1 Series [Spy Shots] BMW 1-Series coupe

[SDNR]

Yeah but lets face it Marcus -- you will never be a big BMW fan even if your life depended on it

I apologize for that hasty remark.

 

[Merc1]

Yeah but lets face it Marcus -- you will never be a big BMW fan even if your life depended on it

I apologize for that hasty remark.

Ahh..Rob that isn't true. Traditionally I've always been a big BMW fan (they were my #2), but then 2002 happened. It has been downhill every since, up until the new 3 Coupe, 6 Cabrio and the icing on a new cake, the X5 all showed up. BMW is coming back around in my eyes, but this 1 thing is just hideous.

M

 

[Zafiro]

Is there any info on what demographics buy them?

I would suggest mostly females and elderly people.

Not too many 18-30 year old males would have a 1er on their dream list. The 1er Coupé should help to change that.

Sorry, no demographics.

My own "seeing" is that elder women drive 1er and young men drive a 1er with M-package.

3-door 1er recently hit the market and the goal is to attract younger men.
This is a 3-door 1-series with M-package:

 

[SDNR]

You see I think the coupé is just going to attract a lot more buyers.

 

[Merc1]

I don't doubt that and BMWUSA isn't taking any chances on the hatchback this time around. Still though if you can get past the looks of it, a 135i is going to be a screamer and if priced right a critical success.

M

 

[Zafiro]

You see I think the coupé is just going to attract a lot more buyers.

and the 3-door version will boost sales as well. 3-door has been missing since year 2004 but it finally hit the streets a month ago.

 

[SDNR]

Ahh..Rob that isn't true. Traditionally I've always been a big BMW fan (they were my #2), but then 2002 happened. It has been downhill every since, up until the new 3 Coupe, 6 Cabrio and the icing on a new cake, the X5 all showed up. BMW is coming back around in my eyes, but this 1 thing is just hideous.

M

LOL .....yeah I'm sorry for that knee-jerk reaction.

I'm prepared to give it a chance. There are aspects of the 1er which I quite like -- I think the 1er coupé has got potential.

 

[Zafiro]

LOL .....yeah I'm sorry for that knee-jerk reaction.

I'm prepared to give it a chance. There are aspects of the 1er which I quite like -- I think the 1er coupé has got potential.

Absolutly no wrong with the hatchback either. You see a lot of them here in Sweden and the car looks damn hot, especially in 3-door and together with M-package.

My Mums own a 5-door 118i and its a blast to drive even if its not a 200hp car. Steering feedback, gearbox and handling is excellent.
I recently drove a Golf GTI and R32 and the steering feedback is better in 1-series than in a GTi or a R32 and the handling is just as good as a GTI despite that my Mum having a smaller engine.

I tried the 130i as well and the engine is a jewel.

 

[Sunny]

My own take on why 1er is not selling as well as some (not me) expected is that it is a victim of BMW's own success. Initially BMW was the purists car that appealed to a very niche crowd and then came the success and lot of upwardly mobile image conscious people jumped on the bandwagon. They brought a bimmer purely for the image. For them, the 3 series was the perfect vehicle for their ego - "hey, look I can afford a luxury car and I must be fun cause I drive a sporty car". The 1er with its back to basic design is not going to appeal to this uppety crowd, so it is never going to sell as well as the 3er.

I think the same is going to hold true when the 1er coupe arrives state side - the 3er is still going to outsell it by far - but I think it will soon have a cult following within a small nice crowd and to be frank, I think the 1er is better of for that.

 

[bmwownage]

Is there any info on what demographics buy them?

I would suggest mostly females and elderly people.

Not too many 18-30 year old males would have a 1er on their dream list. The 1er Coupé should help to change that.

Yes, and that is what's exactly happening here! where do you live? the situation of the 1er hatch seems very similar at where you are and where I am.. Close up, and on pictures the 1series i think looks better than the A3, but the farther away i look at it from, the more 'old' it looks.. i can't figure out why.. but again for myself, despite its looks, i really think other aspects of it will lure me into choosing it over the A3/Golf anyway. I just cannot forget my test drive of the 120d where going into a big 180deg turn, the car just gave me so much confidence and begs me to keep my foot on the gas throughout the turn!

I think the sales of the 1er has been good, if not excellent, but owners of it are not exactly the targeted 'youth' market..
It must be admitted that people buy BMWs, even the most enthusiastic driver, is partly due to its prestige image, which is a good thing for BMW i guess.. The coupe will capitalise this more than the hatch.

Thinking of it another way, if the 1series looks stunningly good and as desirable as the 3series, and given that a lot of people buy BMWs for its handling etc., who will buy 3series?

 

[EnI]

Who said 1er is selling slowly????? That's a complete BS!

When 1er was launched in 2004 BMW planned to sell up to 120,000 units of 5dr hatch per year.

In both full production years (2005 & 2006) the sales were around 150,000 units each year.

So, plans are exceeded by 25% !!!

Now add 3dr hatch, 2dr coupe & cabrio into consideration ... Sales will exceed 200,000 units per year easily.

1er is a niche vehicle in this segment. Do not expect it will sell as good as eg. A-class or A3 - since both are more practical & family oriented. 1er was made for single drivers (young or old) or young couples without children in mind. And it was not planned to rival A3 or A-class in sales. Not with typical RWD layout: with crampped interior. And when BMW decided to enter a compact car segment, they decided for typical BMW with RWD - sacrifying higher sales - and not for a FWD layout (with possible higher sales due being more practical) which could hurt brand image.

Why people buy 1er? Of course due the BMW badge, or styling. Many due driving characteristics. With coupe available many will buy due excellent performance.

Again: calling 1er a failiure (or just not being successful enough) is a pure BS!

 

[AdvEvo]

As i told manny times. The 1 series is for me the best car bmw could build.

I traded in my e46 m3 when i drove a 130i. That car is just so nice to drive on the limit.

The 130i misses a LSD so i have ordered one myself to put in. The car is now a dream to drive.

Most bmw are getting to big and heavy and that is not good for the driving dymanics. And also the bigger bmw 3 series is more premium and thus more expensive.

I really hope for an affordable M version of the coupe. If they can keep the weight down then that will be my next car.

 

[Mr Robert]

Just telling from the feel i get by checking what people drive 1-series cars around here it is easy to point out three diffrent categories:

1. Young men in cars with M-sport
2. Young couples in cars whitout M-sport
3. Company car 116i:s

I have yet to see my first 1-series with an elderly driver.

 

[bmwownage]

As i told manny times. The 1 series is for me the best car bmw could build.

I traded in my e46 m3 when i drove a 130i. That car is just so nice to drive on the limit.

The 130i misses a LSD so i have ordered one myself to put in. The car is now a dream to drive.

Most bmw are getting to big and heavy and that is not good for the driving dymanics. And also the bigger bmw 3 series is more premium and thus more expensive.

I really hope for an affordable M version of the coupe. If they can keep the weight down then that will be my next car.

No questions asked about whether it is an excellent car to drive, it's fun and i regard everything as perfect on the driving side.

As for its image, maybe it's regional... i mean as soon as 10 youngsters from a place start to say I prefer a A3 or Golf over the 1series, they spread it out and it becomes fashion, and then only older people buy it and then other younger people see mostly older people driving it and they would then think the 1er is not that cool to be in, despite its superior drive. That's probably a little unrealistic but to a certain degree i think it's like that. I wonder, at countries where the 1series hatch sells well to the young (18-30yrs?) market, how does the Mini compare? Same market? Similar volume?

 

[Anthony]

I am curious, what do you class as an elderely driver?

Just telling from the feel i get by checking what people drive 1-series cars around here it is easy to point out three diffrent categories:

1. Young men in cars with M-sport
2. Young couples in cars whitout M-sport
3. Company car 116i:s

I have yet to see my first 1-series with an elderly driver.

 

[Mr Robert]

I am curious, what do you class as an elderely driver?

Well, elderly might not be the proper word, well the age range i was aiming at was those closing in on retirement... say 55-60 years old.

Elderly sounds a bit older than that does'nt it?

 

[KokkenTor]

Entire trunk/back area exposed and confirmed 135i:

 

[Osnabrueck]

Wow! Great find!

Yeah... um... I don't really like it. The shape seems very Volvo to me. There's something really un-spicey, um... like... It's not there. It's not bad, but it's not one of the twenty-odd interesting shapes I thought could be hiding beneath that camo.

The artificts in this photo lead me to believe that this photo is competely legit.

 

[PanterroR]

I have no problems with shape, but the size of them; they look too big...

 

[Osnabrueck]

The large shape gives the impression of a small (read: whimpy) car. You almost feel as though BMW is stacking the deck to prevent the 1er Coupe from looking too sexy.

My skepticism of this car just shot up another notch.