2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe: Fast and furious
Published:Sunday | May 29, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Brian Bonitto • Special Assignment Editor
Journalists from several Latin American (LATAM) countries and Jamaica jetted to the high altitude of Bogota in Colombia to see the veils pulled from BMW's latest creation: the 2012 1-Series M Coupe.
And, at 2,600 metres above sea level, there were no disappointments.
"Muy bien!," said a South American colleague as he pointed his camera at the two-door sports car in the showroom of The BMW Store, Autogermana S.A., in north Bogota.
"This is the first generation of a new kind of M car. And, there are no real predecessors to it," said Rolf Scheibner, product management, M GmbH, at BMW Group in LATAM and the Caribbean, told Automotives.
"Of course, there are relatives like the first generation of the M3. But it's a 1-Series and we never had a 1-Series M car before," he continued.
BMW M was initially created to fuel the company's racing programme which enjoyed huge success during the 1960s and '70s.
M-badged cars traditionally include modifications to engines, transmissions, suspensions and aerodynamics.
Scheibner, who was one of several guest speakers at the sports car's LATAM and Caribbean debut, said the 1-Series Coupe had all the trappings of an authentic M car.
Turbo-inline six engine
The 1-Series M Coupe carries a three-litre, twin turbo-inline six engine with a six-speed manual gearbox, which delivers 250kw/340 hp.
The coupe accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds and attains a top speed of 250km/h (electronically limited). The average consumption, according to the EU tests, is 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres.
Alexander Eftimov, sales director of BMW Group in LATAM and the Caribbean, had much to celebrate as the luxury car sales had surpassed previous records.
"The BMW Group in Latin America and the Caribbean had the most successful first quarter ever," said Eftimov. "In the first three months, we sold 6,220 BMW and Mini vehicles which is 49 per cent more than the previous year. "
The LATAM and Caribbean sales director said with the growing importance of BMW Ms in the region, the group is focussed on bringing the luxury vehicles closer to the customers by way of road shows and launches.
"This is first time we have actually gone into an entry segment for the M," he said. "We never had a price level which is accessible to a broader audience of M vehicles.
With a price tag of €49,000 in Germany, and will be available locally in July starting at J$9.5 million, Eftimov said the 2012 1-Series M Coupe is the most affordable M produced to date.
Joaquin Saenz, a director of The BMW Store, had a lot to celebrate too. His his company was lauded as the "first M-certified dealership" in the Latin America and the Caribbean.
"We have been leaders [in Colombia] with BMW for the past 29 years and it is a gift to what our family has been doing for the brand," he said. "It is an honour."
The dealership is the first in the region to have sales staff dedicated to the BMW M products.
And, as the lights dimmed on the evening's event, desires of strapping oneself in the cockpit grew.