Old school. This may seem an odd way to describe BMW’s newest M monster, the 1 Series M Coupe (let’s call it 1M for short), but this little tyke is positively retro in a number of respects.
For starters, it’s got a full manual gearbox – an increasingly rare find in a new high-performance car. No optional dual-clutch or semi-auto, no steering-mounted paddles – this is a traditional transmission for those who love working a lever and a set of three pedals.
Also, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is rear-drive only. It is bereft of any form of air suspension or adjustable damping, relying instead on good old coil springs and fixed-setting dampers. As a statement of this car’s back-to-basics, purist philosophy, you cannot get more emphatic than that.
No-nonsense cockpit has the essentials for quick driving on the road or racetrack, such as sporty sitting position, supportive seats and purposeful pilot’s controls.
It also looks decidedly naughty. The compact, notchback two-door body of the standard 1 Series is very unusual these days (more retro cues here) and to that pert, stubby shape the BMW 1 Series M Coupe adds a deep, aggressively scooped front airdam, equally pronounced side skirts and rear valance, and quadruple exhaust pipes as a statement of intent.
But the BMW 1 Series M Coupe’s standout feature (literally) is a set of fender blisters so extreme, it’s difficult to believe they left the factory as they were.
There’s a reason for those crazily distended arches – they are needed to house the BMW 1 Series M Coupe’s massively widened tracks, the consequence of this car having adopted, almost wholesale, the M3’s chassis components.
That’s right, the 1M uses key M3 hardware, including suspension arms, brakes and the entire rear axle and differential. It’s essentially got the M3’s underpinnings, but on a 100mm shorter wheelbase.
Multiple functions of the grippy steering wheel include an M button that sharpens the engine’s throttle response and soundtrack.
Contributing further to the seriously squat, Tonka Toy effect are oversized 19-inch rims, identical in style to the iconic items on the E46 M3 CSL. They look fantastic but, more importantly, also deliver a subliminal message that the BMW 1 Series M Coupe represents a resurrection of the CSL’s performance-focused spirit.
This spirit is also evident in the cabin, which is minimalist; spartan if you will. The necessary switchgear and controls are all there, but the dashboard isn’t cluttered with pop-out cupholders, buttons and electronic gadgets. In classic BMW style, the instrumentation is simplicity itself – just two large gauges showing speed and revs, with fuel and engine temperature sub-dials inset into their lower quadrants.
The cabin is cosy in an almost old-fashioned way – fairly narrow, with limited rear legroom. Even the windscreen is relatively upright, its IU within easy reach and not a stretch away like with many of today’s cars. Unlike some other coupes, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is a proper four-seater, just not a spacious one.
Short-throw 6-speed manual gearbox gives the BMW 1 Series M Coupe driver more control over the drive.
Visibility is good, while cabin fittings are solid and tastefully simple. Everything from the seats to the dashboard to the ceiling is a tasteful charcoal grey, and the only hint of adornment is a sliver of Alcantara across the fascia, subtly accentuated by orange stitching. It’s a clean, elegant interior.
The engine starts with a keen bark and settles into a loud, busy idle. The clutch and gearshift are fairly hefty, the gear lever in particular needing a decisive hand to slot into first. The message here is clear: This is a potent performer that demands your full attention to operate, not something you’d casually steer one-handed and with your brain half-engaged.
Its clutch pedal is offset slightly to the right to clear the transmission tunnel (but not by enough to be a bother), while the gearbox is short of throw and very positive. Low-speed gearchanges are deliberate and cannot be rushed, but as speeds rise the gears become more fluid and the lever can be flicked, lightning-quick, between ratios.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe isn’t powered by a bespoke M engine, but a modified version of the sweet-spinning turbocharged 3-litre straight-6 already used in the BMW 135i as well as other models such as the 335i and 535i.
It has ditched the usual twin-scroll turbo for a twin-turbo setup, and develops a vigorous 340bhp and 450Nm of torque from 1500 to 4500rpm (rising to a whopping 500Nm for a few seconds on overboost).
On its part, the engine’s mainstream roots are not an issue because it’s an excellent powerplant – very punchy and virtually lag-free. It pulls urgently from as low as 1000rpm and has a deliciously elastic delivery, with massive muscle between 2000 and 5000rpm.
Engineers of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe have hijacked the powerful brakes and awesome suspension of the current BMW M3, and they work brilliantly in this car.
There is crushing punch, which allows the car to catapult out of corners and gives it terrific overtaking ability, all the while accompanied by the most enthralling exhaust bellow. The 0-100km/h century sprint is covered in less than 5 seconds, but it’s the engine’s instant wallop that is most memorable.
You are rev-limited to 7000rpm, and while the engine hits that figure without complaint, there isn’t much to be gained from taking it past 6000rpm – it’s better to change up and revel in that mighty mid-range.
In this sense, it’s a world apart from the high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 in the M3, which absolutely thrives on revs and delivers its best when howling to its 8400rpm redline. And the BMW 1 Series M Coupe’s throttle response, while rapid for a turbo engine, cannot quite match the razor-like magic of the M3’s unit.
With 340bhp and 450Nm, the power of this turbocharged 3-litre matches that of the E46 M3 – and the torque is greater.
While you do miss out on the sheer ferocity of the M3’s top-end kick, it’s the smaller BMW 1 Series M Coupe that feels more urgent in real-world, cut-and-thrust conditions.
Around corners, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is simply sensational. Swivel that thick-rimmed wheel and the car just chucks itself into the bend with seemingly no roll, gripping stoutly and feeling utterly planted thanks to those squat, fat tracks.
The steering is quick-geared and linear, and its meaty weighting feels just right at these speeds. Dial down the traction and stability control with a prod of the dash-mounted button and the tail gets more mobile, squirming under hard acceleration and ready to boot itself out of line if you give it too much throttle mid-bend.
Disable the BMW 1 Series M Coupe’s stability control to wriggle the rear end at will, which makes the little monster even more fun to tame during tarmac attacks.
For such a small car, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe isn’t particularly light at a shade under 1.6 tonnes, but it feels lithe and, on tight switchbacks, delightfully nippy.
An M3 equipped with Competition Pack suspension probably turns in with a fraction more front-end immediacy, but the BMW 1 Series M Coupe runs it very close indeed, and its shorter wheelbase gives it a dartier, more playful feel once the nose has started to change direction.
When you need to slow things down, the brakes – big vented and cross-drilled items (taken straight off the M3, don’t forget) – are tremendously strong, and the pedal action is reassuringly firm and progressive.
Standard satellite navigation system indicates the nearest winding roads.
Given its rock-steady, roll-free cornering, you’d expect the BMW 1 Series M Coupe’s ride to be ultra-stiff. Indeed it is rigid, thudding and jiggling on really bad surfaces and generally feeling very, very tightly wound.
But to its credit, it never turns harsh or crashy, and it’s fantastic on smoother, more flowing roads, keeping a tight rein on body movements when negotiating severe undulations and allowing the car to maintain a perfect stride even over imperfect tarmac.
The absence of adjustable damping makes the BMW 1 Series M Coupe pretty unique among high-end sporting cars these days, but it’s a well-judged setup, exhibiting a heavy sporting bias without the penalty of a ridiculously hard ride.
It even proves itself as a relaxed cruiser. All that torque has allowed BMW to fit tall gearing, and at 100km/h in sixth gear, the engine is purring at a mere 2000rpm.
Since this is smack in its maximum-torque plateau, a huge surge of acceleration requires no more than a twitch of your right ankle. The car does like a drink, though – BMW quotes over 10km per litre on the combined cycle, but I averaged about 6.5km per litre in a two-day mix of hurried and moderate driving. A lighter right foot would no doubt have improved things, but the factory figure still looks optimistic.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is nowhere near as complete a fast car as big brother M3, but the baby of BMW’s M division is every bit as capable of putting a grin on your face – even more, perhaps, if you factor in its outlandish looks.
It’s the antithesis of the modern performance car – instead of impressing with mind-boggling techno-wizardry, it prioritises driver involvement, and in doing so delivers a purer and more honest yet utterly ballistic driving experience.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is a hearty, handy performer that brings the curtain down on the outgoing BMW 1 Series with an almighty bang.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe’s short production run ends in November 2011, and the initial local allocation is all spoken for. Slap down your cheque at Munich Auto and with some luck, they might be able to sneak another one in for you.
At nearly $300,000 with COE, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is expensive, no question about that, but the odds are that it’s set to become an all-time classic. As it stands, I’ve already become a big fan of the littlest M.
BMW 1 Series M Coupe 3.0
ENGINE 2979cc, 24-valves, inline-6, turbocharged
MAX POWER 340bhp at 5900rpm
MAX TORQUE 450Nm at 1500-4500rpm (500Nm on overboost)
GEARBOX 6-speed manual
0-100KM/H 4.9 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h (governed)
CONSUMPTION 10.4km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $300,000 (approximate)
Check out the BMW M2, the successor to the BMW 1 Series M Coupe
