Mar 7th, 2010
Over the past six months we’ve heard an enormous amount of rumors surrounding a new entry level M car. Head of the M Division Dr Kay Segler said himself that such a car was coming when he spoke to Autocar earlier this year:
The decision to put the car into production has been attributed to an “overwhelmingly positive reaction” to recent customer clinics, according to at least one high-ranking BMW official. Aimed at attracting younger customers to BMW’s performance cars, the new coupé is set to become the M division’s most affordable model.
Revealing the plans for the new 1-series-based model, ///M division boss Kay Segler said, “I want to set a clear signal that our products are financially accessible.
However just this past week Insideline spoke with an unnamed source at BMW who said that there will be no M1. Instead BMW will simply release a 135is almost identical in spec to the 335is models that debuted recently. Those models make due with an uprated version of the N54 pumping out 320 hp and 332 ft lbs of torque. So who’s right and who’s wrong.
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Jan 19th, 2010
Our inside man Herr26 (aka Scott27) is reporting that the ///M branded 1er coupe will be debuted in an experimental matte finish. Several matte finishes have been tested on the car, from White to Sepang Bronze. The latter is said to suit the car’s lines nicely. Other options will include several current ///M exclusive colors, one or two updates of past ///M colors, as well as throwbacks to the 2002 with Inka Orange and possibly Golf Yellow.
What all of this paint will be covering is starting to come a bit more in focus thanks to these images posted on 1Addicts.com. The front bumper will be a bit wider and feature a larger center section to channel air through the intercooler of the turbos. Fog lights will be tossed to the curb in order to make room for large brake ducts which will direct air at the multi-piston calipers. We bet that BMW will step up to six-pots up front since the 135 in base form already sports 4s. Much like the current ///M3, one of the pair of hood scoops will be a dummy as air only needs to pass through one for the motor to breathe adequately, if the high revving V8 doesn’t need two this worked N55 isn’t going to either.
Larger, wider wheels, a carbon fiber roof and widened fenders will round out the visual package. The overall purpose of this car is to make a reasonably affordable driver’s car. One that is nimble and is quick but not just in a straight-line. From a performance perspective we suspect that the engineers may have fallen in love with this little thing called over-boost as it debuted a few years ago on turbocharged MINIs and recently has reappeared under the re-launched BMW “is” moniker so we fully expect ///M to hop on the bandwagon and do it to the ///Mth Power with this car.
Will it out duel the ///M3? Weighing in at around 3300 lbs. and producing 350hp it is going to be close…. we just hope it is a throwback to the late 80’s.
Images originated on 1Addicts.
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Jan 19th, 2010
The spy photographers over at CAR have published a video of what they refer to as the next generation 1er. We all know that it really is the ///M prototype of the current E82 1 series coupe.
The engine will be based on the current N55 inline six and is rumored to produce 350 hp thanks in no small part to a trick ///M plumbing system and an additional turbo. This car will be displayed sometime in 2010 as a “concept”, and we are placing our bets it will bow at the upcoming Geneva show in March. Worth noting is that the exhaust seems to have a nice throaty sound while also sounding like the engine can rev fairly well.
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Jan 12th, 2010
Todd and I sat down with Head of BMWNA Product Planning and Strategy/BMW Motorsport Manager Martin Birkmann amidst all the debuts yesterday for a candid talk about all things BMW. It was clear that our readers wanted not only hints and future products, but a clearer understanding behind some of the recent decisions involving the DCT transmission. Specifically why it’s the sole option for a few forthcoming performance related BMW products.
We also talked about M, motorsport and of course effeciency and how it relates to BMW as a brand. It’s rare that anyone gets a chance to talk so candidly with Mr. Birkmann. Enjoy!
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Dec 21st, 2009
Previous Z4 customer race car
We talked about this on our soon to be released podcast (scheduled to go live tomorrow) but we finally got confirmation via the Motorsport site lastnight. BMW Motorsport will be building customer race-cars based on the current Z4 but with two huge additions. For one the car will have a fixed roof and a built-in rollcage. Secondly (and much more interesting) the car will feature the 480 bhp V8 taken straight from the GT4 M3 race-car. We’ll get to how this could translate into a road car in a second, but first, here’s the full release:
As part of its customer racing programme, BMW Motorsport is offering private teams another attractive car from 2010: the BMW Z4 GT3. This sports car is an impressive addition to the BMW product range and offers drivers and teams the opportunity to compete in international and national championships in accordance with GT3 regulations – such as the FIA GT3 European Championship, International GT Open and the ADAC GT Masters – as well as in 24-hour endurance races.
The BMW Z4 GT3 is powered by a four-litre, eight-cylinder engine producing approximately 480 bhp. When it comes to electronics, the private teams can look forward to innovative BMW solutions, which have proven themselves in the BMW M3 GT2: the engine is controlled by the modern ECU 408, while the Power400 control unit is responsible for operating all actuators. The transmission takes place via a sequential, six-speed gearbox. The scope of delivery also includes rims with locking and safety clips, as well as racing ABS and optional air conditioning.
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Nov 14th, 2009
Last week M itself confirmed that a 1 Series product was coming over the next several years. It’s been assumed by much of the media that this will involve the F20 next generation 1 series and will debut around 2013. However as we’ve reported previously, M intends to come to market with a 1 Series derived product much sooner based on the current 135i 1 Series Coupe (E82).
The idea is to create a track day car similar to the E46 M3 CSL. Sources suggest the 1M will feature 19″ wheels, huge fender flares, carbon fiber roof, trunk and hood and a stripped out interior will dramatically reduce weight. Power will be upped over the stock 300 hp as well. However if the output rises over 320 hp then look for an entirely new transmission to handle the extra power and torque. It will put the power to the ground through the current ///M3s rear differential and axles. The look will be unique and more inline with the current M cars rather than the current “M Sport” aero kit on the 135i or even the BMW Performance aero kit.
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