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BMW

BMW 1M Coupé really makes its mark

BMW 1 Series M Coupe

A couple of weeks ago we showed how the BMW 1 Series M Coupé was beginning to make its mark with owners. Since then the press reviews have started rolling in and it’s all good news for the baby M.

First, 1addicts brings news that German rag Sport Auto has run the 1M through one of its famous track tests at Hockenheim. The result? A best lap time of 1:14.1. That’s one tenth slower than a manual equipped Porsche Cayman S. Impressive, hey? Well, consider this; it’s one tenth faster than an E92 M3 with DCT.

Autocar said: “The longer you spend at the wheel of the M Coupé, the more you come to appreciate its overall ability. Its focus is perhaps a little broader than we’ve come to expect from BMW M… It’s not a junior M3, as many suggested it would be. No, it has its own distinct character and, in real-world terms, is a good deal faster than its more expensive sibling.”

Car said: “The 1-series M is a proper M car, no doubt… It’s definitely not a hotted-up 135i, and now we’re looking forward to the future of M.”

Inside Line said: “Let’s not extend the suspense any longer. The 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is a fantastically compelling machine. It is fast… It has a truly brawny engine that sounds great at wide-open throttle, handles with all the precision expected of a car wearing the evocative M badge, and is super practical given its performance brief.”

Yeah, you’d like one too?

[Pic: Sport Auto]

Categories
News

Torque of the town

Canberra Torque

AUSmotive has taken a contributing role with a new start-up magazine Canberra Torque. The mag is produced by Capital Magazine Publishing who have a strong record in the ACT region. Issue one came out a few weeks ago and 10,000 copies of the mag will be distributed around Canberra every month. It’s free, so if you see a copy make sure you pick it up and have a decent read. Issue two is not far away.

There’s a good mix of stories from the region as well as old, modified and new cars. If you’re not in or around Canberra, you can keep up to date on the magazine’s progress via Facebook.

What does this role mean for AUSmotive? Aside from increased opportunities to test and review new cars there should be no change to the way the website is currently operating. The odd news item will also be adapted from AUSmotive for print, as well.

On the review front I currently have the keys to a Jaguar XF. You’ll be able to read the results in print and online soon.