BMW Australia doubles 1 Series M allocation

BMW's potent 1 Series M Coupe has become a runaway success, with the German manufacturer planning to extend the vehicle's production cycle and double output to keep up with global demand.

Initially, just 2500 were to be built for the world market but the Munich maker now says it will build 4000 1 Series M coupes by the end of this year – and will continue to build the car until June 2012.

"Maybe we will get to 5000 cars, we don't limit it, we let the markets decide," the head of BMW M-division sales and marketing in the Asia-Pacific region, Marcel Muhl, told motoring.com.au at the launch of the car in Melbourne overnight. "But this year we will get to 4000 after thinking we would only build 2500 in the original plan."

As a result, BMW Australia has been able to increase its allocation from the initial batch of 125 cars, with another 100 on the way. All are allocated to dealers and most are sold, the company says.

BMW Australia has requested yet another handful of cars on top of the extra 100 that may take the total number to between 225 and 250 vehicles, but it won't know until later in the year.

"It was always apparent when we got out first 125 cars that we could sell a lot more than that – 125 cars was the maximum allocation that we were originally promised," BMW Australia spokesman Piers Scott told motoring.com.au

"We've managed to secure an additional allocation of cars, so we've pretty much doubled the number. Dealers have got some pretty long waiting lists. We cannot say hand on heart whether every car is spoken for or not. Certainly all of the additional allocation has been allocated to dealers."

When asked if some customers might be miffed given that doubling production will make the cars less exclusive, Scott said: "We were very careful not to nominate a final number in case there was an increase. I don't think there's any risk of these things being a dime a dozen and anybody losing money on them."

A Sydney entrepreneur has reportedly bought two – to go with his two BMW M3 GTS limited editions.

BMW in the UK capped its allocation at 400 and numbered the vehicles before the increase in production was announced. Despite being offered more cars from the factory, BMW UK plans to stick with its original cap.

Meanwhile, BMW says most 1 Series M customers in Australia so far are brand loyalists who've owned at least one BMW before.

The company also said the car has not robbed the BMW M3 of sales, as initially expected.

In Australia, BMW M3 sales are up 11.5 per cent so far this year; regular 3 Series coupe sales are down by 33 per cent for the same period.

The M3 coupe, driven by the cut-price Pure Edition, accounts for 25 per cent of all 3 Series coupe sales, the company said.

The BMW 1 Series M is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine matched to a six-speed manual transmission and drivetrain from the previous generation BMW M3.

Priced from $99,900 the 1 Series M is $55,000 cheaper than a current generation, V8-powered BMW M3 but has almost identical performance. 

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