I guess this is now old news, but I just learned about it. Apparently BMW brought a proto type of a 1 Series M Coupe to Octoberfest!!!!!! How come nothing was posted here!!!! Is there anymore information about this car? http://www.ausmotive.com/2010/08/30/bmw-1m-coupe-previewed-at-us-oktoberfest-show.html
Someone posted here earlier. Looking at the stickys in this forum will give you all the info you want most likely.
Because it was a non-event. The thing rolled in completely clad in black fabric; they opened one front corner so you could see the left headlamp and wheel arch. That was it. BFD. Frankly, I think they were lucky we were so nice about it. I remember M Brand manager Erik Wensberg getting roundly booed when he announced at O'Fest '94 that the new M3 would be available with an automatic and cupholders. I mean, I know and like Erik, but I joined in, too. This was pretty much the same thing to me.
This reminds me of TechFest 2004 when Larry Koch spoke at lunch and asked the group if anyone had driven the 6-series yet (they had a new one on display as it was just out). "Someone" spoke out and said "do you mean the new 6-series or the REAL 6-series?". He teed that one up to well for me not to take a crack at it.
Was that the year Larry was asked about the 1? I remember him asking, has anyone seen the 1? Lots of hands up. Anyone see the 1 in person? A few hands up. Who would like to buy a 1? Many hands up. Who is willing to spend 45,000 (or some made up number)? Low and behold. We have a 1.
Sorry to hear it was a non-event. Sounds like the car has potential, I guess we are a tough crowd. At least it is only coming with a real transmission. No wonder BMW thinks we are a bunch of nut jobs. Would have been cool if they did the world debut at Ofest. You know let BMW CCA see the whole car and drive it!
Good old Larry I remember seeing Larry at a driving event for the premier of the 335i. I told him I wouldn't buy one because you couldn't order it with a limited slip. He looked at me like I was crazy and said the DSC and the automatic braking of any wheelspin was practically as good as a limited slip. Practically and actually are two very different things in my book, especially since I auto-x and DE my BMW's regularly. I did read somewhere the other day that they still weren't decided on whether or not the 1 Series-M would have a limited slip or not. If it is low 40's with a LSD, then I'm interested, if no LSD, then I'm not!
This reminds me of that joke about the difference between "potentially" and "realistically". I agree. If they bring in the 1M without a pure LSD diff, forget it. That would just plain stupid and purely show what BMW's intentions are for the future of real drivers. Hey, they obviously don't even care much about the open diff in the E90/92/93 since they eliminated the drain plug.
