BMW 1M vs. M3 Direct Comparison Review by Motortrend

[crackberry]

Originally Posted by Brandon26pdx

F32 M3 will be a turbocharged disaster I'm betting. I think anyone who still wants a real BMW ///M car new better have it made before 6/2012

I really hope it will be a disaster. If it fails, then they will go back to NA engines.

Buuuuut, ///marketing will do all they can to promote the shit out of that piece of shit....so the masses will think that the f32 m3 is a work of art.

[e1000]

Originally Posted by Brandon26pdx

F32 M3 will be a turbocharged disaster I'm betting. I think anyone who still wants a real BMW ///M car new better have it made before 6/2012

The Mayans were right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Totti]

Originally Posted by shift@red

I can think of a few. GT3, GT3 RS, GT2, GT2 RS.

Even if the M3 were a manual, it wouldnt really matter. The special characteristics that set it above and apart from the 1M are still there.

True. M would never make the M3 in manual only though, as they know the sales would literally plummet through the floor.

[grimlock]

Originally Posted by crackberry

I really hope it will be a disaster. If it fails, then they will go back to NA engines.

Buuuuut, ///marketing will do all they can to promote the shit out of that piece of shit....so the masses will think that the f32 m3 is a work of art.

Exactly. Which is why we have to work harder to pooh-pooh the 1M. I already can't stand everyone drinking the Kool Aid on the F10 M5..
It's like a little marketing and nobody has brains anymore.

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by egt135i

Lets get serious, there is no car like the M3.

+10 and there never will be!

[crackberry]

Originally Posted by Totti

True. M would never make the M3 in manual only though, as they know the sales would literally plummet through the floor.

Honestly, I think we should not be fighting about stick vs dct. Something else takes precedent over that, and it's turbos.

[crackberry]

Originally Posted by grimlock

Exactly. Which is why we have to work harder to pooh-pooh the 1M. I already can't stand everyone drinking the Kool Aid on the F10 M5..
It's like a little marketing and nobody has brains anymore.

YES! What I have bolded is absolutely true. Laugh every time I hear that the 1M is the spiritual successor to the e30 m3. If that were true, why doesn't the 1m have a m3 badge?

I can't stand the new m5 f10.

[FLEX///M]

Originally Posted by BMWBoss

M3 FTW!!! And lets keep in mind this is the outgoing generation...wait till the F3X M3 comes out...a 1M won't even have a chance. The M3 will always be the King of the M's, it's BMW's pride and joy...the 1M however is a nice alternative if you can't afford the M3.

I don't know what this means. Unless you finance the car over a five year period (which 5% of people do) the 1M is more expensive. When I got mine I looked at the numbers and compared them to the M3. I couldn't easily gotten a loaded M3 for less than what I'm paying now for my 1M, both lease and BMWselect. For anyone who is leasing, the M3 is actually cheaper than the 1M.

Originally Posted by crackberry

I really hope it will be a disaster. If it fails, then they will go back to NA engines.

Buuuuut, ///marketing will do all they can to promote the shit out of that piece of shit....so the masses will think that the f32 m3 is a work of art.

They can't go back to NA. Main reason being that U.S. is the largest buying power in the world and our government has set a minimum in both mpg and emissions. It isn't possible for BMW (at the moment) to offer vehicles that perform like we expect them to without the use of a turbo. However, after having my 1M for a little over a month, I am very confident the F30 M3 will not disappoint.

Originally Posted by crackberry

YES! What I have bolded is absolutely true. Laugh every time I hear that the 1M is the spiritual successor to the e30 m3. If that were true, why doesn't the 1m have a m3 badge?

I can't stand the new m5 f10.

The reason people say the 1M is the successor of the e30 M3 is because the original concept of the M3 was NOT to be a big car like it is nowadays. The philosophy of the M3 was exactly what the e30 M3 was. If you take that and compare it to the e9X M3 (which is an AMAZING machine) you'll see that they strayed away from that. Maybe because they needed something a little more mainstream? The exact reason, I don't know. But I do know that the new M3 is bigger than the old 5 series... and that should speak for itself.

Let me be clear here, I'm not speaking against the M3. I'm simply explaining why they say its the spiritual successor. And as to why the car doesn't have the M3 badge? Well, because now the M3 is something else, and if BMW EVER did anything like that, everybody on this forum would sign out permanently, it wouldn't make any sense.

I love my 1M, and I love the M3. But it is kinda tiring to see all the M3 people feel so threatened by it. Always trying to knock it down a notch. "not a true M this... 135i that". Just be happy with the car you have... and if you really want to take it to that level, then go race it on a track and find out for yourself which car is quicker.



And if that's not good enough, then have a jedi lightsaber duel.

And if you go and say "lightsaber aren't 'TRUE' swords just like you think the 1M is not a true M, then have a samurai katana duel Just make sure that you're opponent doesn't have a lightsaber, cause he's gonna own the hell out of you.

[grimlock]

Originally Posted by crackberry

YES! What I have bolded is absolutely true. Laugh every time I hear that the 1M is the spiritual successor to the e30 m3. If that were true, why doesn't the 1m have a m3 badge?

I can't stand the new m5 f10.

So true. I actually think the 1M is an experiment by BMW~corporate to see how much BS people will buy. Do the absolute minimum, but say its awesome, and throw in the bogus comparison to the e30 m3. Sheesh, i haven't driven either and even i know it can't be true Just use a little logic
Asking us to not care about the engine in an M is like asking us to not care if it even has wheels, I mean if you don't care about the engine in a car, what else is there to care about, really?!?

Everyone Oh-ah-ing the M5 like they don't know most of it is just changing the software on a 550i... and they get lazier and cheaper they don't even upgrade the parts anymore, they just lock/unlock everything by computer!

[mPlasticDesign]

I don't know why people keep implying that people who choose to buy the 1M are doing so because they can't afford an M3. $50k for a somewhat stripped 1M compared to a stripped M3 sedan($55k) is only a $5k difference. Peanuts really....

I have had every M3 iteration since the E36, an M6 and now anxiously waiting for the 1M. Why? Personal preference at play not finance.

[crackberry]

Originally Posted by FLEX///M

I don't know what this means. Unless you finance the car over a five year period (which 5% of people do) the 1M is more expensive. When I got mine I looked at the numbers and compared them to the M3. I couldn't easily gotten a loaded M3 for less than what I'm paying now for my 1M, both lease and BMWselect. For anyone who is leasing, the M3 is actually cheaper than the 1M.



They can't go back to NA. Main reason being that U.S. is the largest buying power in the world and our government has set a minimum in both mpg and emissions. It isn't possible for BMW (at the moment) to offer vehicles that perform like we expect them to without the use of a turbo. However, after having my 1M for a little over a month, I am very confident the F30 M3 will not disappoint.



The reason people say the 1M is the successor of the e30 M3 is because the original concept of the M3 was NOT to be a big car like it is nowadays. The philosophy of the M3 was exactly what the e30 M3 was. If you take that and compare it to the e9X M3 (which is an AMAZING machine) you'll see that they strayed away from that. Maybe because they needed something a little more mainstream? The exact reason, I don't know. But I do know that the new M3 is bigger than the old 5 series... and that should speak for itself.

Let me be clear here, I'm not speaking against the M3. I'm simply explaining why they say its the spiritual successor. And as to why the car doesn't have the M3 badge? Well, because now the M3 is something else, and if BMW EVER did anything like that, everybody on this forum would sign out permanently, it wouldn't make any sense.

I love my 1M, and I love the M3. But it is kinda tiring to see all the M3 people feel so threatened by it. Always trying to knock it down a notch. "not a true M this... 135i that". Just be happy with the car you have... and if you really want to take it to that level, then go race it on a track and find out for yourself which car is quicker.



And if that's not good enough, then have a jedi lightsaber duel.

And if you go and say "lightsaber aren't 'TRUE' swords just like you think the 1M is not a true M, then have a samurai katana duel Just make sure that you're opponent doesn't have a lightsaber, cause he's gonna own the hell out of you.

Other car companies keep some of their line up NA without going turbo. If they can do it, BMW can do it. I believe BMW is a great company that can absolutely do that. They just want to invest the R&D to create those engines.

And let's be honest here. The people, in which I have bolded, is just ///m's marketing department. I understand your explanation and reasoning. I truly do. I have a major in the arts, so I understand taking the concepts of thing and modernizing it, building on top of it, or re-envisioning it. But at the end of the day, the 1m does not have a NA engine, which automatically DQ's it from being the e30's successor as ///m spent years beat their chest about how NA's are superior to turbo, which is the backbone of ///m (at least it was).

[crackberry]

Originally Posted by grimlock

So true. I actually think the 1M is an experiment by BMW~corporate to see how much BS people will buy. Do the absolute minimum, but say its awesome, and throw in the bogus comparison to the e30 m3. Sheesh, i haven't driven either and even i know it can't be true Just use a little logic
Asking us to not care about the engine in an M is like asking us to not care if it even has wheels, I mean if you don't care about the engine in a car, what else is there to care about, really?!?

Everyone Oh-ah-ing the M5 like they don't know most of it is just changing the software on a 550i... and they get lazier and cheaper they don't even upgrade the parts anymore, they just lock/unlock everything by computer!

You get a standing ovation. It is very obvious if you take a step back and think about it logically. The comparison is absolutely bogus. I am just surprised so many enthusiasts are falling for it. BMW is just being cheap in order to maximize profit. Resting on your laurels will get you no where. Just look at Aston Martin...

[crackberry]

Originally Posted by GhostRideTheWhip

///Marketing. BMW has lost it's soul. BMW's all about making money and screw quality and reliability. They'll spend the least amount of Research and Development as they can , put a BMW badge on it and what do you know, it sells hundreds of thousands.

You get a standing ovation too. Everything you say is not just gold, it's platinum.

[ORIGIN M.]

Purist my ass, they left the DCT off, because it will kill the M3 IF it had it.

[swamp2]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

Purist my ass, they left the DCT off, because it will kill the M3 IF it had it.

This has been discussed, debated and simulated. The conclusion is pretty clear that it would not. Sure a DCT 1M vs. a 6MT M3 would place the 1M closer and perhaps very close at lower speeds. However, it would in no way "kill" the M3.

Now that being said to keep the car a purists car was not the only reason to leave DCT off. Cost and a narrower performance gaps were likely reasons as well.

[Sedan_Clan]

I still like the 1M despite the fact that it loses to it's older sibling.

[ORIGIN M.]

Clearly this car is more about buzz / hype than selling automobiles..

To concluded that is to remain clueless as to the speed of the 7 speed DCT. It doesn't lose boost/traction like the fully manual 6 speed does, so with it, simply will walk the current M3.

Example... I have rammed a stock 335i up the ass of a 500 hp AMG Black Series, with nothing other than boost and the ability to stay in boost while shifting. -That MB was not happy.

Originally Posted by swamp2

This has been discussed, debated and simulated. The conclusion is pretty clear that it would not. Sure a DCT 1M vs. a 6MT M3 would place the 1M closer and perhaps very close at lower speeds. However, it would in no way "kill" the M3.

Now that being said to keep the car a purists car was not the only reason to leave DCT off. Cost and a narrower performance gaps were likely reasons as well.

[Totti]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

Clearly this car is more about buzz / hype than selling automobiles..

To concluded that is to remain clueless as to the speed of the 7 speed DCT. It doesn't lose boost/traction like the fully manual 6 speed does, so with it, simply will walk the current M3.

Example... I have rammed a stock 335i up the ass of a 500 hp AMG Black Series, with nothing other than boost and the ability to stay in boost while shifting. -That MB was not happy.

Did the AMG realise you were racing? He was probably busy talking to the hot brunette in the passenger seat while you were wolf whistling your boost guage.

[bavarian19]

Good review, and exactly what I would imagine it to be.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by BMWBoss

And lets keep in mind this is the outgoing generation...wait till the F3X M3 comes out...a 1M won't even have a chance.

It doesn't make sense to compare the F32 M3 to the 1M since a) the 1M will be out of production even before the E9x m3, and b) the F22 M2 (the successor to the E82 1M) will most likely be out before the F32 M3.

A comparison of the next generation cars is of course a long way out, but don't be surprised if things are even closer than they are now. The M3 loses the V8, which as you can see by this comparison is largerly what gave it the win, and also the M2 is likely to gain DCT which is another thing that hurt it against the current M3.

[IGoFast1589]

I'd rather have the 1M.

[hlmiii]

Originally Posted by crackberry

The comparison is absolutely bogus. I am just surprised so many enthusiasts are falling for it. BMW is just being cheap in order to maximize profit.

Originally Posted by grimlock

So true. I actually think the 1M is an experiment by BMW~corporate to see how much BS people will buy. Do the absolute minimum, but say its awesome, and throw in the bogus comparison to the e30 m3.

Originally Posted by crackberry

YES! What I have bolded is absolutely true. Laugh every time I hear that the 1M is the spiritual successor to the e30 m3.

Has anyone here with these (unresearched?) conclusions actually driven - or even seen - a 1M???
Oh ... well, here -

Originally Posted by grimlock

Sheesh, i haven't driven either and even i know it can't be true Just use a little logic

That would be the kind of logic which says that having no evidence is the best proof of what a person wants to believe???


The little brother is just a wonderful car. It's a near-perfect effort, especially with consideration of its obvious goals and constraints to satisfy what M wanted to do: get out a true BMW version of a tuner car, answer the requests of (supposed ) small-car track-oriented purists, and show what can be done quickly and by no one else.

There is nothing out that looks and runs like the 1M - in all of its positive aspects. It will not let go of the pavement and does this without having to rely upon trick software to ensure that its weight and dimensions aren't apparent. It will pin the driver and passenger back against their seats, without having requiring that the driver spin the engine up to its highest rpms. It will go exactly where pointed, with an immediacy and precision that is refreshing.

It is not an M3, but it gains something in being that. At the end of the day it's as least as good at doing what it is supposed to do as the M3 is. I have a suspicion that a lot of M3 owners feel that their financial commitment, enthusiasm for their car, and understanding of its capabilities are all threatened and undercut by the 1M. That's personal and not a valid basis for a proper evaluation of a really good car - and that is exactly what the 1M is.

Not giving the M Coupe a chance is your loss. BMW will sell all that they make. M Division will keep reeling in the great reviews. The Coupe owners will be unhesitatingly happy about their fortune. And they won't feel any need to trash the M3 since they know what they're talking about.