BMW Releases Photos and Specs on the Upcoming 1 Series M Coupe
Submitted 10/13/2010 by Thomas DeFresart
If you consider the upcoming 1 Series M Coupe to be a detuned, entry-level version of the current M3, you may be looking at it all wrong. The M3 has grown continuously over the years, and its size and weight now puts it in a different class than the original. The upcoming 1 Series M will be more in line in both size and weight to the original M3, bringing the race inspired car back to its roots.
While its size may resemble the original M3, its horsepower output is another story. The 1 Series M will come standard with a 3.0 liter twin turbo inline six producing about 340 horsepower, or 20 more than the current 2011 BMW 335is Coupe. The 1 Series M will also sport brakes and a rear differential that are very similar to the current M3. All this power and technology in such a compact package allows the M Coupe to lap the Nürburgring in roughly 10 seconds less than the previous E46 M3, which is just slightly slower than the current V8 M3.
The 1 Series M’s pricing will be above the current 135i, but will come in around $10,000 less than the M3 Coupe. Expect the new M to be priced in competition with Audi’s S3, which runs about €35,000 for European delivery.
Not much else is currently known, as BMW has opted to periodically release small bits of information about the upcoming M Coupe, and has yet mention when, or if, the Coupe will be coming to US dealers. To date, all that has been confirmed is information for German and Austrian buyers. Expect more details to arrive before the holidays, and until then, check out the photos below.
