RE: Driven: BMW 1 Series M Coupé

[Rich_W]

Shropshiremike said:

Wolands Advocate said:

Does it look slightly like a comically overinflated 1-series. Yes. But then frankly an E30 M3 looks comically overinflated next to a normal E30. Was an E30 M3 a showy expensive car when it was new? Yes methinks it was. But the passage of time has conferred icon status on it. So, it would be sensible for people to try before they comment and remember how history works.

Would it have been more appealing on paper with an N/A straight-6? Yes of course but let's deal with what we are going to get rather than what we aren't.

- very true Johnny.

I remember when the E30 M3 was previewed....

Some people didn't like the over the top wheel arch flares, the 4-cylinder engine ( when most top models had smoother sixes ), the rorty exhaust note, the 'LHD or lump it' offer, etc.....and yes we know the reason for those features. When people got to drive the cars much was forgiven....

I'm looking forward to seeing what the 1M/M1 is like - I'm sure it'll be on my future 'want' list as I like the 135i

The motorsport link helped massively though. This car "sounds" like no more than a "M Techic" type add on to an otherwise, good car. It's not bespoke enough to warrant "M"

[SR06]

Marf said:

kambites said:

I think I'll give it a miss, thanks...

I'm sure BMW will very much dislike you cancelling your order.

Make that two cancelled orders

[SR06]

Dagnut said:

Am I the only one who thinks the wheels are too big? I think they look ridiculous. Why not just fit 18's they are plenty big enough for a car that size

That's exactly what I thought. What a bizarre looking thing.

[aeropilot]

thepony said:

What I think:

I like everyone else personally think the car should have :

a normally-aspirated straight-six high revving engine in it. This would have saved costs by using the normally-aspirated straight six S54B32 (in either standard E46 M3 form or even better the E46 M3 CSL form). By not having to develop and test a new engine they would save a heap of costs.

Except that they wouldn't be saving a heap of costs, because they simply can't use the S54 engine as it isn't Euro V emissions compliant and all new cars sold in the EU from 1st Jan 2011 have to be Euro V.
As has been pointed out, a slightly tweeked N52 could have been used though combined with a weight reduction.

[baz1985]

I'd prefer it to have the old NA S54....NA V8...NA V10, but that's not going to happen!

[E21_Ross]

baz1985 said:

I'd prefer it to have the old NA S54....NA V8...NA V10, but that's not going to happen!

no, because of EU regs.

it's a great same it's not a high revving NA engine. but people should stop blaming BMW for dropping it, it's because of the EU. every manufacturer is doing it, merc have smaller turbo V8's instead of bigger NA ones, Audi are dropping NA cars for turbo units for the up and coming RS models etc.

just seems BMW get slated for it...?

[aeropilot]

E21_Ross said:

baz1985 said:

I'd prefer it to have the old NA S54....NA V8...NA V10, but that's not going to happen!

no, because of EU regs.

it's a great same it's not a high revving NA engine. but people should stop blaming BMW for dropping it, it's because of the EU. every manufacturer is doing it, merc have smaller turbo V8's instead of bigger NA ones, Audi are dropping NA cars for turbo units for the up and coming RS models etc.

just seems BMW get slated for it...?

Honda have also dropped the V-Tec R engine from the European market from end of this year for the same reason.

[RobM77]

SR06 said:

Marf said:

kambites said:

I think I'll give it a miss, thanks...

I'm sure BMW will very much dislike you cancelling your order.

Make that two cancelled orders

I'd need to drive it first, but I expect if it had had a normally aspirated engine I'd have bought a new one. I didn't like the 135i when I tried it, but I adored the M3.

[NoelWatson]

aeropilot said:

thepony said:

What I think:

I like everyone else personally think the car should have :

a normally-aspirated straight-six high revving engine in it. This would have saved costs by using the normally-aspirated straight six S54B32 (in either standard E46 M3 form or even better the E46 M3 CSL form). By not having to develop and test a new engine they would save a heap of costs.

Except that they wouldn't be saving a heap of costs, because they simply can't use the S54 engine as it isn't Euro V emissions compliant and all new cars sold in the EU from 1st Jan 2011 have to be Euro V.
As has been pointed out, a slightly tweeked N52 could have been used though combined with a weight reduction.

Why not N53?

[aeropilot]

NoelWatson said:

aeropilot said:

thepony said:

What I think:

I like everyone else personally think the car should have :

a normally-aspirated straight-six high revving engine in it. This would have saved costs by using the normally-aspirated straight six S54B32 (in either standard E46 M3 form or even better the E46 M3 CSL form). By not having to develop and test a new engine they would save a heap of costs.

Except that they wouldn't be saving a heap of costs, because they simply can't use the S54 engine as it isn't Euro V emissions compliant and all new cars sold in the EU from 1st Jan 2011 have to be Euro V.
As has been pointed out, a slightly tweeked N52 could have been used though combined with a weight reduction.

Why not N53?

Because they couldn't sell the 1M in the USA, as BMW don't fit the N53 in cars for the US and Australian markets because of the higher sulphur content of their fuels, and given probably half of the rumoured 2500 unit production of the 1M is destined for the USA, a tweeked N52 would have been the better bet had they gone the n/a route.

[E21_Ross]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

ok, what i should have said was - it is needed because for a desirable output NA isn't enough. more power can be had from turbo's with better emissions for a given output. that is surely the reason...

[NoelWatson]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Compare the power/emissions between 330i and 335i and that doesn't seem to be the case.

[E21_Ross]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

it's for new engines, and it's not just CO2 though is it? it's NOx's and SOx's though which may have something to do with it?

[aeropilot]

E21_Ross said:

and it's not just CO2 though is it? it's NOx's and SOx's though which may have something to do with it?

Correct.

[havoc]

E21_Ross said:

[...and SOx's though which may have something to do with it?

Enron have even more to answer for than I thought...

[DJC]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

All gadget laden, all heavy.

So the exact opposite of what you were asking for.

[E21_Ross]

havoc said:

E21_Ross said:

[...and SOx's though which may have something to do with it?

Enron have even more to answer for than I thought...

should've said SO2x's if that makes sense.... sulphur dioxide (SO2) i believe is also taken into account, or at least it was.

[E21_Ross]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

yup, but it's also gonna have similar power but more torque.

[RobM77]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The Z4 Coupé is 1380kg. Not exactly heavy! I doubt the gadgets add that much in weight to be honest; you could probably get a Z4C down to under 1300kg by removing the noise deadening, leather seats and a few other bits and bobs.

[Wolands Advocate]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Size-wise, I should think an E46 M3 and a 135i are fairly similar since the 1-series coupe is not particularly small.