BMW of North America hosted this week the U.S. press launch of the new 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe. The even took place at the Monticello race track in New York and gathered journalists from around the country.

Our own Hugo Becker had the opportunity to attend the 1M launch and share with us his first driving impressions.

Today, courtesy of Jim Perry of DrivesTV, we have 5 minutes of extraordinary footage showing the 1M on back roads and most important, on the race track. The first 1M units hit the dealerships floors this week, but allocation remains low for the moment. By the end of the year, BMW says close to 800 units would be available in the United States.

Click through for more BMW 1M coverage.