The original BMW M3 was unleashed on an unsuspecting German market way back in the mid-eighties and revolutionised the performance sector by offering something of a semi-affordable supercar.
This E30 M3 unfortunately never made it to South Africa, albeit we did get our own locally-brewed 333i flyer. The M3 has drifted up stream over the years as it's become bigger, more potent and more refined through the generations.
Now BMW has released something of a spiritual successor to that original M3 and it's called the 1 Series M Coupe (M1 was avoided for obvious reasons). Thankfully, this one is coming to South Africa, in May 2011 to be precise.
Let's get straight to the juicy stuff - the 1 M boasts outputs of 250kW at 5900rpm and 450Nm between 1500 and 4500rpm, with an extra 50Nm available during an overboost function. While some might feel it doesn't have enough of an edge over the 225kW/400Nm 135i, the M Division has modified many aspects of this car to ensure it is a far more dynamic package.
Its urge comes from an M-tinkered version of BMW's 2979cc TwinPower turbo engine, which is the performance division's second deviation from high-revving naturally aspirated engines after the X5/X6 M 'incident'. On the upside, for purists, is that this mill is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
Acceleration is absolutely explosive, with BMW claiming a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds and it'll do 0-200 in 17.3 seconds. Top speed is, of course, limited to 250km/h.
Direct fuel injection and various other efficiency-enhancing measures allowed the car to achieve fuel consumption of 9.6 litres per 100km on the highly unrealistic EU cycle, this equating to CO2 emissions of 224g/km.
Cornering prowess is a hallmark of the M Division and the 1 M does not appear to have been short-changed in any way here. It has an M-specific chassis with weight-optimised components, widened track, typical M axle kinematics and forged aluminium control arms.
The division's variable M differential lock is fitted as standard. This generates lock-up torque as required and completely variably up to 100%, thus providing for optimum traction on all road surfaces. What's more, its electronic nanny arsenal includes M Dynamic Mode.
The all-important stopping power is sorted out by the M-specific compound high-performance braking system, designed to provide stability even under extreme stress.
Of course, this car also has to stand apart from normal 1 Series coupes on the street, and here it's been treated to the usual M Division visual paraphernalia.
Up front you'll find bold air ducts that include air curtains, and the side profile has a far more muscular aura thanks to widened wheel arches and those typical M gills. The rear end gets a bolder bumper and dual tailpipes on both sides.
There are only three exterior colours to choose from, these being Alpine White, Sapphire Black and the bespoke Valencia Orange that you see in the accompanying pictures.
The interior is also littered with M-specific items and exclusive materials and the leather sports seats boast orange contrasting. Perhaps they could have been a bit more dramatic with the cabin, but we're nitpicking here.