specific engine calibration allows a 5-7-second overboost. Our own internal testing shows it's quite effective. The question, given the numbers at hand and the hardware at work, isn't whether the 1 Series M Coupe is a proper M car, but rather how does it stack up against the M car — the current-generation M3? When it comes to sheer perception, the littlest M gives up nothing. In fact, some purists — particularly those who have been whining about the M3's curb weight since it first hit Internet forums — will likely find the M Coupe to be the perfect compromise. Driving the two cars back to back on the 2.5-mile Willow Springs road course, there's little difference in peak speeds on the circuit's front straight. M3 Heart Although the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe utilizes the M3's aluminum subframes, control arms and links, it lacks that car's Electronic Damping Control. In its place are conventional (aluminum) dampers. BMW, however, refuses to release any information about the M Coupe's spring rates or additional chassis stiffness. There are new gussets surrounding the shock towers under the hood, and the lack of a sunroof no doubt stiffens its chassis relative to the standard 1 Series cars, where it's standard equipment. The 1M also shares the M3's steering rack, which at 12.5:1 is among the quickest-ratio racks on any production car today. Combine that with the M Coupe's 104.7-inch wheelbase (4 inches shorter than the M3) and this car is, well, lively. And by lively we mean reactive, snappy, punchy and fun. There's even an "M" button on the steering wheel, but on the Coupe it only bumps up throttle response. It's a concentrated dose of M3. Drink plenty of water. A Unique Machine Driving the M Coupe on one of the country's fastest road courses didn't tell us much about its best properties. Those we discovered later, as they're best explored below 80 mph. This car's explosiveness out of low-speed corners is as fun as it is frantic. It leaps from tight-radius bends as violently as any two-wheel-drive car we've ever driven. It's very controllable, but it's not for beginners. This coupe reacts quickly. It's the only car that's ever made us want to autocross. With all its wide-bodied, fat-tired, short-wheelbase torquey-ness, the 1M is perfectly suited to slipping between cones on the clock. It might even make that lame form of parking lot racing fun. Objective Data At the track, our subjective impressions are rapidly verified as the M brand's little hammer pumps out big numbers. Sixty mph disappears in 4.6 seconds (4.4 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like at a drag strip) and the quarter-mile is gone in 13.0 seconds at 107.7 mph. That's identical to the last M3 Coupe we tested to 60 mph and only two-tenths slower in the quarter-mile. But the real story, the one that should make you plead for this car, is the way it handles. It's the kind of intuitive-feedback, butt-connected-to-the-contact patch sort of feeling we wish were available in everything we drive. And it's immensely fun. Given the N54's propensity to pump out huge waves of torque, the relatively short wheelbase and the M3's viscous limited-slip differential, there's a sense of necessary hoonery built into the 1M. Around the skid pad, this means there's no problem steering with the throttle. And the gap between the limit of grip and limit of control is a big one. Go ahead, slide it all you want; that's what it's for. Keep the rear wheels behind the fronts and it will produce an impressive 0.96g — better than the M3 (0.95g). Slalom speed, at 71.4 mph is similarly impressive, although not quite as good as the M3 (73.3). Braking from 60 to zero, given the M Coupe's M3 brakes (14.2-inch two-piece rotors and huge sliding calipers up front) is an effortless endeavor. Heat capacity and feel are appropriate for a genuine performance car. Oh, and it stops in only 106 feet — a foot shorter than the M3. Other Details BMW has figured out the key to making a relatively Spartan interior look appropriately unique. A large part of the secret is the utter lack of reflective materials. Yes, there's a satin-finish bezel here and there but this is largely a matte-finish interior. The special part comes from Alcantara suede on the shifter and parking brake boots as well as on the doors, dash insert and instrument panel shade. Black Boston leather is the only finish available on the 14-way adjustable seats, which along with the Alcantara bits are stitched in orange — a small detail that is tastefully striking. There's also a thick-rimmed, leather-covered steering wheel that seems perfect for directing this angry little pug. The Deal BMW tells us it plans to sell only 1,000 M Coupes in the U.S. this year. It's likely there will never be more. They start at $47,010 including destination fees, which might seem steep until one realizes that it offers performance on par with an M3 for about $10 grand less. Our test car, fitted with heated seats, Valencia Orange paint and the $2,400 Premium package, rings up a $49,585 bill. Gripes? There are few. The engine lacks the character of most M cars. Yes, it's powerful and amply responsive and probably telling of the powertrains to come in future M vehicles. Still, this isn't the raw, instant, shrill explosion of sound and revs we've become accustomed to from BMW M cars. But it certainly gets the job done. The 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is what purist drivers want: predictable, responsive, powerful and lighter than the only car it was benchmarked against: the M3. And after 33 laps at Willow and 350 street miles, our wandering mind has reached the following conclusions: The M Coupe's wheels are not forged, we locked the house and the whole idea of the rapture is ridiculous. Oh, and the M Coupe's grip? Yes, it has more than we ever imagined. And it is good.
Pretty good review there, though I am left wondering if they didn't use the M button for the 0 - 60 time. 5.1 secs doesn't flatter.
[scans] Automobilismo - BMW 1M (FULL TEST) Real power: 350 hp / 5910 rpm Real torque: 493 Nm / 1950 rpm Weight: 1526 kg Vmax.: 259 km/h (limited) 0-50 km/h: 2,0 s 0-100 km/h: 4,7 s 0-130 km/h: 7,1 s 400 m: 12,9 s (178 km/h) 1 km: 23,4 s (224 km/h) Flexibility (80-120 km/h) in 5th / 6th gear: 5,1 s / 6,7 s Braking (100-0 km/h): 35,1 m :t-cheers:
