There has been a string of teaser releases concerning the introduction of a new M car as BMW goes about whetting the appetite of every performance junkie on the planet. A few square metres of lacy-pattern decaling on the lower-body of a handful of 1 Series Coupé prototypes has had only marginal disguising effect on what is clearly a wider, longer, meaner 135i. A few months back I had the privilege of sitting in the passenger of one of the test mules for a quick lap of the demanding Ascari circuit in Southern Spain – see the September issue of CAR magazine – but now I have gone one better… Yes, actually driving one of the prototypes, this time on the roads around Scheyern in Germany, which is not far from BMW’s headquarters in Munich.
Riding shotgun at Ascari, I was amazed at the obvious dynamic capability of the car. Now that I have managed to personally dabble in the 250-plus kW performance potential, I can testify that it is all that I hoped for – and then some. Under the bonnet, the company’s famed 3,0-litre in-line six boasts (boosts?) twin turbochargers and is mated with a six-speed manual gearbox, and powertrains do not get much better than this. Third gear will take you from walking pace to white-knuckle excitement with such linear prowess it simply boggles the mind. The target 0-100 km/h time is sub-five seconds – even if only by a fraction – and as the final engine spec has still to be finalised, who would bet on BMW not achieving its aim? An ‘M button’ will alter the engine ECU’s mapping slightly, but that is all. The ‘gentleman’s agreement’ 250 km/h limited top speed is likely to still apply, though, but enthusiasts know that this is not the be-all, end-all of “sheer driving pleasure”.
Tractability is amazing, the car putting down its torque with remarkable composure. Looking underneath, it looks like a trick diff is partially responsible for the confidence-inspiring dynamics, not forgetting the 19-inch rubberware – 245/35 up front, 265/35 at the back, on wheel tracks widened by something approaching 80 mm. Big ventilated discs do a reassuring job of retardation when the going becomes demanding.
Other than the more aggressive nose, flared wheelarches and (most likely) a quartet of exhaust pipes, there will be little to distinguish the 1 M from its 135i Coupé sibling – note there will not be a hatchback version of the next M powerhouse. The lack of ostentation, coupled with only the most necessary of modern driver aids, adds to the car’s appeal as it goes some way to reviving the original M Division’s aim of providing pure performance in its simplest, purest form.
Oh, and forget the car being badged M1: it simply will not happen. The original 1979 mid-engined M1 supercar is an icon – the first BMW M car, in fact – so its status will not be lost in a production car progression. But mark my words, the 1 Series M Coupé WILL carve a niche for itself, not only in BMW folklore, but in the annals of exceptional driving machines.
Read the December issue of CAR magazine – on sale 21 November – for a more detailed driving impression and further images.
