The tease has been agonising, to say the least, but BMW have finally released the official details on their new 1 Series M Coupe after tormenting us with the trickle of information they kept releasing to whet our appetites without actually giving away much.
It has been known though that motivation will come from the twin-turboed 3-liter straight six, the only blank spot being how motivating will it be. Well, official figures rate it at 335hp along with 450Nm of torque. Early rumours had estimated power as high as 350hp but the current figures leave it identical to the Z4sDrive35is that shares the same engine.
To make things a bit more interesting though, there’s an overboost function that pumps out an additional 50Nm of torque if you require so. Performance figures see it breaching the century mark in 4.7-seconds while top speed has been electronically limited to just 250km/h.
Fortunately, all that power will reach the rear wheels through a proper six-speed manual transmission, the only option available on the order sheet. Nonetheless, the rumours have indicated that a dual-clutch gearbox might find its way under in the future.
In true M tradition, the 1M features an M Drive button on the steering wheel that improves throttle response but doesn’t seem to bump up power. Furthermore, there’s an M Dynamic Mode button to allow more leeway before the electronic nannies kick in when things are on the limit.
Compared to its 135i brother, the 1M has had its front and rear tracks increased by 2.8-inches and 1.8-inches respectively. Weighing in at 1,495kg, about 35kg has been shaved off compared to the 135i. Filling out all four corners are M-specific 19-inch wheels wrapped in massive 245/35 rubbers at the front and wider 265/35 rollers at the aft.
It’ll be interesting to see how the 1M fares. BMW themselves are comparing it to their purest model yet, the E30 M3, and in comparison to its modern counterparts under current circumstances, it does tick all the right boxes. Still, the question remains, is it enough?
Source: BMW and Autoblog
