I usually try to draw my road tests out a bit, try not give away too much too early, but I won’t be revealing anything you wouldn’t have already assumed here: I have to kick things off by saying that BMW’s hit the nail square on the head with the 1 Series M Coupé. Be sure not to call it the M1 to avoid confusion with BMW’s late- ’70s/early-’80s icon, but it is the logical M1; M3’s baby bro even encroaches on its territory quite a bit.
Before I get too involved in carrying on about how amazing the 1 M is and why though, let’s start with the basics. One of the few things I don’t really like about the 1 M is its styling. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love the aggression it oozes, the vents in the bumpers, the gaping M-style lower grille, the wildly flared wheel arches, all the little touches that give it a hardcore visual presence. I just don’t like the fact that it’s a 1 Series.
Truth be told, it is as good as a 1 Series can look, but the baby Beemer just isn’t a good starting point in terms of styling. The head and taillights still seem out of place and oddly proportioned to me, and the profile of the car, even in coupé guise, is a little nebulous to stand out.
However, given that somewhat dubious starting point and the fact that the coupé is the best looking of the three 1 Series derivatives available, BMW’s done a sterling job of making this thing angry, mean, giving it the look of a brawler you don’t want to mess with. When the view in your wing mirrors is dominated by the rear wheelarches, you know you’re behind the wheel of something special. And trust me, with this car, you are.
Looking inside, that’s continued. A suede gearlever covering, further suede touches on the dash, M badges in the headrests and orange stitching throughout really make the cabin an exciting place to be. I do, however, think that metal pedals would have been a nice touch instead of the regular old black ones. I know BMW doesn’t really do that kind of thing, but this is the sort of car it would fit so well.
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