Owners' ownership and driving impressions

[mdt]

A thread for owners to post up their anecdotes and experiences from driving a 1M either daily or pressing on.

Now that the flurry of car reviews have died down, those of us awaiting arrival of our cars are still keen to hear what your impressions are.

Disappointed? Still excited every time you get behind the wheel? Found a new design detail or something that annoys you? Please tell us.

[SUBIMMER]

Awesome car. Coming from a modded STI this thing pulls ! The HK sound system is the bomb for a small interior space like this one. The car corners so fast and flat, if you dont enter too fast and you modulate correctly it is absolutely amazing the levels of grip this thing has! No exageration! Mine was delivered last thursday and i put 1400 KM on it this weekend . The seats are very nice , the brakes are perfect unlike one reviewer who thought they were over-assisted. Try a VW R32 and youll see what overassisted is. the transmission is slick but i'm having a hard time adjusting to the clutch pedal travel witch is oddly long considering that the actual bite of the clutch seems to be in the first few inchs of the travel. Heel and toeing is not as easily acheive as in the STI but it's not hard to acheive . The MDM is maybe to quick to save your ass on a damp lonely road but i bet its pretty handy on the track . It would have been nice to have 4 modes , one of witch would have let you slide a fair bit and then engage before opposite lock need take effect. I'm a gadgets guy and i love the idrive . The electric folding mirrors are very cool and dont let purists tell you the're useless. Brake dust is a small issue with AW if you dont clean it often . I have never owned a bmw before and I find that when you let go abruptly of the gas pedal that there is a " clunk " sounds not unlike that of a u-joint on old model cars, nothing to harsh , maybe current owners can reassure me that this is normal with manual bmws. Its quite a bit better on gas than the subaru as well..... Quite .... I think i remember seeing 11.6 liters per 100km ( sorry americans ) even with hard accelerations and 140 km/h cruising speeds. That might seem much to some , but for me its dandy! Oh yes! I was pulling out of a parking lot when a white e92 m3 with gts wheels passed just in front of me. He looked , didn't even smile or nod. Just drove away ! Pulled up next to him at the next light and he looked at the wheels, then the car, then at me and without any expression looke right back in front Coming from the subaru , this is odd to me since every other subaru driver waves to other subarus even if they are run down pieces of shit! Hahahahaha oh well!

[///1M]

11.6 l/100km = 20.3mpg. If that's your average to date, I'm duly impressed.

[MrRoboto]

Originally Posted by SUBIMMER

Awesome car. Coming from a modded STI this thing pulls ! The HK sound system is the bomb for a small interior space like this one. The car corners so fast and flat, if you dont enter too fast and you modulate correctly it is absolutely amazing the levels of grip this thing has! No exageration! Mine was delivered last thursday and i put 1400 KM on it this weekend . The seats are very nice , the brakes are perfect unlike one reviewer who thought they were over-assisted. Try a VW R32 and youll see what overassisted is. the transmission is slick but i'm having a hard time adjusting to the clutch pedal travel witch is oddly long considering that the actual bite of the clutch seems to be in the first few inchs of the travel. Heel and toeing is not as easily acheive as in the STI but it's not hard to acheive . The MDM is maybe to quick to save your ass on a damp lonely road but i bet its pretty handy on the track . It would have been nice to have 4 modes , one of witch would have let you slide a fair bit and then engage before opposite lock need take effect. I'm a gadgets guy and i love the idrive . The electric folding mirrors are very cool and dont let purists tell you the're useless. Brake dust is a small issue with AW if you dont clean it often . I have never owned a bmw before and I find that when you let go abruptly of the gas pedal that there is a " clunk " sounds not unlike that of a u-joint on old model cars, nothing to harsh , maybe current owners can reassure me that this is normal with manual bmws. Its quite a bit better on gas than the subaru as well..... Quite .... I think i remember seeing 11.6 liters per 100km ( sorry americans ) even with hard accelerations and 140 km/h cruising speeds. That might seem much to some , but for me its dandy! Oh yes! I was pulling out of a parking lot when a white e92 m3 with gts wheels passed just in front of me. He looked , didn't even smile or nod. Just drove away ! Pulled up next to him at the next light and he looked at the wheels, then the car, then at me and without any expression looke right back in front Coming from the subaru , this is odd to me since every other subaru driver waves to other subarus even if they are run down pieces of shit! Hahahahaha oh well!

Good stuff SUBIMMER! Your experience withe the M3 is one that will be all too common I suspect. Stereotypes exist for a reason.

[as7920]

Originally Posted by ///1M

11.6 l/100km = 20.3mpg. If that's your average to date, I'm duly impressed.

26.1mpg here. UK measurement.

21.7mpg US.

Will be having 1200mile service tomorrow so expect those figures to drop from then on!

BTW the car is awesome.

[HALOTHANE]

To build on SUBIMMER's comments:

Thus far, my wife and I love our 1M. Absolutely zero regrets. The VO is remarkably easy to live with, hides brake dust, water spots, and dirt well. Curiously, the car does not trap nearly as much heat as other mid to dark colors, which is an attribute during the summer.

In terms of practicality, we have transported 4 adults with ease and comfort, although my rear passengers do report a slight vibration in the seat of their pants coinciding with the exhaust notes. I just dismissed this as their excitement about traveling in the 1M. Not an issue for me, since I do not plan on trading driver's seats!

I can confirm a similar transmission "clunk" when disengaging first gear at very low speed, although this is consistent with my old MT 135i. Otherwise, this is the best MT I have tried to date, inclusive of other BMWs, Mercs, Audi's, and the occassional Land Rover (chuckle).

Overall ride is stiff (as expected) but improved over the 135i stock. Handling is great with telepathic turn-in and rotation. The tail will slide out quite readily even with DSC on if the road is at all damp.

Heel-toe takes some practice due to the offset pedal heights. Clutch modulation is precise, but I am biased due to previous BMW ownership. The CDV is less noticeable than on previous cars I am familiar with, however this may become my first modification.

In mixed driving and with only 900 miles, the car averages 17.4 mpg.

No minor headaches or complaints except for the height of the front air dam while parking.

[cc3]

1400 miles no problems. Love the car. 26 mpg. Tried with traction off gets the power down far more quickly out of corners. Gets a lot of attention but of the right type. Brilliant car BMW.

[evolution80]

Originally Posted by SUBIMMER

Oh yes! I was pulling out of a parking lot when a white e92 m3 with gts wheels passed just in front of me. He looked , didn't even smile or nod. Just drove away ! Pulled up next to him at the next light and he looked at the wheels, then the car, then at me and without any expression looke right back in front Coming from the subaru , this is odd to me since every other subaru driver waves to other subarus even if they are run down pieces of shit! Hahahahaha oh well!

maybe he could not even identify your car

because of bmw prices here in austria there are not many M3 drivers who strike me as the real car enthusiast type - more like prestige buyers who let the salesman talk them into the most expensive car - these people wont be able to identify a 1M

and to the few austrian M3 owners who are real enthusiasts: i knew there had to be at least some

i said here in austria because in other countries i am sure there are more real enthusiasts in M3s

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by 1MVO

In terms of practicality, we have transported 4 adults with ease and comfort, although my rear passengers do report a slight vibration in the seat of their pants coinciding with the exhaust notes. I just dismissed this as their excitement about traveling in the 1M. Not an issue for me, since I do not plan on trading driver's seats!

Umm... your 1M got apparently equipped with secret option 069: "Rear Seat Excitement Generator".

[HALOTHANE]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Umm... your 1M got apparently equipped with secret option 069: "Rear Seat Excitement Generator".

Who says US buyers did not get a free gift from BMWNA! Yeah!

[mdt]

Originally Posted by evolution80

there are not many M3 drivers who strike me as the real car enthusiast type - more like prestige buyers who let the salesman talk them into the most expensive car - these people wont be able to identify a 1M

That was my first thought too.

Anyway, keep the ownership accounts coming. Good stuff.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by 1MVO

No minor headaches or complaints except for the height of the front air dam while parking.

Back in...! it's far safer exiting anyway...

[blotto649]

Great thread! Thanks, OP.

I can also confirm the off-throttle/clutch-in 'thunk' that happens at low speed/in first gear. Worried me at first, so good to know that others are experiencing the same thing.

I'll be out at the Mosport Grand Prix circuit this Friday for some lapping, so I'll reserve my full write-up until then

[AA5IB]

Originally Posted by blotto649

I can also confirm the off-throttle/clutch-in 'thunk' that happens at low speed/in first gear. Worried me at first, so good to know that others are experiencing the same thing.

I'm thinking it will go away as soon as I get rid of the CDV after the 1200 mile service this week.

[sq86]

I absolutely love this car!! It's been really hard not to find an excuse to drive it.

I finally got a chance to really drive it the other day and it is quite wonderful. My friend just purchased an '07 GT3 and we both went out for a cruise. His was definitely more powerful and quick in a straight line but I was able to keep up with him in the corners for the most part. He actually was surprised by the amount of speed that the 1M builds. He thought it was only marginally slower than the GT3 but I know they are a bit further apart. The speed builds rather silently though. I have not realized how fast I was going several times until looking at the V meter. The brakes are spectacular and I have yet to even get close to their full potential. I might do a track day this weekend so I'll let you know more then.

[bear1m]

I came from a 2008 135 M-sport coupe. I found that the difference in handling between the 135 and the 1M is amazing... never knew how much the suspension could make a difference. I liked the 135 but always found it was lacking a bit in grunt and am happy that the 1M is what I expected, especially with in-gear acceleration.

[HALOTHANE]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Back in...! it's far safer exiting anyway...

You are going to laugh....so, I followed your advice....parked in reverse....came back to find a ticket on my windshield for....parking in reverse! Only in Miami! I guess I missed the sign that read "Park Head In Only." My wife was irrate....at the cop....I couldn't stop laughing!

[HALOTHANE]

Originally Posted by AA5IB

I'm thinking it will go away as soon as I get rid of the CDV after the 1200 mile service this week.

Did you get the CDV delete/mod completed? I am considering the same for my 1M, and would be grateful for any insight regarding its impact on the infamous transmission "thunk."

[sparoz]

Fuel economy better than my 135i even I was using 3rd and 4th at the moment for about half the time on the highway to run the car in. Drone between 2100-2500 is kind of annoying and that's 6th at our highway speed limit of 110km.

The car is so well balanced that I found myself pushing more and more everyday. Turn in is great, gear shifts are slick. Haven't need to adjust for understeer yet, but I have lost my tail twice (saved by MDM) without much time to react. Many places where I used to need to slow down because of understeer now I just punch through those.

Ride is not much harsher than my wife's 125i which I drove the other day. In fact, the 1M absorbs small bumps better like my 135i with non-rft, but you tend to bounce off bigger bumps a bit more.

Overall, apart from the drone at the moment - I am very very happy with the car .

[m3kerry]

Originally Posted by sparoz

Fuel economy better than my 135i even I was using 3rd and 4th at the moment for about half the time on the highway to run the car in. Drone between 2100-2500 is kind of annoying and that's 6th at our highway speed limit of 110km.

The car is so well balanced that I found myself pushing more and more everyday. Turn in is great, gear shifts are slick. Haven't need to adjust for understeer yet, but I have lost my tail twice (saved by MDM) without much time to react. Many places where I used to need to slow down because of understeer now I just punch through those.

Ride is not much harsher than my wife's 125i which I drove the other day. In fact, the 1M absorbs small bumps better like my 135i with non-rft, but you tend to bounce off bigger bumps a bit more.

Overall, apart from the drone at the moment - I am very very happy with the car .

If you want to get ride of some of the oversteer, toe the rear tires in a little.

[bmw13]

<3 my 1M so much! I have yet to try MDM, and really want to. But messing my car up on the street is not worth it (when I was 16 and lacked a real understanding for driving I hit three palm trees at 75+ in my '02 M3 because I took traction control completely off).. How extreme is MDM compared to maybe just having DTC enabled vs DSC disabled? When should it be used? Any thoughts are much appreciated!

[Romo]

Have driven an E46 M3, for the last 3 years an E92 M3, also have an S1000RR in my garage..........

2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to drive a 1M............and guess what......end of the month I`ll be turning in the E92 M3, and the 1M is coming home

This car is realy what Driving Fun is all about;

1 Very, very tight cornering
2 Very, very agile
3 The best stance on a recent Bimmer
4 I do like the direct engagement of the clutch ( the E92 M3 throw is far to long IMO)

Now the M3 is not a bad car by far, do not make that mistake......but it has gone into annother direction.......the GT direction that is, top end power and the way it will rev is still unprecedented, high speed/cornering stability can match the best cars in the world, but it is also heavy, and you`ve to push it hard, very hard to get the best out of it..........but time moves on............so I`ve no regrets to make the next step, end of the month it will be done........