One-Upped: Five laps left me sufficiently breathless to kneel down in awe

摘要

They were tempted to badge it Ml. But the original BMW Ml, co-developed with Lamborghini, was a much more special machine, a successful brand-shaper, exquisite and expensive enough to qualify as a true supercar. The M coupe due at the 2011 Geneva Show, on the other hand, is a straightforward 1-Series derivative - more straightforward in fact than M3, M5 and M6, all of which boast a bespoke engine. The go-faster 1 Series is fitted with the tweaked 3.0 -litre straight six we know from the Z4 sDrive 35is. Rated at 250kW and 500Nm, the compact M coupe will have no difficulties at all to eclipse the 135i which delivers, in its final iteration, 225kW and 400Nm of torque. Since the 1-Series is 80kg lighter than the corresponding 3-Series, the two-door crackerjack should neatly plug the performance gap between the 135i and the M3. Accor dingto a source from with in the Mdivision, the new arrival can sprint in 4.6sec from 0-100km/h, thereby matching BMW's claim for the 309kW, DSG-fitted M3 coupe. The top speed in both cases is electronically tagged to 250km/h, but extra money may buy a higher 270km/h limit together with professional driver training.