2007 BMW M Coupe Review

Specifications

Nice Face. Nice Legs. Gorgeous Butt!

I certainly cant. Believe me, I tried. I just simply cant think of any new car currently on sale and that costs less than $70K and looks as stunningly good as the 2007 BMW M coupe. Its a fresh and different design, and to me looks better than the roadster. OK, I know there are many who will disagree with me. While the new coupes styling still isnt as polarizing as the previous generation M coupe (which for the record, I love), it still seems to be a love it or hate it design. But really, what else would you expect from BMW?
   
The proportions are perfect: long hood, short stubby deck, lots of little details that set it apart from the regular Z4, and those beautiful double spoked M wheels in a staggered fitment of 18-by-8-inch fronts and 18-by-9-inch rears wrapped in Continental Sport Contact rubber. Theres no spare tire, so the M comes with a tire repair kit complete with air hose. It looks best when viewed from the rear three-quarter angle, but dont dare think that the new M coupe is all style without substance.

It possesses performance credentials of the highest order, being that, just like the M roadster the coupe is powered by a 3.2-liter individual throttle bodied, naturally aspirated inline-six, taken directly from the E46 M3. It produces more than 100 horsepower per liter, 330-hp at 7,900 rpm to be exact, as well as an all-important 262 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm. Once up to operating temperature, the adaptable redline reaches an astounding 8,000 rpm, slightly lower when the engine is cold. The straight-six loves to scream to redline and is so loud that the car doesnt seem to have an exhaust note, its all engine all the time, which is just alright by me. Its a very angry, violent and mechanical car, especially under full throttle while running through the excellent six-speed gearbox. No SMG sequential manual with paddle-shifters is available, which doesnt bother me at all.

On the console is a small button marked SPORT, which adjusts the throttle sensitivity. Around town sport mode could be a bit much, but everywhere else I loved it. I preferred it activated so as to get that instant throttle tip-in that became such a drug that the car actually felt sluggish to me after I turned sport off. I stalled the M on one occasion, pulling away from a stoplight, since the sport throttle combined with the clutch proved a little too quick for me. Clutch take-up is smooth and complements the gearbox nicely.

The standard Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) wasnt very intrusive at all (it can be defeated too), allowing wheel spin between shifts and therefore letting the driver, me, to have fun without getting in over my head. I just keep my foot planted, and during the 1-2 up-shift the tires squawked while the rear end squirmed sideways ever so slightly. Its simply a great car to drive, but can be a handful if you dont respect it. In other words, if you push too hard itll bite back.

The handling is otherwise progressive and the car is very well balanced thanks to its 50/50 weight distribution. Sixty miles per hour flashes by in just four point nine seconds and it effortlessly breaks the speed limit, however since much of the underpinnings of the M coupe come from the M3, such as the huge 13.7-inch drilled front brake rotors that are taken from the M3 Competition package, it continually exudes confidence. Braking obviously is not an issue, with the M coming to a controlled stop every time. Pedal feel is fantastic.

Safety in mind, the new two-door features a full complement of airbags: front, side impact and even one for the drivers knees. Less functional but more intriguing, four interior trims are available: Black, Light Sepang Bronze, Dark Sepang Brown, and Imola Red with three dash trims, aluminum, wood or carbon black leather. The example that I spent time with was Interlagos Blue Metallic, which looks more purple in real life than in photographs, and featured the contrasting brown leather seats and door panels. I couldnt imagine the carbon black leather dash trim with the black seats and door panels. No way could I live with it, especially considering that in most German cars even the headliner is black no matter what trim color you choose. My test car featured the aluminum trim, which really brightens up the interior, and being that its real aluminum, I love how cold it felt to the touch on the cold autumn days of my test week, even though the rest of the interior is toasty warm. I just wish the silver door handle pull trim, and the area around the instrument pods were done in the same matching trim. But those trim pieces are a warm aluminum look no matter what interior you specify.

When I first got into the car I was struck by how narrow the sport seats felt, even pinching me a bit on my left side, but after 20 minutes or so I got used to them and had no problem getting comfortable since I felt cradled in this car due to the low seating position. I loved gripping the soft, chunky steering wheel, the fattest in any car Ive ever driven, and the steering feel is excellent with the car ready to change direction within a millisecond of a flick of the wheel.

The M Coupe has some pretty nice features, power folding, auto dimming mirrors, power seats with memory on the drivers side and the upgraded DSP HiFi sound system, as well as a navigation system. But when I first touched the smooth black plastic surrounding the nav I couldnt believe how cheap it felt. Im told that its taken directly from the 1-Series. From a software perspective its an excellent system, finding small dead end roads that I havent been able to locate on other systems and being overall pretty intuitive to use. However, from a functional perspective I found it distracting while driving due to the screen being up and in my sightlines, so I would hit the button to retract it into the dash. Then, if I wanted to see what time it was or what CD track was currently playing I would have to open it again. Very annoying. Its an option box I would not check off.

On the other hand, the hatch could easily swallow a couple of small suitcases and bags for an extended long weekend trip with that special someone. I am not so sure that a set of golf clubs would fit, however if you own this car you should be spending your weekends at a road course, not a golf course, having fun at a lapping day or Solo 1 time trial. Despite the decent size of the hatch there isnt much storage space inside the cabin. The roof mounted sunglass holder seemed very small and in no way would it fit larger sunglasses, especially the latest chunky designer styles such as those by Dolce & Gabanna, something someone who could afford this car would likely own. The door pockets wont even hold a CD and the glove box doesnt hold the owners manual, which sits in a net in the rear, and after a spirited drive it ended up on the other side of the hatch.

I see the M coupe not as a pure sports car like the Cayman S, but as a GT car in the traditional sense of the word. In that context the M coupe is an excellent mix of the high technology (adaptable redline, sport mode), that BMW is known for, while still being a throwback to when sports cars were low-tech (mechanical sounding, low slung) and had feel. You would have to be pretty hardcore to live with the M as your only daily driver, but Id be willing to try. I do wish it were a bit lighter, mind you, as it tips the scales a tad under 3,300 lbs.

The M coupe starts at a base price of $50,100 before taxes or freight, making it pretty reasonable considering its knock-out performance, not to forget that its one of the most beautiful cars on the road.