This car has some amazing potential! I for one am very excited, and this now changes my plans entirely!!
As already mentioned, its a mule. So we can't judge the looks. It uses an N55 in the same way that the 1M used an N54. Who cares? They don't want it steeping on the toes of its bigger brothers. And for this reason as well don't expect it to be extremely light weight. They'll be a weight reduction of course, but not as much as I'm sure we would all like to see.
This car though will hopefully be what us purists have been waiting for! Don't get me wrong the M235i is a great car and in many cases it fits the bill well. And from what I've read the M3/M4 will be sensational. But this car could give us all of the M car thrills in a smaller package, just like the 1M which was a brilliant car! We shouldn't be judging it, we should be welcoming it!
My only worry would be if they did something silly like making it DCT or Auto only. Offer both, fine. As long as there is a manual. But given that all M coupés previous only came Manual, I feel confident in saying there will be a Manual option.
Let the countdown begin!!!