Wrong wheel drive BMW from 2013?

[Kawasicki]

Sad to see that BMW are possibly releasing as early as 2013 a 1 series GT model with wrong wheel drive architecture. This will be a competitor in the VW Touran/Mercedes B class style.

I imagine it will be roomy though, nice.

And sporty.

I forgot (could you blame me?) to mention awd will be available too.

[Chrisw666]

Why is it wrong wheel drive? It is just different to their usual fayre.

[aka_kerrly]

Wrong wheel drive, give it a rest!
I think it has been well proven that 90+% of BMW owners don't know and don't care which wheels are driven so BMW are simply reacting to their market. Why would BMW spend extra developing a RWD chassis for a people mover when it won't benefit the potential buyers.

[Rawwr]

I don't get what all the fuss is about. Sure, if BMW said the next M3 was going to have 600bhp and be front-wheel drive I might raise an eyebrow or two but for sub-200bhp shopping cars I'm not going to soil my pants over it.

[kambites]

aka_kerrly said:

Wrong wheel drive, give it a rest!
I think it has been well proven that 90+% of BMW owners don't know and don't care which wheels are driven so BMW are simply reacting to their market. Why would BMW spend extra developing a RWD chassis for a people mover when it won't benefit the potential buyers.

The reason, and indeed the reason they have stuck with RWD for so long, is their image. Joe Public may not give a damn how their car handles, but they still go out and buy the one that journalists tell them drives best.

[Cupramax]

At least this customer will be happy

[Spanna]

I'm sure very few people who buy new cars from BMW will be at all bothered about this, or in fact even realise.

I'm sure the cars that matter to use petrolheads will still have the right setup. This '1 GT' sounds like it would benefit from FWD if it's shaped like a B-Class.

[Kawasicki]

aka_kerrly said:

Wrong wheel drive, give it a rest!
I think it has been well proven that 90+% of BMW owners don't know and don't care which wheels are driven so BMW are simply reacting to their market. Why would BMW spend extra developing a RWD chassis for a people mover when it won't benefit the potential buyers.

Never let the truth rest, front wheel drive is wrong wheel drive*.

• unless of course you are a car company that has big plans for certain high volume oriental markets where rear seat space and ride comfort are valued very highly.

[attym3]

Cupramax said:

At least this customer will be happy

I knew it wouldn't be long before this pic popped up.

[Kawasicki]

kambites said:

The reason, and indeed the reason they have stuck with RWD for so long, is their image. Joe Public may not give a damn how their car handles, but they still go out and buy the one that journalists tell them drives best.

Concise and precise!

[thinfourth2]

Kawasicki said:

aka_kerrly said:

Wrong wheel drive, give it a rest!
I think it has been well proven that 90+% of BMW owners don't know and don't care which wheels are driven so BMW are simply reacting to their market. Why would BMW spend extra developing a RWD chassis for a people mover when it won't benefit the potential buyers.

Never let the truth rest, front wheel drive is wrong wheel drive*.

I wouldn't worry


As the koreans produce a right wheel drive alternative for the demanding driver

All hail the awsomeness of the RWD rodious

[Alfanatic]

As someone who has had to endure endless ridicule and lectures including the terms "wrong wheel drive" and "50:50" from many BMW fans ever since Alfa went FWD in all of their saloons, all I can say is .

[Baryonyx]

Cupramax said:

At least this customer will be happy

That was exactly what came to mind, I suspect most 1 series owners don't know which wheels are driven.

And the rest of the BMW owners know their car is RWD, but don't know the implications of this other than being able to utter so tired phrases as "it's terrible in the snow".

[ZeeTacoe]

thinfourth2 said:

Kawasicki said:

aka_kerrly said:

Wrong wheel drive, give it a rest!
I think it has been well proven that 90+% of BMW owners don't know and don't care which wheels are driven so BMW are simply reacting to their market. Why would BMW spend extra developing a RWD chassis for a people mover when it won't benefit the potential buyers.

Never let the truth rest, front wheel drive is wrong wheel drive*.

I wouldn't worry


As the koreans produce a right wheel drive alternative for the demanding driver

All hail the awsomeness of the RWD rodious

Corrr blimey mister, that looks excellent and mega sporty.

[thinfourth2]

Kawasicki said:

kambites said:

The reason, and indeed the reason they have stuck with RWD for so long, is their image. Joe Public may not give a damn how their car handles, but they still go out and buy the one that journalists tell them drives best.

Concise and precise!

Agree

however i'm sure BMW have being going over to FWD since the early 90s

I'm sure there was spy shots of a FWD E36 mule which had the front wheels set way back almost at the A pillars.


But to annoy the BMW purists RWD is a marketing department choice not the engineers

[Kawasicki]

Alfanatic said:

As someone who has had to endure endless ridicule and lectures including the terms "wrong wheel drive" and "50:50" from many BMW fans ever since Alfa went FWD in all of their saloons, all I can say is .

bd

[Jayho]

BMW already went FWD with the Mini

[Liquid Knight]

Eh up Max. Didn't know you were here as well.

Front wheel drive BMW? It'll be worth it just for one numbty to try like driftin' it innit.

[bicycleshorts]

thinfourth2 said:

Bizarrely a salesman tried to sell one of these to my Dad when he was in the market for a Vectra. He failed to mention RWD was an option, as that clearly would have been a clincher. I'm off to youtube 'Nurburgring Rodious' videos now.

As for BMW, wasn't one of their marketing campaigns once something about nature preferring to use the rear legs to power (i.e. cats, dogs)? I assume this has now changed.

[Mr Whippy]

Kawasicki said:

And sporty.

Problem is, most cooking BMW's are not really sporty, and their sporty nature that they do have is only really there because it comes a bit part and parcel with rwd.

Making a fwd BMW just puts them firmly in the camp of competing with *everyone else*, many of whom do very similar stuff much cheaper.

Considering they are losing NA engines for the most part, and rwd, then what is the USP of a fwd turbo BMW? An expensive badge? The idea that it's 'sporty' because it's a BMW?


I'll have a proper sporty hatch from Renault thanks.

Dave