The BMW 1 Series is the entry level for anyone who has BMW aspirations but a budget that’s somewhat restricted. You can slip into a 1 Series Sports Hatch for as little as $39,000 plus dealer and on-road costs or if you want something a little sportier than you can be in the 125i Coupe for as little as $55,600 plus on-roads.
But if your wallet can handle the sticker shock then there’s an even better BMW 1 Series coming … the BMW 1 Series M Coupe … and it will set you back around $99,000 plus on-roads. For that price you’re going to get something very special and not something that every other upcoming exec will be driving.
In fact, in Australia, there’s only going to be 100 of these units offered for sale and they are going to be in demand because this isn’t just any 1 Series Coupe … this according to BMW is history in the making.
Based on BMW’s highly-successful 1 Series Coupé, the BMW M car gains a wider stance with sculpted, flared wheel arches. The body work is 55 mm wider than a 135i M Sport and accommodates a wider front and rear track (front: +71mm, rear: +44mm) and the standard 19-inch M light-alloy wheels in Y spoke design (front: 9J 245/35, rear: 10J 265/35). Other trademark BMW M design motifs include M side ‘gills’ and quad exhausts.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupé features an in-line 6 cylinder engine with not one but two exhaust turbo chargers of identical size. Based on BMW’s multi award-winning three-litre engine, this BMW M power plant sees an increase in engine output to 250kW. 450 Nm of torque is available from just 1500 rpm, with an additional 50 Nm on tap by means of an overboost function.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupé sprints to 100km per hour in just 4.9 seconds. In case you missed that just let me say it again … the BMW 1 Series M Couple will slam you into your seat as it takes you to 100km/h in under 5 seconds.
Now if you’re going to drive a car like this one you probably aren’t going to be too worried about fuel consumption but just in case you are Fuel saving technologies from BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology stable, all of which are standard on the BMW 1 Series M Coupé, include brake energy regeneration, high precision injection and needs-based control of auxiliary units.
Combined fuel consumption is 9.6 litres over 100 kms, and CO2 emissions are a mere 224 grams per kilometre.
A newly developed six-speed transmission has been specially designed to interact with the high torque engine, yet weighs just 43 kilograms, making it far lighter than conventional transmissions.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupé comes with a variable M differential lock on the rear axle as standard. With up to 100% locking power, drive torque is distributed as required and offers maximum acceleration when exiting a corner.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupé features BMW M’s trademark ‘M Dynamic Mode’, which is activated through a button on the instrument panel. This ensures that DSC interventions occur later but with greater impact. M Dynamic Mode enables exceptional handling through corners and allows drivers to fully exploit the car’s perfect chassis balance.
As you might expect in a car worth $99,000 there aren’t many options because just about everything but the hot babe in the passenger seat is standard.
The interior features fully electric sports seats trimmed in black ‘Boston’ leather with orange contrast stitching. Alcantara trim, also with orange contrast stitching, is appears throughout the cabin, including the instrument panel scoop, handbrake and gear shift gaiters, dashboard and doors.
Standard equipment features include adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights, LED rear lights, automatic climate control, 300 watt 10-speaker harman/kardon surround sound system, Professional navigation system including voice control, high resolution 8.8-inch display and 12 GB memory for audio files, internet functionality and a remote alarm system.
The car also features an upgraded version of Bluetooth connectivity, which in combination with compatible mobile phones allows occupants to access e-mails, calendars, task lists and SMS messages on the high resolution display while the vehicle is stationary. The car can also read these aloud via the audio speakers using the narrator function when on the move.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupé is available in three exterior paint finishes. Alpine White non-metallic is standard and customers can choose from two metallic options, Sapphire Black or Valencia Orange, which is unique to this model.
And if this is the car of your dreams then you have until June 2011 to arrange the finance because that’s when the BMW 1 Series M Coupe hits the showrooms here in Australia.
