You Know You Want To: BMW 1 M
Harris ponders the 'one car to rule them all' purchase and returns to his original conclusion...
This is surprising, because I conducted the same piece of research in my head about a year ago, and reached the same conclusion. Has there not been another sporting car I’d rather own and live with released in the past year? Not the 991, and not a Boxster – simply because I need back seats.
And what about the impending 1 M residual doom predicted by many people? Yep, they got it wrong.
There aren’t many 1 Ms for sale right now. Just 450 came to the UK, and you’d have to suppose that the lucky few who own them are enjoying the experience. (Just look at the packs of them that turn up at any Sunday Service - Ed.) Every time I drove one last year, I thought it was the most interesting package, partly because it didn’t conform to the normal M behaviour.
In being turbocharged it had masses of low-effort performance and half-decent fuel economy. On-boost it was a complete animal and, with the systems switched off, it was plain spiteful. In other words it was the antidote to modern, anyone-can-drive-it performance, but it was still technically very capable. Crazy fast too. I wouldn’t want to try and stay with one in an M3. I suspect the little brother might embarrass big bro.
There was just one frustration with the cars that I drove: they were all that burnt orange colour. I think they look better in the other two choices: black or white. And that leads me to another reason for wanting a 1 M. It’s infantile and pathetic, but I just think they look superb. Especially in black.
A new M135i arrives tomorrow for a week’s loan. I’m already excited by what it might offer, but the 1 M just looks so much better.
BMW 1 SERIES M COUPE
Price: £41,500
Why you should: It’s a 1 M. It’s black.
Why you shouldn’t: Um, nope, can’t think of anything
See the original ad here.
It even looks great IMO... and that's something I can't say of any other 1-series variant hitherto (current M135iwhatever included).
Plus it's normall aspirated and a late spec CS manual with a mountain of history is still a fraction a cost of the 1M. How much further will it depreciate? Is the 1M more of a theif magnet currently?
That said, I'd buy the best 1M I could in a heart beat if my numbers came up...
Plus it's normall aspirated and a late spec CS manual with a mountain of history is still a fraction a cost of the 1M. How much further will it depreciate? Is the 1M more of a theif magnet currently?
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