[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

Jesus, this old song and dance (or whining and crying) again?

Anyone that thinks a FWD BMW is not going to be fun to drive needs to drive a Mini Cooper S, specifically at an Autocross event. They are crazy fast and crazy good!

Sure the proportions will be different, but I'd bet money that it will be very entertaining to drive.

And if you absolutely must have this particular vehicle and want the rear wheels to do something, then just get an x-drive.

I wonder how many of you all complaining are driving cars with automatic (auto tragic) transmissions?

I have a manual, and I agree that FWD makes sense on small lightweight cars with small engines. If they have too much power, there are traction and steering issues which RWD handles a lot better. Actually our 116i can usually give the Cooper S a fair fight at autoX, despite being down on power and a bit overweight.

The active tourer is a people carrier with a format that is not really compatible with sporty behaviour anyway, even if it would have been RWD. It is simply too tall. It makes sense for it to have FWD for packaging reasons. (They should not have adapted it for AWD!)

It is more sad with the 1 series sedan and hatchback turning FWD. They would have been more fun to drive with RWD.

[vladberca]

The project manager for this 1 series doesn't understand anything from bmw history, cars like e30 and e36 having an important success! Now moving to FWD, bmw is trying to find another market?! From the actual model there are too many lines: basic line, urban line/ both nonsense! Make sport line more aggressive as it's blend! Nothing more needed!

[BMWAELBILAL]

Can anyone tell me y this is happening
I mean come on
BMW used to only have 3 series M3 5 series M5 7 series and x5
So why are making more they should just made the M4 4series and 6 series M6 And X5m only
So it will be like this
3 series 4 series 5 series 6 series 7 series M3 M4 M5 M6 and X5 X5M

[BMWAELBILAL]

Originally Posted by AKRAPOVICOWNS

Why not launch it as a "Gxx" already? We are almost on the 1 series facelift, until this thing gets to the market BMW will be lauching the next gen 1-series..this is gonna be like the X4 to the X3. A new car with dated interior and underpinning.

Too bad it is more of a sedan than a four door coupe like the CLA.

Edit: can you elaborate more on this sport hatch variant? We will have the 1 series hatch and another one based on this car or they will be the same thing?

Yeah the should the M2 gran coupe

[BMWAELBILAL]

but i bet its going to look good because in my case i see all BMW cars good looking and beside the 2 series looks awesome

[bradleyland]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

Jesus, this old song and dance (or whining and crying) again?

Anyone that thinks a FWD BMW is not going to be fun to drive needs to drive a Mini Cooper S, specifically at an Autocross event. They are crazy fast and crazy good!

Sure the proportions will be different, but I'd bet money that it will be very entertaining to drive.

And if you absolutely must have this particular vehicle and want the rear wheels to do something, then just get an x-drive.

I wonder how many of you all complaining are driving cars with automatic (auto tragic) transmissions?

It's FWD, so if you don't like FWD, don't buy it. BMW knows how to build a front-drive chassis that performs. Exhibit A: a JCW tuned Mini Cooper just set the new FWD Nurburgring lap record.

[ovekvam]

Originally Posted by bradleyland

It's FWD, so if you don't like FWD, don't buy it.

The problem is not really that BMW offers FWD cars, but that they will stop offering the RWD 1-series.

[bradleyland]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

The problem is not really that BMW offers FWD cars, but that they will stop offering the RWD 1-series.

The direct replacement for the US market 1-series (2-door coupe) is the 2-series. We never even got the 4-door 1-series hatch. We never got the hatch, period. Heh.

I see you're in Europe, so this is a different circumstance for you, but the vast majority of the complaints are coming from US-based members.

[Falafel Combo]

If you don't think you can have heaps of fun in a FWD, you owe it to yourself to go out and test drive a VW GTI. More usable fun than my M3!


FWD works in smaller engines (minimal torque steer), lighter weight cars with balanced chasis. Period. A concept which is hard to reconcile as a BMW purist. With torque vectoring technology, even torque steer becomes easy to overcome. Focus ST anyone?


Would be a tough sell in a 3 or 5 series segment.

[Falafel Combo]

With xDrive (rear wheel bias), this is bound to be an e46 reincarnation. Think of this as a less powerful xDrive M235i. Maybe even more fun!! Damn, 4 bangers are even easier to throw around and push and control at the limit!

[clbmw]

Originally Posted by ovekvam

The problem is not really that BMW offers FWD cars, but that they will stop offering the RWD 1-series.

Nail on the head, hit perfectly. At the very least the M135i should remain RWD

[VTECaddict]

Originally Posted by BMWAELBILAL

Can anyone tell me y this is happening
I mean come on
BMW used to only have 3 series M3 5 series M5 7 series and x5
So why are making more they should just made the M4 4series and 6 series M6 And X5m only
So it will be like this
3 series 4 series 5 series 6 series 7 series M3 M4 M5 M6 and X5 X5M

Why does any company do anything? Money. MB and Audi are raking in the cash by selling entry level FWD sedans at start at $30k and BMW wants a cut of that pie. It provides a lower cost of entry into the brand, which will hopefully build brand loyalty when they are able to upgrade and move upmarket.

The core of the business will stay RWD and enthusiasts like everyone on this site has nothing to worry about. People buying the FWD 1 series will not care or even know what FWD is. They and their other non car savvy friends just see it as a BMW that's now cheap enough for them to afford. OMG wow you drive a BMW!!

[bradleyland]

If there is an upside to a FWD 1-series, it is that it will help BMW bring their average fuel economy numbers up. That makes it easier to develop and sell cars in the M lineup.

[Danyutz]

Seems they will use the same Aisin 6- speed auto-transmission as in 2 Series Active Tourer and F5x Mini ( or at least that's how the selector looks like ).

The steering wheel is the same as in the Active Tourer.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

You can't be serious. There's something very appealing about a small, rwd coupe or sedan with fully defeatable traction control. Our 135i was only a limited slip away from being a great car, something they fixed (plus a lot more) with the 1M.

The ATS is a drivetrain away from being better all around than the F3x, once the IS250 gets a turbo four it will likely be a better all around package than the 328i and the C400 and Jag XE also likely offer a better experience for many owners. BMW is giving up on the folks that got them here. They're still making plenty of money though, so it likely doesn't matter.

Now if Porsche will just build a small sedan with three pedals...

BMW isn't giving up. Just keeping mum. Dollars to doughnuts this is the 2 series " gran coupe" for the US MARKET and it will be available In RWD format as will. Add in an M version and e36 m3 fans Will have their new car.

[M ETT]

Originally Posted by bradleyland

RWD is a major differentiator for BMW. It will be interesting to see how a FWD bimmer sells. Sorry, Scott, but I'm hoping this one flops I don't want BMW getting any ideas about the rest of the line-up.

+ A gazillion

[Falafel Combo]

Here's another sneak peek look at the interior (from the X1)

[Falafel Combo]

FWD BMW's will dominate. It's a totally untapped market for them and a vast area of growth for them. Think of all the VW, Audi, Lexus, Acura, ... business they will get.


Which is why it's wrong. It will be hugely successful (financially), but that rarely means that it is the right thing to do.


That's what happens when you turn over the company vision to shareholders and bean counters. They are accountable to shareholders and not their "base".


If the 2 series active tourer minivan did not tip you off, then you are SOL.


RIP BMW. We had a pretty good ride for a while.

[Drezz]

Seems like the earliest it could go on sale in the U.S. is early 2016...? Sound right?

[thorsen82]

Do only powerful engines will get xdrive option or not? I wonder that it will be available for any engine

[AusF20/F48]

If BMW thinks it is going to increase its sales with a FWD 1er, they need their heads read. What they need to do is make a superior 1er RWD Hatch and sell it globally.

Simple fact; Buyers of small sedans are penny pinchers
(usually a family will want either a hatch or SUV
This means that a BMW will have to be priced to tempt them away from buying a Hyundai or similar.
The only way then is for BMW to have their entire range of 1er as FWD (sedan and hatch).
I can tell you for sure that a lot of current 1er owners will move over to other brands if that happens.
BMW wants to be sure that they will gain more sales selling a FWD than they loose by not offering a RWD.
As for the M135i, If BMW go with a 1er FWD they will have to go down the same path as Merc A45 and turbo blow a 4 pot AWD.
The END is NIGH people

[Kiwi]

Originally Posted by Imola.ZHP

Jesus, this old song and dance (or whining and crying) again?

Anyone that thinks a FWD BMW is not going to be fun to drive needs to drive a Mini Cooper S, specifically at an Autocross event. They are crazy fast and crazy good!

Sure the proportions will be different, but I'd bet money that it will be very entertaining to drive.

And if you absolutely must have this particular vehicle and want the rear wheels to do something, then just get an x-drive.

I wonder how many of you all complaining are driving cars with automatic (auto tragic) transmissions?

Mini Copper s sucks and under steers on corners I know as I took a new one out for a test drive for a day.