xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

There are so many things about the 1M Coupe that ought to make it not a classic. It was the first turbocharged M car, for one thing. Chalk one tick in the box marked ‘upset purists’ there. What’s more, the N54 powerplant is not as bespoke as those used in most M cars (whose engines usually get an ‘s’ designation rather than an ‘n’. Tut tut. Oh, and It’s based on the coupe version of the first-gen 1 Series Coupe, whose slightly gawky lines are never going to win any beauty contests.

And yet. And yet. There is something about the 1M that just clicks. Perhaps it’s the boxy, bulked-out three-box bodywork that echoes later Evo iterations of the E30 3 Series. Or perhaps it’s the sheer shove of that 340 hp twin-turbo straight-six. Or maybe the M variable differential that allows you to deliver smoky slides without too much fear of making contact with the nearest hedge or ditch.

Whatever it is, despite some potentially less than auspicious ingredients, the 1M Coupe is undoubtedly a pukka M car… and the fact that only 450 were sold in the UK makes it a rather sought-after one, too. It’s certainly not something you’ll need to worry about depreciation with…