We jump back in time to revisit BMW's first baby M Car.

The BMW M2 is quite rightly revered as one of the greatest BMW M cars. Its compact, agile, and potent nature actually makes it something of a spiritual successor to the legendary E30 M3 of old. However, before the M2 gained its glory, there was another pint-sized M car that is a bit of a missing link between icon and incumbent. Meet the BMW 1 Series M Coupe - better known as the 1M.

Back before the M2 became a runaway success, BMW top-brass actually had no desire whatsoever to let M engineers tinker with the most baby of BMWs in the range. However, that didn’t stop a band of crafty designers spanner together a prototype in their spare time. Raiding the M3 of the era’s parts bin, an angry little street fighter was born, a car so punchy that it even persuaded the strait-laced management that a limited production run was written in the stars.

Just 450 right-hand drive BMW 1Ms were ever built, and today the car has something of a cult following. In fact, if you want a prime example such as this steed, you’ll need some £60,000. Why? Because it’s flipping marvellous. 

The original 1 Series was never a handsome thing, and with your rose-tinted specs removed, neither is the 1M. However, it’s fair to say that this carnivorous coupe has real presence. From the standard 1 Series silhouette bulges muscular wheel arches that shroud a widened track, something that gives this car some outrageous hips. Its wheels are pushed right into the bodywork like a miniature DTM racer, and those distinctive alloys wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport rubber certainly look the part.

The interior is actually pretty standard 1 Series, although plenty of Alcantara and contrasting orange stitching denotes this as anything but standard. The interior is a bit dated by today’s modern bar, especially as it features a much more primitive version of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system – as opposed to the slick software we are used to today. While the seating position is maybe a tad high, the short-throw manual stick falls to hand with ergonomic ease. It’s just as spacious as a common 1 Series coupe of the time, making a surprisingly practical daily driver.

Under the bonnet is a 335bhp 3.0-litre straight-six engine, shoehorned in place with little space to spare. It’s perfectly normal for M cars to be turbocharged today, but this model’s pair were a real point of contention in the naturally aspirated ways of days gone by. Fire the engine and it barks and crackles into life like a Bavarian woodsman clearing his throat. A purposeful idle fills the air and a rhythmic pulse flows through the machine.

Drop the clutch and punch the throttle to witness a battle of electronic brain versus physical brawn. The computer tries to number crunch the hit of torque into submission, but it’s all a bit too much as you feel the rear of the chassis wriggle its hips. Microsoft Sam’s defeat is further compounded with tyre chirping into second gear. While there is some noteworthy turbo lag lower in the rev range, the surge of torque that comes after relentlessly accelerates the 1M like a freight train. Charging through that deliciously precise manual gearbox, the whole experience feels very analogue. Its snorty baritone narration also adds to a sense of drama behind the wheel.

The car’s ability to leap from apex to apex is utterly sublime. There’s so much grip available from this wide chassis that pointing the nose into a tightening corner sees the boisterous 1M become as obedient as a nun on a Sunday. It just grips and goes with its short wheelbase helping it rapidly rotate around a challenging corner. Putting the chassis into its dynamic setting and turning off the electronic nannies will see the rear come out to play with the right encouragement, but be mindful that the short wheelbase in this application can be a double-edged sword.

The suspension, while on the firm side at low speed, feels tuned to perfection at a pace as it resists roll and gives the car a composed feel. This BMW’s critique of slightly numb steering remains, but its rapid responses make it ideal for quick and precise changes of direction. Its brakes are the only real weak link in this otherwise grin-inducing chain, succumbing to a touch of fade when driven hard for prolonged periods, that said, they prove perfectly effective when used with some mechanical sympathy.

The BMW 1 Series M Coupe really represents the end of an era of which the sun only set on a few years ago. However, manufacturer’s speedy introduction of electromechanical steering, more driver aids, and hybridisation makes the 1M feel a generation apart. It feels rough around the edges, it celebrates the fact that this is a true ‘after dark’ project, and that’s something that’s missing in many cars today… Real charisma. 

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