Marouane Bembli, who is better known under his Internet alias The Sketch Monkey, has digitally resurrected a BMW produced in very limited numbers. Arguably the most exciting iteration of the 1 Series from when the 1er had rear-wheel drive, the 1M Coupe received the X-motif headlights and lower part of the front bumper from the astonishing 3.0 CSL Hommage.
The concept was revealed to much critical acclaim at Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 2015, a one-off design study that reimagines the 3.0 CSL from the good ol’ days with modern styling cues. Plenty of carbon fiber and modern oily bits also need to be mentioned, with the powertrain consisting of a turbocharged 3.0L inline-six mill, eBoost assistance, and a two-pedal transmission.
BMW and the performance division which prides itself on boasting the most powerful letter in the world came together to create the 3.0 CSL based on the lessons learned from the concept, a strictly limited M4-based special edition that will number only 50 examples. The production variant features a manual transmission, as you’d expect from a sporty coupe named after the 3.0 CSL from the E9 series that ran between ’68 and ’75.
As for the 2023 model year BMW 1M Coupe rendered by Marouane Bembli, notable changes over the real thing further include better-filled wheel arches, a redesigned kidney grille finished in satin black, as well as gloss-black garnish on the rocker panels and front bumper. It certainly hits a sweet spot in terms of exterior design, although the rear tires fill up the rear arches too much.
BMW originally planned to make 2,700 units of the 1M Coupe. Referred to as Pyrat after Guyana Pyrat rum, the feisty little coupe would eventually end production with 6,331 examples delivered worldwide. 761 were built for the U.S. market, including 11 pre-production models.
The widened fenders up front and rear quarter panels aren’t only for show because BMW M engineers widened the track for better handling and stability. Offered exclusively with a manual and gifted with a 3.15:1 final drive, the 1 Series M Coupe as it is officially referred to features near-perfect weight distribution.
BMW quotes 51.7 percent up front, where the engine bay accommodates a twin-turbocharged sixer with a displacement of – wait for it – 3.0 liters. Although not a genuine M engine, the N54 in this application produces a very respectable 335 ponies and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm).
Based in Munich, the German automaker couldn’t make a case for a successor to the 1M Coupe. The 1 Series with six-cylinder power had to make do for a while, namely until BMW switched the 1 Series to a front-wheel-drive platform. The M2 is the indirect successor of the 1M Coupe, with the second generation packing a true M engine (codenamed S58) shared with the M3 and M4.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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