After three weeks aboard a ship and another week in US Customs and BMW Preparation Delivery Center, my BMW 1M finally arrived at the JMK BMW dealership in Springfield, NJ. Unfortunately due to a schedule conflict, the reunion had to be delayed for another week giving the dealership time to prepare the car, change all the necessary fluids and even work on enhancing the aggressive front end of the popular and highly desired 1M.

Yes, despite my strong beliefs that the 1M should stay as pure as possible, I gave in and decided to slowly mod my “baby-M.” First step in what could be a long process was to replace the chrome front grille with a blacked out grille from the BMW Performance catalog.

Over the next twelve months and most likely further, I will provide a monthly report on what it means to live with the 1M, from a daily driver to a track contender, or a weekend cruiser. I will also focus on cost of ownership, fuel consumption, maintenance or any other service issues, and the attention or feedback received from other drivers.

To keep it interesting, I will make sure to report on the unneeded attention the Valencia Orange might get from city and state police.

The first report will come next week after my long-drive from New York City to Chicago, a 12-hour ride that will be quite exciting.

For now, enjoy the photos below and once again, thanks to Manny Antunes (featured in the photos below) and JMK BMW for making this dream possible and being professional all the way.