A Guide to BMW’s Future 1 & 2 Series Models

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In the late 1990s it became clear that BMW had to bring to market something smaller than the soon to be launch E46 3 Series. The answer came in 2004 with the E87 five door hatchback that was based on the forthcoming E90 3 Series architecture. The idea was rather simple. Base the car and other iterations on the E90 platform while de-contenting the interior and the technology offered. And of course that meant rear wheel drive.

It was the same formula that BMW employed for the 2nd generation F20 1 Series as well. However during the development of the car it became more obvious to BMW that it would have to take a different path for two reasons; increased fuel consumption requirements and the MINI.

Why the MINI? BMW already had an answer to the fuel consumption problem with a lighter sophisticated front wheel drive platform. But for the health of that platform MINI couldn’t continue to go it alone. Either there would have to be a partnership with another automaker or the 1 Series would have to become front wheel drive and based on the next generation MINI. BMW chose the latter.

All well and good but BMW was already a few years into the development of the second generation F20 rear wheel drive 1 Series. So what to do? Scrap the project entirely? What of the coupe, convertible and even the rumored roadster iterations?

The answer was to simply carry-on with F20 development and, for one generation of 1 Series, have two distinctively different products marketed under the same name. That is with one exception. To protect the upmarket coupe and convertible models from any marketplace confusion BMW will christen them 2 Series models.

It’s an interesting move and one that harkens back almost ten years. As Car Magazine points out BMW had the same idea 10 years ago when it almost changed the 3 Series Coupe to the 4 Series.

The first 1er out the door will be the F20 five door and F21 three door hatch in late 2011 and late 2012 respectively.

Then BMW will move onto the F22 Coupe and F23 Convertible in early 2013 and 2014.

Author: Gabe Source: [url]http://ww ... es-models/