BMW Future Product Strategy

The introduction of the 5 door 1 Series at Paris is in the past but BMW is revving up to show the new 3 door version next June/July. Both diesel and petrol engines will be carried over from the 5 door. The new 2.5-litre inline 6 cylinder might debut with the 3 door but not confirmed. With roughly 189hp the new engine should provide plenty of driving pleasure. Even though there are no plans to export the hatchback to the United States, Canada will receive the BMW hatch for the 2006 model year in the fall of 2005. A sedan version of the 1 Series will be introduced in 2006/07 for the US market, but the more exciting future model is the new 2 Series which is based off the 1 Series chassis. Our resident artist Hussein Al-Attar's impressions above provides a possible styling direction BMW might take with the new 2 Series. Plans are for the 2 Series to be introduced to the US market at the same time as in Europe. The car will connect BMW to the historic 2002 model from the late 1970's. BMW's M Division has passed over the idea of an M1 performance model based off the 1 Series hatch. Instead BMW will build an M2 coupe based off the 2 Series coupe. Expected to give up more than 200hp, the small M2 coupe should be a hot seller. The reason for not slotting it as an M1 is because BMW doesn't want to dishonor the original M1 badge with its major role in BMW history and motor sports success.

Geneva is expected to be a busy show next March. Switzerland is a neutral country, so a wide range of car manufacturers enjoy debuting their new models and concepts there. This couldn't be truer for BMW. Both the new 3 Series and 7 Series facelift will debut alongside the magnificent M6 Concept but BMW will pull another M concept out of their hats as stated in the previous BMW spy article on GCF. Plans were to debut the concept at Paris, but BMW changed their minds since it would take attention away from the M5 and new 1 Series. Therefore Geneva was selected as the place to debut the car. The production M6 will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor show in 2005, and will feature the same engine as the M5. A CSL version of the M6 is being developed but no date of release has been determined yet.

Although information about the new 4 Series coupe is limited, what we can tell you is that the 4 Series name is here to stay. Styling is said to be different than the 3 Series sedan but will have the "traditional" BMW styling cues. The convertible will feature a normal canvas top that is a variation of the 6 Series' convertible top. A hardtop version was in the works and is still being tested but no final word whether it will be used in the final car. With the departure of the 3 Series name from the coupe lineup the M3 will continue in sedan form alongside the new M4 coupe/convertible that will also be made. To counter the new Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG wagon and Audi S4/RS4 wagon, BMW will introduce an M3 Touring to go with the sedan. BMW hopes the touring model will be able to draw customers away from Mercedes and Audi who want performance but also the extra space provided by the wagon. If the M3 touring is successful then a M5 touring will be considered, but until then, the M5 will remain as a sedan for now.

With the current X5 recently receiving a facelift this can only mean one thing. A new model is coming in the next few years. Initial information is sketchy but BMW insiders are saying to expect a variation of the X3 and 5 Series in the front. The rear D pillar will not have any X3 resemblance nor will the side or hood. The styling in the rear will be unique to the X5. Of course we will update the new information as it becomes available.

But the best has been saved for last. The best way to crash a party is to spoil it for someone else. So what can BMW do at the upcoming 2005 North American International Auto Show? Easy, introduce a new Concept aimed at the new R-Class Sport Tourer from Mercedes-Benz. Auto Motor und Sport showed an impression based off some internal sketches from BMW. The sketches are accurate and the concept is said to feature suicide doors as shown in the impression. Even though it is too early to speculate, rumor has it the production version might feature the suicide doors a la Rolls Royce Phantom. But legislation prohibits any other car in the world to feature such suicide doors which open independently of each other. Rolls Royce is the only company that may have such doors on its one model, the Phantom, but not even BMW is allowed to build such doors even though they own Rolls Royce. If the legislation ca not be overturned then the production car will have standard doors. Prices are expected between the 7 Series and 5 Series. Unlike the R-Class, the BMW RFK as it is known internally will ride lower and feature a more car like interior.

Try to get some sleep boys and girls!