[VRG_135]

Originally Posted by IB M

This has to be the one.

Nice enough looking but hard to imagine FWD.

I hope BMW makes money in China instead of just giving away all of their manufacturing technology.

I am with you, I think they're basically teaching the Chinese how to make cars then the Chinese will make their own cars And compete directly against them in China, if not other major car companies. It's like getting fired and then being asked to train your replacement

[raysspl]

Would be nice to see this make its way here in USA

[chris82]

At first sight, I do not like. Front reminds me of a Jetta/Audi A3. No bueno!

[imserious]

Originally Posted by Falafel Combo

Um, I compared them. And the concept looks sweet while this "production" model looks derpy.

The concept looks great. With the glass roof, sculpted rear and angular front. Looks high end even though it is compact.

The new "production" picture looks like crap. Hope it looks more like the concept IRL.

[IS3andME]

Originally Posted by JoeyBananaz18

There is so much that can go right with this car, but something tells me that based on the recent years at BMW, there is going to be more wrong with it. This could end up being the e46 M3 sedan they missed out on, but they will probably let history repeat itself. The thing that I just cant understand is that with all the incredible reviews the M2 is getting, for them to refuse to give us a sedan version would be an abomination. I can't imagine them not giving a shit about enthusiasts any less than that.

I've switched over the e46fanatics and am doing my homework on how to build a proper e46 M sedan. BMW, this is your opportunity to either get my money, or lose me to an S3 sedan or secondhand market.

Apparently there will be a 2 series GC and M2GC for the next gen. You know all too well why there is no 2 series GC, M2GC now. The same reason why there is no M4GC. Because it would take away sales from the 3 series and M3 sedan. And you can't have that happening when these platforms---the F22 and F30 are newer, and chances are the higher ups were like "nope", not going to chance it right now.

The correct way of making a proper e46 M3 sedan is to be friends with corporate and give them huge somes of money, and have a clean donor 328/330i. I mean, they did make a e46 M3 wagon. So, one could in theory befriend an M engineer get all that was changed to make it a M3, and go to town on a donor car.
There is someone who listed all the things that were changed and the price.

[IS3andME]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

No, it's a BMW Mercedes CLA duh.

No, really it's a BMW Mini Mercedes Audi 1 Series Cooper CLA A3.

[Pentium]

Originally Posted by anglo

Someone has already rendered the ///M version.

FWD ///M

[Wolf]

This is hyundiaaaaaaa!!!

[ron_jeremy]

The compact sedan concept deserves to be born and released WW, asap!
It's that good looking!
as for the RWD thingy, I feel your concern, but there's always X-drive, hopefully not the cheap "x-drive" found in the new X1, but I guess it's the same platform so...
My concern is that the entry level sedan 1 and 2 series, really is a Mini under the bonnet, exactly like the F48.
Wonder how BMW are going to play it?

[bclemans]

In the US, Audi sold over 3000 A3 in June and Mercedes sold over 2000 CLA.

It is weird thinking that BMW plans to release a niche 2-Series GC instead of a proper 4 door sedan rivalry to the A3 and CLA.

And Audi and Mercedes are not worried about taking sales away from the A4 and C-Class either.

The Grand coupes (4 Series and 6 Series) are low volume models - one can hardly see a handful at dealerships here in the US.

June sale of US 4 Series (including GC) is 3184. If I take a wild guess that BMW is selling one GC out of every five 4 Series, then the volume is about 600

This is not comparing apples to apples but the grand coupe is a low volume vehicle.

[Paul-Bracq-BMW]

Originally Posted by colin_e90

Honestly wish they would bring the active tourer to the states. There is a good amount on the roads in Europe and it's honestly a pretty practical and much more attractive car then what it competes with. The m packaged ones look pretty neat. Totally feel that it would succeed in the states. Would love to rent one sometime next time I'm back in Europe to get a true honest opinion on the driving feel.

I had a rental one last year with the 2.0 TD engine. drove nicely for a FWD, had a very nice interior (up to BMW standards). I even got positive comments on how it looked (for an MPV). Range and gas consumption was exceptional (more than 1000kms on a full tank). For me the suspension struck a nice balance between roadholding and comfort: firm but not too much. Good steering feel for an EPS (coming from driving hydraulic assist cars). The negative is the FWD feel you cannot negate, engine and road noise (tyres). Packaging could have been better also (boot not very big for a family hawler). I think the X1 is the better version of that car. All in all a good litle MPV, but the question is: is it a BMW and did they need to make it? If I were them I would only have made the X1 (growth segment) and save the money from the Active Tourer and Gran Tourer to develop other (meaning "real") BMW's. I think the FWD 1 series will exactly be like the above and will make BMW fans think: good car, but is it a BMW?

[Chihuahua]

Dear BMW,

Thanks for the Jetta!

Sincerely,

Kyle

[colin_e90]

Originally Posted by Paul-Bracq-BMW

I had a rental one last year with the 2.0 TD engine. drove nicely for a FWD, had a very nice interior (up to BMW standards). I even got positive comments on how it looked (for an MPV). Range and gas consumption was exceptional (more than 1000kms on a full tank). For me the suspension struck a nice balance between roadholding and comfort: firm but not too much. Good steering feel for an EPS (coming from driving hydraulic assist cars). The negative is the FWD feel you cannot negate, engine and road noise (tyres). Packaging could have been better also (boot not very big for a family hawler). I think the X1 is the better version of that car. All in all a good litle MPV, but the question is: is it a BMW and did they need to make it? If I were them I would only have made the X1 (growth segment) and save the money from the Active Tourer and Gran Tourer to develop other (meaning "real") BMW's. I think the FWD 1 series will exactly be like the above and will make BMW fans think: good car, but is it a BMW?

Thank you for the response this is what I've been looking for! That's the major downer with the driving feel in its fwd aspect. I'm sure it's xdrive counterpart would feel similar. As for the X1, pretty disappointed that it is now based on a fwd platform with xdrive. Driven both generations X1, first gen being sdrive and of course the second gen being xdrive and the first gen is much more firm and all in all in my opinion it drives much better then the current one. Big fan of the sdrive platform on it. Not too sure if the first gen xdrive would drive differently.

[antzcrashing]

I think it looks good, a sedan was needed

[DriveHard]

What's the deal with the large 2 square cut outs in the front bumper where the plate would be mounted?

[Matski]

Originally Posted by DriveHard

What's the deal with the large 2 square cut outs in the front bumper where the plate would be mounted?

That's where the number plate will be mounted.

[VTECaddict]

Originally Posted by AKRAPOVICOWNS

And also I can't understand why FWD cars like this, X1, minis etc, have that ugly gear lever instead of the usual one.

It probably uses the same Aisin sourced transmission as the Minis and X1. The Aisin transmission uses a mechanical shift linkage. All the RWD based cars use the ZF 8HP transmission which has an electronic shift linkage, so they can use the new style electronic shifter.

ZF does make a FWD 9 speed transmission with electronic shifter (the 9HP), but I think they had production capacity and reliability issues with it so BMW went with Aisin. BMW probably also didn't want it's entry level models have a "better" 9 speed auto when the rest of the RWD based cars "only" had 8 speeds.

The 9HP is used by a few FCA cars (Chrysler 200, Jeep Cherokee, etc) and Honda/Acura in the Pilot Touring, MDX and TLX V6.

[Imola.ZHP]

So much hate, that energy could be used for much better purposes. Hopefully it will work its way over here eventually, the 3er is so bloated now, the e46 was the perfect size IMO. This should have similar volumes and dimensions, for all anyone knows it could come as AWD like the X1 (they share the same UKL platform).

[John_01]

Agree. The current 3 series is too big and bloated.

1 series sedan in RWD seems more attractive. Hopefully closer to an E46.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by JRobUSC

I never understand when people say things like that. "If you don't make your thing the way I want you to make it, which is different than the way everything else in the segment is, then I'm going to go buy this other thing that also isn't the way I want it and in fact is exactly what I'm mad about your thing." It makes no sense. The S3 is a transverse engine, FWD-based car too, so if Audi can make the A3 and S3 handle well there's no reason BMW couldn't do the same thing with a 1-Series sedan. And from what we've read, it'll be roomier than the A3/S3, as well, and look like it's proportioned properly and not like a weird, snub nosed, truncated A4. So I don't see the problem. In fact the ONLY problem I see is BMW isn't planning on bringing the car here. And that is simply mind boggling. Audi and Mercedes sell 2000-3000 A3's and CLA's a month in the U.S., and BMW has no answer. If BMW took 1000 from each of them they'd be #1 in sales right now.

Maybe I can help. For those of us who have been BMW aficionados for the past 40 years or so remember when BMW touted the reason for it remaining with a RWD chassis architecture (while everyone else in the industry was going FWD) was because a FWD architecture was weight-imbalanced and power distribution-imbalanced (read torque steer) and couldn't provide the desired BMW handling attributes. Now that BMWs basically drive like Buicks, and Cadillac has taken over as the sports sedan handling champ, it makes sense for BMW to produce a FWD chassis shared with the Mini.

In the matter of just 10 years or so, BMW has gone from a manufacturer that stated it doesn't platform share (to eliminate the compromises with doing so - and as every other mass-production manufacturer does) and only produces RWD platforms since it offers perfect weight balance, to now doing both; and even sharing platforms with another manufacturer (ugh). While computer drivetrain control has lead to programming RWD handling attributes into a FWD chassis, the laws of physics (i.e. moments of inertia) still matter when tires lose grip.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by John_01

Agree. The current 3 series is too big and bloated.

1 series sedan in RWD seems more attractive. Hopefully closer to an E46.

I'll goes with the E30 if you please...

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

In the matter of just 10 years or so, BMW has gone from a manufacturer that stated it doesn't platform share (to eliminate the compromises with doing so - and as every other mass-production manufacturer does) and only produces RWD platforms since it offers perfect weight balance, to now doing both; and even sharing platforms with another manufacturer (ugh).

Norbert Reithofer was CEO from September 2006 to May 2015. This is his legacy.