The renowned German sports car magazine Sport Auto has pitted the new 2012 1 M Coupe up against the M3 at the Hockenheim race track. The M3 did a 1:14.2, while the 1 M managed the lap just a tenth quicker at 1:14.1.

Sport Auto clocked the 1 M Coupe at 4.7 seconds for 0-62 mph and 17.2 seconds for 0-124 mph. But it's not only the measurable performance that impressed the reviewers, it's also the fun. Purely a subjective matter, but the 1M got 10 out of 10 points for driving pleasure. Sport Auto confirms the 1M being tailhappy when driven at the limit with DSC off, but - unlike the AMS review - they don't consider this a bad thing. To the contrary, it "reminds them of the old BMW times. It's good to know that not all cars are tuned in to understeer for safety reasons."

It appears that BMW hit a home run with the 1M, or as Sport Auto puts it: "The 1M is all you need in a sports car."