Every time a debate between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive occurred, you would be certain to place Bavarian manufacturer BMW in the latter category, as it always used RWD (and in some instances biased AWD) systems to power their models.
Sadly for hardcore BMW fans, things will change soon enough, as inside voices are claiming that a brand new front-wheel drive platform will soon be made, in order to accommodate future city cars from both the BMW and the Mini brand. Said models would rival the new Audi A1 in the new premium compact car segment.
While this has been rumored some time ago, it seems Autocar heard it straight from the BMW rep’s mouth, who said that this, alongside the other compact project: the MegaCity electric one, will pave the way for a new era for BMW.
He also mentioned that if the new models will be successful, the platform might be offered with all-wheel drive and even rear-wheel drive, to satisfy purists. The compact BMW, slotting below the current 1 Series, might appear as soon as 2013, while the Mini would be arriving one year later.
Either way, this is definitely a new direction for BMW. Do you think it will lose fans by adopting front-wheel drive or people will understand this shift? Leave a comment below.
Source: Autocar
Photo Source: sergis’ Flickr
| If you want to know every time we post great stuff like this one, you can follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed or subscribe by e-mail (don’t worry, we’re not going to spam you, we promise! | ||
