Second Generation 1 Series Takes Shape

All very good news! I adore the 1 series but have always hesitated to pick on up because they are just plainly way to heavy. I would be happy to see 200lbs minimum off the car and think ~500 would be great. Fantastic news about the Z2, could be a fun car indeed.

Sounds like BMW is following what VW/Audi has been doing for years. Thats a good thing.

I’ve had my 135i since May 31st and there’s really nothing I would change about it. I don’t track my car though and it’s the fastest car I’ve ever had, so the hefty weight hasn’t bothered me. I guess maybe city MPG could be better, but for so much power it’s not bad. Plus, I drive like an idiot in city driving. Nonetheless, I’m excited to hear about and see the updates on the next gen.

I absolutely love my 1. It’s true the looks are not everybody’s cup of tea, I didn’t really care for it at first, but it grows on ya. As for the weight, never really noticed it as a problem, still is the fastest car I’ve ever driven or ridden in. If I was truly concerned about it, I might work alittle more on cutting the weight behind the steering wheel.

cct1: yeah you are absolutely right with your argument about a 135i and 335i being a wash in performance. Price is the 135i’s saving grace over the 335i. For 10 grand less you get the same performance and that is a huge selling point. Honestly when I was in the market for a new car i was really looking at the JCW factory MINI, but the difference in the price between that car and the 135i was negligible so I stepped up to the 135i. For MSRP the 328xi would have been a better fit for my lifestyle and as a daily driver, but i got such a good deal on the 135i I just couldn’t pass it up. Essentially, I believe what kills the 1 over here more than anything is the small price difference between a 135i and 328i. So, I feel that dealerships have a hard time selling the 135i, because most Americans still dislike small cars. So, they opt to go for the bigger car, with the smaller engine, for relatively the same price. When I went shopping every salesman’s interest noticeably peaked when they found out I was looking at a 1. I purchased mine in October, but the car had sat on the lot since the launch back in March, very old stock. That fact spoke volumes to me about the complete lack of interest in this car (at least in the Western NY area). Ultimately, if BMW wants to get more 1′s out of the door, they need to do just what you said, make it more special: lighter, faster, better handling, and dare we hope? less expensive.

Me likey. I would rteally love to see the three door hatch 135i here in the U.S.

The 1-series front end is hideous. The car, with its oversized eyes locked in a permanent “surprised” state, looks like it’s a scared cartoon character.

The body is stubby from the side. The 1-series ties with the X3 for the ugliest BMW award.

The weight difference between a 135i and a 335i is just 200 lbs, except that with the 135i you get less functional space.

If they shaved 300 more pounds off and redesigned the exterior to not be so comical, I would take it seriously.

Tom, I totally agree….it’s like they made it look bad on purpose since it’s performances are so close to the 3…to justify the lower price.

I wonder what you guys think about the new design direction of say, the 7 and 5 Series? I really have grown to like the 1 Series, and I say, see it in person if you haven’t.

Of course, opinions on design are entirely subjective. To me, I think the 6 Series is the ugliest BMW out there because it looks like a shark. It is troubling that the CS concept is a leading indicator of BMW design. That concept car, while handsome, had an “overbite” shark nose.

I think the new z4 is ugly, because it looks like a shark. I think the new 7 and 5s are both ugly, because they look like sharks, and way too generic looking to be BMW’s!

I’m not looking forward to the new 1 series because of this shark nose. I know that it’s a historic BMW detail, but, we haven’t seen it on a BMW in like twenty years. It’s gone for a reason!

The 1er looks wide-eyed, yes, but it is handsome in person, dare I say adorable. What hurts it more than anything else is the cost, weight and therefore fuel consumption, and lack of 4 doors. I would love a 128 or 135, but how can I give up the ease of throwing things in my back seat?

I am looking forward to drivetrain and design improvements, possibly a tiny four door 1 series sedan, even x drive. They need to correct the cost issue on the 1 series.