2011 BMW 1-Series coupe reviews

BMW 1-Series Coupe M Coupe 2011

I purchased my M Coupe from Wollaston in Northampton. The good: the performance is just astounding. It has been described as a baby M3, well that’s a pretty good description but it is also so much more. It has a bit less power but bags more torque. 0-60 is just too quick, I’ve had to set the speed limiter to warn me as a quick dab of the right foot for some "safe overtaking" will easily lead to points. The roadholding is phenominal, it sticks and keeps sticking. With all the safety features on it is quicker through the twisties than anything I’ve played in before. 27mpg so far up to the first service at around 1,000miles. Good? Well actually for this car yes, that is pretty amazing. Every time I tease it up to 30 I treat myself to a bit of a blast! The new iDrive is much better, it’s actually useable now. Finally the 7 digit postcode search. A smile every time I start it up. The bad: I thought I’d ticked every box, DAB is an option even though it’s standard in all the new minis. It’s not really that bad though as the engine note is quite satisfying. Except at 70mph on the M4, when the tuned exhaust system does grate somewhat... iPod integration has taken a step backwards in my honest opinion; the search feature takes a lot of getting used to. The ugly: Hard suspension and rubber bands for tyres plus English roads equals lots of re-tracking. The local dealer have carried out two re-tracks under warranty so far, it will get expensive soon. It is so hard to drive even moderately sensibly and if I’m not really careful I will get points. I’ll add to this posting when I have some more running costs etc to mention, however, I did buy a 60,000 mile service pack for only £400 so I hope it’s just tyres and tracking to worry about. And the jungle juice of course!