M1 ?..

[Reedomn]

I get these occasionally. Makes me laugh every time that BMW doesn't even know what to call their own car.

[Stratus650]

Fire Jim !

[1'M Blue]

Damn it Jim .

[eeghie]

Many more examples of BMW document that state the obvious: This car should have been named M1. It would have made more sense. Often brands take their own fluffed up "heritage" marketing too seriously. Now and then it's amusing to see that regular BMW folks like Jim just use the name that makes more sense to them.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by eeghie

Many more examples of BMW document that state the obvious: This car should have been named M1. It would have made more sense. Often brands take their own fluffed up "heritage" marketing too seriously. Now and then it's amusing to see that regular BMW folks like Jim just use the name that makes more sense to them.

totally agree. OR they should have officially named it "1M" instead of "1-series M coupe" which just sounds confusing.

I just hope there is no "X1M" coming or else there are going to be mailings which say "X1M" on it.

[Artemis]

That's because it's an M3 in disguise, as indicated by the 1M manual:

[Artemis]

It ain't no secret that the name was a delicate point.

More generally, it is told that some at the BMW Board were not fully convinced about the whole 1M concept as such. The chance of a flop was not excluded: what if the public doesn't lust for it ("the expensive 1er" - "the poor man's M3" - etc.). And then there was of course also the E26 M1 argument.

Anyways, the fact that the ///M love child got the chance to come into existence and in the end worthy to get the ///M badge, is more important than the actual name it got ("1-Series M Coupé" was a compromise).

"Actually, I wouldn't say that we didn't have it [the 1M] on the radar. I mean, there was this thing in the back running that we were thinking about. It really didn't get started till a few years back when our VP of engineering Albert Biermann was at a CCA festival and he got questioned pretty hard that night. And from that he came back from the CCA and brought the ideas back. And [with] a little push from the guys here in NA [BMW North America] as well, we got the ball rolling and started coming up with the first concepts. Actually, the first time we came up with the concept, it got shot down. But at that time [former ///M Boss] Dr. Segler was pretty persistent as we know him. Went back in and presented the case again. And we got the approval. And that's when everything started happening very-very quickly. We never developed a car so quickly as the 1-Series M Coupé. [...] I remember the day that Dr. Segler came to me and said «OK Brian, we got approval, what are we gonna do ?». And basically he gave me three days to come up with the whole marketing concept. So, as challenging as it is sometimes. But it was a great project. It's been an extreme success. We're so happy with it. I was at the ///M Festival this year [2011] and also coming here [Laguna Seca - US] and everyone that I've talked to - there's not a disappointment in anyone's face."
(http://www.bimmerfile.com/podcast/bimmercast_54.mp3 [04:54-06:34])
(http://www.bimmerfile.com/2011/08/21...les-for-bmw-m/)

The M3 was and remains the Holy Grail. The ///M cash cow is a protected species. ///M versions of the 1er and 2er aren't allowed to trespass to deep into M3 territory. A bit like the Cayman syndrome (well, the GT4 was a first cautious exception - "cautious" because also that car could have been given 400+ hp).

IMHO this is also why the F87 M2 (base version) didn't get 400hp and the wait for (getting) one may be longer than the wait for (getting) an M3/M4 (rumor has it that 10 to 11K M2s are planned for 2016-2018). M3 is king.

[JimD]

With the M3 competition suspension and a very strong engine, there is no argument for not putting a full M badge on the 1M (i.e. M1) when it is put on SAVs. It was all silly politics. The 1M was hurt in the arguments by the low price and the low volume. If I had one, I would probably rebadge it to M1. It's what it is in my mind. If you want, I could accept "new M1".