No BMW, NO!

[Kawasicki]

I've been reading (with sadness & disbelief) that BMW are going to convert more and more of their range to front wheel drive. Starting with the 1 series, which will platform share with the mini, fwd will move up through the range, through the 3 series and upwards.

This is the worst news ever. I don't wish to start another fwd vs. rwd discussion, because I will not be swayed from my belief that, from an everyday enthusiastic driving perspective, rwd is just better.

FWD BMW? - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[volvoforlife]

Are you having a laugh?

The new BMW models will be FWD, but they are NEW models. They will continue to offer RWD models which what their entire busines model and marketing seems to be based on. If they removed RWD models altogether then they will just follow the same demise as Volvo who used to do RWD and then switched to FWD and the rest is history.

Edited by volvoforlife on Friday 4th February 00:39

[NateWM]

Do you really think BMW are that stupid?

BMW Tech 1: Hmm, how shall we make the 3-series (AKA one of the best handling cars in it's class) better?
BMW Tech 2: Let's make it FWD.
BMW Tech 1: You fking GENIUS.

[MGJohn]

volvoforlife said:

Are you having a laugh?

No, I believe he really believes RWD is better.


...
.

[slipstream 1985]

I'd bet 80% of bmw drivers don't even know their car is rwd.

[Kawasicki]

slipstream 1985 said:

I'd bet 80% of bmw drivers don't even know their car is rwd.

That really doesn't matter to me

[DAVEVO9]

slipstream 1985 said:

I'd bet 80% of bmw drivers don't even know their car is rwd.

[hornetrider]

No way will BM change the 3 or 5 to FWD.

The end.

[oldcynic]

volvoforlife said:

If they removed RWD models altogether then they will just follow the same demise as Volvo who used to do RWD and then switched to FWD and the rest is history.

I rather like my FWD Volvo thanks

[ESOG]

I haven't heard that, but I have to agree with the OP, FWD is horrendous. I absolutely despise it.

[pits]

oldcynic said:

volvoforlife said:

If they removed RWD models altogether then they will just follow the same demise as Volvo who used to do RWD and then switched to FWD and the rest is history.

I rather like my FWD Volvo thanks

T4 and T5 are a waste of time fwd driven S40, V70, C70 form, torque steer is unreal in them, someone I know wrote their S40 T4 off on a roundabout I couldn't work out how they did it bar going a bit to quick for the corner, then I drove the C70 around that roundabout and the exit if you apply any power it just starts to understeer and head straight to where that S40 met its end, need to be RWD or 4wd



Edit: put "driven both" when I listed 3 cars, wtf?

[Chan6192]

WTF?? REALLY?

[Baryonyx]

Well, BMW have always prided themselves on being 'driver's cars' first and foremost, they know that their RWD configuration is critical to this. They won't mess with the mix, but on the cheaper models FWD isn't a bad move. Most people who buy BMW 1 Series and MINI cars don't know which wheels are driven anyway, they're just looking for the badge.

[davepoth]

They pride themselves on driving prowess, but their buyers pride themselves on BMW's pride in driving prowess. As that photo shows, an awful lot of the people that buy BMWs new don't know and don't care which wheels are driven. If converting the 3er and 5er to FWD results in a 25% cost saving, will they give a st if 20% of their buyers go elsewhere? No. Because they make more money with FWD.

Chances are that technology will overtake them anyway, and their cars become hybrid AWD with hub motors at the front.

[obscene]

They should start making them less ugly first and get back to good looking cars. Last good looking lot were the E38, 39 and 46. Nothings been remotely good since lookswise, I'm sure they all drive very nicely.

[LukeBird]

slipstream 1985 said:

I'd bet 80% of bmw drivers don't even know their car is rwd.

+1
To me the more basic 3 doesn't even feel particularly RWD anyway...

[oldcynic]

pits said:

T4 and T5 are a waste of time fwd driven S40, V70, C70 form, torque steer is unreal in them, someone I know wrote their S40 T4 off on a roundabout I couldn't work out how they did it bar going a bit to quick for the corner, then I drove the C70 around that roundabout and the exit if you apply any power it just starts to understeer and head straight to where that S40 met its end, need to be RWD or 4wd

I think 4WD is the way forward for the higher powered engines - my kid brother wrote off his MX-5 after only a few weeks because the RWD caught him out on a corner and he lost it.

Accelerating hard through a corner can be bad news whichever end of the car is driven, and I admit that my V70 would be more entertaining if it was RWD but I don't think it would be a better car. Not helped by the fact that I'm normally the only occupant, and the boot is normally empty, so I'd probably end up having to weigh the boot down!

[CraigyMc]

volvoforlife said:

... They will continue to offer RWD models which what their entire busines model and marketing seems to be based on...

...in the UK

In most countries it's perfectly possible to get a BMW of 3- or 5- series class with the front wheels driven. They are the 4x4 BMWs not sold in the UK but sold basically everywhere else.

[thinfourth2]

NateWM said:

Do you really think BMW are that stupid?

BMW Tech 1: Hmm, how shall we make the 3-series (AKA one of the best handling cars in it's class) better?
BMW Tech 2: Let's make it FWD.
BMW Tech 1: You fking GENIUS.

BMW bean counter 1: We could make even more profit


Folk buy a badge with a car attached.



As long as the halo models are RWD then the bottom of the range will also be RWD no matter which wheels are driven


Just look at Audis they are all 4WD even the FWD ones

[ewenm]

If BMW did go FWD it would be interesting to see how many BMW drivers would switch to Merc or Lexus - after all, many BMW drivers claim that it's the RWD-ness that they buy the car for...