The original BMW 1 Series Coupe was replaced just last year by a brand new name in the Bavarians’ range, the 2 Series Coupe that is just as good looking and as mental as its predecessor. Or is it?
While looks can be deceiving and everyone has its own view on the matter, this being the most subjective thing in the world to talk about, performance is written in stone-cold facts. Therefore the guys from ExoticCars.pl took the both of them out for a spin, to see how they fare against each other.
What you should know from the get go is that they are not exactly father and son. The 1M Coupe was a car developed by the Motorsport division completely. That means, it is a proper M car and has the bolts to show for it.
On the other hand, the M235i is just a typical BMW 2 Series that has been improved by the magic touch of the M division but is not a proper M car. It’s an improvement and an intermediate step between a stock model and the upcoming full-on M2.
Even so, it has performance that will boggle the mind, especially if you consider the price tag. Under the bonnet lies a 3-liter inline 6-cylinder engine with one turbo and 326 HP to boast with. 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque are also available and a peach to put down via an 8-speed auto gearbox. You can also have it with a 6-speed manual free of charge.
On the other hand, the 1M Coupe was fitted with a 3-liter inline 6-cylinder that uses two turbochargers and has 340 HP and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque at its disposal. At the same time, via overboost, the twist level can go up to 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. Being an M car, it was fitted only with a 6-speed manual gearbox, as God intended cars to be.
When it comes down to straight up acceleration, we’ll compare the RWD M235i to the 1M Coupe as the xDrive model wouldn’t be fair. The M Performance car will do 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds with the automatic 8-speed auto and will be 0.2 seconds slower with the manual.
The 1M Coupe in the meantime, is right in the middle, quoted for a 4.9-second run to the same benchmark speed.
Real-life comparisons though showed us that the differences are more than skin deep. The 1M is more planted and more hardcore to use, the impact of the M division being felt throughout the car. On the other hand, the M235i is more comfortable and a better daily driver, especially with the automatic gearbox. The pick is yours but bare in mind that the 1M Coupe was built only in 6,331 units worldwide and that there’s an M2 coming this year.
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