I accept a confession to make. I own a 135i and I like it. I even like the looks of the 135i over its iii series sibling. (I know, blasphemy.) Just the motorcar has the correct size, correct power, and the right combination of condolement and handling that I had wanted for a long time.

I've mildly modded the auto (Koni FSDs, Conti ExtremeContactDWs, E93 M3 front anti-sway bar, only NO engine mods at all – it has all the torque I need, thank y'all). But my big regret was not taking commitment of the 135i in Europe.

At present, BMW is tempting me again, with the M version of the 1er (politically correctly named the 1M, not M1). Merely BMW is being stingy with the details, preferring to string us along and 'water torture' (drip, baste, drip) us with tidbits of information. In reality BMW is condign a past primary at using social media to generate fizz for its lineup, and the demographic that uses social media is squarely in the sights of BMW for the 1M.

BMW 1 series M 332 655x434

So what'southward a guy to do, they aren't spilling the beans and I want to know what the 1M actually is. I estimate I'll have to speculate a chip.

Upward forepart I suspect they'll use the N54 cylinder head with the twinscroll turbo constitute on the N55. Why? I call back that the Valvetronic gear in the N55 head is less adaptable to the mission of the motorcar or cannot exist adapted in time for the launch – software is a big piece of making it work. There's online speculation that the N55 cylinder head will be the starting point of the adjacent M3 engine.

BMW 1 series M 463 655x434

Since the 1er is based on the same platform matrix as the electric current 3er, the suspension $.25 developed for the M3 are available for employ in the 1M. That ways that there's a very potent possibility that the M3 parts bin will exist raided to build out the 1M's suspension. All the overnice aluminum M3 $.25 fit.

There'southward talk that the car will simply be bachelor with a manual transmission and again this may exist an outcome with software. Engine management and the manual software will have to talk to each other and there may not be fourth dimension to sort it out prior to release of the production vehicle. That may mean that the engine in the 1M is significantly unlike than the one in the 335is. But the buzz on the transmission only is mixed, information technology may go on some from putting the 1M on a curt list to purchase. That doesn't bother me, I've never owned anything only transmission tranny cars (since I don't consider the wife's cars mine).

One thing Dr. Segler mentioned in the interview with BMWBLOG, was that the car has to exist multi-functional, rather than a single purpose sports car. Does this hint at an 'active' interruption? Regardless, the 1M should be to the 135i every bit the E46 M3 was to the E46 330i ZHP. One stride above – a pocketknife edged version of an already suitably sporty automobile. But, from an enthusiast'southward perspective, the really practiced news, that is actually revealed, is that it volition take an honest-to-god limited slip differential. Hooray!

While the fizz online has been relatively positive, other than the fan-boys of other marques that will e'er detect something wrong about any BMW, there is an undercurrent of "I can build a 135i out that's better than a 1M". The 1M will be a hard sell if BMW doesn't clearly differentiate it from the 135i or can't clearly communicate why it is meliorate than any 135i that's been 'tuned' with aftermarket pieces. That is an imperative! And I believe that if BMW ignores information technology, it will exist at their peril.

So the 1M has piqued my interest, I have to determine whether or not it makes sense. I don't track the current auto, non sure that I want to (how about a Lotus vii clone – that'd work!). So if the suspension is harsher than I want information technology'll make the determination harder. What virtually price? Currently the base M3 coupe has an MSRP of about 126% of the base 335i coupe. Taking the 126% as a multiplier for the current 135i, the price may be in the $45,775 range, which tracks with a lot of the buzz on toll.

So volition BMW tempt me to buy once more, this time with an M car that I can selection upwardly in Europe. Nosotros'll have to await and see . . .