RE: BMW 1 Series M Coupe: PH Heroes
Discussion
Slippydiff, firstly, thanks for the long and detailed info, great to read something well considered etc from a previous owner!
Quick question though:
It sounds like what you're saying is it gave very sensitive brakes. Is this the case? I find the APs on my Caterham are awesome, feel very firm but excellent modulation.
Quick question though:
Slippydiff said:
Fitment of the AP 368mm discs and 6 pots took the car to another level. The standard brakes are powerful, they just lack durability. The AP's were in another league, and hand on heart I'd say the items I fitted to both the 1M Coupe and my old CSL were superior to any standard Porsche brakes I've used (996 GT2, 996 GT3/RS and 997 GT3, 993/964 RS)
Massively powerful, the slightest pressure on the middle pedal would stand the car on it's nose time after time from 100+ Leptons effortlessly (and 100+ Leptons is very easily attained with that oh so grunty N54 engine)
I often find I really dislike cars with brakes that are too sensitive as it reduces brake feel and makes it much more difficult to modulate the brakes. Generally a very well set up braking system will have a very firm pedal that actually requires quite a lot of pressure and won't move far at all, but the ability to modulate the amount of braking is excellent.Massively powerful, the slightest pressure on the middle pedal would stand the car on it's nose time after time from 100+ Leptons effortlessly (and 100+ Leptons is very easily attained with that oh so grunty N54 engine)
It sounds like what you're saying is it gave very sensitive brakes. Is this the case? I find the APs on my Caterham are awesome, feel very firm but excellent modulation.
The Donster said:
The owners of the nursery I take my daughter to own a white one and I'm forever telling the wife not to drive it daily and that they're sitting on a great investment.
I hope, one day, they'll thank me for that piece of advice and let me spank it down the A41. Pwetty pwease!
This!! I would absolutely love to take a 1M down the A41 (and many other roads besides). A match made in heaven. I hope, one day, they'll thank me for that piece of advice and let me spank it down the A41. Pwetty pwease!
GroundEffect said:
I have a 335i with the N54 and it's a lovely engine. OK I'm down 30PS on the 1M but since I'm only 50-60kg heavier it still goes pretty damn well. And the noises it makes are childishly brilliant.
Back when our only car was a Mazda 6 diesel estate, I took my then boss's 335i Cab to a mate in the trade to see if he wanted to take it in. I still remember giggling childishly as I accelerated down the A441 towards Redditch and effortlessly hit 130+. Fantastic car. Oh, and SWMBO appeared to fancy me in it which was a useful added bonus!
cidered77 said:
good work boys - keep talking up those values!!
A combination of low numbers + universally great press + distinctive looks + old school manual means IMO values will always be strong for these. It'll age very well.
Am still delighted with mine - got it for £37k from main dealer on 6,500 miles in 2013, you would pay at least £4k more these days - free car!
An excuse anyway to post what is (in my own mind) the finest 2 car Pistonheads solution for a sub £45k garage. The red one takes the miles off the black one, and takes the track miles too. The black one is the "special" car for special drives. I stare at them quite a lot too.
Great couple of cars!A combination of low numbers + universally great press + distinctive looks + old school manual means IMO values will always be strong for these. It'll age very well.
Am still delighted with mine - got it for £37k from main dealer on 6,500 miles in 2013, you would pay at least £4k more these days - free car!
An excuse anyway to post what is (in my own mind) the finest 2 car Pistonheads solution for a sub £45k garage. The red one takes the miles off the black one, and takes the track miles too. The black one is the "special" car for special drives. I stare at them quite a lot too.
Plus you only live up the hill from me so I get to see the pair on a regular basis.
hufggfg said:
Slippydiff, firstly, thanks for the long and detailed info, great to read something well considered etc from a previous owner!
Quick question though:
It sounds like what you're saying is it gave very sensitive brakes. Is this the case? I find the APs on my Caterham are awesome, feel very firm but excellent modulation.
By and large I tend to think all modern mainstream car brakes are overservoed, the one exception being Porsche (on their GT cars anyway).Quick question though:
Slippydiff said:
Fitment of the AP 368mm discs and 6 pots took the car to another level. The standard brakes are powerful, they just lack durability. The AP's were in another league, and hand on heart I'd say the items I fitted to both the 1M Coupe and my old CSL were superior to any standard Porsche brakes I've used (996 GT2, 996 GT3/RS and 997 GT3, 993/964 RS)
Massively powerful, the slightest pressure on the middle pedal would stand the car on it's nose time after time from 100+ Leptons effortlessly (and 100+ Leptons is very easily attained with that oh so grunty N54 engine)
I often find I really dislike cars with brakes that are too sensitive as it reduces brake feel and makes it much more difficult to modulate the brakes. Generally a very well set up braking system will have a very firm pedal that actually requires quite a lot of pressure and won't move far at all, but the ability to modulate the amount of braking is excellent.Massively powerful, the slightest pressure on the middle pedal would stand the car on it's nose time after time from 100+ Leptons effortlessly (and 100+ Leptons is very easily attained with that oh so grunty N54 engine)
It sounds like what you're saying is it gave very sensitive brakes. Is this the case? I find the APs on my Caterham are awesome, feel very firm but excellent modulation.
The AP's weren't overly sensitive, just massively powerful, I guess they just needed "learning" after driving other more mundane and overservoed cars. I think we humans are very good at adapting to stuff like that that, so it's not an issue.
Plenty of people jump into Porsche GT cars and say the brakes are heavy/dead/don't work. But drive them quickly, get some heat into the discs and pads and all of a sudden they become incredibly feelsome, easily modulated and powerful. The AP's differed in that they were always hugely powerful, hot of cold, slow speed or high.
The Porsche brake systems are designed to a differnt brief than the AP's. Porsche engineer their brakes to a "standard". That standard is several successive stops from Vmax. The brakes must not fade, and the % drop in efficiency is monitored and must be limited. Hence why the discs are big and heavy (high mass) and the annulus dimensions large.
A look at the AP's shows you the annulus is narrower and the mass of the disc far less (albeit the internal venting is superior to the OE Porsche discs) The AP stuff is a balancing act between weight, durability and stopping efficiency, that inevitably leads to some compromises when compared to the Porsche OE equipment.
Raptor222 said:
Henry! Stop teasing us with those damn seats. 
I hope you are well!
Hi Simon, all well here, I hope you are too ? How's the new job ?I hope you are well!
Now the days are short and cold, next door's cat seems to find the Sparco's increasingly comfortable .......
Gotcha, makes good sense thanks.
Yep totally agree on what you're saying, I find the same with Porsche GT brakes, generally very good but again feel relatively firm.
Personally, that's absolutely the way I like things, but your "average" person can think they're bad as they require pressure, hence manufacturers like Audi make their brakes super sensitive as then the average punter thinks "the brakes are amazing on my Audi" when in reality that couldn't be further from the truth (well, it could guess, but you get my point
)
Yep totally agree on what you're saying, I find the same with Porsche GT brakes, generally very good but again feel relatively firm.
Personally, that's absolutely the way I like things, but your "average" person can think they're bad as they require pressure, hence manufacturers like Audi make their brakes super sensitive as then the average punter thinks "the brakes are amazing on my Audi" when in reality that couldn't be further from the truth (well, it could guess, but you get my point
)Edited by hufggfg on Friday 19th December 14:02
MrBarry123 said:
cidered77 said:
good work boys - keep talking up those values!!
A combination of low numbers + universally great press + distinctive looks + old school manual means IMO values will always be strong for these. It'll age very well.
Am still delighted with mine - got it for £37k from main dealer on 6,500 miles in 2013, you would pay at least £4k more these days - free car!
An excuse anyway to post what is (in my own mind) the finest 2 car Pistonheads solution for a sub £45k garage. The red one takes the miles off the black one, and takes the track miles too. The black one is the "special" car for special drives. I stare at them quite a lot too.
Great couple of cars!A combination of low numbers + universally great press + distinctive looks + old school manual means IMO values will always be strong for these. It'll age very well.
Am still delighted with mine - got it for £37k from main dealer on 6,500 miles in 2013, you would pay at least £4k more these days - free car!
An excuse anyway to post what is (in my own mind) the finest 2 car Pistonheads solution for a sub £45k garage. The red one takes the miles off the black one, and takes the track miles too. The black one is the "special" car for special drives. I stare at them quite a lot too.
Plus you only live up the hill from me so I get to see the pair on a regular basis.
(Have to say though, whilst the 1M is all eveyone says it is - i still go for the renaultsport keys more often than the beemer, even for sunday drives..)
Dave Hedgehog said:
i still regret not getting one, but commuting is so much easier with duel clutch
Only reason I didn't buy new at the time, had a pre-order, but, went the 'ordinary' 135i route when it was announced to be manual only. One of the 3 x development cars had been 'spy photo'd' with DCT trans, so they were looking at that as an option. I believe, it was the reduced, development time, that this car was manual only, rather than a specific BMW decision to be a manual only car.Sadly, a left shoulder injury means a manual car is now a no-no option for me as an everyday car, especially living in London.
You'll also be unlucky to find a standard 1M that is anywhere near 'only' 340hp. There's plenty of dyno proof that these are north of the 350hp mark as standard
and 
love the look of them subtle but menacing!
However at that price I would be picking up the keys to a 997 turbo instead or saving 20k and buying a e92 M3.
Thats just of the top of my head I am sure there is other awesome exotica out there for similar money.
Problem with cars like these is that there is always a bit of a reluctance to put miles on them.
However at that price I would be picking up the keys to a 997 turbo instead or saving 20k and buying a e92 M3.
Thats just of the top of my head I am sure there is other awesome exotica out there for similar money.
Problem with cars like these is that there is always a bit of a reluctance to put miles on them.
GroundEffect said:
I have a 335i with the N54 and it's a lovely engine. OK I'm down 30PS on the 1M but since I'm only 50-60kg heavier it still goes pretty damn well. And the noises it makes are childishly brilliant.
Since you're calling it lovely I take it hasn't gone wrong yet.But more to the point, doesn't the blower spoil the traditional BMW N/A feel?
I have a 330i (so around 35hp down from 335) and I think I've done the right thing going N/A.
Slippydiff said:
The steering feel was improved and it's weight lessened. I replaced the nasty smooth leather wheel and had a replacement trimmed in Alicante 
(You'll have to have watched a video that has been much pilloried by PH to get that one..... ! !) :
Was your wheel done by Royal out of interest? (You'll have to have watched a video that has been much pilloried by PH to get that one..... ! !) :Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff