Photo: BMW
It seems like even though the BMW Group posted record profits in 2013, it’s still not enough for the Germans and their goals. In a recent interview for Automotive News Europe, BMW’s own Head of Research and Development, Dr. Herbert Diess, said that the company will be migrating towards just 2 architectures in the near futures.
What does that mean? According to the official, the production will be split between FWD and RWD vehicles, all of them sharing as many components as possible, including electronics, all in the hope of reducing production costs and increasing profits, of course. However, their statement was, as always, justified with words such as ‘more’ and ‘better’. We’re not really sure who believes them anymore.
Fortunately, the i sub-brand will remain separate, the cars included in this range being still developed from the ground up.
The front-wheel-drive architecture will include, of course, the MINI and 2 Series Active Tourer range but also future such vehicles from BMW like the X1 and 1 Series. The rear-wheel-drive one will be used for 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 Series models and even the Rolls-Royce Phantom platform, even though it will be heavily modified.
At the moment, BMW uses 4 architectures:
- 1-, 2- and 3-series compact cars.
- 5-, 6- and 7-series mid-sized and large cars and the Rolls-Royce Ghost.
- X4 and X4 Crossovers
- X5 and X6 SUVs
The remaining models such as the 4 Series, Z4 and X1 are either using older platforms or derivations of those aforementioned. The model that will kick-off this ludicrous plan will be the new G11 7 Series that is due to be launched in less than 2 years from now.
Of course, to keep everyone satisfied and confident that the driving characteristics won’t change too much, Mr. Diess also said that the cars won’t become more similar, despite using the same parts. We’d actually believe him if we’ve never driven a recent BMW. Just think of the interior design of all the cars the company released in the last decade and you’ll understand what we mean.
Unfortunately, due to the recent trends in economics and the customer demands, this kind of action is necessary. For most people out there, driving enjoyment and having fun behind the wheel is not as important as it is for us. Therefore, BMW will continue to sell cars by the thousands, to a different demographic if all the die-hard fans decide to go somewhere else. Either way profits will go up.
Fortunately, the i sub-brand will remain separate, the cars included in this range being still developed from the ground up.
The front-wheel-drive architecture will include, of course, the MINI and 2 Series Active Tourer range but also future such vehicles from BMW like the X1 and 1 Series. The rear-wheel-drive one will be used for 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 Series models and even the Rolls-Royce Phantom platform, even though it will be heavily modified.
At the moment, BMW uses 4 architectures:
- 1-, 2- and 3-series compact cars.
- 5-, 6- and 7-series mid-sized and large cars and the Rolls-Royce Ghost.
- X4 and X4 Crossovers
- X5 and X6 SUVs
The remaining models such as the 4 Series, Z4 and X1 are either using older platforms or derivations of those aforementioned. The model that will kick-off this ludicrous plan will be the new G11 7 Series that is due to be launched in less than 2 years from now.
Of course, to keep everyone satisfied and confident that the driving characteristics won’t change too much, Mr. Diess also said that the cars won’t become more similar, despite using the same parts. We’d actually believe him if we’ve never driven a recent BMW. Just think of the interior design of all the cars the company released in the last decade and you’ll understand what we mean.
Unfortunately, due to the recent trends in economics and the customer demands, this kind of action is necessary. For most people out there, driving enjoyment and having fun behind the wheel is not as important as it is for us. Therefore, BMW will continue to sell cars by the thousands, to a different demographic if all the die-hard fans decide to go somewhere else. Either way profits will go up.
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