Autocar UK delivers their own review of the new BMW 1 Series M Coupe. Here are some highlights:
“On light throttle loads it is extremely tractable and can pull taller gears at moderate speeds. It’s a big departure from the peaky delivery of past M-cars and will give the M Coupé a wider appeal than has previously been the case with BMW’s more extreme performance models. Just don’t expect the sort of heavenly throttle response you get in an M3.
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To really succeed, however, the M Coupé also needs to deliver on the handling front. Initial impressions are overwhelmingly positive. Even on tricky sections of blacktop, the M Coupé is deceptively fast, possessing the sort of grip to carry big speeds through corners with true authority. And it achieves this while providing the sort of feedback you won’t find in any rival, RS3 included.
The steering is old-school heavy in its weighting and extremely direct. In combination with the altered front suspension geometry – which includes increased camber, altered offset and a greater number of aluminium components – it turns in far more eagerly than the 135i Coupé, and as lateral forces build it continues to track faithfully, allowing you to correct your line with small adjustments.
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And no caveats about the brakes. The M Coupé uses the same 360mm front and 350mm rear ventilated and cross-drilled steel stoppers as the M3. They’re monstrously powerful, hauling it up from big speeds with real conviction. They’re mated to a pedal with proper feel and a decent amount of travel.”
Author: Horatiu Boeriu
Source: http://www.bmwblog.com/2011/04/26/autoc ... pe-review/