BMW Releases New 1-Series M Coupe UK Promo Video

With all the excitement surrounding the upcoming M5, we almost forgot about the coolest and purest ‘M’ that’s not really ‘M’ - the 1-Series M Coupe. This latest promotional video from BMW UK has brought it all back into perspective for us, as it reminds us what’s actually important for the young man looking for a bit of performance: not air-con and silly automatic gearboxes, but a light, pure car with all the thrills included.

There’s plenty of gear-grabbing action on what look to be Welsh roads, but the part we really loved was the slow motion shots of that awesome drifting action on the track. The 1-Series might not pack a big V8 engine under that angular bonnet, but the metallic sound of the turbocharged straight six-six makes reminds us of what BMW used to be about.

The new BMW 1-Series M Coupe features a high-strength steel unibody, with widened fenders and rear quarter panels to house the substantially widened track. It also features an all-metal roof panel which saves about 35 lbs (15kg) compared to BMW 1-Series models equipped with a moonroof. The vehicle’s chassis uses components that were initially destined for the M3, with the car tipping the scales at 1,495 kg (3,296 lbs). Customers can choose to have the car finished in Alpine White non-metallic, Black Sapphire metallic and the exclusive Valencia Orange metallic.

There’s plenty of power and torque on tap (340 hp and 450 Nm or 500 with overboost), available from a 2,979 cc in-line six-cylinder twin-turbocharged unit that uses direct injection and double VANOS variable valve timing. The figures speak for themselves, with the coupe hitting 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.9 seconds and offering an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).