martinbo
Staff member
We’ve all heard about the BMW 1M Coupé racking up the accolades but what about getting to actually own one? Well, one of our members has recently taken delivery of this rather special car. Read on…
BMW’s 1M Coupé is no stranger to automotive aficionados and so much has already been said, written and filmed about this automotive performance icon. The car has received rave reviews from all quarters; from customers to motoring scribes to various industry professionals – the 1M Coupé has earned universal praise from even the most customarily critical types out there. When GCF member ghusheshe* gave us the heads up last week that he was soon to take delivery of his brand new BMW 1M Coupé, I knew the occasion had the potential for a get-together and ensuing write-up but I was uncertain about what I was going to write. I mean, what more can be said about the 1M Coupé that hasn’t been said already? More after the jump...
I needn’t have fretted as this is instead a story about the determination and persistence of a quietly passionate German Car Fan. The BMW 1M Coupé remains a rare animal – in spite of BMW increasing the original global allocation from 2700 units to match demand levels until production ceases in June 2012 – and even if you’ve got the means, getting your hands on one is an increasingly unlikely prospect these days. Make that nigh-impossible. The message that various South African BMW dealers were conveying to Vincent – that’s ghusheshe’s real name – was that his quest for M motoring nirvana was futile. They underestimated his resolve, however, and he persisted. Vincent made umpteen phone calls and even wrote letters such was his determination. One can thus imagine his delight when BMW SA informed Vincent that a 1M Coupé had been allocated to him. It’s a classic moral-of-the-story of knowing what you want and then having the patient resolve to go and get it.
I simply leapt at the opportunity to meet with Vincent following his kind invitation to hook up at the dealer whereupon he would take delivery of his new baby. It’s always a privilege to meet with real people from this online community that have randomly assembled as a result of one common interest: their passion and appreciation of cars. As I enthused to Vincent over an eventful lunch: it doesn’t matter what car you drive. What’s important is that genuine car fans recognise the fundamental importance and impact these mechanical oddities have on our very lives. For me, some of my most vivid memories – both good and bad – wouldn’t exist without the influence of the humble automobile. It goes beyond mere transportation – this is about personal liberation, freedom and being enabled to see more of the world, to be with people you care about more of the time and to experience life more completely. It’s an immense privilege to be a motorist and this notion is certainly not lost upon Vincent whose own passion and interest comes quickly to the fore in spite of his calm and reserved disposition.
Vincent is a quiet chap – he even refers to himself as being an introvert – but this makes him no less engaging over a good club sandwich and a robust chat about cars (I think motor-mouth here bent his ear a little to be honest). We had a grand old time getting to know a little bit more about each other, often sharing a laugh at the shenanigans over here at GCF. But there’s no fooling this investment banker; he’s astute, analytical and needless to say, well educated. I have to admit – I hadn’t realised how quietly insightful he was given his equally reserved online persona. He’s a great guy – simple as that.
In an interesting contrast, Vincent’s Valencia Orange 1M Coupé is no shrinking violet. I see more Porsche 911s in one day than I do 1Ms in a month and there’s no denying that, in the tin, this car has exceptional presence – easily as much as a regular version of Zuffenhausen’s finest. And I’m chuffing jealous. There, I admitted it. Vincent and I spent a fair bit of time taking in the 1M’s butch stance and macho proportions. Boy, it really is going to be a special collectable in later years! Vincent’s had some photographs taken which he’s kindly offered to share with us. I’m sure that you’ll join GCF’s staff in wishing him everything of the best and many, many safe miles in his special new machine.
So, how was the weekend as an owner of a new BMW 1M Coupé? I’ll leave that to Vincent, though I can tell you that the weekend was far too short!
Martin
GermanCarForum.com
* P.S. ghusheshe is a local township nickname given to the much-revered E30 BMW 325iS which was engineered solely for the South African market in the absence of the E30 M3 which never made it to our shores.
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. Thanks for sharing your experience with Vincent and all of us.
