Munich Automobiles showcases the 1 Series ///M-Coupé

Munich Auto held the unveiling of the 1 ///M-Coupe on our local shores and i had the priviledge to sneak a peak. It looks really great in the flesh, very muscular, very stout and squat with great STANCE! Many have asked bout this, the price. SGD$220,000 without COE. Pre-orders for one of only 20 vehicles to be available in Singapore at an exclusive preview on 22-23-24 January 2011.

The 1 M will be at Munich Auto for this weekend, so be sure to head down to have a look. Time to go RS3 stomping! Here's the Press Release »

Even under covers, the extended wheelarches give it a menacing presence.


It's abit strange to see a plaque with the words "Powered by BMW M" in place of the traditional badges though.

1 ///M will only come with a stick shift! The 'preferred' shift some might say.






Couple of friendly people


Made new friends. :)

Retrospective: A Trio of Ones

Shuffling back a year or more, i found myself in the driver's seat of 3 different variations of the 1 series. Personally i'm a big fan of having big engines in compact cars, so naturally the 125i and 130i were my favourites.

The 130i in particular ran like stink and darted around traffic so well it went almost all the way up my list of the best cars i've ever driven. Totally balanced with the perfect amount of power. If i could only have one car to do everything, that would be it. Enough space for my significant other and the dogs, enough pace to see off most cars on the road and great handling to put a huge smile on my face. (I guess by now, you'd realise this is my favourite 1er)
Read more about the 130i here »

The 125i even though it came with the same engine as the 130i was slightly detuned and thus, seemed better off being a stylish cruiser then your local bruiser. With handsome sharp looks (especially in white) and a slightly softer setup, i yearned for an engine retune back up to 130i specs. Read more about the drive here »

This 120i Cabriolet is a totally different ball game altogether, with a 4-cylinder engine up front, it was never destined to light up the streets, but girls somehow love it (And it managed to carry a 32" widescren LCD TV back home too).
Find out why here »

BMW 1-Series ///M Version reportedly in the works but ///M5 Touring gets the axe

It now seems likely that BMW is going ahead with an M-badged 1 Series, according to a report from Autocar/Worlcarfans. The two-door coupe will use BMW's famed 3.0-litre straight six petrol engine, but instead of employing one turbo like the 5 Series GT it will revert to a new improved twin-turbo system.

Power is said to be around 260kW (350bhp) and torque should hit the 500Nm mark if the new Z4 sDrive35is (450Nm) is any indication. The rear wheels will drive things as expected with the help of a limited slip differential. The fast-changing double-clutch gearbox is likely to be the standard transmission. Performance possibilities include a 0 - 60mph time of 5.5 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph (250km/h).

"I want to set a clear signal that our products are financially accessible," M Division boss Kay Segler is quoted as saying. "With the modular production processes in place at BMW, it is possible to create performance cars that customers can not only dream about owning but also realistically afford." (Realistic in a relative sense i guess)

Fuel-saving measures such as stop/ start technologies and brake regeneration will be included.

The outside is likely to feature kit such as a deeper front spoiler, chunkier sills and four chromed M-style tailpipes.

Hopefully, BMW will use the 1 series Tii name instead of the first ever M-Supercar "M1"s callsign.

Meanwhile....

Those who want a wagon variant will have to look elsewhere. No new BMW M5 Touring is planned for production at this time, according to CAR magazine.

Source: Worldcarfans