Dissapointment with BMWs to come must read

[be34st]

It's good for business. I get it. Makes sense. I wont buy one, but others will.

[e30conv]

"BMW 1 Series drivers two years ago showed four out of five already thought their car was front-wheel-drive."
My whole point is that people are retarded and if you dont even know if your car is fwd or not what does it matter to target these people? Just dont tell them haha
And it says right in the article that they have plans for a 1 series Front wheel drive, now I know they wont do this all at once but its probably the beginning of the end, look how many cars are out there that started as rear wheel drive and now they are fwd.
Why? simply because its cheaper to produce, thats it.
All I know is you cant make "The Ultimate Driving Machine" with FWD

[Nick_S]

Meh, the best handling car I've owned was FWD (svt focus). I don't see the fuss behind it. The average consumer for BMW could care less what wheels are driven or how it performs.

[Cephas]

Nothing to see here. As has been mentioend, this is only going to be used in economy cars - not the flagship miodels. If anything, you should be more dissapointed with the fact that they're going to be making the 6-series a 4-door...

[coreyw]

Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer said a survey of BMW 1 Series drivers two years ago showed four out of five already thought their car was front-wheel-drive.

Its good that they're starting to make cars for their dumbass drivers. :facepalm:

[Polaris15]

bmw will never stop making rwd cars. of course they will make fwd to target the eco box market. especially in europe.

you guys are retarded. there not a shittier company because they now make a fwd car. there just expanding the market and reaching out to other potential buyers.

This.

[325ix]

bmw will never stop making rwd cars. of course they will make fwd to target the eco box market. especially in europe.

you guys are retarded. there not a shittier company because they now make a fwd car. there just expanding the market and reaching out to other potential buyers.

I like this guy, he knows his shit.

[Dj Buttchug]

bmw will never stop making rwd cars. of course they will make fwd to target the eco box market. especially in europe.

you guys are retarded. there not a shittier company because they now make a fwd car. there just expanding the market and reaching out to other potential buyers.

[e30conv]

Sorry I suck at posting shit haha

New BMW's Drive Will Pull Rather Than Push


By VANESSA FUHRMANS

PARIS—BMW AG's most radical premiere at the Paris auto show this week is a feature that has been standard elsewhere for decades: front-wheel drive.

So antithetical was the idea of front-wheel-drive that BMW made fun of front-wheel drive rivals in a 2006 ad campaign. Its ad portrayed a rabbit with big, clumsy front paws and tiny hind feet with the tag line: "That's why we don't have front wheel drives."

Because the weight of a car is typically more balanced in rear wheel drive vehicles, such cars often handle better. Much like a jack rabbit, rear wheel power allows a car to accelerate faster from a stop.

But now, the Munich, Germany-based auto maker is shifting into reverse. The BMW unveiled in Paris, a plug-in hybrid hatchback called the Active Tourer, is a prototype for now. But it is slated to become the basis for a range of front wheel drive cars, beginning with a coming 1 Series model. Though some BMW purists may scoff at the notion, BMW is banking on front-wheel drive cars playing a key role in driving its growth, especially in small luxury cars.

As rivals such as Daimler AG's DAI.XE -0.91% Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen AG's VOW.XE -0.23% Audi expand further into small cars, analysts say rear-wheel-drive threatened to hold BMW back in its own small car ambitions.

Mercedes-Benz and Audi are stepping up competition for small-car buyers and already rely on front-wheel-drive to underpin their offerings. Mercedes has invested heavily in a revamped lineup of its A- and B-Class, some of which are slated to come to the U.S. Two years ago, Audi launched a mini A1 and recently followed up with a redesigned A3.

Two years ago, BMW conceded as much and confirmed it was exploring such a move. To bolster its small car strategy, it developed a 3-cylinder engine, also making its debut in the Active Tourer concept model.

Though many consumers are still warming up to the concept of small luxury cars, especially in the U.S., IHS Automotive analyst Tim Urquhart estimates that 36% of the cars BMW will sell in 2020 under its namesake and its Mini brands could have front-wheel drive.

BMW executives argue the move isn't such a departure for the German luxury car maker. Its Mini brand, which will share the same platform as the expected front-wheel drive 1 Series, is already a front-wheel car, and BMW makes some of its models in all-wheel-drive versions. Meanwhile its executives say they honed front-wheel-drive technology to sharpen its handling.

In that light, "front-wheel-drive is an evolution of what we've done so far," said BMW sales chief Ian Robertson.

As for BMW rear-wheel-drive purists, BMW says there may not be so many after all, at least among its small-car enthusiasts. Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer said a survey of BMW 1 Series drivers two years ago showed four out of five already thought their car was front-wheel-drive.

[euro2fast4u]

does bmw sell it ? no its not on their lots and i cant even read the article

[e30conv]

Read this article today and cant believe it, say goodbye to rwd BMWs guys it officially the end of the world:(

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444549204578022671108219466.html