2012 BMW 1M Reviews

BMW Australia managing director Phil Horton regards the 1 Series M Coupe (let's just call it the M1, shall we?) as an "instant classic." "This is a return to what BMW has always done best: building the perfectly balanced sports coupe". With the last of the current M3s bellowing into the sunset - there will be no more of the naturally aspirated breed - the M division looked at the 135i coupe and decided there was scope for extra muscle.VALUEAt $99,900, a $25,000 price hike, the M1 gets an extra 25kW and 100Nm from the twin-turbo six-cylinder powerplant. The torque is delivered via a 700rpm wider rev range. There's also a stack of drivetrain and suspension tweaks.The M1's kit includes a 10-speaker sound system (up from six), 19-inch alloy wheels from the M3 Competition pack (up from the 135i Sport's 18-inchers), iPod input (the 135i has a USB), insulated windows and active bi-xenon headlights .There's also (crucially) the locking rear diff, beefier brakes (drilled and grooved) with the energy recovery system. Only three hues are available - black metallic, white non-metallic and the signature Valencia orange. Options are few for a BMW. There are keyless entry and start, high-beam auto-dipping, front seat heating and a six-CD changer in the boot.TECHNOLOGYThe inline six's twin turbos are small units that spin up quickly to minimise lag. The M1 also recovers its braking energy to reduce load on the power generation side of the engine and keep the battery charged up.The six-speed transmission has been designed not only to keep weight down (it weighs 43kg) but also to cope with that tidal wave of torque. Another thing that gives the lie to BMW's refusal to officially call this the "M1" is that is the M cars' variable rear differential is standard.This is an item for which the 135i Sport always cried out. Proper M cars get it and it's great for putting down maximum drive as you shoot out of a corner. The little coupe also gets the one-button party piece - M Dynamic Mode - which puts the electronic nannies to sleep, giving you more scope for amusement while retaining some electronic back-up if exuberance writes cheques that ability can't cash.DESIGNBMW says the M1 is the shortest and the flattest M car yet; its wide, muscular stance is emphasised by flared guards, quad exhausts and enlarged air intakes. For the first time in series production, the M1 gets a clever design for the side air intakes called "air curtains," which improve air flow around the wheel arches.With its long snout, stumpy rump, squat stance and flared guards, the M1's not pretty in the conventional sense, but it certainly has presence. The four-seater cabin gets leather and alcantara trim and its power-adjustable sports seats have contrasting stitching.SAFETYHow about multi-mode stability control, anti-lock brakes with cornering assist, disc-dry, fade-control and emergency braking systems and that M diff lock? There are TC airbags and active bi-xenon headlights. Spare tyre? Sorry run flats have to suffice. DRIVINGThe appearance is anything but false advertising. Its flared wheel arches, impossibly wide wheel tracks front and rear and quad exhaust pipes scream pocket rocket. The $25,000 premium over the 135i is a solid hike but all the M extras give it a road stance and a planted nature that inspires confidence behind the wheel.Dark and demure, the snug cabin is straightforward by comparison to some M-cars. The switchgear is far less confusing than the outgoing M5, for example. The satnav screen is broad and clear, as are the speedometer and tachometer. The pedals are close-set and a little to the right of where they would ideally be.Even the M button onthe steering wheel is less complex, with BMW limiting the variable functions. The sports seats are comfortable, with excellent lateral support (particularly in the backrest) and the rim of the big M steering wheel has a rim thickness that is nearly too much, even for my large mitts thick. In some ways, it is a more relaxed beast through traffic, even with no automated gearbox, something  BMW doesn't see as a handicap to sales. As 200 will find homes here, there's no reason to doubt it. Gearchanges can be as numerous or rare as you desire. The tsunami of torque  from the twin-turbo six gives its drivetrain such a relaxed demeanour. Road speed is never in doubt, given the outputs and the lithe kerb weight - a millisecond of lag is followed by unearthly acceleration and a muted but attractive (for a turbo) soundtrack. The gearshift is a clean, short and direct selection process, but no matter which ratio, the surge is strong. The largely aluminium suspension, donated by the M3, takes some sharpness from road ruts and bumps, but seriously ruffled roads will cause some consternation. The M1 suffers a little on the wrong road and could cause all manner of trouble for the driver on the right road. A stint on a racetrack is just the thing to make sense of the car - this is where it all falls into place.Its chunky low-profile rubber is in its element, turning in deftly and fighting manfully to maintain the desired line. Up to a very swift point, there's composure, excellent body control and plenty of information through the steering to keep the driver informed. Channel the extremes of outputs through the rear end and the stability control (even in snooze mode) has some complaints about the engine's desire to destroy the rear tyres. BMW chief driving instructor Geoff Brabham demonstrated what happens when the electronics are sacked and the rear tyres (and the tricky rear diff) fend for themselves. The coupe will wiggle its bum wantonly but the never-flustered Brabham had no trouble reining in the rear.VERDICT This is the car that BMW wants to bring the young and young-at-heart into the M fold, sneaking in under $100,000 and promising purist, traditional thrills - front engine, rear drive, manual gearbox, attitude and the muscles to back it up - and you can still stick rugrats in the back and  gear in the boot.A firecracker you'd drive every day if you could.BMW 1 SERIES M COUPEPrice: $99,900 plus on-road costsEngine: 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrolOutputs: 250kW at 5900rpm and 450Nm at 1500rpmTransmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Someone in the executive corridors of BMW rejoices in the deliciously James Bondesque title of head of M. That's the loose English translation, of course; in German it's a long word with at least 20 consonants.But it would have to be one of the most coveted jobs in the company because they get to sign off on cars that have become synonymous with desirability and performance. M is BMW's tuner division, responsible for hotted-up versions of its mainstream models. It has been around for 40 years and began life as the company's motorsport specialist. But it cut its retail teeth on the M3 and M5, fast versions of the 3 Series and 5 Series. The original M3, from 1986, is still hailed as a landmark and each new version eagerly awaited.But the 3 Series has grown through the years and today's M3 is as big as the first M5. So a few years ago BMW introduced a 1 Series, which by 2007 included a Coupe. It's the least-odd looking of the 1 Series variants and has been crying out for the M treatment.VALUEHappily, that car has now arrived. BMW says the 1 Series M Coupe revives the recipe that made the original M3 so successful: light weight, two doors, just the right amount of power and a focus on dynamic ability. There's a fair bit of spin in that picture, of course. In reality, even the 1 Series M Coupe is bigger and heavier than the 1986 car. But it does two things remarkably well.First, it delivers on the promise of performance and handling. And, second, it lowers the price of entry for this level of performance. Nothing else with a sub-$100,000 price offers four seats, luxury fittings and a 0-100km/h time below five seconds or 4.9 to be exact. That puts it in Porsche territory, but it's substantially cheaper than a Cayman. And although the Audi TT RS is quicker, it's another $37,000.DESIGNIn other respects, it's a sports car you could live with. There are rear seats and a 370-litre boot. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, the steering wheel meaty and BMW dials are among the best. There's no evidence of BMW's previous cabin missteps and the Alcantara trim with contrast stitching could come from something more expensive. BMW has even cut its usually punitive options list and fitted a decent level of kit, including sat nav, alarm, and Harman Kardon sound.If you can live with the restricted colour palette - white, black or orange - the 1 M may stop some buyers looking for a used M3. A new M3 is another $55,000.TECHNOLOGYThe 1 M engine is already familiar from the Z4 35is roadster: This direct-injection twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six revs to 7000rpm and has an overboost function that helps achieve its impressive acceleration. It also delivers maximum torque from just 1500rpm so it's driveable around town.There's little turbo lag to speak of, but sometimes between 2000-3000rpm the turbos give a little shove to an otherwise linear power delivery. The only transmission is a six-speed manual with a sweet action and a third gear that copes with everything from 40km/h dawdling through to a 150km/h blatt.DRIVEWhere conditions allow, of course - which in this case was the Broadford circuit in Victoria, BMW was shrewd enough to line up a 135i for laps as well. The 135i starts about $25,000 below the 1 M and, with the right options, has almost as much power. It's a terrific car on the road, but driven back-to-back against the new car shows just what the M division can do.The 1 M is a delight on the track and immediately inspires confidence with its composure. The front just grips and follows the steering line, then it stays impressively flat and balanced. By comparison, the 135i felt too willing to understeer and a little rattled by Broadford's off-camber corners. It had the power -- it was boosted to 240kW, just 10kW shy of the 1 M - but couldn't exploit it with the same authority.The suspension on the 1 M comes from the M3 and the wheel arches have been widened to fit the wider track. There's a differential lock on the rear axle and within 19-inch alloys the brakes are bigger too. On most cars, the brakes are one of the first things to pack up on a track. Here, their stopping power held up well even though they eventually shuddered and got noisy.But the 1 M was fine for the return road trip and showed no signs of wear. Its taut nature is obvious the minute you get behind the wheel and usually this goes hand-in-hand with an unbearably firm ride. The ride is firm in the 1 M but wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. The M division disdains the runflat tyres BMW fits to regular cars, and this has undoubtedly helped.But BMW has a knack of tuning suspensions so they take the sharp edges off road irregularities, making them tolerable even when they jolt the car. And it has done it again here.VERDICTIt's a busy drive, with lots of little movements through the steering wheel, seat and chassis, but not raw. In fact, it's part of what makes it an entertaining car. One drawback day-to-day may be the engine noise, which is more appealing than most turbocharged units but can drone at a constant highway speed.But why the convoluted name and not just M1? Because that monicker belongs to the first M model from 1978 - a revered supercar. The modern incarnation of that will be worth waiting for.BMW 1 SERIES M COUPEPrice: $99,900 plus on-road costsEngine: 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrolOutputs: 250kW at 5900rpm and 450Nm at 1500rpmTransmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive