Disclaimer: this thread is NOT for a fustercluck of e-crotch measurements, or for bad fellowship. It's a genuine attempt to get understanding of the viewpoints in question.
If your intent to reply in this thread is to instigate or insult (towards/against ...either way), please find another thread.
So couple of days I ago I was eating a nice brunch place locally, and saw a 1M pull into the place. After a few mins I decided to approach the gentelman and say hi, tell him I'm a fellow "M driver", and wanted to just chit chat about our cars.
He showed me his car, and we talked about his setup (did a full custom Tune, full catless exhaust, etc), and then we talked about my M3 ('11 sedan, custom brembos, akra, etc).
Long story short, the conversation quickly turned from the 1M and the M3 in general, to a "
M3 is way too slow from 0-60.... I would offload it NOW before the new body comes out...just get a beater till the new one comes out, or get an M5.... I sold my M3 for this 1M, it's no comparison, it's faster all around, etc.... dont walk, RUN, to unload it, trust me... Vishnu with a single turbo upgrade will make it go 600hp...
..." .... you get the point.
I didn't say much because I actually want to keep in touch, and make another BMW-buddy along the process, but I found it pretty, uhm,
interesting, to say the least.
Having driven the 1M enough times, and a few hard laps at the track at PCD, I find the car to be an excellent driver's car! It is:
- "light" and nimble (for it's weight)
- great cornering capabilities, with a hint of understeer
- pretty tunable in stock form, and has an aggressive stance, etc
So Yes, I take the 1M as a very good track car, and a good 1st run from BMW to test the waters for a smaller M coupe sibling by using a parts bin approach.
My question, is, however, why do "some" 1M owners tend to use the M3 as their punching bag to make their point across?
Example:
he asked me why I bought the M3 and not go and keep a 1M, and replied with my reasons:
- needed 4 doors for the family
- just fell in LOVE with the M-DCT tranny (which he referred to as "automatic"
)
- that S65 high revving V8 is magical in terms of throttle response, the gearing with the drivetrain, etc (he kept bringing the "
no power, no torque" rebuttals).
I didn't want to get into an argument, as I was the one who approached the guy and just wanted to make conversation, but geez, is it me? did I misread what he was trying to say? or is there a good part of the 1M owner's circle that actually feels like this?
I mean, he even threw the "
dude, I only have around 370rwhp, but I'm at low 12's in the 1/4mile".... and I kept saying to myself "
and WTF do you think our M3's do...IN STOCK FORM???!!!!"
would love to hear some comments/feedback.
