€50,500. That’s how much BMW charged customers for the beloved 1 Series M Coupe when the desirable E87 model went on sale in Germany at the end of 2010. Nowadays, that kind of money buys you a three-cylinder 1er. A new walkaround video from a German dealer shows a 120 priced at €53,230. Yes, the lowly 120, now without the “i” in its name, has a small 1.5-liter engine with only three cylinders.

I know it’s not completely fair to compare the asking prices of these two cars since the 1M’s sticker is not adjusted for inflation. However, it still goes to show how expensive new vehicles have gotten in recent years. A base 1 Series starts at €37,900 in Germany but this one has roughly €15,000 worth of optional goodies. It’s an M Sport Package with an M Portimao Blue paint and plenty of extra kit that quickly drives up the asking price.

From adaptive LED headlights with a matrix high-beam to a head-up display, it’s brimming with technology. However, this 120 is far from being the most expensive F70-generation model money can buy. You can spend as much as €70,000 by going for a fully loaded M135 with matte Individual Frozen paint. The M Performance version is the highest BMW will go, so don’t hold your breath for the return of the 1M.

The six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive, manual gearbox formula is still alive if you go for the M2. The M240i carries on the tradition as well, but only in automatic guise. If reports are to be believed, it’s only a matter of time before the M2 will become an xDrive-only affair. That would likely spell the end of the stick shift as well. We recommend getting the pure G87 while you still can.

In the meantime, this walkaround video is a good opportunity to get acquainted with the fourth-gen 1 Series in something other than the M135 flavor. While design is subjective, there’s no denying BMW is facing criticism about how its smallest car looks in 2024. However, it is sales figures that will determine whether the F70 is a popular product or not. The first deliveries are planned for October.

Source: DreamCars / YouTube