RE: BMW 1 Series M Coupe: PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
PTF said:
Alpinestars said:
PTF said:
A 130i gives you a fairly large chunk of the positives of the 1M for about 10% of the cost.
And that damn awful steering?An evoru would be quicker than a 130 for even less. But surely that’s not the point?
I never said anything about speed. I was talking about dynamics and the feel of the car compared to more modern stuff, which i think is the appeal of the 1M, but which is also offered by the 130.
Anyway. 1M. I'd love one, but they're silly money for what they are and, as someone else has pointed out, at that price-point you could have something like a 997.2.
Personally i've gone for a 130i and 986 S as that covers both bases really nicely for around £14k.
Once all the problem items are sorted on the N54, you have an absolutely cracking, reliable engine. Oil changes at 5k miles are recommended. Ideally, you need the latest revisions of the turbos, injectors (Index 12), High Pressure Fuel Pump and Water Pump. When the N54 is remapped, with a bigger intercooler, intake, and downpipes, you have a seriously fast car.
If you cant afford a 1M, a well sorted 135i is just as good! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI17V5eO3KM
If you cant afford a 1M, a well sorted 135i is just as good! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI17V5eO3KM
Alpinestars said:
PTF said:
Alpinestars said:
PTF said:
A 130i gives you a fairly large chunk of the positives of the 1M for about 10% of the cost.
And that damn awful steering?An evoru would be quicker than a 130 for even less. But surely that’s not the point?
I never said anything about speed. I was talking about dynamics and the feel of the car compared to more modern stuff, which i think is the appeal of the 1M, but which is also offered by the 130.
Anyway. 1M. I'd love one, but they're silly money for what they are and, as someone else has pointed out, at that price-point you could have something like a 997.2.
Personally i've gone for a 130i and 986 S as that covers both bases really nicely for around £14k.
130i is my ideal daily driver but still loads of fun, the 1M is my fun car that can cope with daily duties if needs be.
Had the 130i since early 2011 and done over 100k of the 158k miles it’s managed so far. Steering is a little light and vauge but the peachy N52 makes up for that and the famous bouncy rear suspension was a simple fix.
I absolutely love it and will keep until it dies, which (touch wood) seems to be a long way off yet.
Got the 1M just 6 months ago but feel another long term relationship forming. It gets driven (a lot) and was not bought as an investment, rather something I could enjoy without suffering too much depreciation. Love the way it looks, drives and sounds - so much more than the M2’s I tried.
1M replaced an Exige V6 and although obviously not as sharp as the Lotus, I enjoy driving it just as much and can use it more often because it’ll do normal stuff to. Milltek exhaust is the cherry on top.
Plenty of torque, very direct and strong front end, nicely balanced chassis, and distinctive looks.
Personally I think the damping could be improved, especially the rear which seems to have a bit of roll. I guess this is a consequence of trying to manage the traction issues. Having said that those same traction issues are what give the car its character.
I'd also add that is hard to know what to replace the 1M with. The M2 might be objectively better in many ways, but I'm not convinced it's massively better on the whole to justify swapping over?
Personally I think the damping could be improved, especially the rear which seems to have a bit of roll. I guess this is a consequence of trying to manage the traction issues. Having said that those same traction issues are what give the car its character.
I'd also add that is hard to know what to replace the 1M with. The M2 might be objectively better in many ways, but I'm not convinced it's massively better on the whole to justify swapping over?
Edited by nw942 on Wednesday 15th August 21:26
nw942 said:
Plenty of torque, very direct and strong front end, nicely balanced chassis, and distinctive looks.
Personally I think the damping could be improved, especially the rear which seems to have a bit of roll. I guess this is a consequence of trying to manage the traction issues. Having said that those same traction issues are what give the car its character.
I'd also add that is hard to know what to replace the 1M with. The M2 might be objectively better in many ways, but I'm not convinced it's massively better on the whole to justify swapping over?
The 1 is miles better than the 2. I think you’d be disappointed moving from one to the other. Personally I think the damping could be improved, especially the rear which seems to have a bit of roll. I guess this is a consequence of trying to manage the traction issues. Having said that those same traction issues are what give the car its character.
I'd also add that is hard to know what to replace the 1M with. The M2 might be objectively better in many ways, but I'm not convinced it's massively better on the whole to justify swapping over?
Edited by nw942 on Wednesday 15th August 21:26
I enjoyed mine, and it sure was a feisty little thing, but ultimately I missed the high-revving NA characteristics of a "proper" M engine.
I have some sympathy for the "I'm not sure why they're still so expensive" viewpoint. I'm not persuaded they're really worth it. But for so long as the market holds up, they provide a lot of fun for almost zero-depreciation motoring.
I have some sympathy for the "I'm not sure why they're still so expensive" viewpoint. I'm not persuaded they're really worth it. But for so long as the market holds up, they provide a lot of fun for almost zero-depreciation motoring.
cerb4.5lee 13 hours ago
s m said:
Would've like one but they never really dropped in price like predicted at launch ( being a turbocharged bowler hat or whatever the putdown was re a turbo M car )
I really wanted one of these when I was looking at buying my E92 M3 and I know I'd have enjoyed this much more. My budget was only £30k at the time and these were still around £40k...it fact they never really seemed to drop much at all annoyingly.
There's always one who manages to drop in what they bought and how much money they had to spend. Well done. I can tell you're a BMW owner...says it all.
s m said:
Would've like one but they never really dropped in price like predicted at launch ( being a turbocharged bowler hat or whatever the putdown was re a turbo M car )
I really wanted one of these when I was looking at buying my E92 M3 and I know I'd have enjoyed this much more. My budget was only £30k at the time and these were still around £40k...it fact they never really seemed to drop much at all annoyingly.
There's always one who manages to drop in what they bought and how much money they had to spend. Well done. I can tell you're a BMW owner...says it all.
AddyT. said:
cerb4.5lee 13 hours ago
s m said:
Would've like one but they never really dropped in price like predicted at launch ( being a turbocharged bowler hat or whatever the putdown was re a turbo M car )
I really wanted one of these when I was looking at buying my E92 M3 and I know I'd have enjoyed this much more. My budget was only £30k at the time and these were still around £40k...it fact they never really seemed to drop much at all annoyingly.
There's always one who manages to drop in what they bought and how much money they had to spend. Well done. I can tell you're a BMW owner...says it all.
Eh? What are you on about? s m said:
Would've like one but they never really dropped in price like predicted at launch ( being a turbocharged bowler hat or whatever the putdown was re a turbo M car )
I really wanted one of these when I was looking at buying my E92 M3 and I know I'd have enjoyed this much more. My budget was only £30k at the time and these were still around £40k...it fact they never really seemed to drop much at all annoyingly.
There's always one who manages to drop in what they bought and how much money they had to spend. Well done. I can tell you're a BMW owner...says it all.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
This is a great point, it was one of the first M cars to use an engine from a car lower down the BMW stable rather than one uniquely built for it. I've since tried an m4 and an m5 and while both were crushingly competent, both had engines that lacked that unique something that made previous M engines so beguiling. 
Still it was cheaper to tax! 
I’ll bite. I’ve got a 1M. A Valencia Orange 1M, to be precise. Have had it from new here on the border of the Eastern Mediterranean. I don’t drive it much because my city is the size of a postage stamp and we hardly ever leave (28k km in 7 years), but when I do each and every time it brings a whacking great smile to my face. The objective naysayers do have a point in each and every “not worth it” groan, but I’d guess they’ve never driven one. The engine isn’t a high-revving masterpiece (disclosure: I’ve owned an S50 M Coupe and S54 M3), but the huge dollops of torque the turbos provide at will allow you to break traction at will. All the better to use that square where the rubber meets the road - this is not a mild-mannered car this, it’s a lairy hoot. The ride is firm, but that means the rear loses traction over bumps, scaring/enthralling (depending on your viewpoint) constantly. The cabin’s basic, the leather feels like plastic, the ICE is getting in a bit but none of this matters because it is unique in character and like nothing else out there. I’ve had a cracked charge pipe twice but that’s fine aftermarket, and so far, no other problems. And I can carry my two kids while I go round corners sideways, which is an plus. In seven years I haven’t coveted a single other car and I still don’t. Like the M Coupe before, it was built by engineers in secret. It’s a passion project and you can feel it in its scraggly mongrel DNA. Worth every penny and, I’d wager, more.
SidewaysSi said:
AddyT. said:
cerb4.5lee 13 hours ago
s m said:
Would've like one but they never really dropped in price like predicted at launch ( being a turbocharged bowler hat or whatever the putdown was re a turbo M car )
I really wanted one of these when I was looking at buying my E92 M3 and I know I'd have enjoyed this much more. My budget was only £30k at the time and these were still around £40k...it fact they never really seemed to drop much at all annoyingly.
There's always one who manages to drop in what they bought and how much money they had to spend. Well done. I can tell you're a BMW owner...says it all.
Eh? What are you on about? s m said:
Would've like one but they never really dropped in price like predicted at launch ( being a turbocharged bowler hat or whatever the putdown was re a turbo M car )
I really wanted one of these when I was looking at buying my E92 M3 and I know I'd have enjoyed this much more. My budget was only £30k at the time and these were still around £40k...it fact they never really seemed to drop much at all annoyingly.
There's always one who manages to drop in what they bought and how much money they had to spend. Well done. I can tell you're a BMW owner...says it all.
I was just sharing my genuine buying experience at the time, and I even said to the salesman that I'd have preferred the 1M but I couldn't afford one. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff