FWD BMW 1-series likely to prevail at Paris Motor Show

BMW has plans to reveal a new 1-series concept called the 1-series GT at Paris Motor Show in September. Usually an event like this wouldn't even be worth mentioning, but this time it's special, in a bad way, I'm afraid. It's a cheap scare like something out of a b-class horror movie: the first front wheel drive BMW in history. Boo. For now it only enters the stage in concept-form, but BMW is planning for the 1-series GT to hit the market in 2014.

The car will be based on the the upcoming Mini-redesign platform, sharing it's 1,5 liter three-cylinder turbo-engine and the it's rumored to be a real looker, but the positive comments end there. The rest is sacrilege by the carmaker who has been so keen on protecting it's image of making the Ultimate Driving Machine in the past.

"That's why we don't have front wheels"

So, who can be blamed for this abomination? Well, ultimately it's the consumers, because in 2010, when the process started, BMW did a survey of what picture 1-series drivers had of their car, and the results were indeed surprising.

Eight out of ten 1-series drivers were too stupid to drive according to what should be general measures, because eight out of ten 1-series drivers didn't even know they were driving an RWD car. This result convinced BMW CEO's that it wouldn't matter if they made an FWD 1-series, because 1-series drivers would be too ignorant to notice anyways, plus an FWD would be marginally more fuel-efficient and green as an addition.

So the launch of the FWD 1-series is the realization of that ignorance. It's BMW's strategy of dumbening down the brand and appealing to people who just don't get it, in other words the definitive moment of doom for BMW-purity, daggers through the hearts of brand-loyal BMW-enthusiasts.

 I laughed, then I cried. I still can't believe that eight out of ten 1-series drivers are so idiotically detached. We can only hope that this is a mere means of driving sales of the RWD 1-series, otherwise it's time to say hello to a whole new image of BMW.

-HS

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