BMW 1 Series 2012 Review

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.

VALUE

At $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.

TECHNOLOGY

The 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.

DESIGN

BMW 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.

SAFETY

How 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. 

DRIVING

The 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 COUPE

Price: $99,900 plus on-road costs
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol
Outputs: 250kW at 5900rpm and 450Nm at 1500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive