BMW's 1-Series M Coupe. Image: BMW Group
If you’ve been saving your lunch money to put down a deposit on BMW’s 1-Series M coupe, we’ve got bad news for you: you’re time has run out. According to Holland’s De Telegraaf (via Left Lane News), BMW is no longer taking production orders on the coupe that many have proclaimed the second coming of the E30 M3.
The news isn’t surprising, as BMW was clear up front that it would only build the car for a limited time. Plant expansion at BMW’s Leipzig, Germany facility will cause production to end in June, and there are enough 1-Series M orders in the pipeline to keep workers busy until then.
The 1-Series M was intended to be an “affordable” sports car that drew young enthusiast buyers into the BMW family. It launched in the U.S with a sticker price in the mid-to-high $40k range, pricing it beyond the means of most young buyers. Its limited-production status didn’t help, either, and some opportunistic dealers listed 1 Series M models for nearly double the car’s sticker price. Clean examples can still be found, but they’ve already hit collector car status, with pricing to match.
There’s no word yet on whether or not BMW will offer an equivalent model when the new 1-Series is launched. Frankly, we’re hoping to see the M135i Concept that BMW showed in Geneva hit production and land on these shores. While traditional wisdom says that hatchbacks don’t sell well in the United States, we think the M135i would be the exception to that rule.
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.
