BMW 1-Series M - Pretty Meets Performance

Last year I considered the BMW 1-series to be “a girl's car with a guy’s engine inside it”. Apparently someone in a high place at BMW heard me, and created the 1-series M to shut me up - it worked. Before I get into details, I must clarify that I don’t think that the 1-series was lacking in power or performance before the 1M. I think all BMW’s are great driving machines. What had me hesitant to enjoy the 1-series was the rather soft, feminine styling of the car’s body.

For those who feel the same as I do, BMW brings us the much sleeker and much faster performance model of the 1-series, the 1-series M. Not to be confused with the M1, BMW’s 1980’s track car, the 1 M features far more aggressive body styling than the regular 1-series. The front grille has a more track-oriented feel to it, and the 19” alloys give the car a look that just screams “Drive me!”

Much more aggressive than the old 1-series.

As you can see, the 1-series has definitely evolved into a more masculine machine. It is clear that the 1 M is marketed to hardcore hands-on drivers, as there is no automatic transmission option for the car – it’s all stick. Considering the car is outfitted with a rear-diff similar to that of an M3, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thankfully, the modifications to the original 1 don’t stop at exterior styling. If they did, I’m sure this blog post wouldn’t have happened. The 1 M features a 335 horsepower twin-turbo inline six, and weighs under 2000 kg. For those of you trying to do the math in your head, that results in a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds. The car has also been given numerous handling upgrades, turning the 1-series into a track icon. Not impressed yet?

How about now? Insanity ensues around 0:30.

The viral marketing video seen above is what originally inspired me to research and write about the 1-series M. Now that I’ve learned so much about this car, I’m starting to wonder if the 1 M is a better buy than the M3. It may not be faster in a straight line, but I would rather take the smaller 1M based solely on the fact that it would be an absolute thrill to drive. Like its performance predecessors, the M3 and M5, this BMW M is sure to please any car lover who gets their hands on the wheel.