BMW Plans 1 Series M Performance Sedan

Sources at BMW AG tells Autocar it expects to produce a high-performance M sedan based on its second-generation 1 Series small car but probably not until at least 2015.

BMW has already tested market interest in Europe for a powerful version of the little 1 Series coupe with a limited-production "1M" and just-introduced M135i hatchback. The latter car, which the company doesn't consider a true M model, is powered by a six-cylinder engine that makes 315 hp.

Autocar says the proposed 1 Series M sedan is likely to be powered by a special version of the company's 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged N20 four-cylinder engine. It says the powerplant will be tweaked to increase output 25% to at least 300 hp.

An unidentified company source tells the British magazine that the market for relatively inexpensive but powerful small cars is growing quickly. But the source says BMW's engineers are already swamped with vehicle development work, which will delay the M1 sedan project.

Another source notes that the company's iconic M3 and M5 cars have grown considerably more expensive in recent years. Those models still sell well. But the source says, "It is time to concentrate on the more affordable end of the performance range."

Details about how and when BMW would develop the little super sedan aren't clear. Autocar says the carmaker is considering two dramatically different options.

One choice would be to build the M1 sedan on a stretched version of the next-generation rear-drive 1 Series platform. A second possibility is to use the new front-drive "UKL1" platform BMW unveiled in September at the Paris auto show. The new front-drive chassis will carry the next-generation Mini.

Autocar points out that rear drive is dynamically superior for a high-performance car but results in cramped interior room in a small vehicle. A front-drive layout is roomier and about 15% cheaper to produce, according to the magazine. It adds that both platforms were designed to handle an all-wheel-drive powertrain a configuration that eliminates the front-drive/rear-drive debate.