The BMW 1 Series M. Image: BMW Group
BMW is debuting the 1 Series M Coupe at this week’s Detroit Auto Show, and we finally have a price to go with it. The 335 horsepower M3-in-3/4-scale will start at $47,010, before you begin adding options, the destination charge or the inevitable dealer price gouging. Remember that BMW will import a “limited quantity” of the 1 Series M, so expect to see “Additional Dealer Markup” of at least $5,000 per car. For reference, a 2011 BMW M3 starts at $55,400 before you add destination charge and options. Since the M3 isn’t considered “limited production” like the 1 Series M, chances are good you have some wiggle room on dealer pricing.
If there were a real $10,000 difference in price between the two cars, I’d say the 1 Series M was priced right. As it stands, an optioned out 1 Series M will sticker for damn near the same price as a stripper M3 (if there are any stripped M3s imported into the U.S.). Sure, I’d rather have the 1 Series M’s lighter, more nimble chassis, but I much prefer the M3’s 4.0 liter V8 over the 1 Series M’s trouble-plagued N54 inline six. At $10k difference, I’d take the 1 Seres any day of the week; at $3k difference, I’d start leaning towards the M3. If BMW was trying to attract a new generation of buyers with the 1 Series M, I’d say they missed their mark entirely. I have no doubt that every single one imported will sell, but not to the crowd BMW alleges they built the car for.
Source: Autoblog
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
