2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe : First Look

Jay Williams - 14/December/2010

Munich, Germany - After numerous teaser videos and photos BMW has finally revealed its highly anticipated 1 Series M Coupe.

The high-performance sports BMW 1 Series M Coupe, features a 3.0-litre in-line 6-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo and petrol direct injection that develops a maximum output of 250kW and 450Nm of torque with an extra 50Nm of torque available with the overboost function for a total of 500Nm.

The 6-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels allowing the BMW 1 Series M Coupe to sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.9seconds before hitting a top speed of 250km/h.

Average fuel consumption for 1 Series M Coupe on the EU test cycle is limited to 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres and CO2 emissions to 224 grams per kilometre.

Measuring 4,380 millimetres in length and 1,420 millimetres in height, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is both the shortest and the flattest model in the BMW M range.

Both the double pivot front axle and the five-link rear axle of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe are made almost entirely of aluminium. Tubular stabilisers, axle links made of forged aluminium and aluminium shock absorbers round off the lightweight construction concept as applied to wheel suspension.

A raft of safety technology includes DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe includes such elements as the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an anti-slip control function (ASC), the brake assistant Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), a drive-off assistant, Cornering Brake Control (CBC), an anti-fading function and a dry brake function. 

The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is available in three exterior paint finishes - Alpine White non-metallic, Sapphire Black metallic and the exclusive Valencia Orange metallic. While bi-xenon headlights and 19-inch M light alloy wheels in a Y-spoke design come as standard.

Stepping inside, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe comes with Boston leather sports seats with orange contrast stitching as well as the M logo embossed in the front of the headrests as standard. Interior trim strips, door panels and cockpit scoop are finished in dark Alcantara. These design elements also feature the orange-coloured contrast stitching, as do the gearshift and handbrake lever cover. An M driver footrest and M entry sills round out the interior styling.

The M leather steering wheel, which also comes as standard, has multifunction keys for operating the audio and telephone systems. In addition, the characteristic M button on the right steering wheel spoke enables the driver to switch spontaneously to a sports-style vehicle set-up. This configuration activates a particularly sporty characteristic curve in the engine control.

Standard equipment includes:
MP3-capable CD player and six speakers,
Two-zone automatic air conditioning,
Rain sensor wipers
Park Distance Control with rear sensors. 

Optional extras include:
Comfort access
Automatic anti-dazzle interior
Exterior mirrors
Harman Kardon Surround Sound System and the navigation system Professional with hard drive storage. In conjunction with the navigation system the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is fitted with the operating system iDrive which enables control of infotainment, navigation and communication functions using the Controller and an 8.8-inch Control Display.

Australian customers can expect to see the BMW 1 Series M Coupe in show rooms around the third quarter of 2011 with pricing announced closer to the release date.

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