Spied: ///M Version of 1 Series

Sections: //1M\\, E81/82/E87 1 Series, In the Press, Spy photos Jan 16th, 2010 14 Comments

Car Magazine has just released spy photos of what they are calling the next generation 1 Series testing in the Arctic. We know this car to not be the next generation 1 but rather a tuned version from our friends in Garching, ///M. We have seen this car before and it looks to be continuing on its development path sine the recent official green lighting.

With this testing it appears the Frankenstein look of the Carbon fiber may stay (I personally love it and hope to see it stay). We can expect upwards of 350 hp from a tuned N55 motor in this ///M as well as a real deal rear differential and wider track. All BMW models that are to be produced undergo stringent testing in the harsh frigid environment of Scandinavia in winter, so we now have proof once again that this car is in fact coming to market!

Rumors continue to point to the “Concept” version of this vehicle to debut in March at Geneva.

Car via Bimmerpost

Written By: Michael

CalebC

What is up with that rear wheel well?

http://bimmerfile.com Michael

Caleb- There are carbon fiber fender flares to accommodate the wider wheels and stance, refer to the previous posts on the ///M 1 for further explanation. That is what I refer to as the Frankenstein effect.

Drill

Don’t worry dude, those arches are just there on the test vehicle. The production version will have the same aggressive arches but without the black plastic bit
Drill

Michael- Dude, you can still see the rivets, do you really think it’ll stay that way? Would the cost of a sheet metal body panel really be that much?
http://bimmerfile.com Michael

Drill- They are CF or at least CFRP and I am sure they will use a better technique to attach them- maybe they will leave them like that but I doubt it! Still just a developmental vehicle. I am not sure they are going to create a new stamp for the rear quarter on a limited production vehicle like this but I could be wrong… that sort of thing has become much cheaper than in the past.

The main thing to consider is that the car has now reach winter testing- drive train and components are being tweaked to deal with the cold. It is definitely a go.

-M
Drill

Good point, aesthetics be damned, that joker’s hittin the road!! (Hmm, now I just have to figure out how to justify one to the Frau… we pick our M Sport E91 up @ BMW Welt on Feb 13, lol)
CalebC

I see what your saying now upon further inspection. When I first looked at it I though it was just open space rather than CF. My eyes were playing tricks on me.
Drill

Yeah, I still can’t tell it’s CF although upon my own further inspection I’m wondering what’s up with that rear diffuser/valance.
Dylan

Hey Michael – I’m a bit confused! Is the M product that will be based on the existing (and let’s face it, very old) 1 series platform? Will it be badged M1 or is this the rumoured Super Sport? If it’s an M1, how does it fit in with BMW’s plan to update the 1 series platform and exterior plans next year etc? This car could feel old quite quick? Surely better to wait for new platform? Your thoughts?
http://bimmerfile.com Michael

Dylan,

This is on the current E82 1 Series, it still has several years of life left since it was introduced after the 3/5 door hatch in the EU. This is looked at as a product to send the platform out to pasture and at the same time give ///M fans a smaller more nimbler product now, the next generation will not come until some time around 2013.

I think that this is the right product at the right time as it is the cheapest way to get into an ///M and it will surely live up to the brand- the economy is still a ways away from recovery so this makes good sense now and it will infuse life into a product that is getting a bit long in the tooth (from looks not performance).

-M
JonPD

Very glad to see this keep moving forward. While I adore the M3 a tad less size and bulk really is a great thing.
Dylan

Thanks for that Michael. I like this car, and for me it could be the eventual replacement for my R56. If the new 1 series platform is due in 2013, do we assume the M version of that car will be some time later to afford the model in this article a decent shelf life?
goat

Great news and looking suitably serious… definitely the new BMW “halo car” since the E90 M3 is just too large to be desirable for many of us…
chas58

I agree it is more desirable than the ///M3 for many of us. However, given the sales of the current 1 series in the US, I don’t think the ///M3 has anything to worry about outside of the limited true driving enthusiast cadre – unless it manages to go on a serious diet.

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