BMW 1 Series M Coupe: Wheels & Tires In Depth

That “cooling device” seems to be the additional radiator found in the BMW Performance Power Kit for the 335i/135i.

I adore the way they have pulled this car together. Sharing more components from the parts bin at ///M really gives this car a leg up on the bespoke feeling while remaining limited on costs for development. Personally this feels like a dynamic shift at ///M and I think one that could play off well in the future as well.

Too me that vent on the inner well looks like it could be for the radiator that can be seen in the well on the front. After shoving my GP around a track recently and feeling the brake fad I would be sad to not see brake ducts on this car as its much heavier yet.

Well lets take a look at that statement.

I am running Ferodo DS-3000 pads in my GP and still can end up with some fad. Also managing the thermal load is precisely what you have to do to not end up off the track. This however means you have to brake sooner and carry less speed. A change of pads alone doesn’t change mass and inertia thus the friction that it takes to slow the vehicle remains the same

Then again Michael I could have sworn I have even heard this complaint from both you and Gabe on Bimmercast about the M3. Its a pretty low cost change that makes a huge difference on a track.

Not huge brakes on the GP however also much lower mass. I am actually in process of converting my faux duct vents into functional ducts. Several GP owners have done this and have resolved their fad issues. For the track I use Super Blue fluid, DS-3000 race pads, and stainless brake hoses with the factory rotors to good effect already.

Guess my issue is that ///M cars are generally built with the expectation that they will see track time. Not dealing with brake fade that occurs on most cars without ducts seems a little odd. I consider this the weak point of my GP.

I am hoping they were able to shave a good amount of weight off the car and with the M3 brakes hoping to see better performance.

One more thing – can anyone say holy fender gap!?!? Did they use the same springs as the M3, possibly even the sedan! I have to beleive they would use different spring rates on a car that is 200-400lbs lighter. Really hope that can be addressed before release.

I’ve said it with the last few cars I’ve purchased: “I’m not going to mod this one, just enjoy it for its merits and faults in stock form.” Well, I’m 0/4 right now and will probably be 0/5 with the 1M, but I really would like this hooligan to be properly outfitted from the factory. Suspension is not something I want to tinker with (anymore).

I’d like to see black kidney grills on this too, but that I could live with.

PS- I’m not entirely sold on Valencia as it’s too similar to Sedona (which I despise)… fingers crossed for Ice White or Frozen Grey now. Really disappointed they didn’t give us Inka. Metallic is so 90′s.