The BMW M1 - Visionary Sports Coupe of Its Time

							The BMW 1 is a stylish 2 door high performance engineering marvel that
looks as good as it drives. It ushered in the M-series in a long line of
stylish coupes from this iconic German car brand. In this review, we'll
take a look at its features including its exterior, engine and
performance, interiors and, safety, drive and handling.

Exterior

The car features a box-like chassis, typical of coupes from that period.
It comes in a variety of colors, with the most common being fire engine
red. The chassis is made of riveted fiberglass reinforced plastic panels,
while the chassis consists of steel space-frame. It has an Italian feel
to it, given the fact that production was at one time taken over by
Lamborghini, the Italian auto giant.

Engine and Performance

The BMW comes fitted with a 3453 cc DOHC straight-6 M88/1 engine which
manages an output of 277 horsepower and 239 pounds per feet of torque.
The 3.5 liter straight engine puts it in the realm of sports cars, with
enough power to accelerate to dizzying speeds of 192 miles per hour.

What's surprising for a high powered sports car such as this is its fuel
consumption of 14.4 mpg, making it extremely fuel efficient, giving you
bang for your buck when it comes to refilling its gas tank.

Interiors

The BMW1 interior comes with the arbitrary instrument panel, a cassette
player that can be upgraded to include CD and MP3 capability, and an AC
system.

The coupe is spacious and contains adequate leg and head room.
Additionally, leather seats and upholstery can be fitted to add a bit of
luxury. The anti-slip seat surfaces are especially good for the driver
when turning sharp corners.

Drive, Handling and Safety

The feedback from handling the BMW 1 is one-of-a-kind, and here's why;
the mechanical fuel injection engine churns out just the right amount
air-to-fuel ration for it to reach six throttles in just a few seconds.
Also, the five-speed manual gearbox shifts effortlessly into different
gears, while delivering a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride. The
powerful brakes provide the needed safety when you need to avert
impending danger, and the double wishbone suspension makes it easy to
control all the car's four wheels, providing ultimate driver control.

The BMW1 can churn out 7,000 rpm in terms of power, and its engine
architecture is similar to that found in BMW sedans. What's interesting
is the fact that it never really took off as a commercial project, but
gained massive popularity due to the fact that it was the first of its
kind and a precursor to later models, providing a firm foundation for the
current BMW motorsport range of cars. The car was discontinued in 1981,
and despite this fact, there were at least 445 units produced for the
market, with 46 of these being produced specifically for Pro car racing.
Today, an M1 would fetch six figure sums in auctions across the world,
and what makes it such a coveted piece of auto history is the foundation
it laid for current sports-oriented car models.