The furious BMW 1 Series M Coupe is coming to South Africa in May 2011 and it promises to redecorate our roads with extra layers of melted rubber! After a couple of months speculating, and at the same time being teased by the automaker, we now have full details of its engine, power and everything else.
Let’s share some of these, beginning with the mighty N54 engine. We know this mill from the likes of 135i and World Engine of the Year Awards. It’s a 3.0-litre in-line 6-cylinder strapped with two small turbochargers. Remember the new N55 (335i, 535i) uses only one air compressor.
At its best the 1 Series M Coupe makes a compelling 250kW at a very high 5900rpm. These are great news if you like high-revving cars, despite the fact that it has turbos. Peak torque is 450Nm achieved between 1500rpm and 4500rpm. There is an overboost function that takes torque up to 500Nm when overtaking for example. BMW says the car will sprint from 0 – 100km/h in 4.9 seconds and top off at 250km/h.
Mated with the engine is a 6-speed manual gearbox, although there are rumours of a future double clutch DCT doing the rounds. Unless the car is a limited edition, I don’t see why a DCT can’t be included in the mix right at the end of the Coupe’s (E82) lifecycle in 2012, although it does present a little bit of a weight issue.
M Division installed a trick M differential which acts within milliseconds to redirect torque where it senses rotational differences between the two rear wheels, thus improving traction and grip levels. Of course the car itself is RWD (rear-wheel-driven).
Visually the 1 M Coupe will immediately stand out from its siblings through a number of ways, not least of all being the four exhaust tailpipes clad in chrome. Front side features large air intakes, a different bumper and headlights, side views are decorated in M3 side mirrors and wider wheel arches. The rear bumper is also unique to the 1 M Coupe. BMW has gifted it with a set of 19-inch wheels as standard garb.
Interior components reflect not just that this car is an M car, but also that it’s relatively light (1495kg unladen). Dark Alcantara adorns places like door panels, while orange contrast stitching is found on the seats, dashboard, doors, handbrake lever and gear lever gaiter. The speedometer displays a top speed of 300km/h which I imagine could only be achieved going downhill on a very long slope. Equipment hasn’t been skimped either, with the usual power steering, climate control, iDrive and others forming the comfort backbone.
As previously stated, BMW South Africa will launch the new 1 Series M Coupe in May 2011 at prices speculated at between R550 000 and R650 000. Audi is also launching the new RS 3 next year so we have the stage set for yet another battle royale between the two Germans.
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