3-door BMW 1-Series

[ZL-1]

3-door BMW 1-Series: http://www.mwerks.com/artman/publish/bmw_n...icle_1173.shtml

[Sixty8panther]

They're a little goofy looking but I'd buy one if it was like

$17,000 for a super spartan model. I'm sure the RWD &

drifting crowd is excstatic about this car.

[thegriffon]

They're a little goofy looking but I'd buy one if it was like

$17,000 for a super spartan model. I'm sure the RWD &

drifting crowd is excstatic about this car.

:rotflmao: The super-spartan model is the 2.0 L DI 118i for 22,800 € (incl 16% sales tax in Germany). At current exchange rates that's US$29,500, or US$3,600 less than the cheapest 3-series (before hidden dealer cash) in America—a 320i sedan (still port injection). You can get a 5-door with the old 1.6 L 4-cylinder for just 21,600 € though.

[thegriffon]

And, oh, yes, it is very cramped, so may sixtyeight would rather fork out extra for the Saturn Astra GTC with the 1.8 VVT (3hp less than the BMW)

[z28luvr01]

Yeah, I'll take the Astra, or just keep my Cobalt. No thanks, BMW. Not for that coin.

[Z-06]

How can someone buy this expensive, spartan junkbox, just because it is a RWD? I think Astra, Focus are better looking and better choice.

[Intrepidation]

Lets see:

Ugly

Cramped

Overpriced

What's to like?

If I want something impractical and RWD I'll take a Sky.

[Northstar]

Looks cheap and almost Korean.

[balthazar]

What I want to know is: on the "3-door", which side gets 2 doors and on the "5-door" which side gets the 3 doors? Is the extra door a slider, and is it power??

Anything marketing can do to avoid the 'hatchback' moniker, eh? So stupid.

[REDO1GPGT]

What an ugly little car....

[pow]

Very nice. A simple, uncomplicated, small BMW. It's a great car for purists.

[ocnblu]

Good Lord, the little brown 5 door is doing this:

If anything, a two door coupe would be fun.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

If anything, a two door coupe would be fun.

Any compact, rear-drive coupe would be fun.

[MyerShift]

The only way I'd go near this would be if it was a stick, no nav (no i-Drive), a 3-door hatch, dark green exterior with black interior and umm, 16,000 U.S. dollars. Otherwise the message here is "God, you must really want a BMW". No thank you. Not if it was 25,000 plus in the U.S.

I also find the headlamps to be gaudy. Fix those, fix the pricing, and maybe also send a regular coupe, there's a slim chance of interest, but I would agree in saying that the Astra, Focus, Cobalt, Golf (U.S. Rabbit), or hell, even a Citroen C4 would be better.

[DetroitNut90]

It's not bad, but I like the Astra better. I bet this one's interior's just as boring as the rest of the BMW lineup.

[regfootball]

the CTS has a bigger back seat.

[Intrepidation]

It still reminds me of a running shoe.

[LosAngeles]

They're a little goofy looking but I'd buy one if it was like

$17,000 for a super spartan model. I'm sure the RWD &

drifting crowd is excstatic about this car.

Drifters only care if the car is Japanese.

As far as my verdict, BMW Gremlin anyone?

And to everyone asking for a coupe around that size, they already have the 3 as far as notchbacks are concerned. Maybe a fastback?

If they offered at least 230 horses (six? turbo four?), I'd listen. Volkswagens of that size tend to cost about as much as they're charging for one of these, but even then, they're GTI/GLIs.

It still reminds me of a running shoe.

Would you bite if it looked more like basketball shoes of today? Edited January 17, 2007 by LosAngeles

[Cory Wolfe]

So it's expensive and sort of dorky looking... I like it.

[Sixty8panther]

And, oh, yes, it is very cramped, so may sixtyeight would rather fork out extra for the Saturn Astra GTC with the 1.8 VVT (3hp less than the BMW)

My Datsun is cramped too... I can deal with cramped but I kind of decided after my dilema

about possibly buying a Cobalt that FWD is not for me. Never again will I get sucked into

a car where the effin motor is sideways and the car's unbalanced and all the guts are

cluttered & criss-crossed in the engine bay! FWD is my biggest turn-off, bar none.

I mihgt buy a Pre-WWII car with FWd someday or (even less likely) a '66-'69 Razorback...

but thiose along wiht the Cord 810 and L29 and most other cars that were FWD when it was

still an oddity have a nice clean engine compartment with the motor mounted as the God(s)

intened... with the flywheel facing the radiator or firewall.

And anything more than $19,000 base price for a 2 door hatchback is TOO MUCH for this.

[ZL-1]

And, oh, yes, it is very cramped, so may sixtyeight would rather fork out extra for the Saturn Astra GTC with the 1.8 VVT (3hp less than the BMW)

You're right, but 68 would want one just because it's RWD

[LosAngeles]

You're right, but 68 would want one just because it's RWD

Gotta admit, for those who are enthusiasts (....of such), rear-drive is a selling point. One more rear-driver smaller than a 200-inch piece of luxury lead never hurts to have on the market.

Being a BMW is a selling point for....others (though surely the BMW tuners have already made it somehow worthwhile to more than yuppies, chicks, and badge snobs).

You know what sucks, by the way? They can't call the M version the M1, LOL...

Edited January 17, 2007 by LosAngeles

[Robert Hall]

Gotta admit, for those who are enthusiasts (....of such), rear-drive is a selling point. One more rear-driver smaller than a 200-inch piece of luxury lead never hurts to have on the market.

Being a BMW is a selling point for....others (though surely the BMW tuners have already made it somehow worthwhile to more than yuppies, chicks, and badge snobs).

You know what sucks, by the way? They can't call the M version the M1, LOL...

Definitely...the RWD would be a big selling point...if you could get one of these in the US for under $25k it would make a fun little commuter car, IMHO...

[thegriffon]

The money goes to more than being rwd and a BMW. You also get the latest-technology direct-injection Dual-VVT-L engines and every possible fuel-saving technology BMW could apply short of a hybrid system.

"Brake Energy Regeneration (iGR) makes its debut on the 1 Series. The system uses an Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) and an Absorbent Glass Mat battery to recycle previously lost energy, in turn saving fuel. This is achieved as the IAC reduces drag on the engine by only engaging when required to charge the battery, whereas a traditional alternator is always pulling power from the engine. Additionally, the energy generated by the engine on over-run (under braking or descending a hill) was previously wasted. Now this lost energy is utilised by the IAC to charge the battery. iGR alone is responsible for a three per cent improvement in fuel economy.

The new 1 Series comes with Automatic Start-Stop function to cut fuel consumption. Standard on all manual transmission models (except 130i), the system automatically switches the engine off when the vehicle is stationary and the driver puts the car into neutral. To restart the driver only need engage the clutch again before pulling away in the normal manner. Should he not want to use the Automatic Start-Stop function it can be manually switched off.

The use of Electric Power Steering results in a 90 per cent energy saving compared to a conventional mechanical hydraulic steering system. Power assistance is now provided by an electric motor that works only when required, such as turning a corner. Other fuel saving enhancements have been made courtesy of various ancillary devices, such as the air-conditioning power supply being disconnected from the drivetrain when not in use. Even flaps behind the kidney grille improve economy, closing up for improved aerodynamic efficiency should the engine require less airflow. The feature also improves cold starting times."

[Intrepidation]

I'd rather buy a used SRT-4

(in black or electric blue)

Edited January 17, 2007 by Dodgefan

[ZL-1]

You know what sucks, by the way? They can't call the M version the M1, LOL...

I think BMW still owns the M1 name, but it might remind people of a certain BMW mid-engined supercar from the late '70s / early '80s. Maybe they can pull a Renault Clio V6 with it: lose the rear seats and put a big engine behind the driver

[LosAngeles]

I think BMW still owns the M1 name, but it might remind people of a certain BMW mid-engined supercar from the late '70s / early '80s.

Yeah, that was my point, that M1 would be sacrilegious to those who remember or own that car.

They could get away with calling it the second-generation M Coupe, however. Not that far of a departure from how the Z3 version looked.

[regfootball]

km77.com has buttloads of images of this thing. nice interior. its like the last 3 series.

Edited January 18, 2007 by regfootball

[bobo]

I love the idea of a modern day 2002ti, but too bad it just looks like a rolling lump.

[enzl]

Small, RWD BMW for under $30k...Great.

Car looks infinitely better in real life than photos (much like the 3 coupe), but it's still not a looker.

The 'vert looks alot better.

[Nick]

I don't know if it mentioned it in that article, but there is another article around stating that they will be bringing the 1-series here also in the form of a 135i...

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/17/its-on-...-in-135i-guise/

I think the car is ass ugly...but there is no denying that it would be one fast little car with loads of potential.

[ZL-1]

They could get away with calling it the second-generation M Coupe, however. Not that far of a departure from how the Z3 version looked.

Yeah, it has that Z3 coupe look in the back.