The BMW 1-Series M Coupe's highly anticipated turn at the Nurburgring finally took place. SportAuto took the newest addition to BMW's M family for the cursory timed lap around the world's most famous race track. After their session around the Ring with the 1M Coupe, the results finally came in: eight minutes and 15 seconds.

As far as we're concerned, the figure is both impressive and disappointing. It's impressive because it beat out the lap times of some of its notable competitors, particularly the 320-horsepower Porsche Cayman S, which clocked in two seconds slower than the 1M Coupe, as well as the two Audi->ke14 sportsters, the TT RS->ke3038, and the RS3 Sportback.

On the flip side, SportAuto was the first to admit that the 1-Series M Coupe's time could have been faster if not for the racing compound tires and the stiff suspension at which the 1-Series M Coupe was configured. While we certainly can't blame SportAuto for the time they posted - 8:15 is impressive by most accounts - they did open the door for the BMW sports car to post an even faster time around the Nurburgring if it's properly set-up.

When that will be is still anyone's guess, but the gauntlet has definitely been thrown down.

.