km : Automotive News

BMW owners are an enthusiastic bunch, and none more so than those who own the company's M models. BMW North America recognizing the power of this passion, chose the club's annual flagship event, Oktoberfest (we know, it's still August) to make a very special unveiling of a very special new M model based on the compact 1-series coupe.

Unbeknownst to hundreds of club members who were busy taking in the festivities at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, a very important car was lurking under a bespoke cover inside a fairly nondescript Rahal Letterman Racing trailer, just under their noses. Inside was a prototype of the 1-series M coupe, a car that was flown in especially for it reveal to the club. Members had a clue that a new M model would be shown at the banquet dinner, but few realized just what that would be. After a few short words from BMW North America product manager Martin Brinkmann, the coupe was driven into the banquet by none other than Dr. Kay Siegler, head of the M brand worldwide. The car, covered completely in a form-fitting black vinyl wrap, was ever-so-slightly revealed to the enthusiastic crowd. Dr. Siegler, unzipped the left-front corner of the vinyl covers, showing off the front fender, headlights and bumper details. The rest of the car remained fully covered, despite shouts of, "Take it all off."

After the short striptease, Dr. Siegler told the group that BMW's M division is listening to their wants and needs, and that the 1-series M coupe will satisfy a lot of their requests. No further details were released, other than the model will join the lineup next spring, likely as an early 2012 model.

What we do know is that it will be powered by an uprated version of the twin-turbo N54 six-cylinder engine, and that it will feature a significantly wider body to contain the much more aggressive chassis setup.

We were given an early look at the car prior to the club reveal, where we were able to catch a glimpse of the stunning signature color, a deep metallic orange. More details will follow soon, as other portions of the car are revealed in other locales throughout the world.

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