We still remember the days when the 1M Coupe came out. BMW made a case out of pointing out that this was in no way related to the original M1 and that’s why they had to change the name. We also remember the specs the new Coupe had and how it blew us away.
Apart from the excitement and joy that filled our hearts, we were also upset. That’s because initially BMW announced that it will be making just 2,700 of these beauties and that few of them would even make it across the Atlantic ocean into the US or Canada.
Even so, due to the overwhelming reaction the car got, BMW’s ‘heart’ melted and they decided to make 6,331 of them. To this day they are sought after like few other models built after the turn of the century.
Old versus new
The new kid on the block is definitely the new M4 as far as the Coupe body goes and the new M3 along with it, separated only by two extra doors. Therefore, anyone wanting to see how technology progressed over the years should pay attention.
We’ve been wondering how the 1M Coupe and the new M3 would fare in a track battle and we reckon things would be pretty close but what about a straight up drag race? The specs of the two tell us exactly what would happen in a stock showdown but what if the 1M got some help somehow?
That’s what we have here. The M3 is stock, with its 3-liter biturbo inline 6-cylinder plant making 431 HP and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) and a DCT 7-speed gearbox on board.
The 1M on the other hand had its intercooler changed along with an ECU remap, downpipes and air intake. It managed to reach 400 HP and 560 Nm (413 lb-ft) of torque. At the same time, it’s lighter on its feet than the M3 but has a manual 6-speed gearbox. Will it be enough?
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