Personally, I like smaller cars. I'm glad BMW is going this direction....an M1 would be VERY attractive to me down the road.

 

an M model off this platform would be an M2... as not to inpose on the early M1...

 

agreed. bmw's, benzes, and audis are all expensive when u start adding options.

 

I think this hatch looks gross. I also don't think turning it into a sedan will save it. It's too tall and too narrow. Look at the amount of sheet metal above the front wheel well that makes up the fender. It's really freakin tall in front. Also look at the distance between the top of the rear wheel well and the bottom of the side windows. The proportions are just ungainly and making it a sedan won't fix that. Oh well, it was worth a shot. Maybe in Europe where people are actually willing to buy this kind of funky crap that is made by the likes of Renault it will sell well but I can see exactly why the hatch version has no prospect of being sold in the USA.
The ability to buy a brand new vehicle does have its appeal.

 

some newer pics.



I still don't like it. it just rubs me the wrong way.

 

Trim on the grill is too much IMHO.

 

you mean the kidney grill outline? bmw has had that for at least 3 decades :dunno:


here some more info on the 1/2 series

 

They better make i-Drive an option or not available at all. It's one thing for the filthy rich to say they have a neat toy that takes 6 steps to do the same thing that one step does in every other car. But your typical car buyer in the 20-30k market isn't so flamboyant and would rather a standard climate control and radio.

 

I don't mind it, it's fairly conservative for a Bangle design. The rear end looks particularly good.

 

The pics of the actual car look kind of gross. The belt line is too high and the hood/fenders are too tall in order to reach up to them. Might have something to do with the new European crash standards for when cars run into pedestrians. Still, it's ugly.