The 1M to be Powered by a Modified N54

The 1M signifies a shift in the way M creates cars. With the exception of the US market E36 M3, every M product has featured a unique engine that was designed from the ground up by the M Division. But the 1M project is different. The idea was to create something like the E30 M3. Not overly powerful and loaded with feel and all the nuances that have made the E30 M3 a classic.

In addition to that M had to keep the price down due to very low volume. So M had a unique series of parameters to stay within. They only needed a moderate power increase and they clearly needed to keep the development costs down to lower levels than normally seen on M engines.

Enter the N54. The twin turbo N54 crucially doesn’t feature Valvetronic making it much easier to tune. It also was designed as a classic twin turbo rather than the single twin-scroll housing on the N55. All this made for an engine much easier for M to take, tweak and drop into the 1M.

But power is crucial to all M cars right? The M Division uses power for both marketing (i.e. M6) and performance (i.e. M3). The thing that sometimes goes unspoken is feel. Now M is talking about feel. In fact that was the key message Dr. Kay Segler had when we spoke at the 1M introduction. So if feel is the most important part of the 1M, power becomes a tertiary part of the car’s story and thus its marketing message.

So what should we expect in regards to numbers? One school of thought would look for power to be closer to the 335 figure from the Z4 35is than the 350 that we’ve read about (on BF and elsewhere) for the past year.

However we can’t help but think M might surprise us. With the more robust M3 transmission and differential the 1M could clearly take the extra power.

Torque should be pretty impressive. We know the Z4 35is gets 369 ft lbs of the stuff on the overboost so we’d have to expect the 1M to be similar.

But how do we really know? Hearing the car start and then idle off of the enclosed trailer (as it was getting ready for our early look) you could clearly hear the distinct note of an N54. So with that plus all the obvious signs and rational points mentioned above consider the debate over.

The 1M. A car with a modified “series” engine, enough power and torque, exceptional chassis and (hopefully) great feel. It’s a new twist to the standard M foruma but one that might just prove ideal this price range and this particular situation.

BMW risen back to the top of the premium SUV segment with the new X1

Bmw made quite a buzz with the launch of the X1 compact crossover and has risen back to the top. The car was designed in order to attract cost-conscious young buyers and since its introduction in late-October 2009, the Bavarian manufacturer sold more than 64,049 X1s.

It appears that the key in achieving these sales is the price: the X1 is at least 9,000 euros less expensive than the other premium SUVs in the segment. The Bmw X1 price starts at 27,200 euros (about $35,800) in Germany. Regarding its competitors, the Audi Q3 and Saab 9-4X are due to arrive in 2011, while the MINI Countryman (priced from 20,200 euros in Germany) made by sister brand, will make its debut in the U.S. in early 2011.

Bmw’s development chief confirms the Gran Coupe 4-door coupe

Bmw’s development chief Klaus Draeger confirmed today that the Bavarian manufacturer will build the Gran Coupe concept car. Set to take on cars such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Audi A7 Sportback and the Porsche Panamera, the new model will be launched in 2012, following the debut on the new 6-Series coupe and convertible next year.

The Gran Coupe will target the 7-Series customers who want to drive their car and don’t need a chauffeur. Regarding its price and technology, these will be aligned with the 6-Series coupe, said Draeger. For those who don’t know, the 6-Series starts at 70,450 euros (about $93,560) in Germany, so expect a slight increase for the Gran Coupe.

Rumor: Bmw i100 Coupe ActiveHybrid in the works

There are rumors of a new electric sports car, which will be named BMW i100 Coupe ActiveHybrid. It is believed that this model is designed to rival Audi’s e-Tron and will be launched in 2013.

Sources say that the car will use a three-cylinder direct injection engine, delivering between 165 to 185 hp, and two electric motors (which give an extra 100 hp). The car gets a limited range in electric, of about 50 kilometers. Reports of the arrival of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept turning production version in 2014 sprouted at the start of the year. The engine-motor configuration, which will be installed onto the i100 Coupe ActiveHybrid, is exactly what debuted in the Vision EfficienDynamics Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. These specs enable the model to sprint from zero to 60mph in 4.8 seconds, and hit a maximum electronically-limited speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). BMW claims that its fuel consumption is 3.7 liters/100 km and that it has CO2 emissions of 100 grams/km in the EU test cycle. The source adds that BMW aims to sell over 35,000 units of the i100 Coupe ActiveHybrid, with each having a price tag of around €100,000.