Rumors about BMW moving the 1 Series from its now-traditional RWD form to a FWD layout have been floating around for many years and the forum chat isn't far from turning into production reality. The 2019 BMW 1 Series prototype sightings have now increased, with the latest spotting of the sort having taken place on the roads around the Nurburgring.
Underneath the third-generation 1er, we'll find the German automaker's UKL platform. The platform has already proven itself on the market, since it serves the BMW 2 Series Active Touer and the 2 Series Gran Tourer, the new X1, alons with the BMW 1 Series Sedan, a four-door that's only offered on the Chinese market. Oh, and let's not forget the MINI models that use this platform, such as the three- and five-door incarnations of the MINI Hatch and the MINI Convertible.
Of course, the go-fast incarnations of the compact Bimmer will skip the FWD downsides, being offered in xDrive all-paw form. Speaking of which, we've already spied the 2019 M140i - the hot hatch could leave its current straight-six setup behind in favor of a turbo-four.
As for the all-out M Division version of the 1er, a recent statement made by Frank Van Meel, the go-fast arm's helm man, sheds some light on the matter.
“If you look at it with a four-cylinder, I don’t see characteristics that I would like on an M car, on a small displacement turbocharged four-cylinder engine. I wouldn’t do a four-cylinder standalone turbocharged with high performance, because you always have the characteristic that if you want high performance you lose the low-end torque and you lose the overall driveability you want to have from the car,” the executive told Car Advice.
So, will we get to see a gas-electric model at the top of the new BMW 1 Series lineup? The possibility is certainly there.
Of course, the go-fast incarnations of the compact Bimmer will skip the FWD downsides, being offered in xDrive all-paw form. Speaking of which, we've already spied the 2019 M140i - the hot hatch could leave its current straight-six setup behind in favor of a turbo-four.
As for the all-out M Division version of the 1er, a recent statement made by Frank Van Meel, the go-fast arm's helm man, sheds some light on the matter.
“If you look at it with a four-cylinder, I don’t see characteristics that I would like on an M car, on a small displacement turbocharged four-cylinder engine. I wouldn’t do a four-cylinder standalone turbocharged with high performance, because you always have the characteristic that if you want high performance you lose the low-end torque and you lose the overall driveability you want to have from the car,” the executive told Car Advice.
So, will we get to see a gas-electric model at the top of the new BMW 1 Series lineup? The possibility is certainly there.