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During BMW Norbert Reithofer’s media conference last week, where he detailed the company’s financial position and future strategy, was noted for a signaling a brave new design direction for the Bavarian manufacturer.
Reithofer confirmed many BMW’s fans worst nightmare – the company would build front-wheel drive cars with the blue and white roundel in future.
It’s all fine and well owning the front-wheel driven Mini brand, yet BMW badged cars with transverse mounted engines above the front axle are not cool.
BMW boss and front-wheel drive apologist Norbert Reithofer. Would you entrust the M-division heritage to this man or is he planning for a sustainable BMW future?
FWD is cool with 1 Series customers
Obviously the move is seen as an attempt to checkmate Audi forthcoming A1 in the small city-car market. Well, it would appear BMWs’s own customers were a root cause for Reithofer’s decision to usher in an era of front-wheel driven BMWs.
Explaining himself during a conference call after the media conference last week to analysts, Reithofer said during a survey of BMW 1 Series owners, it was found 80% of them believed their cars were in fact front-wheel drive. If you own a concourse condition E30, you have permission to commit harakiri now…
Reithofer’s admitted the results of the 1 Series owner survey were "quite a surprise" and comforted him greatly concerning the future expansion of BMW’s front-wheel drive platforms.
It just goes to show that with the 1 Series BMW really has attracted a very ‘new’ customer base.
We sincerely believe the 20% of 1 Series respondents who did in fact know their cars were rear-wheel driven owned 130- and 135is.
Reithofer confirmed many BMW’s fans worst nightmare – the company would build front-wheel drive cars with the blue and white roundel in future.
It’s all fine and well owning the front-wheel driven Mini brand, yet BMW badged cars with transverse mounted engines above the front axle are not cool.
BMW boss and front-wheel drive apologist Norbert Reithofer. Would you entrust the M-division heritage to this man or is he planning for a sustainable BMW future?
FWD is cool with 1 Series customers
Obviously the move is seen as an attempt to checkmate Audi forthcoming A1 in the small city-car market. Well, it would appear BMWs’s own customers were a root cause for Reithofer’s decision to usher in an era of front-wheel driven BMWs.
Explaining himself during a conference call after the media conference last week to analysts, Reithofer said during a survey of BMW 1 Series owners, it was found 80% of them believed their cars were in fact front-wheel drive. If you own a concourse condition E30, you have permission to commit harakiri now…
Reithofer’s admitted the results of the 1 Series owner survey were "quite a surprise" and comforted him greatly concerning the future expansion of BMW’s front-wheel drive platforms.
It just goes to show that with the 1 Series BMW really has attracted a very ‘new’ customer base.
We sincerely believe the 20% of 1 Series respondents who did in fact know their cars were rear-wheel driven owned 130- and 135is.
