Why the BMW 1M is a modern classic

The stunning looking 1M Coupe had the potential to scare the hell out of you, could fend off a well-driven Porsche Cayman, and, in an era of digitisation, put the seat-of-your-pants driving experience above all else. Which made its arrival in 2011 seem like a miracle – especially as it was never meant to exist in the first place.

“It’s not a junior M3. It possesses its own character and, in real world terms, it’s probably even faster than its more expensive sibling over many roads, save perhaps an autobahn,” we said about the 1M in our June 2011 issue. The 1M was never meant to happen, let alone be able to rap an M3’s knuckles.

BMW’s then Motorsport Director Mario Theissen described the E92 M3 as ‘the pinnacle of M’, epitomising what the M Division stood for, even more so than the M5. The M3 was king, and it didn’t need an heir.

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Yet this was a time of upheaval within BMW’s performance arm, with the 2008 X6M not only an SUV but also its first turbocharged model. Having weathered the Global Financial Crisis, the shackles of purist dogma were coming off; turbocharging, more SUVs and even a triple-turbo diesel would wear M badges in the coming years, with recovery and long-term survival prioritised. Passion projects weren’t high on the agenda.

It was in this climate that the 1M was proposed – and rejected – and proposed again. The 1 Series itself came as the 3 Series grew in dimensions, spec and price, presenting an opportunity for a smaller, more affordable entry-level model below.

BMW had already tapped the market with two generations of 3 Series Compact from 1993, but the first 2004 1 Series was the most resolved sub-3er BMW to date. With its own identity, it dispensed the 3 Series’ nomenclature for a full line-up of three- and five-door hatches (E81/E87), coupe (E82) and convertible (E88) rolled out by 2007.

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BMW hadn’t offered anything remotely close to a performance model in the 3 Series Compact days, but the 1 Series was different. In fact, arriving a year ahead of the E90/92/93 3 Series, the 1 Series shared significant components with its larger stablemate which opened up more performance possibilities.

If the 1 Series was a baby 3 Series, though, there was no interest in a baby M3 from Munich HQ. Nay-sayers could argue that younger buyers were sated by the brilliant E87 130i Sport, sold here from 2005-09; an absolute cracker with its 195kW 3.0-litre atmo six. Then the 135i Coupe/Convertible came in 2009 punching harder with the 225kW N54 single-turbo six from the 335i. For its $72K price it came with a 5.3sec 0-100km/h time, bigger brakes and specific ESC calibration. Was that enough, though?

The arrival of Dr Kay Segler as boss of M Division in 2009 made all the difference. Legend goes that the single 1M prototype was in fact worked on while he was on holiday – the already stretched M Division knew it wasn’t going to get any additional funds or time if it asked. Instead, they pulled the program together on the quiet and in their own time.

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One-by-one, the team eliminated every objection it’d been given, from which production line it could be built on, to what name should be applied to its hot 1 Series. Near fully formed, all it needed was the official green light. Upon his return, the passionate Segler didn’t let his team down.

The production go-ahead was given in December 2009 with the first production 1M built in May 2011. “We had a very short development time,” said Frank Isenberg, who’d been given the role of 1M project manager. He described the car as pure ‘boy racer’.

Isenberg took advantage of the 1 Series’ compatibility with that of the 3 Series by literally taking the complete M3 aluminium five-link rear suspension, its locking limited-slip diff, cross-drilled brakes and the M3 Competition Pack’s 19-inch alloys – all proven, available parts that reduced development time and cost.

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That meant that the 1M’s 1540mm tracks are within a millimetre of the M3’s, mandating its bulging guards for a steroidal body punctuated by massive air ducts and signed off with a quad-tip exhaust. Primed on its haunches, the 1M’s unmistakable look made everything else, including the 135i, appear meek.

A bespoke M engine was an absolute pipe dream, so the brilliant 250kW N54 twin-turbo straight six was taken from the Z4 sDrive 35is. Despite the glorious timbre and muscular potency of the powertrain, there would be dissension in the ranks as it presented a number of firsts for an M car.

For starters, it used an engine from another model; a non-M one at that. Secondly, after a history of free-revving, naturally-aspirated engines, it was turbocharged – only the second forced-induction M car after the thunderous X6M. The N55 had also begun replacing the ageing N54 in BMW’s line-up, too, moving to a single-scroll turbo and Valvetronic variable valve timing.

But to dismiss the 1M for using forced induction is to ignore the legendary 1973 2002 Turbo. If that doesn’t count for something…

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It also ignores the stunning capability the package delivered. The 1M’s 1495kg was split 51/49 front-to-rear, 85kg less than the M3, while its hydraulic steering was geared to 12.4:1 instead of the 135i’s 16.0 ratio. The chassis took full advantage of the stunning tractability from the glorious baritone twin-charged six, with 450Nm on tap from a low 1500rpm all the way to 4500, with a thunderous 500Nm on overboost.

For the 1M, M Division fitted an air-to-air intercooler and remapped the N54, adding a second M-drive map, while the Getrag six-speed manual was given closer ratios to match a shorter final drive. What’s more, turbocharging didn’t prevent the 1M free-revving all the way to 7000rpm – just like an atmo M-car – and delivering what we described in 2011 as ‘bottomless urge’.

In fact, it was the rolling acceleration that revealed just how accomplished the 1M was: 80-120km/h was despatched in 4.1sec, a handy0.6 second faster than the manual E92 M3, while its alleged 8min12sec Nurburgring lap time eclipsed the E46 M3’s by 10 seconds. Who’s the king? To prevent a mutiny, BMW gave the 1M an official 4.9sec 0-100km/h time, perhaps strategically, a mere 0.1 behind the M3…

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While it may’ve been line-ball on performance numbers, at $99,900 the 1M came with a $55,100 price advantage and unique character. That couldn’t be more apparent than on the twisty stuff. Where the M3 was wondrously smooth and flattered the driver, the upstart 1M was an uncouth wild child, a Charlie Sheen to the M3’s Leonardo DiCaprio.

Ash Westerman said it best for Wheels after a stint along the coarse-chip, winding Putty Road in New South Wales: “If the M3 is a precision instrument, then the 1M is a Fender bass that begs to be slapped.”

The thing is the 1M had the potential to slap you right back.

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While it shared track dimensions with the M3, its wheelbase was 102mm shorter, and ultra-stiff suspension and underdeveloped ESC meant traction could be elusive. On our first drive, which was on smooth European roads, we complained that the ESC intervened too early in the 1M’s default drive mode, mandating the steering wheel-mounted M-button be pushed for less interruption, which also sharpened the throttle.

Doing this – especially once on poorly maintained Australian roads – swung the pendulum too far the other way to reveal a disobedient streak. The baby M-car was spiky on the limit, testing skill and nerve as its high driving position felt like it could instantly become an ejector as you were imminently spat off the road. Plain uncouth, the word ‘sketchy’ was uttered on many a road test once the 1M arrived Down Under.

“The 1M is an absolute triumph; a true boy racer in a single-spec, manual-only, rear-drive format”

“It was the first time that we used a turbocharged engine with a lot of torque, and with all this put together, maybe we could have used a year more development,” said Isenberg at the launch of the 1M’s successor, the 2016 M2.

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“The tricky behaviour at the limit … we were not really happy with that. But it just happened,” he admitted. “The suspension was also stiffer. I wouldn’t say it was wrong, but it wasn’t the best set-up … everyone is always saying stiffer is better, but the fact is it can be too much and you start to lose traction … we did it because we wanted the car to have a special character.”

On this measure the 1M is an absolute triumph. A true boy racer in a single-spec, manual-only, rear-drive format with blistering acceleration, even better in-gear shove and raw, unadulterated
driver involvement.

The 1M’s aggressiveness walks the line of daily liveability M cars must subscribe to, but that only underlines the fact that it’s not a smaller M3: it has a verve of its own, with genuine ability and the heart and soul of the team who gambled to create it. A flawed genius equally terrifying and terrific, there’ll never be another M car like it.

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Inspiration for M3 Pure

Segler described the 1M as ‘pure M’; meanwhile, BMW Australia took that sentiment and applied it to the M3. In 2011, the E92 M3 Pure edition was launched here as a special batch of 50 cars.

Specced by BMW Oz, the Pure ditched several standard M3 features including the M-Drive adapative suspension, lopping $10K off the price while maintaining the M3’s core brilliance. That lead to the 2012 E92 Pure II before subsequent M4, M5 and M2 Pure models, all factory M-cars unique to Australia.

BMW's unlikely electric 1 Series

The 1M came nearly four years after the E82 1 Series was introduced, but it’s not the rarest – nor the last. Only weeks after the first of 6309 production 1Ms was built in 2011, the 1 Series Active E kicked off the second phase (pun intended) of BMW’s electrification plans, the third being the 2013 i3 production EV. Around 1000 were built in total and leased as prototypes in North America, Europe and starred in BMW’s 2012 London Olympics fleet.

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The Good

Genuinely rare and truly special; glorious six; imposing muscular looks; classic manual-only, rear-drive package with cult credibility

The Bad

Stiff suspension makes it tricky on the limit while reducing daily drivability;
dull cabin; M2 more resolved and cheaper