Section: //1M\\

1M Final Production Figures for the US: 740

Sections: //1M\\ Jan 10th, 2012 7 Comments

BMW M Brand Manager Matthew Russell made it official this week at NAIAS. Production for the 1M in the US is over and the final tally is 740 unit. The much lauded baby M car was produced from March to November of this year as a 2011 model. But why no 2012 when it’s still finishing its production run outside the US?

2011: Our Favorite Reviews

Sections: //1M\\, //M5\\, E9 3.0 CSL Jan 1st, 2012 1 Comment

The heart and soul of BimmerFile (as the case with MotoringFile) are the reviews. And it’s not just the new cars we’re after but the classics. This year we were lucky to review a couple instant classics and one that is unarguably the real thing. Our reviews of the 1 Series M Coupe and the F10 M5 surely fall under the former. They each represent a step towards the future for BMW M while keeping an eye on the past. But it was a 39 year old coupe on a storied road that completely stole our heart.

Richard Hammond Names the 1M Car of the Year

Sections: //1M\\, In the Press Dec 31st, 2011 5 Comments

First it was Jeremey Clarkson calling it the most fun car of the year. Then we followed officially naming it the BimmerFile’s BMW of the year. Now another third of Top Gear has chimed in and given it top honors for 2011. Richard Hammond has named the 1M is own 2011 car of the year. Here’s an excerpt:

Visually, it tells you straightaway that while it might be still right now, what it wants to do more than anything is bounce up and down like a mad thing, crap on the rug and tear off with the TV remote in its teeth. Comparisons are made with the original BMW M3 every time this car is talked about, and with good reason. The M3, when it popped up in 1987, was adored for its track-derived focus, razor-sharp performance and fizzing, raucous energy.

What’s the Fastest M Car? Autobild Finds Out

Sections: //1M\\, //M3 CRT, //M3\\, //M5\\, //X5 M\\, //X6 M\\ Dec 29th, 2011 10 Comments

German publication Autobild took the entire current M range (including the ultra rare M3 CRT) to the Sachsenring. The winner? Perhaps unsurprisingly it was the über M3, the new CRT. But what of the standard production models? The F10 M5 bested the lot with a time of 1:38.90. Not bad for a heavy-weight. But it was the race for second that caught out attention.

BF Review: 2,000 Miles in a BMW 1M

Sections: //1M\\, BF Garage, Review Nov 10th, 2011 15 Comments

Over the years I’ve driven countless BMWs. I’ve put mile after mile on new, used and just plainly old BMWs in every condition imaginable. And yet I’ve never been more excited about one as I am with the little white car parked in my garage.

There is nothing quite like the 1M in BMW’s product mix. Small, relatively light (by modern standards) and stuffed full of M3 components, it’s a 1 Series that looks like it’s been in the gym for the last three years. And in some ways it has with the M division having endowed it with heavy doses huge wheels, fat tires, wide fender flares and air intakes seemingly everywhere.

Then there’s the engine. However as much as the twin-turbo N54-B30TO makes for a great motivator under the hood, the experience is dominated by the M3 influenced chassis, suspension and brakes. Yet it’s so much more and less than an M3. take away 600 lbs and shorten the wheelbase and you’ll understand why, in our first review of the car, we called it likely the best small M car ever. And because of it all it’s easily one of the most endearing BMW’s in recent memory. But how would it hold up to 2,000 miles? Are there cracks in the armor or is the 1M as good as we initially believed?

BMW M5 & 1M in EVO’s Car of the Year Issue

Sections: //1M\\, //M5\\, In the Press Nov 4th, 2011 1 Comment

Don’t worry. We won’t ruin it for you like other sites out there. But we do want to advise our readers that you should pick up a copy of the latest edition of EVO. Not only is it the annual ECOTY issue (EVO Car of the Year) but it also features the a couple of M cars prominently. And if you’ve been following EVO this year then you’ll know that the M5 and 1M are held in very high regard but what many proclaim as the best automotive magazine on the planet.

BimmerCast #56: M5, F30 3 Series, F20 1 Series & Full Recap of the Last Four Months of BMW

Sections: //1M\\, //M2\\, //M3\\, //M5\\, BimmerCast, F20 1 Series, F30 3 Series, F80 M3 Oct 31st, 2011 5 Comments

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After a very long break we’re back with our biggest and longest show ever. We start with the M5 and new 3 Series and Michael’s first-hand experiences with both cars. And as much as that could be a show in itself, we move on to tackle pretty much every other major BMW topic from the last three months. The show runs a little over an hour and weighs in at 45 mb but it’s one you won’t want to miss.

Here’s the full list (after the break).

Opinion: Motor Trend 1M Best Drivers Car

Sections: //1M\\, Opinion Oct 29th, 2011 14 Comments

I’ve known about this comparo for a few weeks now and have had some time to let it gel in my brain a bit. I learned of these results at a recent event where one of Motor Trend’s regulars was in attendance (great guy). This nameless individual was discussing how both Pobst and Bell came away unhappy with the 1M on the track. He continued on that they BOTH said the brakes in the 1M were horrible and how they warped the rotors. They also BOTH said the car was understeering enormously and wouldn’t turn in. Me being me, I called this out as this differed significantly from my experiences, I tend to express my take on things and opinion quite often (for better or worse).