Photo: BMW
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is front-wheel drive, so why wouldn’t BMW cut the costs of the 1 Series by switching to FWD as well? This is exactly what happened with the F40, underpinned by the UKL2 vehicle architecture of the X1 and the MINI Countryman.
As expected of this decision, the full-on M won’t come back to the 1 Series because of the platform’s limitations. The M135i xDrive will have to suffice with 2.0 liters of displacement, 300-plus horsepower, all-wheel drive, and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Because of the inherent limitations of the UKL2 and the performance-oriented ethos of the company, Alpina confirmed that it’s not going to work its magic on the 1 Series or any other front-driven BMW. “No, it’s not our plan,” said head honcho Andreas Bovensiepen. “Development costs are very high and still going up with the new emissions rules."
Another reason the Germans aren’t willing to put the effort into modifying these cars is their specialization in six- and eight-cylinder engines as well as the ZF 8HP automatic transmission. Front-biased models such as the 1 Series “have an Aisin gearbox from Japan. We would need to work with a new gearbox supplier and it’s very difficult to earn money in this lower-priced category.”
Alpina doesn’t intend to upgrade the 2 Series either, which leaves the 3 Series as the company’s most affordable product. Elsewhere in the biz, Alpina plans to modify tow big SUVs including the X7 and the 8 Series Gran Coupe. Coincidence or not, these two are offered with six- and eight-cylinder engines coupled to the eight-speed gearbox developed by ZF Friedrichshafen.
Motoring.com.au reports that Markus Flasch, the president of BMW M, is the man behind the decision of not going higher than the M135i xDrive with the 1 Series. “There is no front-wheel-drive M car and [that] will stay this way,” he said over the phone in a conference with Australian motoring journalists.
Because of the inherent limitations of the UKL2 and the performance-oriented ethos of the company, Alpina confirmed that it’s not going to work its magic on the 1 Series or any other front-driven BMW. “No, it’s not our plan,” said head honcho Andreas Bovensiepen. “Development costs are very high and still going up with the new emissions rules."
Another reason the Germans aren’t willing to put the effort into modifying these cars is their specialization in six- and eight-cylinder engines as well as the ZF 8HP automatic transmission. Front-biased models such as the 1 Series “have an Aisin gearbox from Japan. We would need to work with a new gearbox supplier and it’s very difficult to earn money in this lower-priced category.”
Alpina doesn’t intend to upgrade the 2 Series either, which leaves the 3 Series as the company’s most affordable product. Elsewhere in the biz, Alpina plans to modify tow big SUVs including the X7 and the 8 Series Gran Coupe. Coincidence or not, these two are offered with six- and eight-cylinder engines coupled to the eight-speed gearbox developed by ZF Friedrichshafen.
Motoring.com.au reports that Markus Flasch, the president of BMW M, is the man behind the decision of not going higher than the M135i xDrive with the 1 Series. “There is no front-wheel-drive M car and [that] will stay this way,” he said over the phone in a conference with Australian motoring journalists.
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