Autoblog

FWD BMW 1 Series expected at Paris Motor Show

Jeff Sabatini — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Paris Motor Show, BMW, Design/Style, Luxury

So here it is: Autocar reports that we'll see the first front-drive BMW at the Paris Motor Show this September, in concept form. It will likely be called the 1 Series GT, and the report says it will debut in late 2014. The car will share a platform with the forthcoming Mini redesign, as well as the turbo 1.5-liter three-cylinder Mini engine that's basically half of a BMW 3.0-liter inline six.

Boo. Wasn't there something in the 1990 German Reunification treaty about BMW never making front-drive cars? Well there should have been.

Of course, we've known that BMW has planned to throw away what last bit of brand purity it still retains since early 2010, when its chairman announced as much. And we know the reasoning: The front-drive, entry-level Bimmers are for the customers too dumb to know any better. But that doesn't mean we have to like it, even if BMW says it will still build the larger, rear-wheel-drive cars that have made the brand so special for decades.

We will thus cling to the hope that this concept is just an elaborate marketing trick to drive sales of the current 1 Series.

FWD BMW 1 Series expected at Paris Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Jun 2012 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW 0 Series leaks out in corporate video?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW, Design/Style

BMW 0 Series, is that you? - Click above to watch the video after the break

If BMW intends to go downmarket any further, which seems likely considering that the automaker has already confirmed it will offer a front-wheel drive model under its own badge, there's only one model designation available: 0 Series. And by all accounts, it's on the way soon.

Intriguingly, BMW may be offering a few hints as to what we should expect from the new entry-level model. In a new video released for its Innovation Days in Asia, the automaker prominently displays a series of still images that may very well be early sketches of the upcoming 0 Series.

Assuming for a moment that we are indeed witnessing the new Zilch, we like what we see. Deeply sculpted sides, a nicely sloping rear hatch and large, vertically oriented kidney grilles indicate a design language that's suitably differentiated from current rear-wheel-drive BMWs. And it looks pretty dang good. Judge for yourself after watching the video after the break.

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

Continue reading Video: BMW 0 Series leaks out in corporate video?

Video: BMW 0 Series leaks out in corporate video? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW confirms plans for front-wheel-drive models

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, BMW, Luxury

If there's one thing that's certain in this crazy world, it's that Ultimate Driving Machines are driven by their rear wheels. Sure, there's an occasional all-wheel-drive model thrown in for good measure, but even those revert to the tried-and-true RWD when extra traction from the front two contact patches isn't deemed necessary or desirable. Well, alert the media (oh, wait...): BMW has confirmed the rumors that it will build front-wheel-drive automobiles.

At the Annual Accounts Press Conference for 2010, Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW, had this to say:

[The small car] segment is expected to grow further. And we will take advantage of this opportunity. We are exploring the possibility of developing a joint architecture for the front and four-wheel drive systems of these cars. In other words: There will be front-wheel drive BMWs in the smaller vehicle classes in the future.

Heresy, BMW fans? We wouldn't worry too much - there seems little chance that BMW will make a wholesale switch from powering the rear wheels to the fronts, especially for its mainstream models like the 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series - but the addition of a FWD chassis will make it easier for the automaker to share platforms with other companies and to "reduce [its] fleet's carbon-emissions worldwide by at least another 25 percent between 2008 and 2020."

In fact, take it from Reithofer himself:

BMW will continue to be a sport-inspired brand. We at the BMW Group continue to deliver maximum performance, tackle new challenges and sharpen our competitive edge.

Click past the break for the complete text of Reithofer's speach.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW confirms plans for front-wheel-drive models

BMW confirms plans for front-wheel-drive models originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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