The new MINI Coupe was only just unveiled online a couple of days ago, so we assume the car pictured is most likely an early production version used for testing.
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Automobile Magazine’s West Coast Editor Jason Cammisa voiced his thoughts on the 1 M Coupe versus M3 debate in a rather amusing way during his first drive of the sports car in California.
The skinny? “If you want an M badge, go ahead and buy an M3. If you want what an M3 could be, buy one of these things [the 1 M Coupe]”. Follow the break to watch the full video.
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The video captured the middle-aged man in the BMW as he slowly entered the parking lot. For some unknown reason, he didn’t come to a stop and continued his way as if there was nothing in front of him.
Once inside the store, the reckless driver (20 seconds into the video) –get this- adjusts his exterior mirror as he puts the car in reverse to exit the shop and almost hits the cashier in the process! Amazingly, no one appears to have been injured. Watch the video footage after the jump.
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Follow the break to check out the creative work of the members of Bimmerpost and leave your thoughts below.
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Citing unnamed sources from within the brand, Britain’s Car Magazine reported on Tuesday that BMW is seriously entertaining the idea of renaming the next generation of its two-door 1- and 3-Series models into the 2- and 4-Series respectively.
The new badges would be applied on the two-door coupe and convertible as well as the sportier GT fastback models of the future 1- and 3-Series lineup.
As some of you may recall, this is not the first time that BMW has toyed around with the thought of turning the 3-Series coupe and convertible into the 4-Series, with the Bavarian company coming very close to executing the idea in the beginning of the new millennium.
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Truth to be said though, BMW’s advertising agency could have skimped on the somewhat farcical CGI (computer-generated images) cement walls and still have an engaging commercial in its hands. Take a look at it in the video after the jump and tell us what you think in the comments section below.
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According to the script, Freddy is an actor and a model leaning towards metrosexuality, while Adam dislikes cameras and works with architects, and is the wilder one of the two brothers. The goal here is to show off the double nature of the 1-Series hatchback, and especially the introduction of the two new trim lines, Sport and Urban, both of which gain bespoke interior and exterior design as well as equipment features.
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The list of modifications include a mix of performance and styling bits such as collection of decorative carbon fiber parts for the exterior, a different steering wheel, forged alloy wheels and a KW sports suspension.
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Aside from allowing potential buyers and time-wasters alike to configure the 2012 1-Series hatchback, the dedicated webpage also serves us our first taste of the M Sport Package. The option group includes a new aero kit comprising of M parts such as the front and rear bumpers, a sports-oriented chassis set-up, and bespoke alloy wheel designs.
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For its debut, BMW chose to show the five-door hatchback model, but the range will eventually grow to include a three-door hatchback followed by the coupe, cabriolet and if the grapevine holds true, a longer and more spacious Gran Turismo version in the likes of the 3-Series GT we recently showed you in these spy shots.
Seen here in a five-door format, the new 1-Series evolves the current model’s styling with sharper and more prominent creases all around along with a much more pronounced front end that sports unusually large headlamps pushed to the far corners of the bumper literally hugging the wheel arches.
This particular Bavarian hatch sports a modified version of the E92 BMW M3 Coupe’s 4.0-liter V8 engine tweaked to produce 435-horsepower, or 100 more ponies than the normal 1-Series M Coupe. The car also gets the M3’s gearbox, differential and brakes, plus a Bilstein sports suspension, a BMW performance exhaust system and 19-inch BBS alloy wheels in 235 tires up front and 265 at the back.
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As BMW is getting closer to launching the second generation of the 1-Series, more and more scantily disguised prototypes are being spotted out testing. These latest scoop pictures afford us our clearest view yet of the five-door hatchback version, not only because BMW has reduced the amount of swirly sheeting but also due to the fact that the cars appear to be final prototypes with production headlamps and tail lights.
As you can see, the Bavarian automaker sticks with the tradition of keeping a design for two generations before radically changing the styling. This means the next 1-Series hatchback takes an evolutionary styling step keeping the basic shape of the current model.
The upcoming BMW 1-Series M Coupe will serve as the official Safety Car for the 2011 season of the motorcycle road racing world championship (or simply MotoGP), which kicks off this weekend. The 1-Series M Coupe Safety Car is a one-off built by BMW’s M division specifically for this race series, with the Bavarian automaker stating that only the 340HP twin-turbocharged straight-six engine and the entire drivetrain were taken over unchanged from the production model, which launches in late April. The Safety Car is lighter than its production counterpart thanks to a series of weight saving measures such as the carbon fibre-reinforced bonnet featuring additional large air vents, polycarbonate side and rear windows and the elimination of the rear seat bench. In addition, BMW’s M team developed a bespoke lightweight titanium race exhaust system that not only saves weight but also promises to delivers a much more exciting sound.
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“A highlight at the Shanghai Motor Show in mid-April will be the presentation of our New Energy Vehicle, said BMW Chief Executive Dr. Norbert Reithofer. “This model will be our e-car from China for China – a long version of the BMW 5 Series as a plug-in hybrid. This car will benefit from the strength and the excellent reputation of the BMW brand.”
Reithofer confirmed the presentation of the production version of the MINI Coupe, first seen as a concept model at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, and the second generation of the BMW 1 Series, both of which will be launched this year alongside the new M5 sports saloon and the 6-Series models.
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All of BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder engines will be built upon the same 2.0-liter aluminium block, with the difference in performance being made by using two different types of turbochargers and different engine mapping (apparently, BMW learned its lesson well from the VW Group...).
The 2.0-liter unit made its debut on the X1 compact crossover and will eventually replace BMW’s trademark normally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six. While BMW's US division has yet to announce which models will get the new engine, in Europe, the automaker has already confirmed the powerplant for the Z4 coupe-roadster and the 5-Series range.
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