Dan W

Looking at the size and shape of the car I'm imagining it powered by M.

I can't help but think it would be in some way like the old E30 original. Perfect poise as its almost the perfect shape.

I know it will never happen but I'm also imagining it quatro'ed. That would be nice but an M powered pure back wheel drive would be desirable.

Matteeboy

The 300+bhp 135i isn't far off the mark.

NACRO

Wouldn't be a true M car if it was 4WD.

To build something rivalling the E30 this would be my recipe based on the 1 series coupe.

Weight reduction program ie no rear seats, less airbags, lighter seats, bonnet, roof, glass, less electrics, no air con, less sound deadening etc. Trick M Diff and a high revving 4 cylinder light twin turbo charged, blueprinted and balanced 2.0/2.2 4 cyl petrol engine. Times have moved on since the E30 and a 280-300bhp 2ltr turbo would be light enough to fit the ethos of the car and still keep electric throttle response with the twin setup.

BMW would never build a car like that so I guess I can dream on.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

BMW 1-Series Coupe tii Concept At Tokyo

stilover

BMW are showing off a Tii concept version of the 1 series.

Could be feeler to see if people want a M1.

Edited: drb5 beat me to it.

Dan W

A tii is a good idea aswell.

I agree though that true M powered are back wheel drive.

A soon as I saw it I immediately thought of the E30 and the M

NACRO

Looks like a step in the right direction to me- can't see them making it though and if they did it shouldn't have a 6 cyl engine to be an E30 M3 rival. A screaming 4 pot is what's needed.

Dan W

I guess you're right. it would probably need to go back to a four pot. But the growl of a six pot is nice

Brendan Hughes

I don't see how they could have a 4-pot M when there is already a 6-pot (turbo'd?) 135? M has to be the market leader, the 6 would trounce it for hairy chested power output, esp if chipped.

I said when the 1 hatch came out that it was reminiscent of the Z3M coupe. When they released the 3-door, it was a bit better still.

NACRO

Of course they couldn't make it terms of their current model line up. People are obsessed with headline power figures rather than driving experience.
The same sort of people who like their plates piling up with crap food at various low rent eateries instead of sufficient high quality produce somewhere else.

I was lucky enough to drive an e90 320si and that's the kind of direction BMW should be going in rather than yet more bloated, overweight, overpowered cars for the brainless brigade.

brickboy

The twin-turbo diesel version is supposed to be pretty hot -- under 7 secs to 60 and 30-70, with 50mpg and 135g/km CO2 ...

Dan W

Over the years the M3 has just got bigger and bigger and althought its an awesome car I am attracted to smaller dimensions in such a motor.

Beef

The Lexus Altezza (based on the IS200) had a 4-pot, despite the normal IS series using 6-pot engines.

Shark Man

Well the 3.2 6pot is going spare these days...it would be rude not to plonk that in

Maybe swap some bodypanels for carbon fibre because the damn things weighs so much. M1 CSL has a nice ring to it

That's the biggest issue I have with the 1-er, there is negligable weight advantage over an equivelent 3-er. Sort the weight, and it would be a stormer.

CharlesW

This guy likes it. He makes a quite convincing case for it.

BMW 135i M Sports Coupé: Oh sweet music - Telegraph

mart360

seen it been in it and the coupe is the mutts nuts

who needs the M version the diesel is well quick



Mart

mart360

M may be the market leader, but the current M3 series is unloved by jorno's

with the M sport pack being fitted to just about every version, its hardly surprising.

The current X3 twin turbo diesel has more power than some of the 3 series saloons



Mart

Dan W

Agree but I'm imagining something that harks back to the original M3 but obviously in the 1 series shell. Nothing with all the electrics just a simple back wheel drive howler

Shark Man

Yes. Back to basics:

Bin the SMG gearbox option on all M-cars (lazy people should not have automatic M-cars ). And bin the clutch damper valve on the full manual version too.
Bin the variable steering assistance/ servotroinc
Bin the electronic drive-by-wire throttle (and consequentally the torque control/ MSR)
Bin the DSC that annyongly cuts power dead when it sniffs a micron of wheelspin
Bin the runflats
Bin the excessive sound deadening/insulation, so one can hear the engine ( and save a bit more weight)

And all the computer/automated bits that make it weigh over 1.5tons. So no electric seats with memory, no auto headlamps, no xenons, no auto wipers, no PDC, no active suspension (option anyway), no auto dimming mirror, no trip computer.

Shirley, that would have knocked off 100kg at least?

Edcase

nice ****!

Devildog

M sport package is nothing like the true M car though.

Springs/dampers are different for a start.

BTW, Autocar drove the 135i against a Cayman (6 grand more for the base Cayman, so yeah, nice one Autocar ) and a 350Z

Cayman came top (no surprise from Autocar) but they recon the 135i was the best all rounder so second and way ahead of the 350Z which is the same price as the beemer.

135i was fastest by a fair bit, they recon.

That Tii concept hts the mark, I recon. Give it the hydraulic power steering from the previous generation 1 series, carbon bonnet, boot & roof, no fancy heavy extras, 16" wheels no wider than 7.5" and proper tyres. Stick the engine from the 320si in. Sell it for £20k, and they'd have a winner

Dan W

exactly - not M sport but M powered

mrsteve

I was wondering why whatcar listed the most expensive 1 series as £75000 when i brought my audi a3, anyway the reason was this

Fastest BMW 1 Series : HARTGE H1 5.0

5.0 v8 in a 1 series anyone?

Brendan Hughes

Fun, but probably handles more like an Audi than a BMW. The telegraph article above talks about "the weight of the engine" and that's a straight six - imagine a V8. And the 135i apparently does 0-60 in 5.3 - the V8 in 4.6 is not so impressive then, if it costs double. I'd prefer the 135, breathed on, with weight reductions as above, for considerably less money I suspect.

Probein

This is something I've always wondered about. Can't really understand why they haven't done it.

Flatcapdriver

The S54 engine is being dropped and is only available in the Z4M at present mainly due to its poor emissions which is a shame as its a great engine.

I'd be surprised if they build an M version as this would compete too closely with the M3. Having driven both cars, the M3 feels distinctly quicker and surprisingly more wieldy than the 135i but then, like all M cars, it doesn't suffer from the RFTs fitted to the rest of the range which are totally unsuitable for UK roads.

rb5_336

I read that the new v8 in the m3 is lighter than the old straight 6