Manufacturer curb weights and real-world on-the-scales weights often vary wildly; the 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe, not so much. Listed at a "preliminary" 3,296 pounds in the official release documentation, the actual car was recently thrown on the scales, registering 3,351 pounds with a full tank of fuel.

Of course, we can't be 100 percent sure this is the 1 M Coupe, but it sure looks like it judging by the wheel in the image at the link below.

Gasoline weighs about six pounds per gallon, and with a tank capacity of 14 gallons, the 1-Series M could weigh in as little as 3,267 pounds with the tank bone dry. Of course, it wouldn't be much use in that state.

It's also worth noting that scales can and do vary depending on the equipment, setup, and environment. A variation of 55 pounds amounts to about 1.6 percent of the listed curb weight, so it's likely within the margin of error.

As for weight distribution, the car's cross-weight is near dead-on balanced at 50.07 percent, while front-to-rear ratio is better than many front-engine, rear-drive cars at 51.21 percent front and 48.79 percent rear--marginally better than BMW's stated balance of 51.7/48.3, a fact possibly attributable to the full fuel load.

Head on over to Axis of Oversteer for the photos of the scale and the teaser of the wheel.

[Axis of Oversteer via Autoblog]