The venerable Top Gear magazine edition has reviewed the 1M coupe and much to no one’s surprise by now, they love the car. All we needed to see was their comparison to the Z3 M coupe to know that they “get” what the 1M is all about. We can’t wait for the video review by the 3 amigos on the Top Gear television series.

BMW M chassis expert Jürgen Schwenker provides some great new insight into the BMW 1M coupe, including chassis tuning, DSC, MDM mode, M button throttle mapping, seats, race brake pads, tires, exhaust, convertible version and more. Check out the dialogue inside.

Our review of the BMW 1M coupe from last week’s BMW west coast press drive event at the Willow Springs International Raceway has been posted. We wondered if there would be any unique perspective for us to share with our readers. We hope so. We’ve shared our opinion on how the 1M compares to the M3 on the road from an M3 owner’s perspective, how the 1M performs on the track according to a BMW performance driving instructor with 25 years of racing experience, and a description of the Willow Springs experience (as well as tips on negotiating the track). We hope you enjoy and find our review helpful.

Here are the most extensive 1M undercarriage shots posted yet, showing in details the complete suspension, exhaust system, brake system, and other major components.

The inspiration for the BMW 1M coupe is said to be drawn from the E30 M3. BMW likes to say that the 1M is the spiritual successor to the original M3. In fact, all of the engineers who worked on the 1M coupe were required to drive and become familiar with the E30 M3 during development. That’s how much BMW wanted the 1M coupe to emulate the E30 M3’s original spirit, while of course also accommodating for current safety required designs, customer wants, and reasonable build price. The two designs also share some common styling elements, such as aggressively flared fenders, a boxy design, upright seating position, and an overall pugnacious look.

Following our recent press test drive of the 1M coupe at Willow Springs (more on … CONTINUED

We’ve launched our official photos threads for the 1M coupe, containing photos of actual owner’s 1M coupes. We encourage all current and future 1M owners to add your photos to the photos threads for each color.

According to a report out of Cardealermagazine, BMW Product Manager James Morrison says that response to the 1M has been greater then was expected and BMW is now looking at the possibility of spin-offs. Should be interesting!

Here is the first set of comparison photos of the 1M coupe versus the E46 M3. Many feel that the 1M’s squat stance with aggressively flared fenders harks back to the similarly aggressive stance and shape of the E46 M3. We tend to agree. Judge for yourself in these photos.

MSN UK comes in with their review of the 1M coupe, praising it as all the other publications have and calling it a sure-fire bet to become a modern classic and BMW’s best cult car in years. Read on!