The age of the rear-drive BMW is ending. In its place, a bold wave of small front-drive cars is on its way. Witness the new BMW generation in the coming years; it might be as close as 2013.
Well BMW has a new plan for the future. The huge German car maker is shifting to front wheel drive cars. The big heads at BMW are targeting an increase of 1 million cars in production introducing a 13 new model range to both BMW and MINI. The cars will all be small economic cars and they will feature front wheel drive.
The back bone of the new plan is the concept called UKL1. UKL1 means “untere klasse” in German or the lower classes in English. The UKL1 is a highly versatile architecture that will be used on over 20 models in the future. The design will be very friendly for BMW since it will be able to use it in many productions resulting in financial benefits.
BMW though is considered adventurous in this move. So although this is a better financial investment, it will face the challenges of the change with the rear wheel drive BMW fanatics. If BMW is going to introduce its new generation of “small” sports cars, the cars will lose the oversteery and edgy aspect of BMW. Is this feasible? We will have to see.
BMW’s new sports roadster will be the Z2, the new sister in the Z family that met huge success with cars like Z3 and Z4. The Z will be Mazda’s MX-5 killer especially since it will be sold as both a coupe and a canvas – roof roadster. The car is a two seater with a go-kart handling. Well the car’s prospects look very interesting, and we can’t wait until 2016 to do so. A long wait huh!!!
BMW’s other new front wheel prospect is the series 1 GT. The car will be a ‘compact activity tourer’ – a five door, a five seat hatch with a very low seating. The car is longer than the mini club man and people at BMW are hoping that this car will become the queen of all hatches when it’s in the market in 2014.
Very Optimistic approaches by BMW the all very realistic car maker. – better than Lotus at least.
Here are the 13 models that will be unleashed by BMW in the coming 5 years:
8 Models for MINI:
MINI 3 due 2013
MINI 3 convertible due 2015
MINI Clubman 2 due 2015
MINI Countryman 2 due 2017
MINI activity tourer due 2016
MINI MINI due 2016
MINI Coupe/roadster MK2 2018
5 Models for BMW:
BMW JOY due NA
BMW 1-series GT due 2014
BMW X1 Replacement due 2015
BMW FAST due 2016
BMW Z2 due 2016