Return of The One: BMW says ‘yes’ to 1 Series M Coupe successor

The BMW M cars are some of the most ferociously powerful and technologically advanced performance vehicles on the road today, but many fans believe the best M car in recent memory isn’t in production anymore.

The 1 Series M Coupe was a simpler and more fun approach to fast driving than the M3, M5, or M6, which why it’s so sorely missed. Thankfully, BMW is planning a successor.

 In an interview with BMW Blog, BMW M CEO Dr. Friedrich Nitschke said the first 1M was so successful that a second generation is a sure thing.

“At the moment, we are thinking of what we can do with an entry-level car for the M brand,” Nitschke said. “We haven’t made a decision yet, but the 1 M Coupe was so successful, that in my opinion, I am absolutely sure we will build a successor.”

The original 1M debuted in 2011 as a 2012 model, and was meant to evoke the original E30 M3. With its sawed-off shotgun proportions, it eschewed most of the tech that has made modern M cars fast and efficient, but also less soulful.

The 1M was a 1 Series coupe stuffed with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged inline-six and the rear differential, brakes, suspension, wheels, and tires of an M3. The only available transmission was a six-speed manual.

The six produced 335 horsepower 370 pound-feet of torque, propelling it to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and on to an electronically limited top speed of 167 mph.

The numbers themselves weren’t the real story though, it was how the 1M achieved them. With less electronic interference, the driver was more connected to the road. That meant the 1M was also less refined than other performance cars, but its entertaining character made up for that.

BMW only made a small batch of 1Ms, because it had to retool its plants for the second generation 1 Series, which has already gone on sale in Europe.

BMW currently offers an M135i based on the new car, but it’s more of an options package than a fully realized performance car.

It looks like BMW is getting ready to finish the job it started with the M135i, although the company hasn’t set a timetable. Since Americans haven’t even gotten the new, second generation 1 Series, it could be awhile. However, if the new car is anything like the first 1 Series M Coupe, it should be worth the wait.

Stephen Edelstein graduated from Clark University in 2011 with an M.A. in American History. He was the Editor in Chief of Clark's student newspaper, The Scarlet. Stephen enjoys all things historical, science-fictional, and transportation-related.

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BlackBerry 10 L Series phone leaked again, still weeks away from launch

Research in Motion's touchscreen BlackBerry 10 handset, the L Series, has been leaked again, this time showing it compared to a BlackBerry Bold 9700. RIM will officially announce BlackBerry 10 and its hardware on January 30 next year.

The L Series BlackBerry 10 phone has been leaked again, this time appearing in CrackBerry.com’s forums, where a handful of pictures showed the phone up close, as well as being compared to a BlackBerry Bold 9700.

Research in Motion’s L Series handset is one of two phones on which it will launch the BlackBerry 10 operating system next year, where it will be joined by the more traditional QWERTY keyboard-equipped N Series.

In the snaps, the L Series — marked as an evaluation unit — looks the same as it did back in September, when both it and the N Series phone last appeared. The long, black chassis remains, while the front has the slight look of Sony’s Xperia range to it, thanks to the edgeless screen. Sitting next to the Bold, it also looks quite long.

The source of the leak hasn’t provided any more information on the specification, but if previous rumors are correct, that’s a 4.2-inch screen with a 1280 x 768 pixel resolution, and a dual-core processor should be hiding inside.

RIM has already announced when the L Series will be made official, as it will be holding an ambitious, global launch event for BlackBerry 10 on January 30 next year, where both phones and the new software will finally make their public debut.

There were concerns RIM would miss the first quarter release date, which it has continually stood by, but according to the company’s COO Kristian Tear, BB10 handsets will on sale within 30 days of that event. This means it’ll make its self-imposed deadline, but only by a whisker.

Despite the fact the OS is still a bit of a mystery, and there are several months to go until we get to try it out, the company’s stock has been performing well; perhaps assisted by BlackBerry 10 gaining government security clearance and RIM drip-feeding us details on new, interesting features such as BBM Voice.

Will the L Series be enough to tempt iOS, Android and even Windows Phone fans away and into RIM’s waiting arms? We’ll find out next year.

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Gear up for the 2012 World Series with these apps, accessories and media for your BlackBerry!

It's October and for MLB fans that means it's time to forget about regular season baseball and gear up for the 2012 World Series. If you're like me, you might only be a 'seasonal' fan and take in the games when they really count.

Luckily, no matter how big or small of a fan of baseball you are if you're looking to keep up to date on the events or show off some team pride you can do it app with some apps, media and accessories for your BlackBerry. Jump below to have a look at some essentials you'll need to make it through to the end.

MLB.com At Bat 2012

Although it may be a little too late to get in on this action, MLB At Bat 2012 is a sure fire way to get up-to-the-minute news and scores from from the field. Chances are, if you're a hardcore fan -- this is already in your collection if not you can grab it now via BlackBerry App World.

More Information / To Download MLB.com At Bat 2012

ScoreMobile for BlackBerry

Want to keep up with scores and standings for your team but don't need much else? ScoreMobile for BlackBerry may be the best bet for you. The free app gives you the latest daily scores from aross the league as well as standings and boxscores.

More Information/To Download ScoreMobile
More Information/To Download ScoreMobile Tablet

MLB Mobile Site Shortcuts

If you're on a pre-BlackBerry 7 device and you want to sport out your homescreen with your teams icon you can do that too. The MLB offers a selection of shortcut icons for all teams that give you quick access to your teams mobile site. Just click the icon and your browser will bring you to the latest scores, standings, news and more.

Check out all the MLB shortcuts

The Players Choice by MLBPA

If you want to keep up with all the latest from players in the MLB, The Players Choice is where it's at. This app for your phone and PlayBook keeps you in the know with the latest news, videos and Twitter updates from your favorite players.

More Information/To Download The Players Choice

Looking to show off some team pride or just showcase your love for the World Series? Coveroo can can help. With a wide selection of custom cases for any device, you can cover all your bases by ensuring your device is protected and your team pride is shown proudly. Cases start at $24.95 and go up from there.

Pick your design at the Coveroo website

Check out all the baseball themed wallpapers we have in our free wallpaper gallery. You can choose from some great baseball images, or search for your favorite team for one that suits you best find something just for you in our theme forums.

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OtterBox Commuter Series case review

The Commuter Series OtterBox is a slimmed-down version of its big brother, the Defender case. Instead of a full three layers of integrated protection, there is just the internal soft silicon core and an external hard plastic cover (though the package comes along with a run-of-the-mill screen protector for good measure). MicroUSB and headphone jacks are protected with flaps, while the hard power and volume keys are accessible through the skin, and the camera and speaker are open. 

The OtterBox Commuter case for the HTC One X is available in straight black and black/purple combos, but availability will vary depending on your device. Personally, I’m a fan of the two-tone look, though it really depends on the color of your device; the black/blue doesn’t really go well with the white on my device.

The rear of the hard case has a curvy design, alternating between smooth and slightly rough textures. The lines are sharp and definitely stylish enough to catch the eye (though it’s bound to be a bit more subdued if you’re going with a solid color for both parts of the case). Of course, the hard plastic exterior doesn’t provide quite as much grip as a silicone one. 

Installing and removing the case is a bit of a hassle because it fits so tightly. Sometimes this means the silicone skin gets bunched up during installation, but after a bit of wrestling, it tends to get evened out. Otherwise, the tight construction ensures that everything stays in place,

As for protection, the OtterBox Commuter Series offers a solid mix of scratch and impact protection. A screen protector is included to handle the front face, while the silicone covers the corners with the support of an internal membrane. I definitely felt more confident with a soft core rather than the hard one in the Defender Series case - more cushioning directly next to the device, after all.

The camera and speaker openings have slight ridges to keep sound flowing out when the device is placed rear-down. The rubber skin makes the first contact on the front of the device with some solid support from the plastic casing, and keeps the screen amply raised from whatever surface it’s resting on. HTC One X owners will want to keep in mind that the rear charge/sync contacts are covered up, which could be a deal-breaker if that's something you use regularly. 

Good balance of size and protection

The OtterBox Defender Series case offers a nice mix of protection without adding an obscene amount of thickness to your device. The case fits a little too tightly to make installation and removal particularly easy, but odds are that’s not something you’re going to be doing too often.

You can pick up the OtterBox Commuter Series Case from ShopAndroid over here for $34.95 (currently on sale for $8.00 off).

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