Please note that we have since driven a pre-production version of the BMW 1 Series M Coupé. Click here to read the review.

| Passenger Preview | Ascari, Spain | 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupé |

The spy shots have been around for a long time; the rumours even longer. Now, finally, BMW has admitted that a version of the 1 Series will be developed by its M Division and it'll be on sale in the UK by June 2011. While at the Ascari Race Resort for the launch of the BMW M3 GTS, we hitched a ride around the track in the passenger seat of the new 1 Series M Coupé.

In the Metal

Obviously the car you see in the pictures isn't quite the finished product. We don't think BMW will offer black and white swirls as an optional paint finish... Despite the camouflage, it's clear that the M1 (not that it'll be badged as such) boasts a significantly wider track than the standard 1 Series Coupé it's based on. And you'll be glad to hear that the M Division's trademark quad exhausts are present and correct.

There's less air between the wheelarches and the tyres than in other 1 Series models, partly due to a reduced ride height, but the test car was also wearing meaty 19-inch wheels. We suspect they'll be an option with 18-inch rims as standard.

We were assured that the test car was not the finished product inside, though we spotted light grey M instruments ahead of the chunky steering wheel.

What you get for your Money

While much of this is guesswork at this stage, BMW's representatives kept using the word 'affordable'. We reckon that the 1 M could be priced as low as £40,000, which isn't cheap, granted, but it is significantly less than the M3, currently the cheapest real M car. Despite that the 1 M is likely to be well equipped, with decent leather seats, some Alcantara, satnav, etc. A six-speed manual gearbox will be standard, though we suspect that a dual-clutch auto will also be offered in time.

Driving it

Let's be clear: we didn't actually drive the 1 M, but the BMW test driver didn't hang about so we at least felt what it's like on the limit from the passenger seat. The noise from the engine is a little muted perhaps, but that's the penalty for going down the turbocharged route rather than high revs and natural aspiration. A figure of 350bhp is conceivable, with a 0-62mph time of about five seconds.

Far more impressive than the 1's straight-line speed is how it tackles corners. It instantly feels lighter on its feet than the M3. Turn-in is lightning quick and yet it's possible to get on the power really early and then adjust the angle of the car with the throttle. That's thanks no doubt to the inclusion of the M3's whole rear axle, featuring the M differential. There's a real sense of balance through the chassis too.

Worth Noting

It seems that the M Division is in rude health. Obviously M Sport cars are selling well, but apparently the most controversial M models of recent years, the X5 and X6 M are exceeding targets. Even if you don't approve of such cars, at least they help pay for the development of things like the new 1 M.

Summary

While BMW pictured the test car with an E30 M3, we think that it's more of a modern day E46 M3, continuing where the much-loved straight-six engined car left off when it was replaced by the much faster V8 model. As a very early teaser, this passenger ride in the 1 Series M Coupé bodes well. It'll officially be revealed later this year with sales starting in June 2011. That feels like an awfully long way away.