M Power

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

You've all heard speculations and seen spy photos of a BMW 1 Series that's been M-tuned. Well, I'm here today to announce to you that all those speculations are to be put to rest, because that picture that you see above this text is what you've been waiting for. This is the 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe. Inside and out, this is a 1 series that's undergone a transformation. What was once sporty and well-designed is now naughty, mean, and powerful. Under the hood is the same engine that you'll find in the Z4 sDrive35is: a 3.0-liter Twin-turbocharged Inline-Six engine producing exactly 335 horsepower with 332 lb.-ft. of torque. 0 to 60 is reached in an astonishing 4.7 seconds with a limited top speed of 155 MPH. Most of BMW's M cars have a dual clutch paddle-shift transmission. However, in the 1 Series M, there will only be a six-speed manual transmission. Do not fret, though! There has been some speculation of this car having a DCT in the near future. But for now, we're stuck with the standard shift knob. This is a brilliant car, absolutely. But, I'm getting this strange feeling that BMW could've done a little bit more. I mean yes the car is powerful. But, the 135i has 300 horsepower. The letter M only adds about 35 more to the engine. Take a look at the X5. The xDrive50i has 400 horsepower from a Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine. Adding the letter M gave it over 150 more horsepower, lower suspension, bigger and wider tires, and faster top speed. I really believe they should've done more with this car. But, nonetheless, we've been waiting for it, and now it's here. The 1 Series M will make it's official debut next month in Detroit at the North American Auto Show.