BMW's M135i is an awesome little car, probably a purer M car than some of the big barges they've been coming out with lately. But when you go at the bottom of the 1 Series range things are less rosy.
The RWD architecture of the car makes it a good handling machine, but isn't really relevant when you go for a basic 114i for example. It's not that the 1er has a transmission tunnel – a pot of premium cars have it because of the back seat air conditioning system – but there are limitation to what can be offered in terms of practicality.
That's why BMW is investing heavily in a new platform called the UKL1. The first car to use it will be the new MINI Cooper, to be revealed in two months, but there's also going to be a number of BMW applications. The 1 Series GT is probably the most important, a FWD-based 5-door compact car with plenty of storage.
Even though this is the first front-wheel drive BMW, it still looks dynamic and agile. Not a hot hatch, the prototype still manages to keep up with Nurburgring "traffic". Power should come from the new 1.5-liter turbo, which we've been told will become the new entry-level BMW engine, replacing all other current unit.
Video by TouriClips:
That's why BMW is investing heavily in a new platform called the UKL1. The first car to use it will be the new MINI Cooper, to be revealed in two months, but there's also going to be a number of BMW applications. The 1 Series GT is probably the most important, a FWD-based 5-door compact car with plenty of storage.
Even though this is the first front-wheel drive BMW, it still looks dynamic and agile. Not a hot hatch, the prototype still manages to keep up with Nurburgring "traffic". Power should come from the new 1.5-liter turbo, which we've been told will become the new entry-level BMW engine, replacing all other current unit.
Video by TouriClips: