[zsapphire7]

Anyone notice that in the brochure ??

[ninesixtwo]

guessing it's a mistake. Rear is considered double-wishbone on 1- and 3-series right?

[mike-y]

no, the rear is considered a multi-link. I'd be surprised if they changed the front suspension on the 1M, that would take some modification to the strut towers and probably part of the engine bay to be able to receive upper A arms.

[zsapphire7]

according to the brochure the front has a double a arm. I believe they may have changed the front subframe to aluminum. Im very curious to see the suspension on this car in person!

[itsbrokeagain]

front subframe was always aluminum??

[cpt97m3]

Originally Posted by Matt@Camber-Toe

front subframe was always aluminum??

Yes, the subframe was already aluminum. And the new 1 series M still has struts in front, so it's a typo in the brochure.

[ninesixtwo]

Originally Posted by cpt97m3

Yes, the subframe was already aluminum.

Thought so, with BMW trying to decrease the mass over the front axle and all that. But thought someone else would confirm

It surprised me that the rear subframe is not aluminum, but probably makes more sense with mounting the differential and not having a transaxle. Actually what surprised me more is that the standard, non-M unsprung pieces are not all aluminum! Never realized until recently that the silver-colored lower wishbone I always saw on these cars is galvanized steel or whatever and not cast aluminum.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by zsapphire7

according to the brochure the front has a double a arm. I believe they may have changed the front subframe to aluminum. Im very curious to see the suspension on this car in person!

The E8x 135i front subframe has always been aluminum.

[zsapphire7]

stupid typo.. getting our hopes up

[ajsalida]

It's getting the entire M3 suspension, brakes, diff, comp wheels etc. according to Inside Line.

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/1-seri...-series-m.html

A Chassis Transformed
Meanwhile, the changes to the BMW 1 Series chassis are as radical as the engine upgrades are subtle. BMW Motorsport engineers have taken the all-aluminum front strut/rear multilink suspension from the M3 and put it under this 1 Series coupe. This saves all kinds of unsprung weight and no doubt contributes heavily to the 1 Series M's overall 77-pound weight loss compared to the 135i.

Though the suspension geometry had to be altered to fit the 1's narrower track, surprisingly, the track widths of the 1 Series M and M3 differ by only 0.2 inch (60.5 inches vs. 60.7, respectively). What those fenders can't begin to hide is that the Motorsport 1 Series has its front wheels pushed 2.8 inches farther apart than a 135i. The rears are 1.8 inches farther apart. This changes everything, and we noted that the 1 Series M prototype had higher limits and a more neutral cornering attitude — a welcome change from the 135i's tendency toward understeer.


The 1 Series M borrows its lightweight 19-by-9-inch front and 19-by-10-inch rear wheels from the M3 Competition Package and the Europe-only M3 GTS. Mounted on these wheels you'll find tires measuring 245/35R19 front and 265/35R19 rear. BMW hasn't specified the tire model on U.S.-spec 1 Series Ms, but the prototype had Michelin Pilot Sports.

The steering system retains hydraulic power assist, and it felt pretty solid on the prototypes we drove. Could be even better on the production models, as the M division engineers have some time to fine-tune it before the first cars arrive in the U.S. in the spring of 2011.

Brake hardware is shared with the current M3, and consists of 14.2-inch cast-iron ventilated front discs, 13.8-inch ventilated rear discs and single-piston sliding calipers all around. This is a notable upgrade over the 13.3-inch front and 12.8-inch rear rotors on the 135i.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by zsapphire7

stupid typo.. getting our hopes up

We may see SLA suspension on the new F30 chassis.

[ninesixtwo]

Personally I doubt that. I think a double wishbone suspension on a small BMW is as likely as on a 911.

[subieworx]

They have always used struts in the front of the 3 series. No reason for them to change now.

There are plenty of small cars and car similarly sized to the 3 series that run a double wishbone front. Problem is BMW does not have the room on this car with the engine config.