The Smoking Tire undertakes a review of the E92 M3 Competition (ZCP) model and echoes what we’ve all heard before - that the M3 remains the benchmark for cars in its segment. Along with the beautiful scenery in this video review, Farah makes some great points which echoes why we and our M3 members all love the M3.
We haven’t seen a good ole 135i review in quite some while, but Edmunds has chimed in with their review of a 135i equipped with with the slick DCT transmission. 1-series fans will like what they have to say about the smallest BMW offering, calling it arguably the most BMW unfiltered driving experience.
Check out our favorite portions of the review inside.
Right out of the gates InsideLine goes for the jugular and lets the readers know their overall opinion of the car. “The 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is a fantastically compelling machine. It is fast — faster in real-world terms than the M3 on most roads.” And that is the basis for the rest of the article, which is filled with praise after praise.
Engine
Edmunds states what we know, the power doesn’t match up to the M3, however the massive torque figure makes up for the difference giving the 1M more then enough straight line pull. Whats really notable is that in their drive they felt the power all the way up the RPM band to 7000, without getting any sense of power trailing off. So … CONTINUED
CAR Magazine got its hands on the 1-series M coupe and the conclusion is like that of the other auto magazines before it - that it is a proper M car, no doubt. Their review focused on comparing the 1M coupe to other BMW offerings (both M and non-M) in assessing whether they felt the 1M was a proper M car and which, if any, of its technology and engineering was a step forward for the M division. Catch some of their notable findings inside.
EVO has posted a great video review of a preproduction F10 M5 by Chris Harris, filmed in the Swedish winter. If you’ll recall, EVO previously posted a bit of a teaser clip and article in which it was confirmed that the new M5 will have at least 555hp (that’s the output of the X5 M and X6 M) and that “there’s a seven-speed DCT dual clutch transmission with three different shift speeds and a fully automatic mode.
This video gives us a better sense of the visceral experience of the F10 M5, along with some additional reactions by Chris Harris. We’ve provided some cliffs notes and the video is inside.
The 1M continues to impress auto publications worldwide, this time at the hands of Autocar, who say that the 1M coupe is not a junior M3, as many suggested it would be, but has its own distinct character and, in real-world terms, is a good deal faster than its more expensive sibling.
Caradvice.com.au had a chance to review the 2012 650i convertible and came away very impressed, especially with its new styling, engine, automatic transmission, quality, handling/ride balance, and markedly improved electric steering. Here are some of the more notable quotes from their review.
The most renowned German sports car magazine Sport Auto has published their review. The biggest news first, the 1M did a 1:14.1 in Hockenheim. To add some perspective, the fastest time Sport Auto got for the M3 was 1:14.2 in an E92 M3 ZCP DCT.
Sport Auto clocked 4.7 seconds for 0-62mph and 17.2 seconds for 0-124mph. But it’s not only the measurable performance that impressed the reviewers, it’s also the fun. Purely a subjective matter, but the 1M got 10 out of 10 points for driving pleasure. Sportauto confirms the 1M being tailhappy when driven at the limit with DSC off, but - unlike the AMS review - they don’t consider this a bad thing. To the contrary, it “reminds them of the old BMW … CONTINUED
Another 1M review is in from Germany. AMS got their hands on a 1-series M Coupé, and we’ve translated the essential details from their review. In short, AMS considers the 1M one of the best sports cars available but found some drawbacks in daily use and under less than ideal conditions. They clocked an amazing 4.7 seconds for 0-62mph which is on par with the E9x M3 they’ve tested previously. Equally impressive, 0-124mph only took 16.6 seconds while returing an average of 18.2 mpg. AMS gave 4 stars out of 5. The firm ride, traction on wet roads and the steering they consider too heavy apparently avoided a 5-star-rating.
