2011 BMW 1M 3.0

Finished in Valencia Orange, the only true colour choice you had for the 1M (if you were less adventurous you could have Alpine White or Sapphire Black), this 1 Series M Coupé was first registered on 13 June 2011 and, although cherished by each of its owners, it has been used as intended and has covered just shy of 50,000 miles.

The last owner (the fifth) kept the car for two-and-a-half years, and enjoyed around 17,000 miles behind the wheel. It is understood she was a car enthusiast who also had a Porsche 993 and Boxster, so appreciated a performant motor.

Finished in the distinctive and shape-highlighting Valencia Orange paint with high-gloss trim around the windows and door mirrors, the car’s bodywork is in generally great shape. At some point in its life it has perhaps been too close to the car in front on a “loose chippings” road surface. This has caused minor stone chip damage to the paint on the leading edges - especially the front bumper. These chips are evident in the photos, although since they were taken, the front bumper has been professionally repaired and resprayed. A colour-correct touch-up stick will come with the car should the new owner wish to treat the remaining chips on the bonnet and wings.

Elsewhere, there is a small stone-strike in the windscreen on the passenger side which looks small enough to be repairable rather than requiring full replacement. The only other bodywork issue, aside from a couple of small scuffs, seems to be a barely discernible finger-width circular dent half-way up the bonnet.

The car sits on the original 19-inch Y-spoke silver alloy wheels which, having been refurbished, present in a superb condition. All are fitted with a matching set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, dated 2017-18 although all four were put on new in May 2018 at 45,994 miles.

Whilst inspections in person are still not a straightforward endeavour, why not use the ‘Contact Seller’ option and get in touch with the vendor. You could arrange for either photos of specific features you’d like to see or even a video call to discuss things real time.

In the cabin, the interior presents in an excellent condition, as you would expect in a well looked-after nine year old car. The seats are finished in black Boston leather with contrasting Kyalami Orange stitching and are heated for both driver and front passenger. In the rear, the seats look almost unused although there is a chalky residue in the central storage tray.

The steering wheel is an M Performance design, fully wrapped in Alcantara and also with orange needlework - it has a tiny nick in the material between the five and six o’clock positions. The headlining, dashboard, door panels, instrument binnacle, handbrake and gear lever gaiters are all also trimmed with anthracite Alcantara. Carpets and overmats are present and in good order throughout.

All standard equipment on the 1M - this car has climate control, cruise control, rear parking sensors and xenon headlights. The BMW Professional media system features voice control, Bluetooth connection, satellite navigation and DAB radio. All electrical equipment is understood to be functioning correctly.

Under the bonnet, all presents well with only a light dusting of surface corrosion on a few fixings. Hinges, catches, struts and rubber seals all seem intact and damage free. This car has a full BMW approved service history and recent health check so no issues should be expected with the engine or other major mechanicals.

Although the vendor reports the undersides and wheel arches as being in good condition, we have no photos. As this is a relatively young car with no reported structural or corrosion issues from annual testing, we can presume that this is the case. If, however, you wanted an inspection of the underneath, why not use the ‘Contact Seller’ feature to get in touch with the vendor.

The luggage compartment in the boot is surprisingly spacious for a compact car with carpets and linings clean and tidy. Under the boot floor is the battery compartment and stowage for the tyre inflation kit.

This BMW 1M has maintained a 100% pass rate on MOTs since it was first tested in 2014 with just one recent advisory note about the windscreen damage (see On the Outside). It has an MOT valid until December 2020.

BMW Sytner Nottingham carried out a full health check back in December (500 miles ago) which reported no issues (printout included in the gallery). All previous scheduled maintenance has been performed by BMW approved service centres. The next oil change service is due in June 2020 which the vendor will take care of - lockdown allowing.

Accompanying the car is the original literature including the owner’s handbook, fully stamped up service record and a handful of old invoices (not photographed).

Make no mistake the 1 Series M Coupé is no compact family car - it is a fully-fledged BMW M stormer with a limited-slip-differential and selectable driving modes suited to track or road. The powerful motor with rear wheel drive gives a performance comparable to the Porsche Cayman R or Audi TT RS, but with seating for four - or at least 2+2.

The BMW 1M’s performance was widely praised at launch and added to its comparative rarity it has rightly attained “modern classic” status. They’re becoming highly collectable, with asking prices holding close to their original £40,000 price tag.

Still in great driving fettle, this is definitely one for taking out and enjoying rather than tucking away in a private museum or storage, we believe this particular example will fetch somewhere between £30,000 and £35,000 which is significantly below some others of this spec you might find in the classifieds.

This particular car is located with the vendor in Cheshire; to arrange a call please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.