The 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe hits the scales

The BMW 1-Series M Coupe with a full tank of gasoline weighed in at just 3,351 pounds, giving the new compact M a power-to-weight ratio of 9.85lbs per horsepower thanks to the 340 horsepower turbocharged 3-liter. This powerful inline-six is mated to a six-speed manual transmission (hooray!); allowing the 1-Series M Coupe to dash from 0-60 in just 4.7 seconds and hit an electronically limited top speed of just 155mph. Also, the M Coupe will come with some of the handling goodies of the bigger (and substantially more expensive) 2011 BMW M3 so the new compact M is more of a road racer than a drag racer and once more people get their hands on these high performance 1-Series we should get a better idea of what is it “better than”. The 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe comes with a price tag of $47,010 including the $850 destination charge, putting it over $12,000 under the current V8-powered M3 so someone could go so far as to call the new 1-Series M Coupe a budget performance car – considering what you are getting for the price. The M Coupe is expected to reach showrooms sometime this spring in the US but with less than 1,000 units headed to this market, they won’t be easy to get.