MDifficult’s E82 1M Coupe & Ariel Atom 3
Discussion
Court_S said:
Retrimmed wheel from Royal? Might help freshen up the interior.
No point going electric with less commuting etc. Enjoy the big old beast.
To be honest, the standard leather wheel is in excellent condition and, with the experience of an Alcantara wheel in the 1M I’m not sure I’d go for one for the M5. The only downside of the wheel really is that it’s damn ugly. The LCI facelift wheel is much more modern looking - but also a cool £1,000 for an new one - and used ones are hen’s teeth! No point going electric with less commuting etc. Enjoy the big old beast.
Some updates...
M5
So, my joke about 'dodging bullets' has come back to bite me a smidge, having celebrated the drivetrain issue being fixed with a new crankshaft position sensor. Sadly, the problem recurred almost immediately but this time it was in the exhaust cam (bank 2) rather than the previous issue which was on intake cam (bank 2).
This could be as simple as two identical components, with the same life time, in the same location failing at the same time. Or, it could signal something up with the loom that's potentially shorting and killed them. However, now I've had the second of these expensive little b
ds fitted, so far so good - so looks like the former.
In addition, I've asked a few places to quote to give the driver's seat a bit of a freshen up - it's mainly the two seat bolsters and the seat pad. No rips or damage, but just the usual surface cracking and a bit of discolouration. Not bad for 83k miles, near-white leather and a driver who likes blue jeans
Let's see how the pricing comes back - I'm keen to do it.
Lastly, I've almost convinced myself on the steering wheel. A bit of man-maths (plus potentially re-selling the original as it's in excellent condition = net £700) might get me to push the button. I'll keep scouring the sellers!
Opinions? Pre-LCI on the left, Post-LCI on the right:
1M Coupe
After much use when I first bought it, it's been a little neglected over the last couple of weeks. I chose the M5 for our family holiday as it's a far more pleasant place to smash 1,000 miles, especially with a boot-load of stuff. Also, as I needed to explore the drivetrain issues with the M5 I was always using it to try to get to the bottom of the issue.
But.. I can't go too long without taking it out for a blast so bank holiday Monday was the perfect opportunity. I simply can't explain how much character this car has. I absolutely love it and it makes me laugh going fast or slow. Even just sitting stationary or standing outside staring at it, it's just bloody entertaining.
However, you can't have character without there being a few negatives. So, as promised, here's a few things so far that are less-than-perfect:
When stone cold, it's brittle
I remember my Exige being exactly the same. When you set off, for the first 10-15 minutes the whole car feels a bit hard and brittle, and that includes both the ride and the interior quality. I'm not sure quite whether it's the tyre sidewalls, the dampers, the bushes (or all of them) but straight out the gate it's all a little harsh. But, after 10 minutes they warm up beautifully and the ride goes from brittle to beautiful.
That said, there's two areas (passenger door bottom and behind the central dash-vents) where there are a couple of persistent rattles/buzzes that don't go away with a bit of warmth. But, the Exige and Mini taught me that these problems should be easily corrected so i'll be out with the dash removal tools and my tapes and potions when I get a good free day.
Stupidness
My M5 and the 1M both have exactly the same iDrive system, known as CIC. And both cars have auto lights.
In the M5, when the automatic lights come on (say it gets dark, or you go into a tunnel) the Sat Nav map goes from 'day' colours to the dark 'night' colours automatically, reducing the glare. In the 1M, it doesn't. So you have to do it manually. Every. fking. Time. Why????? The option for 'auto' isn't in the settings menu. Perhaps a software update required?
Arm rest
Seriously BMW, what the actual fk where you thinking when you designed the central arm rest for the 1-series coupe? When I first got it I thought it was broken but no... it's just st. There's no ratchet system, nothing. It just flops onto the top of the handbrake lever when down, or the you have it all the way up and bang your elbow.
Phones
Probably my fault for having one of the 'big' iPhones, but there's literally nowhere to put it. You can't put it IN the armrest (it's too big). You can't put it in the little pouch under the arm rest (because you can't get to it). You can't put it in the cupholder. You can't put it in the door pockets (well you can, but thanks to the low-rent 1-series interior the pockets are bare plastic (unlike the lovely soft lining in my M5) so it slides and clatters around all over the place.
I could fit a proper mount but there's just nowhere to put it, other than the windscreen, or blocking a vent. Maybe Brodit have an ugly but practical solution?
Cheapness
I know, I know, it's a 1-series. But for me, a BMW should have a tool kit, a first aid kit and a warning triangle in the boot lid. Nope.
Handbrake
As it's the same as the E9x M3 (as the whole rear-end is lifted from that car), the handbrake uses the shoes-inside-the-disc-hub system and it's crap. Firstly, the grip is pretty poor unless you really yank the hanbrake up, plus you get that slightly unnerving couple of inches of travel if you park on a big slope, when you let off the foot brake. I'm certain a refurb of the rear brakes would improve this, but forums seem to suggest it never gets much better.
Of course none of this really matters, and everything else about the car is absolutely bloody brilliant. Not perfect, but entertaining and full of character.
Oh, and one small thing that I absolutely LOVE. BMW trust you not to put it in reverse by accident like a bell-end. There's no little collar to lift, no need to push down on the gear nob. Just put it in reverse and away you go, like the good old days. Awesome.
M5
So, my joke about 'dodging bullets' has come back to bite me a smidge, having celebrated the drivetrain issue being fixed with a new crankshaft position sensor. Sadly, the problem recurred almost immediately but this time it was in the exhaust cam (bank 2) rather than the previous issue which was on intake cam (bank 2).
This could be as simple as two identical components, with the same life time, in the same location failing at the same time. Or, it could signal something up with the loom that's potentially shorting and killed them. However, now I've had the second of these expensive little b
ds fitted, so far so good - so looks like the former. In addition, I've asked a few places to quote to give the driver's seat a bit of a freshen up - it's mainly the two seat bolsters and the seat pad. No rips or damage, but just the usual surface cracking and a bit of discolouration. Not bad for 83k miles, near-white leather and a driver who likes blue jeans
Let's see how the pricing comes back - I'm keen to do it.
Lastly, I've almost convinced myself on the steering wheel. A bit of man-maths (plus potentially re-selling the original as it's in excellent condition = net £700) might get me to push the button. I'll keep scouring the sellers!
Opinions? Pre-LCI on the left, Post-LCI on the right:
1M Coupe
After much use when I first bought it, it's been a little neglected over the last couple of weeks. I chose the M5 for our family holiday as it's a far more pleasant place to smash 1,000 miles, especially with a boot-load of stuff. Also, as I needed to explore the drivetrain issues with the M5 I was always using it to try to get to the bottom of the issue.
But.. I can't go too long without taking it out for a blast so bank holiday Monday was the perfect opportunity. I simply can't explain how much character this car has. I absolutely love it and it makes me laugh going fast or slow. Even just sitting stationary or standing outside staring at it, it's just bloody entertaining.
However, you can't have character without there being a few negatives. So, as promised, here's a few things so far that are less-than-perfect:
When stone cold, it's brittle
I remember my Exige being exactly the same. When you set off, for the first 10-15 minutes the whole car feels a bit hard and brittle, and that includes both the ride and the interior quality. I'm not sure quite whether it's the tyre sidewalls, the dampers, the bushes (or all of them) but straight out the gate it's all a little harsh. But, after 10 minutes they warm up beautifully and the ride goes from brittle to beautiful.
That said, there's two areas (passenger door bottom and behind the central dash-vents) where there are a couple of persistent rattles/buzzes that don't go away with a bit of warmth. But, the Exige and Mini taught me that these problems should be easily corrected so i'll be out with the dash removal tools and my tapes and potions when I get a good free day.
Stupidness
My M5 and the 1M both have exactly the same iDrive system, known as CIC. And both cars have auto lights.
In the M5, when the automatic lights come on (say it gets dark, or you go into a tunnel) the Sat Nav map goes from 'day' colours to the dark 'night' colours automatically, reducing the glare. In the 1M, it doesn't. So you have to do it manually. Every. f
king. Time. Why????? The option for 'auto' isn't in the settings menu. Perhaps a software update required?Arm rest
Seriously BMW, what the actual f
k where you thinking when you designed the central arm rest for the 1-series coupe? When I first got it I thought it was broken but no... it's just st. There's no ratchet system, nothing. It just flops onto the top of the handbrake lever when down, or the you have it all the way up and bang your elbow. Phones
Probably my fault for having one of the 'big' iPhones, but there's literally nowhere to put it. You can't put it IN the armrest (it's too big). You can't put it in the little pouch under the arm rest (because you can't get to it). You can't put it in the cupholder. You can't put it in the door pockets (well you can, but thanks to the low-rent 1-series interior the pockets are bare plastic (unlike the lovely soft lining in my M5) so it slides and clatters around all over the place.
I could fit a proper mount but there's just nowhere to put it, other than the windscreen, or blocking a vent. Maybe Brodit have an ugly but practical solution?
Cheapness
I know, I know, it's a 1-series. But for me, a BMW should have a tool kit, a first aid kit and a warning triangle in the boot lid. Nope.
Handbrake
As it's the same as the E9x M3 (as the whole rear-end is lifted from that car), the handbrake uses the shoes-inside-the-disc-hub system and it's crap. Firstly, the grip is pretty poor unless you really yank the hanbrake up, plus you get that slightly unnerving couple of inches of travel if you park on a big slope, when you let off the foot brake. I'm certain a refurb of the rear brakes would improve this, but forums seem to suggest it never gets much better.
Of course none of this really matters, and everything else about the car is absolutely bloody brilliant. Not perfect, but entertaining and full of character.
Oh, and one small thing that I absolutely LOVE. BMW trust you not to put it in reverse by accident like a bell-end. There's no little collar to lift, no need to push down on the gear nob. Just put it in reverse and away you go, like the good old days. Awesome.
Personally, I'd go Pre LCI since I think it looks better. I think I'm in the minority there. 
For the auto night mode, I don't think it can be done on an E-series CIC unit. My E91 with the latest software won't do that. Same thing as you can't set the journey computer to do the auto reset thing which is also painful.
I've set up one of the shortcut keys for the map to go into night mode. That's as good of a fix I can do.
For the auto night mode, I don't think it can be done on an E-series CIC unit. My E91 with the latest software won't do that. Same thing as you can't set the journey computer to do the auto reset thing which is also painful.
I've set up one of the shortcut keys for the map to go into night mode. That's as good of a fix I can do.
Agreed, the 'character' thing is what the 1M is all about and you can't sense that from the performance figures. I bought mine just as a box to tick and now I couldn't bear to sell it.
Not sure what's happened to your warning triangle, first aid kit and tool kit mind. Mine are present and correct?
Not sure what's happened to your warning triangle, first aid kit and tool kit mind. Mine are present and correct?
JakeT said:
Personally, I'd go Pre LCI since I think it looks better. I think I'm in the minority there.
For the auto night mode, I don't think it can be done on an E-series CIC unit. My E91 with the latest software won't do that. Same thing as you can't set the journey computer to do the auto reset thing which is also painful.
I've set up one of the shortcut keys for the map to go into night mode. That's as good of a fix I can do.
You’re absolutely right! I had to go out and check it but yes - the really helpful auto-journey reset thing isn’t there on mine either. Bugger.For the auto night mode, I don't think it can be done on an E-series CIC unit. My E91 with the latest software won't do that. Same thing as you can't set the journey computer to do the auto reset thing which is also painful.
I've set up one of the shortcut keys for the map to go into night mode. That's as good of a fix I can do.
But, your suggestion about using the shortcut key for day/night mode is a belter, thank you!
Julian Thompson said:
I prefer the later wheel - actually it’s the same as on my M4 I think - and it’s a nice thing.
Both wheels are a bit too thick in my opinion but that seems to be a modern thing.
Yeah, definite m-car trait the fat wheel. The 1M wheel is definitely fatter but I think that’s just the feel of alcantara vs leather. Both chubbies though Both wheels are a bit too thick in my opinion but that seems to be a modern thing.
bencollins4 said:
Agreed, the 'character' thing is what the 1M is all about and you can't sense that from the performance figures. I bought mine just as a box to tick and now I couldn't bear to sell it.
Not sure what's happened to your warning triangle, first aid kit and tool kit mind. Mine are present and correct?
The first aid kit and triangle are just in the main boot on the left, held by the elasticated strap? No tools though, only the towing-eye and locking wheel nut doodah down by the battery in the sub-floor. Same for you? Not sure what's happened to your warning triangle, first aid kit and tool kit mind. Mine are present and correct?
If not, would you post a pic of what/where yours is?
On my E46 and F10 they both had the nice BMW ‘flap’ under the boot lid.
bencollins4 said:
Ok, so on 2nd glance the tool kit isn't great, just a towing eye and screwdriver in the sub-boot floor next to the battery.
Warning triangle is attached to the bootlid though and a decent first aid kit in the boot on the right hand side.
So... after double-checking myself... I'm an idiot Warning triangle is attached to the bootlid though and a decent first aid kit in the boot on the right hand side.
The car actually has two warning triangles - one in the boot on the left held in (together with the first aid kit) by the elasticated strap. But... there's also one held nice and neatly in the bootlid as you described. How I never noticed there were two is beyond me. Shows how often I've looking in the boot since buying it!
I'll throw the spare in the garage, and move the first aid kit from the left to the right, and I think I should be 'as standard'. Cheers for the help!
Jakg said:
I just leave it in night mode all the time - after using it for a while I find overly bright navigation screens quite distracting.
It's a good suggestion but I find the map pretty hard to follow during the day in dark mode. But, putting the toggle onto one of the programmable buttons feels like a quick and easy solution. (well, not as quick and easy as BMW making it work in the first place!)
Lovely pair of M cars. I bought my M6 from a specialist near Luton and there was a lovely low mile 1M in the showroom,very similar to yours.
It looked awesome, I would've loved a go!
I'm counting down the days until something goes bang in my M6. Even considering the bork factor, these M cars are such great value for money
It looked awesome, I would've loved a go!
I'm counting down the days until something goes bang in my M6. Even considering the bork factor, these M cars are such great value for money
Re the M5 steering wheel, definitely the face lift one; it’s loads nicer.
On the face of it, it looks identical to the wheel in my car (or any of the other LCI M Sport / M Performance cars other than the trim). Would it be cheaper to source a used wheel from a ‘lesser’ car and just add the trim etc? It seems nuts that they carry such a premium given that the actual wheel is the sane as those in many cars. The main difference is the main / central trim and the M1/2 buttons.
On the face of it, it looks identical to the wheel in my car (or any of the other LCI M Sport / M Performance cars other than the trim). Would it be cheaper to source a used wheel from a ‘lesser’ car and just add the trim etc? It seems nuts that they carry such a premium given that the actual wheel is the sane as those in many cars. The main difference is the main / central trim and the M1/2 buttons.
Edited by Court_S on Sunday 6th September 21:43
olliete said:
Lovely pair of M cars. I bought my M6 from a specialist near Luton and there was a lovely low mile 1M in the showroom,very similar to yours.
It looked awesome, I would've loved a go!
I'm counting down the days until something goes bang in my M6. Even considering the bork factor, these M cars are such great value for money
Congrats on the purchase - absolutely brilliant choice. The risk is all part of the excitement don't you think? It looked awesome, I would've loved a go!
I'm counting down the days until something goes bang in my M6. Even considering the bork factor, these M cars are such great value for money
5mileofdeath said:
Looking forward to reading this.. albeit jealously lol..
Cheers - I've got A LOT of photos to go through but I'll try to put it up today if I can 
Court_S said:
Re the M5 steering wheel, definitely the face lift one; it’s loads nicer.
On the face of it, it looks identical to the wheel in my car (or any of the other LCI M Sport / M Performance cars other than the trim). Would it be cheaper to source a used wheel from a ‘lesser’ car and just add the trim etc? It seems nuts that they carry such a premium given that the actual wheel is the sane as those in many cars. The main difference is the main / central trim and the M1/2 buttons.
Sadly, the M2/M3/M4 wheels look the same but have a different boss (which is a single piece of the main part of the wheel). Only the 5/6 wheels fit. I've priced up all sorts of different ways to do it, and no matter how you slice it, it's £800+ On the face of it, it looks identical to the wheel in my car (or any of the other LCI M Sport / M Performance cars other than the trim). Would it be cheaper to source a used wheel from a ‘lesser’ car and just add the trim etc? It seems nuts that they carry such a premium given that the actual wheel is the sane as those in many cars. The main difference is the main / central trim and the M1/2 buttons.
MBeemerman said:
Did a little road trip in mine a couple of weeks ago with some other tasty company, such a fun car !
I couldn't agree more - looks like you had some fantastic company but I think you had the best tool for the job MBeemerman said:
I had this fitted to my 1M's stable mate last weekend , what a soundtrack !!!
Based on my experience of following Outnumbered at close quarters recently... I think that was an excellent investment!Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff