A BMW M1 you say? No Sir, that is in fact a 1 Series M Coupe...

It's a little thing really, not something to lose much sleep over...

Even so, I have to say I find it a little irritating when some wannabe car-nut says "Wow man check out that BMW M1", or something along those lines, as a shiny new 1 Series BMW with 4 tailpipes roars past in a blur...
I am no car fundi, and even I know the difference.

Firstly, THIS is a BMW M1 (circa 1978 - 1981):

 Secondly, THIS is a BMW 1 Series M Coupe (2011):

Big difference.
Are we clear? :)

All naming confusions aside however, both are seriously legendary machines, notwithstanding the 30 year gap between them...

Now the only question is where to find the insane amount of ZAR required to get me one of these bright orange pocket rockets...
If I can find one, that is...!

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How many exhaust pipes have you got?

Nowadays when you venture out onto our roads, it's all about the number of exhaust pipes on a car isn't it?
Back when I was a kid in the 80's, if a car had 2 exhaust pipes, it was a big deal.

Today, this is a pretty common sight (the number of exhausts, not the car...:):

Most other cars only get this view of the BMW 1M...

I suppose the more beefy and macho cars become, the more exhausts will sprout out of their vehicular backsides... :)

Given the rapid change and progress in technology, and the need for faster, more powerful engines, can you imagine cars in a few years...?
Maybe 10 exhausts coming out of car backsides won't be an uncommon sight...!

Related articles

• First Drive: 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe (nationalpost.com)
• 2014 BMW M3 to go triple-turbo, GM and Nissan go toot-toot, and Kia's new hotness [The Morning Shift] (jalopnik.com)
• Rumormill: BMW planning M5 with diesel, all-wheel drive? (autoblog.com)
• 2012 Bmw M5 F10 (kineda.com)

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