The BMW 1M is, conceptually speaking, one of my favorite modern cars. Right off the bat the car was made for the enthusiasts without making a lot of compromises for broad market appeal. To keep development costs down, BMW Frankensteined the 1M together with stuff they already had in the parts bin. The rear axle is from the E46 M3 and the 3.0 liter twin turbo inline-6 is the same as the one you can get in the regular 1-series and 3-series, but with an upgraded turbo, exhaust and fuel mapping. This is the first M-car to have a turbocharged engine, but that’s not a bad thing. Between variable valve timing and direct injection, modern turbocharged engines like this one feel very much like larger displacement naturally aspirated engines. The plus side is you get much better fuel economy and gobs of fun torque instead of a high strung peaky power band. That’s what makes this car so much fun. Unfortunately the 1M was only sold for one model year to preserve its classic status. That’s a shame becuase BMW definitely got it right with this one.

Source: AutoCar on YouTube