Sections: 0 Series Jun 28th, 2010 5 Comments 
Is this the new front wheel drive MINI based BMW 1 Series? The image above was taken from the promotional video below. Our gut feeling is that it’s likely not the car but perhaps something that didn’t’ make the cut. Regardless it’s a sneak peak into how BMW designers create the products we see on the street.
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Sections: 0 Series, MINI May 12th, 2010 1 Comment 
Over the past year we’ve been reporting on BMW and MINI’s upcoming three cylinder engine family and what it will bring to both brands. We’ve learned about different outputs (ranging from 122 hp to 180 hp) and about its ultra efficient characteristics. In fact sources are telling us that the 122 hp version of the 3 cylinder should achieve somewhere in the high 40 mpg range on the highway in a car as light as the current MINI.
Based on what we know so far the star of the show will undoubtedly be the 1.5L powerplant that will power the 2013 Cooper S and BMW’s as yet unnamed front wheel drive city car. And we not only have the skinny on the specs but a first-hand account of the way it drives (and sounds).
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Sections: 0 Series, ActveE, Project i Mar 25th, 2010 1 Comment 
A number of BMW’s European trademarks were recently unearthed by our favorite public tipster Scott27 that foreshadow a number of new products. And based on other sources they also unlock two entirely new lines of products that we expect to see by 2015.
For starters BMW will be creating two entirely new lines of products: the “i” and “e” line-up. It’s assumed that E (as in E1, E3 and so on) will be BMW’s range of electric vehicles that could correspond with their existing line-up. The “i” nomenclature will likely be the official name of the iSetta megacity range of small cars. Expect i1, i3 and so on.
Beyond that BMW also registered the following:
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Sections: 0 Series, F20 1 Series, F30 3 Series, Project i, Technology Mar 25th, 2010 No Comments 
This week BMW has taken the wraps off of a large project to develop an entire modular engine platform that will include everything from the new three cylinder to new versions of BMW’s trademark inline six. Automotive News is reporting that the engines will span the MINI, BMW and Rolls Royce brands by 2020. We believe the first part of this will show up in 2013 in the 3rd generation MINI and a new (as yet unnamed) front wheel drive BMW.
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Sections: 0 Series, E81/82/E87 1 Series Mar 23rd, 2010 19 Comments 
File this under the data that supports a corporate decision category. BMW has announced that their own study has shown 80% of European 1 Series owners think their car is front wheel drive. That’s four out of five people who think that the key attribute of the BMW brand magically doesn’t apply to their car.
Of course it’s a perfectly timed study considering the uproar we’ve seen over BMW’s announcement that they will be building a FWD BMW based off of the next MINI platform. It also means that the ad above (released to support the 1 series hatch in 2006) clearly didn’t get its point across.
via Autocar.
Sections: 0 Series, MINI, Project i Mar 17th, 2010 16 Comments Today BMW presented it’s annual account press conference where BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer re-confirmed that BMW will build a front wheel drive car below the 1 Series. Let’s go straight to the money quote of the article:
“There will be front-wheel-drive BMWs in the smaller vehicle classes in the future,” BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said at the company’s annual financial results press conference here today.
BMW expects the new architecture to debut in 2014 (a year later than anticipated) with the debut of the third generation MINI hatch. The new archicture will allow BMW to produce many products around the size of the current MINI and MINI Clubman and smaller. Basically everything from minicars to compacts. All told Automotive News expects the architecture to underpin up to 20 different MINI and BMW models.
Copyright © 2002-2010 Gabriel Bridger
