new M3
in at PH last week. Very good it was too, righting many of the E92's wrongs and showing that BMW M's mojo is very much intact.
You know there's a but, don't you? I may sound like a big Jessie here but there were occasions, quite a few, where it just felt too fast. Let me explain before you have my head on a carbon propshaft and stuck in the ground at Bruntingthorpe. The M3 is excellent when you do drive it a bit harder but that's always with one eye on the speedo to ensure 'enthusiastic' doesn't become 'antisocial' and then 'licence losing'. I'm sure it would be a blast on track but that's a small minority of our real driving time.
I think there's a solution. It probably won't attract much interest as it will be slower than all other M models but for fans of driving fun (and that is us, surely?) it should be brilliant. It will also allow BMW to show off its latest developments in turbo and carbon technology.
The slowest M car of any description right now is the M135i. When Harris tested an auto last year it did 0-100mph in 10.9 seconds. That's barmy. New M3s are being clocked under nine seconds.
They're both turbocharged of course which I'm happy to accept with a less powerful M car. The days of M engines screaming to beyond 8,000rpm are sadly over. But think of the turbocharged alternatives now on offer: the 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo in the Mini Cooper is at 230hp in
the i8
and the 2.0-litre turbo in
the 228i
makes 240hp. Both offer decent torque and M division could surely work some further magic.
The i projects must have taught BMW a lot about affordable carbon construction too. The i3 remember has a carbon reinforced plastic tub and costs £30K. Could similar technology be employed to make a few panels?
So here's the idea, taking inspiration from BMW's own 1 Series tii concept of 2007 and passing on the 1.5 turbo for a second. A 228i currently weighs 1,460kg and makes 240hp. Induction and exhaust tweaks always work well with turbocharged engines but the focus should really be on response. Perhaps 260hp. Then reduce weight as much as is realistically possible with the aforementioned carbon-plastic panels and perhaps a bit less equipment. Modest wheels and a limited-slip differential would be good too. Could we call it 2 Series tii? There's six grand between a 228i and an M235i as well, which sounds like enough to get quite a bit done.
This looks pretty good as an interior too
Yes, there are hurdles. A six-cylinder engine will always make a better noise than a four-cylinder one for example. But I'm happy to sacrifice that for a lighter, more alert and more involving car. Bringing it back to my original point, I reckon it would be more fun at sensible speeds than the 235i. Indeed I would be tempted to keep it at 240hp (or maybe even less) to force the attention on low mass and how exciting that could be.
And to everyone who says a focused two-door, two-seat coupe won't find buyers, consider this: BMW will currently sell you a 225i xDrive M Sport Active Tourer and ask £31,860 for the privilege. If that can be justified by the company bigwigs then surely there must be room for a few hundred tii coupes to be made?