BMW 1 Series

Compared: The 2022 BMW M240i xDrive boasts half the turbochargers and double the driven wheels, but can it match the magic delivered by M Division's skunkworks 1M Coupe? We grab one of each to find out.

Mary Queen of Scots had, to put it politely, a tricky relationship with her family relative Queen Elizabeth I of England. The pair shared a murky claim to the throne, but instead of yelling at each other over a quickly cooling shepherd’s pie like any reasonable family, they instead opted to kidnap, imprison and attempt to assassinate each other for several decades. As far as family feuds go, it’s hard to top.

I’m hoping to avoid any bloodshed today, as I bring together unlikely fraternal rivals that come from a similarly split royal bloodline – the BMW 1M and M240i xDrive.

The former’s credentials don’t need much in the way of introduction. Brought to the world via the automotive equivalent of an immaculate conception, it’s lauded as one of the finest cars to wear BMW’s fabled M badge.

The latter, well, it’s the first proper performance-orientated model of BMW’s new generation 2 Series (don’t get us started on the middling M235i Gran Coupe which is just a booted 1 Series).

Its claim to the throne in this sibling battle is a contentious one. Like Mary, Queen of Scots, the M240i isn’t a full-blooded heir with unconditional M Division heraldry, instead descending as the M-lite forebearer to a new generation M2 that is yet to shed its pre-production camouflage.

That said, it can trace a clear path up its family tree to the 1M, being the current spiritual successor. And now we have brought them together for a royal performance duel and anoint the true BMW M Crown Prince.

Pitting a legendary M car against its half-baked sibling? Surely this is a hiding to nothing I hear you quibble. Oh, quite the contrary. Like dear Mary and Elizabeth, this family stoush isn’t quite so simple. Yes, the 1M’s outputs of 250kW and 450Nm (with up to 500Nm on overboost) are impressive even by today’s standards. More so when you consider its 1495kg gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 167kW-per-tonne.

Enter the M240i, similarly powered by a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six to the tune of 285kW and 500Nm. Dampening that advantage for the newer car is the fact it tips the scales at 1765kg, dropping the PWR to 161kW-per-tonne. Advantage 1M, surely? No.

The tale of the tape doesn’t stop there. Headline figures don’t quite reveal the full picture. First, the M240i arrives with the front axle joining the party. Then there is how each make their power. The M240i’s peak power is spread from 5800-6500rpm, while the tabletop looking torque curve hits its maximum figure at 1900rpm all the way to 5000rpm. With just 800 revolutions separating the handover of peak power and torque, the Thundernight Purple coupe hauls like a warhorse through every gear.

Conversely, the 1M’s lower peak power only arrives at 5900rpm, while the similarly reduced torque figure starts earlier at 1500rpm, but is done and dusted at 4500rpm. This fight is far from being one-sided.

It’s important to consider the M240i’s status as an M-lite concoction. Yes, there’s a fire-breathing new generation M2 currently in development but that moves the game well beyond the 1M’s aegis.

There’s another good reason why we have this pair together: the cost of entry. The M240i launches with a price tag of $89,990, and with that you get all the modern amenities you’d expect from a premium product in 2022. Buying a decently clean 1M (even with the current freakish used market prices) will set you back a similar figure.

Australia, as is so often the case, simply couldn’t get enough of the 1M. Our initial allocation was a paltry 100 vehicles. Pressure from BMW Australia bumped that up to 130 cars, and eventually a more reasonable 300 1Ms landed locally.

Globally production was meant to be just 2700 units. That was never going to cut it. By June 2012 a total of 6309 cars had been built. Originally priced at $99,990, prices immediately headed north tipping over $120,000 for relatively fresh used models by late-2012, before eventually settling to their current stable bracket.

The 1M you see before you is owned by MOTOR Art Director Damien Pelletier, and after wrangling insurance forms and promising him a new pencil sharpener we’ve managed to pry the keys from his hands.

A decade since its debut, parsing the BMW 1M’s character from the larger-than-life mythology and legend that surrounds it is enlightening. Common lore would have you believe this vehicle bared jagged teeth with which it would bite the hand that steers. Early reviews warned of a snappy dynamic character capable of putting the best of us on the back foot. Or, subsequently, the back of a flat-bed.

Even before its production began, the 1M had a white-knuckle grasp on life. At every point of its inception one wrong step would have seen it killed off and the future path of BMW’s performance division changed irredeemably from what we now know it as. But a dedicated team of engineers, and an entire division in the process of enacting radical changes to ensure its own survival meant the 1M endured. And we, the driving enthusiasts, are all the better for it.

The M-lite M240i has a tougher stance than any of its ‘done over lightly’ predecessors of the same badge. If not for a lack of ridiculously flared arches, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to have assumed this was a full-fat M with the visual presence alone. Yet it still seems tame stood side-by-side with what came before.

Such is the 1M’s stance that it appears to be stretching its own skin to breaking point, muscles literally bulging from its flanks. There is an interesting lesson in the evolution of design language when admiring the shapes of the M240i and 1M. For many, the M240i will hold greater visual appeal than its M3 and M4 siblings, opting for flaps in its kidney grills over a permanent flare of nostrils.

The most important change for the G42 generation from the F22 is completely hidden to the naked eye. For the first time the baby BMW coupe uses the same chassis platform as the 3 and 4 Series. Finally, those budget M4 clichés can be couched in a semblance of reality, and the move of platform bodes well for the potential capabilities of a new M2.

A new platform means inevitable dimension creep – the G42 is 105mm longer and 64mm wider overall compared to the F22 it replaces, with an extra 51mm in the wheelbase. The front track has spread by 63mm, while the rear increases by 25mm, and the overall height drops 28mm. Yet despite the physical growth, the M240i remains goldilocks right in its proportions and easy to place even on narrow mountain lanes.

While the 1M didn’t share a chassis with its larger siblings, there was plenty of common componentry. The E92 M3 donated its aluminium five-link rear suspension, locking limited-slip differential, cross-drilled brakes, and 19-inch alloys to the 1M.

While it can’t match the 1M’s legendary stature, the M240i’s proposition to the buyer is a tantalising one. More power than the M2 when it first launched, but with the sensibilities of something genuinely useable day-to-day.

That’s not a cliché either, with the eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission doing much of the heavy lifting of making the M240i a delight to drive day-to-day.

Smooth and subtle when schlepping, but able to whip between its well-judged ratios in more aggressive modes (which you can de-couple from the engine mapping in the customisable Individual setting).

It’s a row-your-own adventure in the 1M, with a six-speed manual transmission the only choice. While there’s a sinewy, muscular feel to the shift, it’s here where the 1M’s age is perhaps best exemplified. By virtue of the three-pedal design, you are required to be more considered with your inputs in the 1M, balancing throttle and clutch in a balletic dance as you ride a more pronounced wave of torque compared to the M240i.

There’s no denying that in a straight line the newer car is untouchable, with comparatively relentless in-gear acceleration. You’d hardly describe the 1M’s N54 engine as laggy, but the way it ebbs and flows on and off boost prompts you to more keenly attune to the way it builds revs.

Sound is something both of these cars nail in classical fashion. There’s more turbocharger whistle and flutter in the 1M, but you don’t get as much auditory delight within its black leather cabin confines.

Conversely, the M240i amps up the interior volume, complimented with muffled exhaust pops off throttle.

Speaking of cabins, inside the G42 you get a pair of digital screens – a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit running Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 12.3-inch digital dash – along with a high-quality Harman Kardon sound system. By most modern standards the newer BMW interior is relatively restrained and cohesive. There’s no full-length portrait screen, and a tasteful selection of genuine buttons. Not haptic or touch, but genuine tactile buttons.

Compare this all to the 1M though and it seems drastically maximalist.
This continues to each car’s driving systems. You get Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus in the M240i before you even think of customisations of Individual mode.

In the 1M it’s standard and M – that’s it. Damo confesses he has his Valencia Orange pride and joy locked into the more aggressive mode with MDM activated when driving in all but the worst conditions.

The M Dynamic Mode in the 1M lacks the sophistication of current ESC systems, but its rudimentary operations are easy to tap into. Corner exit rotation is controlled more deftly with the throttle than your hands. You find yourself winding lock off much earlier in the cornering phase than is traditionally required, with the rear axle leading the charge with well-signalled yaw.

While the drivetrain calibration can get power down impressively in a straight line, the M240i’s not-insignificant heft plays against it dynamically. You spend more of your time managing its balance as it teeters near the edge of grip.

But unlike the 1M which will fall into a relief of oversteer, the M240i lets the front axle release its hold on the road more willingly. This will be mostly down to a smaller tyre footprint on less focused rubber being required to perform a greater task.

While both utilise 19-inch wheels, this 1M is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres measuring 245/35 up front and 265/35 at the rear. Meanwhile the M240i has to make do with Pirelli P Zero compound 225/40 front tyres and 255/35 rear, the fronts offering an 8 per cent smaller contact patch than the 1M in a car that’s 15 per cent heavier. It’s likely this hampering of roadholding ability is a deliberate move by BMW engineers to leave appropriate room in the family for the incoming M2.

Don’t misconstrue that by thinking the new-gen contender is all buckets of wailing understeer and undone dynamism. A daffodil in a hurricane would be better tied down than the 1M, but the M240i still has a tinge of that willingness to shimmy its hips laterally given an adept hand. It’s just a more complex process, requiring you to utilise the kind of aggression that’ll see you on the wrong side of a ditch in the 1M.

There’s no way to lock the drivetrain into sending its power directly to the rear wheels exclusively, but in the right circumstances BMW claims the system can do so of its own volition. From our experience on road the front axle retained some percentage of pull in all but the briefest moments.

Another area where modern convenience plays against the M240i is its feedback and tactility. The steering doesn’t have the meat and weight of the 1M but has thankfully stepped away from the soupy malaise that has been cursing BMW of late. While the M240i feels heavily assisted, it retains a level of poise which means you can pick your lines cleanly. Yet once again, it’s the older of the two that feels alive in your hands, communicating its grip levels and varying road textures with greater clarity.

While advancements in both steering and engine development have subdued some of the character of the M240i, where modern technology has blessed the newer of the pair is in ride. The 1M is decidedly more jittery, unwilling to settle over bumps that the M240i’s damping takes into its stride with ease. The more senior coupe is locked into a single setting, where the M240i can slacken or tense as the adaptive dampers are instructed. The best bit? You don’t sacrifice any body control for the greater refinement, with the M240i’s pitch and roll remarkably tied down for its everyday useability.

If we step back from our sibling showdown for a moment, it needs to be emphasised that the BMW M240i excels as a sub-$100K performance car. It’s loaded with equipment, finished with strong levels of perceived quality and possesses the requisite dynamic character that lives up to the M badging. A Pure Driving Machine? Depends on your definition.

By most modern standards it’s an endearing sports car rich with energy able to thrill on a mountain drive without sacrificing everyday utility.

A comparison with what some consider the greatest baby M car of our generation was always going to be tough. And yet far from falling into its shadows, the M240i stands tall in its own right. It’s not a full M car, and it’s not trying to be.

What might be most impressive is that even with this more modest aspiration, it can still put a mile-wide grin on your face when driven properly. There’s no lack of spirit in its engineering, and it matters not a jot that it fails to share the 1M’s fearsome reputation.

THE M240i’S PROPOSITION IS A TANTALISING ONE. MORE POWER THAN THE M2 WHEN IT FIRST LAUNCHED, BUT GENUINELY USEABLE DAY-TO-DAY

Yes, you need to keep your wits about you with the 1M, but it isn’t the bar brawler that initial reviews would have you believe. Drive with confidence and a healthy dose of sensibility and you can key into the eager rotation and its willingness to be hustled.

The performance game has moved on an incredible amount since the 1M first launched, but such is its staying power that it remains a compelling drive against box fresh competition.

The DNA of the 1M is unkillable – a hackled wolf that BMW has attempted to domesticate over subsequent generations. The M240i can walk the same walk, but its feet touch the ground with greater grace, the muscles no longer permanently tensed.

“Do you want your compact coupe permanently set to kill sir, or would you like our new phase setting?” Answers on a postcard.

But what of Mary and Elizabeth, the warring Queen cousins? Well, they ended their feud in February of 1567, when Elizabeth ordered Mary’s beheading.

It was the first legal execution of an anointed European monarch, sending ripples through the continent’s ruling class. Nobody was safe anymore.

The M240i can’t quite take down its more pure-blooded sibling, but it’s not for a lack of trying and sheer armament. But the modern coupe offers more accessibility to more people, which was always the goal.

And it won’t be long until its progeny is capable of eclipsing the 1M. When that happens, none of the performance car world’s royals will be safe.

SCORING

2011 BMW 1M: 9.0/10

2022 BMW M240i xDrive: 8.0/10

Second Opinion

From the clearly biased Art Director

I love my little 1M, but the extra decade of progress represented by the M240i is clearly evident. The purple pretender is a more refined package, with a lovely seating position, slick infotainment, and suspension that remains supple across a wider operating window.

The 1M can’t match the M240i’s road manners or straight-line prowess, but fights back in less easily quantifiable measures like presence, feel and attitude. Driven with some vigour up an entertaining bit of road, the 1M infects you with its pugnacious spirit, daring its driver to hustle deeper into corners and finish apexes off with a flourish.

The M240i keeps pace, with a rousing straight-six chorus as you paddle your way up the gearbox, but the 1M’s old school manual provides a level of engagement the auto just can’t match.

As an everyday proposition the M240i is superior, but I’m not sure BMW has recaptured the same magic that’s infused into the 1M’s steroidal guards. At least until the arrival of the new M2.
- Damien Pelletier

Technical specs