Photo: 4wheelsnews.com
The joint-venture between BMW and Toyota could span more than just sport cars, as most news outlets hurried to claim. According to Japan’s Best Car magazine, the Asian manufacturer is planning to release a rival for the entry-level 1 Series from the Bavarians’ range.
Codenamed 69DZ, the car is supposed to follow the recipe used when it built the GT86 Coupe. However, the hatchback will be positioned below the successful, fun car that everyone seemed to love from day one.
The same magazine claims that even the design of the car will be similar to the one of the 1 Series, with similar overall character lines around the side sills and the doors. Of course, up front things will look a bit different and that’s good news for everyone as the ‘googly-eyed’ creation of BMW is far from beautiful.
A rival for the 1 Series range is not so surprising after all. It’s a niche that has plenty of potential, especially with the right price. What’s surprising is that the magazine’s source claims that BMW is actually helping out Toyota to develop this car.
However, since the engines that will be used seem to be created exclusively by the Japanese (a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder DOHC engine is rumored to power the 69DZ), the area of expertise where the Germans might be needed seems to be reduced to axle kinematics and chassis fine tuning.
Even so, the prospective car is a rather interesting proposition be it or not a rival for the 1 Series. With an estimated weight of just over 1 ton, an engine making 130 HP and 150 Nm (110 lb-ft) of torque and a 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox, it could be a cheap means of transportation with small maintenance fees.
Of course, it’s all just speculation at the moment and everyone is rather reluctant towards the prospect of actually seeing such a car in the near future but if Mercedes-Benz uses Renault engines, why wouldn’t BMW help Toyota create a rival for their own cars? Anything seems possible these days...
The same magazine claims that even the design of the car will be similar to the one of the 1 Series, with similar overall character lines around the side sills and the doors. Of course, up front things will look a bit different and that’s good news for everyone as the ‘googly-eyed’ creation of BMW is far from beautiful.
A rival for the 1 Series range is not so surprising after all. It’s a niche that has plenty of potential, especially with the right price. What’s surprising is that the magazine’s source claims that BMW is actually helping out Toyota to develop this car.
However, since the engines that will be used seem to be created exclusively by the Japanese (a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder DOHC engine is rumored to power the 69DZ), the area of expertise where the Germans might be needed seems to be reduced to axle kinematics and chassis fine tuning.
Even so, the prospective car is a rather interesting proposition be it or not a rival for the 1 Series. With an estimated weight of just over 1 ton, an engine making 130 HP and 150 Nm (110 lb-ft) of torque and a 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox, it could be a cheap means of transportation with small maintenance fees.
Of course, it’s all just speculation at the moment and everyone is rather reluctant towards the prospect of actually seeing such a car in the near future but if Mercedes-Benz uses Renault engines, why wouldn’t BMW help Toyota create a rival for their own cars? Anything seems possible these days...
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