BMW 1-Series redeems itself?

alias no.9

I'm not a fan of the 1 series hatch. I think the rear end is a mish mash of lines that just don’t work together. I've been firmly of the opinion that the raison d'etre of the 1 series was to comfort buyers of the 3 series, particularly the 4 cylinder versions, that they weren't driving the entry level BMW. I've just seen pics of the 1 series coupe on auto express and I have to say, I've changed my mind. The styling really reminds me of the 02 series bmw's of old, it looks class. What do the rest of you think?

omega man

If thats it then it looks too much like the 3 series. I thought the point of the 1 series was that it was a hatch back??

MAYPOP

looks **** IMO

peasant

Except for that stupid fin on the roof, it doesn't look too bad.

Be intersting to see what it looks like in the flesh

JoeA3

I think it looks awful.

Seth Brundle

fugly

r3nu4l

That's only a 2-door model. Will there be a 4-door?

It now looks like a 3-series lite version to me

It's not bad but to be honest, I imagine it's going to be very expensive compared with similar cars in its class so will only be for the posers who can't afford a bigger version.

E@gle.

a poor man's 3 series

fletch

I wana vomit

TomMc

May suit the barbie & ken types who bought the 3-Series compacts.:rolleyes:

RobAMerc

I think it looks nice (from what I've seen) and I love the way beemers can alwasy be spotted and hark towards their heritage.

Funny the reactions here, of course jealousy never enters into it, I seem to remember the A5 and C class getting the same reactions :rolleyes:

C_Breeze

looks cheap and korean.

And whats the story with the feminine front & lights ... bmws are always meant to look sleek and aggressive from the front. the 5 door hatch was more meaty imo

This looks like this..

Anan1

It looks like a little Gordon Keeble from the back. I'd really have to see one in the flesh.

jhegarty

Looks like a 3 series e46 ti thats been squeezed in a bit....

Eoin

r3nu4l wrote:

It now looks like a 3-series lite version to me

I agree - I'd say a 4 door saloon in that format could be pretty tight. I don't know if the new 3 series saloon is any bigger than my e46 saloon, but I personally would find a saloon any smaller than mine too small.

Will be interesting to see it in the flesh, I really didn't like the new 3 series coupe when I saw the pictures, but it looks way nicer when you see it for real. At least the 1 series and e46 ti are supposed to be a pretty good drive, even if they aren't the prettiest.

alias no.9 wrote:

I've been firmly of the opinion that the raison d'etre of the 1 series was to comfort buyers of the 3 series, particularly the 4 cylinder versions, that they weren't driving the entry level BMW.

Or maybe they simply wanted to offer a more conventional looking hatchback than the compacts.

Rowley Birkin QC

My god that is ugly. Really really cheapens the brand in my opinion. I think Audi and Merc will be delighted to see this, BM's complete dilution of its prestige branding.

Interested to know what Ned78 thinks of it.

Eoin

bigkev49 wrote:

My god that is ugly. Really really cheapens the brand in my opinion. I think Audi and Merc will be delighted to see this, BM's complete dilution of its prestige branding.

Interested to know what Ned78 thinks of it.

BMW have had the compacts for many years, so I don't think this is particularly new. The 1.6 engines in earlier coupes had the same effect IMO. It's certainly no worse than the Merc A Class to me.

Rowley Birkin QC

This really is ugly though. I know it just my personal opinion but its on a par with the Nissan Tilda. Merc A Class was never this bad. Any ideas of pricing?

Victor Meldrew

I like the 1 series 5 door, we looked at the 118D but the tail was a bit loose in the wet, I like the styling, but this one looks cheap, someone said Gordon Keeble, I'd say OLD (communist era) skoda rapide, it looks like a matchbox 3 series (the way you can only shrink a design so much before it looks cartoonish)

:eek:

38psi

bigkev49 wrote:

This really is ugly though. I know it just my personal opinion but its on a par with the Nissan Tilda. Merc A Class was never this bad. Any ideas of pricing?

I am sure it will look far better in the flesh, and to say its on a par with the Nissan Tilda is just crazy.....IMO

peasant

Just had a look at the other pics on the net.

I'm not known for my praise of Beemers, but I think that this is one nice and tidy small Coupe ...sporty even.

Not as lard-arsed as the 3-series and certainly not as brutally blockish as the 5-series. The proportions on it actually flow, which can't be said about the hatchback...that's just ugly.

Would agree with alias no.9 that it sort of harks back to Bmw's of old.

Cyrus

Victor Meldrew wrote:

I like the 1 series 5 door, we looked at the 118D but the tail was a bit loose in the wet, I like the styling, but this one looks cheap, someone said Gordon Keeble, I'd say OLD (communist era) skoda rapide, it looks like a matchbox 3 series (the way you can only shrink a design so much before it looks cartoonish)

:eek:

lol you must be some driver to get the 118d tail out

Cyrus

Victor Meldrew wrote:

I like the 1 series 5 door, we looked at the 118D but the tail was a bit loose in the wet, I like the styling, but this one looks cheap, someone said Gordon Keeble, I'd say OLD (communist era) skoda rapide, it looks like a matchbox 3 series (the way you can only shrink a design so much before it looks cartoonish)

:eek:

lol you must be some driver to get the 118d tail out

TomMc

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5236935605200444146&q=fiat

Wonder will this ever make production ?

Victor Meldrew

Cyrus wrote:

lol you must be some driver to get the 118d tail out

T'was my wife (who was 5 months pregnant and thought it drove like a tractor :eek:, the face on the sales rep was priceless) we both then decided that a passat was more appropriate

unkel

Interesting question, alias no.9! I've never liked the looks of the 1-series and I thought it was a bad move by BMW to go downmarket / unnecessarily diversify

I'd like to see it in the flash, but the coupe looks promising imho. The 1-series are a good drivers' car and if this one can be as good or even better and perhaps coupled with the new twin turbo 3.0l this could be a winner. Future classic

Probably much more like the original E30 M3 in fun and handling than todays M3, which has grown quite a lot, as all cars have

RobAMerc

TomMC wrote:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...0444146&q=fiat

Wonder will this ever make production ?

I really hope it does, I had one of the originals - what a car !
And the Fiat boss hopes to bring Lancia back to the UK and I hope Ireland so we might get them too - thats alot of mights though.
Have to make do with new cinquecento for now.

C_Breeze

Cyrus wrote:

lol you must be some driver to get the 118d tail out

Why??

Are you implying its hard to spin a 118d around??

I would imagine it would be easier to spin than a 120i due to the extra power torque lower down the revs

Gatster

I like it, especially if they put the lump from the 335i in it. I'm sure I read there is going be be an 'M2'...

Another pic Here

Shame it's not this

unkel

Gatster wrote:

I like it, especially if they put the lump from the 335i in it. I'm sure I read there is going be be an 'M2'...

Ah, clever! Call the 1-series coupe a 2-series and use M2. Obviously M1 would not have been appropriate

copacetic

Gatster wrote:

I like it, especially if they put the lump from the 335i in it. I'm sure I read there is going be be an 'M2'...

Another pic Here

Shame it's not this

have to say I like that, the 1 series hatchback is one of the ugliest cars on the road, when I was looking last year I test drove one and it was ok to drive but horrible to look at and not very practical either. It had nothing going for it at all, and made it a very easy choice to walk away. Even though they were offering amazing deals on them as they are not selling well at all as I understand it. Aam not a big fan of the 3 series either but if this had been available at the time I would have looked closely at it. Have to figure they'll price it around the same as a bottom end 3 series?

Gatster

Whilst looking for other stuff on the webulator on this, found this lot, which although brilliant would certainly require committment

Andrewf20

I dont like it. 3/10.

milltown

Nah.
The proportions look all wrong. Reminds me of the old Mazda 121 a bit, the cabin looks too big for the body it's sitting on. And I'm probably in the minority here, being a fan of the hatch.

I think the hatch is a fine looking car and a great drive. I'm just not sure why BMW brought out a 2 seater hatchback with a glovebox where the boot should be. As a niche car though it ticks the boxes for someone wanting a RWD, dynamically excellent sporty car, and never carries more than one passenger and some sandwiches.

Dilbert75

To me it looks like it was designed by the same person who put the boot onto the 98 MY Astra saloon.

E92

Apparantly this fast 1 series Coupé will boast a four pot, well at least when the 1 series Coupé was doing high speed testing at the Nordschleife, it was boasting 4 pots, according to Autocar.

As for the looks, it looks like a BMW before Bangle ruined their styling, so gets a definate yes from me.

It reminds me of what a modern day E30 coupé would look like, now if they could get rid of that fin on the roof,it would be great.
It also looks like a car which will be VERY small in the back.

However I do agree that downsizing does cheapen the brand though. They are not supposed to be a car that every Tom, Dick and Harry can buy. I'm sorry for being elitist, but its the truth.

copacetic

E92 wrote:

However I do agree that downsizing does cheapen the brand though. They are not supposed to be a car that every Tom, Dick and Harry can buy. I'm sorry for being elitist, but its the truth.

every tom, dick and harry can already buy one. the stat that there are more 3 series sold in the uk than mondeo is overused but on point? they are hardly elitist at the moment not sure what difference this model could possible make

your not being elitist your delusional!

E92

You have a point but the reason why the 3 series is so popular in the UK is cause you can run one as a company car for no more than a Mondeo or Avensis because they are so much better at holding their value. BMWs are still a car that people aspire to, they're far more popular today sure but thats because we have more money. They're still as desirable today as they were when I first became interested in cars about 10 years ago.

I worry that in BMWs attempts to appeal further and further to the masses that they will lose this desirability and yes all good things come to an end, one of the reasons why Mondeo man doesnt exist over there anymore is because everyone else had a Mondeo and people switched over to the Beemer or Audi etc so as not to be driving the same car as everyone else.

colly10

RobAMerc wrote:

Funny the reactions here, of course jealousy never enters into it.

I don't see how jealousy could enter it. It's a horrible looking car, bought by people who want a new beemer but cant afford the 3 series.

maidhc

E92 wrote:

You have a point but the reason why the 3 series is so popular in the UK is cause you can run one as a company car for no more than a Mondeo or Avensis because they are so much better at holding their value. BMWs are still a car that people aspire to, they're far more popular today sure but thats because we have more money. They're still as desirable today as they were when I first became interested in cars about 10 years ago.

I am not convinced that a BMW 3 series depreciates less than a Ford Mondeo or Avensis. The Mondeo holds a pretty poor % of its value relative to the BMW, but the sum upon which that % is very different.

Most people buy BMWs for the badge. Some buy for the balanced dynamics and so forth, but they are the minority

peasant

As for BMW not tending to the masses and being a purely "upper crust" marque, let me give you a little history lesson:

First ever BMW car, the "Dixi" (or re-badged Austin 7)


Bmw's post war efforts:

Isetta


600


700


1500


and let's not forget the 315



It's been these "bread and butter" cars that made the money that made all the glamorous and fast ones possible, which in turn fed the "hype" that made everybody want to buy into the brand.

I'm not saying that BMW build bad cars, but they have their branding, image and pricing policy down to a tee.

copacetic

E92 wrote:

You have a point but the reason why the 3 series is so popular in the UK is cause you can run one as a company car for no more than a Mondeo or Avensis because they are so much better at holding their value. BMWs are still a car that people aspire to, they're far more popular today sure but thats because we have more money. They're still as desirable today as they were when I first became interested in cars about 10 years ago.

I worry that in BMWs attempts to appeal further and further to the masses that they will lose this desirability and yes all good things come to an end, one of the reasons why Mondeo man doesnt exist over there anymore is because everyone else had a Mondeo and people switched over to the Beemer or Audi etc so as not to be driving the same car as everyone else.

certainly not saying that they aren't desirable. just that they aren't elitist, far from it. like audi and mercedes, pretty much anyone who can afford a new golf or focus could buy a second hand 2 or 3 year old prestige brand if they feel like it. If anything the massive import market of 5 and 6 year old BMWs is dragging the brand down rather than the new models they are bringing out. Personally I am very wary of large 99/00 BMW saloons that you see an awful lot of on the roads now being driven very erratically. Could be just bias on my part though.

unkel

peasant wrote:

and let's not forget the 315

Strong point, peasant. When my dad was buying a new car back in '82 the main contenders were a Golf, a Kadett and a 315. There wasn't much in it price wise with the 315 only marginally more expensive, but Opel did the best deal by far. And my dad isn't a keen driver obviously

copacetic

more pics from same batch up on channel4:

Henry Ford III

I've seen worse.

Wossack

bleh, personally hate these new bmw's - all over styled these days

unkel

Will be officially introduced in the IAA in Frankfurt in September and on sale later this year. The 135i will have a 0-100km/h time of 5.2s - the same as an E46 M3 :eek:

Was reading that the cabrio will have a cloth top. What's that all about?

The new 204BHP bi turbo diesel will be available in the 1 coupe too. 240km/h, 138g/km

siralfalot

unkel wrote:

Was reading that the cabrio will have a cloth top. What's that all about?

weight saving, those floding tin top things weigh an awful lot, plus they take up a lot of room, the rear if the 1 series coupe is too short to accomadate

rag tops all the way :cool:

it will still be fugly though!!!:D

unkel

siralfalot wrote:

rag tops all the way :cool:

Well I'm a fan of the CC hard top!

Saw a brand new 335 convertible up close recently (the first BMW with a CC top), but must admit I didn't like the lines of it with the roof up

TomMc

TomMc wrote:

May suit the barbie & ken types who bought the 3-Series compacts.:rolleyes:

Hey! :mad:

copacetic

official pics and announcements now out:

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/about/news/0,,1156___,00.html

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-1-series-leaked-pics/