Sometimes the magic happens in a flash. The history of pop culture is punctuated by platinum hit songs by groups that were literally unique, but whose influence on music was enormous and caused waves in the industry that have been felt for years. In the case of automobiles, there are many similar examples: models whose legendary reputations are the result of brilliant design, powerful performance and extreme rarity.
Limited to one or two years of production, cars like the 2005 Ford GT and 2016 Porsche 911 R are more desirable today than they were when new. Another outlier is the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe, known to BMW enthusiasts as the E82. It was manufactured for just one year, and it was barely done around there. So far, however, it has proved to be one of the most beloved BMWs of the 21st century.
Sure, the BMW Z8 is a collector’s icon, but it’s fragile, expensive and has more to do with retro style than performance. To understand why the 335 hp BMW 1 Series M Coupé (not to be confused with the mid-engined M1 from 1978 to 1981) is so special, just measure BMWs over the years.
A 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe in Valencia Orange.
Photo by Tom Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
The BMW 2002, which we will talk about in the future Car of the week installment, it was BMW’s first two-door sports sedan. Eventually, his successors, through an intelligent marketing campaign, proved the Bavarian automaker’s claim as the ultimate driving machine, at least in the minds of brand enthusiasts. Starting with the M3 (E30) in 1986, things got serious. And the more serious things got, the bigger the BMWs became.
In the 1995 iteration of the M3 (E36), it had grown to the perfect size for a sports sedan, offering agile handling with a touch of luxury. It was 175 inches long and 67 inches wide, had a wheelbase of 106 inches and weighed 3.175 pounds. Its six-in-line engine produced 240 hp in North American models – almost on par with a contemporary Porsche 911 Carrera – and had a lovely performance for the time.
The BMW 1 Series M Coupé features wide and wide fenders and is exaggerated in its proportions.
Photo by Tom Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
Like a potbellied pig, previous BMWs were like little pigs – cute and manageable. The last E36 was almost right, but eventually the additional weight and size become a heavy reminder that – like many of its owners – the attractiveness (of BMWs and pig pets) decreases as they gain weight.
The two-door E92 M3 with V-8 engine, made from 2007 to 2013, remains a collector in its own right. Perhaps most interestingly, the BMW M engineers chose to develop the smaller M-Series coupe, focused on tracks, using many parts of the E92 M3. And if there was ever a sweet spot, 1M tickled it.
With a posture that mimics a muscular pika, the short, squat 1M shares the M3’s 71-inch wide track, but at 172 inches, it’s 10 inches shorter. At 3,296 pounds, it’s also about 600 pounds lighter, which, whether we’re talking about cars or big-bellied pigs, is a huge number. With its older brother’s brakes and suspension, the car has a body that has wide and wide fenders and is as exaggerated in its proportions as a bodybuilder. A 1M receives approval from BMW fans to this day, which I can attest to (with full disclosure as the original owner, with no plans to sell his car).
A total of 6,309 examples were made up to June 2012.
Photo by Tom Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
Under its short hood is BMW’s N54 engine, a 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine that develops 335 hp and 332 ft lbs of torque, or more urgently, 369 ft lbs with overboost from the two turbochargers. Reaching the limit of 7,000 rpm is a joke, but in reality, all the heavy lifting is done at one third of these speeds, and the fun starts working the minute someone steps on the gas. A time from zero to 60 mph of 4.7 seconds is quite respectable today, but the number shredders miss the boat and don’t even deserve this car. With 1M, everything revolves around the drive.
And that impulse is addictive. I don’t use drugs, but maybe it’s because I have 1M and any other stimulus is overkill. OM forgives my limitations, keeps my feet steady and responds faster than this driver will ever do. As impressive as its engine are its brakes and steering. . . oh the direction; it is the best of the best and puts this driver in a comfort zone unmatched by any other car in my stable.
Hateurs – relying on theory rather than experience – will criticize electric power steering that replaces a traditional hydraulic system, but they would be wrong. The 1M will read your mind with its intuitive driving feedback. Of course, he also has a mind of his own, surpassing the limit. But none of its antics diminishes the fact that this car is a cornerstone carver par excellence. In comparison, the M4 CS that I use as a daily driver is a school bus.
When new, the car, which has a six-speed transmission, offered heated seats and navigation functionality among its few options.
Photo by Tom Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
As it was made only for the 2011 model year, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is a relatively rare car. Initial production was planned at 2,700 copies, but demand forced the Munich automaker’s hand and eventually 6,309 were made at the factory in Leipzig until June 2012. Important to buyers in the United States, 740 were sold in the United States, with another 220 going to Canada.
The car sold for about $ 45,000 new and offered few options. In addition to navigation, heated seats and xenon headlights, there was not much to add. The change was only by means of a six-speed manual transmission, and the paint was black, white or orange from Valencia – the latter being a rusty metal that is the characteristic color of the model. Some examples have been sprayed in blue and green, but I don’t expect to find them anytime soon.
The model’s BMW N54 engine, a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, develops 335 hp.
Photo by Tom Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
This BMW lives in that lower region that separates a collector car from a modern car. Any car more than a decade old is the first, and the 1 Series M Coupe will soon be. Still, it easily catches up with today’s best and brightest models. In fact, those looking for the performance business of the century will simply order a new BMW M2 and M2 CS, if they can find one. These cars are the evolutionary successors of the 1M and are certainly the purest, unadulterated BMWs made today. Current values are higher than that model’s MSRP when new, so expect to pay more than $ 50,000 for any decent example. The cars do not have an Achilles’ heel and can serve owners well north of 100,000 miles.
The car covers from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, quite respectable, even by today’s standards.
Photo by Tom Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
Whether the Series 1 M Coupe will remain as desirable in another decade as it is now, remains to be seen. Today, it is a benchmark and milestone for the BMW brand, and it is difficult to imagine a car that performs brighter, looks so good, is reliable and offers a fully analog driving experience. But I am biased. It turns out that the online automotive auction house Bring a Trailer has what appears to be an excellent example of 24,000 miles in Valencia Orange for sale at the moment – just in case you were convinced.