A front wheel drive BMW, blessing or curse

[slocar]

Nobody ever thought BMW would do away with N/A inline six-cylinder engines either. Never underestimate the power of bureaucrats and bean counters.

They didn't do away with them. Last I checked, they still offer the N52 in a N/A configuration.

But in all seriousness, it wasn't the 'bean counters' that made BMW switch to using turbo motors. It was the rising cost of fuel and more strict emissions standards. Nobody is going to buy cars that get worse gas mileage than anything else on the market, and BMW wont keep making them if they have to pay fines for not meeting CAFE standards. And what's one way to get around killing two birds w/ one stone? Small displacement turbo. A good engine is a good engine, I don't care how many cylinders it has and if it has forced induction or not ... and obviously BMW proved they know how to build a good engine.

[97Calypso328I]

I wouldn't buy one. I despise FWD.

[90turbo1]

they didn't do away with them. Last i checked, they still offer the n52 in a n/a configuration.

but in all seriousness, it wasn't the 'bean counters' that made bmw switch to using turbo motors. It was the rising cost of fuel and more strict emissions standards. Nobody is going to buy cars that get worse gas mileage than anything else on the market, and bmw wont keep making them if they have to pay fines for not meeting cafe standards. And what's one way to get around killing two birds w/ one stone? Small displacement turbo. A good engine is a good engine, i don't care how many cylinders it has and if it has forced induction or not ... And obviously bmw proved they know how to build a good engine.

n52 will die with the e9x platform

after that nothing will be na straight six

[montaillou]

we were told that FWD will be in all other markets except for USA. They have a problem (like just proved with this thread) in trying to market a FWD BMW in USA. so they wont bring it for a long time, thats what they told us in the latest training we went to.

This doesn't make any sense to me. Most cars sold are FWD, and putting aside the enthusiasts like us, I bet if you asked 10 BMW owners if their car was FWD or RWD they would have to guess.

People don't buy BMW's because they're RWD, people just don't care.

About the only thing consumers do care about are cup holders and diesel vs. gas.

[90turbo1]

This doesn't make any sense to me. Most cars sold are FWD, and putting aside the enthusiasts like us, I bet if you asked 10 BMW owners if their car was FWD or RWD they would have to guess.

People don't buy BMW's because they're RWD, people just don't care.

About the only thing consumers do care about are cup holders and diesel vs. gas.

SO SAD!!! BUT SOOOO TRUE. MOST CUSTOMERS i TALK DO DONT KNOW

[Gloff]

It's BMW. I like it. If the 1 series had door sills like this instead of the broken couch, I'd be happy and might lease one.

FWD is not all bad, don't believe me? Go down to your local Ford Dealership and drive a 2013 Focus ST, Torque steer is minimal even under full throttle and if you push it too hard it has some lift off oversteer. Torque Vectoring really helps it pull the corners too.

If Ford can make a 250hp FWD car with minimal torque steer, so can BMW.

I'm excited to see what it will turn out to be.

[cheech1]

You'd be surprised at how many people don't even know whether their car is FWD or RWD. I asked a male co-worker if his Lexus SUV was AWD or RWD, and he didn't know! 47 years old, and doesn't even know what kind of car he drives...sad.

[RAAS al Guggy]

It's BMW. I like it. If the 1 series had door sills like this instead of the broken couch, I'd be happy and might lease one.

FWD is not all bad, don't believe me? Go down to your local Ford Dealership and drive a 2013 Focus ST, Torque steer is minimal even under full throttle and if you push it too hard it has some lift off oversteer. Torque Vectoring really helps it pull the corners too.

If Ford can make a 250hp FWD car with minimal torque steer, so can BMW.

I'm excited to see what it will turn out to be.

Agreed! Let's be optimistic here.

Yes, it's sad people don't know the difference between FWD and RWD. But in the end, does that really matter? What does that change for us enthusiasts?

I can understand the naysayers' point of view, though. "If you let BMW get away with this now, then what else are you going to let them get away with it? When will we say enough is enough?" I think there's always got to be a little give and take here. Let BMW produce the cars, but voice your concerns (whatever they may be) as well.

[Critter7r]

BMW will celebrate the 100th anniversary of it’s founding in 2016 and while cars are the primary focus of the company currently, it hasn’t always been. Even when cars were first produced, over 10 years after the founding of the company, they did not become the sports sedans we know and love until the mid-1960’s Neue Klasse offerings.
BMW has a goal to reach two million in car sales . . . soon. To accomplish that they’ve built cars for specific niches (using smart production techniques and brilliant production engineering), but that hasn’t closed the gap between 1.5 and 2.0 million – and can’t, if we’re honest.




BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer has cited the new BMW front wheel drive will be slightly priced lower than the current 1 series. This will increase the potential savings in production between MINI and BMW brands. It will also mean that the sole production of rear wheel and 4 wheel drive BMW models will end.
Latest BMW Front Wheel driven

As I read the BMW blog website, it showed that this new model has been spied and a photograph was published on their website. As what the blog says, the front wheel drive model is known as Advance Family Sports Activity Vehicle (AFAST). This is some sort of MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) mixed with SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) but still look like a car. It seems that this car is intended to be the competitor for Audi A1 and the next generation of Mercedes Benz A-Class.
As long as the performance, stability and durability in which BMW cars are well known for are still the qualifications of this latest model, it may become popular. Although this could be a radical change in BMW’s figure, nothing is sure until this latest model hits the road.
Reference, Image Source: BMW Blog, Google Images

How old is that article? It looks just like a 2-door X1 to me ...

[Luftwaffe1O1]

The sub compact market around the world is huge, just not in the us, by not having a cheap fwd option bmw has been shooting themself in the foot. A class, a1 etc are all fwd. As are the renault, peugot, and other offerings.

[Gloff]

The sub compact market around the world is huge, just not in the us, by not having a cheap fwd option bmw has been shooting themself in the foot. A class, a1 etc are all fwd. As are the renault, peugot, and other offerings.

True story. +Diesel.

[bmw325i4ever]

I also think it looks excellent!

And even though it's going to be FWD, I expect it to be very good to drive. After all, we are talking BMW: they have the know-how to build a good handling and driving car no matter which wheels provide the movement. Want proof? Look at the MINI.

Bring it on I say.

psh fwd i will cry lol but no, seriously thats just dumb and i dont care WHO makes the car, if its FWD it will always have under steer up the ass, terrible front end feel, torque steer, and boring charicteristics. not being able to drift would suck and fwd is just plain boring. IMO

[bassestkkm]

They didn't do too badly with MINIs, and I've raced some fun FWD cars. It could be good if executed properly. A FWD BMW doesn't have to have the driving dynamics of a Camry. If it did, of course, I'd hate it. I'd have to see how the final product turns out.

OT: As a kid that drives a Camry I think this was the funniest thing I've read in a while. Though I definitely use the thing for way more than everyone out there. From off roading (in moderation) to hauling things.

But not many people drive their cars to the fullest. So I guess it becomes a question of whether or not they are willing to use them and live with them.

[Gator325525]

n52 will die with the e9x platform

after that nothing will be na straight six

My point exactly!

They didn't do away with them. Last I checked, they still offer the N52 in a N/A configuration.

But in all seriousness, it wasn't the 'bean counters' that made BMW switch to using turbo motors. It was the rising cost of fuel and more strict emissions standards. Nobody is going to buy cars that get worse gas mileage than anything else on the market, and BMW wont keep making them if they have to pay fines for not meeting CAFE standards. And what's one way to get around killing two birds w/ one stone? Small displacement turbo. A good engine is a good engine, I don't care how many cylinders it has and if it has forced induction or not ... and obviously BMW proved they know how to build a good engine.

I didn't say that they were. The push towards turbo engines is the fault of the bureaucrats. It's the bean counters who will eventually convince BMW heads to try FWD in models across the lineup because they're cheaper to produce.

I'll be happy to debate the advantages of a straight-six N/A engine over a turbo-charged four banger in another thread, but suffice to say had the engineers been free to design cars the way they saw fit, BMW wouldn't have made the move towards turbo-charging.

[1BADBMMR]

If they can make it handle like a mini, I would be sold.
Looks are meh....okay

[97Calypso328I]

The 1 series is supposed to be the enthusiast car now if they make it FWD they might as well not sell it in the U.S.

I know other counties are different because they make them with small engines and there not as much performance oriented

[Critter7r]

The 1 series is supposed to be the enthusiast car now if they make it FWD they might as well not sell it in the U.S.

I know other counties are different because they make them with small engines and there not as much performance oriented

honestly, I deal with BMW customers every day and I doubt that more than 25% of BMW customers are even aware that no BMWs are front-wheel-drive, and there are even less that would decline buying a BMW only because of that. Most people simply don't know or care which wheels drive the car.

[Jaguar7777]

It would break my heart if 3 series or Z's ever went front wheel drive.

Id just have to seriously mod an older vehicle then forever.

Just SAY NO!!

[stormchaser]

Not sure I like it. It reminds me of a baby Audi Q3? What is up with the big wheels? I like the old one being more upright, better ground clearance, and pretty cool looking. The new one is more mainstream.

[525iDrew]

Meh. They've already sold off everything about the brand identity that matters. It looks better than a GTI, but I think a GTI probably still has more soul that whatever that thing will end up being.

When I was a kid, it was cool to drive a BMW. It was a sign that you had taste in cars. Now it just means you have cash to blow. Every schmuck making over 150K in Leawood, KS drives an X5 or 7 series, if not an S Class. I actually kind of hate telling people I drive cars I enjoy, not cars that make me look like I'm self-important.

[maxell0405]

The primary directive is that BMW remain independent, and for that to happen they need to be profitable and growing. If FWD is necessary and significant in that endeavor then I am OK with it. And that thing is cute. So long as they remain independent and build good RWD M cars, especially the 2/3/4, then all the rest is just life support - same as Porsche building the Cayenne. Besides, a good FWD car is pretty good and for ordinary driving the deficits of the layout (power on understeer, torque steer, even turbo lag) are not material, even to me, and I do love my NA I6 RWD BMW!

[BimmerBreaker]

I don't think BMW will bring a FWD model to the States. I've heard lots of reports of a FWD roadster (Z2/Z3) but I am pretty sure that car is THIS car:




The car OP talked about never happened (this thread is THREE years old) and I frankly don't think it will. BMW does have a FWD offering in Europe, but its basically a minivan, designed to compete with it's German rivals in that market segment. As those rivals don't offer similar cars here I see no reason BMW would bring over the 2 active tourer.

[d21spike]

I'm sure it will attract a whole new market for BMW, but at the same rate I also believe they would have a better success rate with the loyalist market introducing more vehicles along the line of the jalopnik 320i. Myself personally, I believe that they should never abandon the RWD platform.
http://jalopnik.com/the-six-letters-...-bmw-472513915

bmw-rabbit-add.jpg

[montaillou]

I'm sure it will attract a whole new market for BMW, ...

If you stopped 10 bmw drivers on the street, probably 7-8 of them couldn't tell you whether their car is FWD or RWD. I don't think most of the market cares. Sure there are enthusiast markets for both camps, but each only represents a small % of all car buyers.

[modular93fox]

Its interesting to say the least. Hard to tell dimensions and size though. Seems to me a cross of an X3 and 135i. Im waiting till the Active Tourer comes out. Totally buying one for my wife!

That's an x1 lol..