TTAC Photochop: Gen 2 BMW 1-Series
Which vehicle is not cheap, not particularly roomy or comfortable, but can go round a bend like no other hatch?! It's the only car in its class with a classic layout, the BMW 1-Series. It has been accused of completely sacrificing comfort and practicality, yet it produces Joker-like grins on the track. It could have been front wheel driven with a transverse engine and a big ass to accommodate five plus luggage, but don't we already have enough of those? Yes, it's true it's priced closely to the 3-Series but offers less. However, if you are young and naive things look a little different. It's a "lifestyle" vehicle, and a successful one so far. That's why I think the next gen 1-Series will stick to the same philosophy: compact enough to be useful in the city, Bimmer dynamics, and expensive enough to make a wealth statement. Design-wise I'm bet on a more aggressive stance featuring the new BMW uber-grille, LED lights and flame-surfacing creases.
[For more of AA's photochopistry, click on www.avarvarii.com]
More by Andrei Avarvarii
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if you are referring to the current 1 series coupe not convertible then you are completely wrong on the comfort and practicality comment. The seats in my 128 coupe (although upgraded) are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in at any price. Still trying to figure out how to get one of them for my office chair. And praticalility, let's see I can carry 4 reasonable sized adults in comfort and still have a decent sized trunk for carrying equipment. If I loose the 2 people in the back I have room for 2 adults in great comfort plus a week's worth of camping and snowboarding equipment without the need for a roof rack. And still get 30mpg and can perform better then most cars on the road, 0-60 times under 6 seconds. BTW I do like this design as well, I like the throw back to the z3 coupe (M Coupe I guess it was called)
I really hope they don't do that. I'm just now starting to warm to the existing 1-series. These massive round nostrils, not so much.
For years, automotive journalists wrote on the "Cons" column of their articles about the 3-Series, back seat is too small. Then along comes the E90, and now the "Con" column says, 'It's too long and too heavy.' Then BMW offers the 1-Series, and the complaint about the small back seat starts again. It's not a problem particular to TTAC (C&D is one of the worst offenders, IIRC), but it is silly. If you want a spacious car, buy the bigger car. You can't have everything.
IF BMW were clever, they'd use your design as an inspiration. But they are not, so they won't.