2012 BMW 1 series hatchback

[DoggieHowser]

Motor Report has the base price: from about $37 grand + OTR.

Just for ****s and giggles, I went to the BMW UK website to see what the options would add up to:

There, the base model would set you back 19k quids.

I configured a 118i to about 29k GBP. I threw in sports seats, sports steering, sports suspension, parktronic front/rear, reverse camera, satnav, harmon pardon. Stuff I would put in an R or GTI.

Assuming a direct proration, that would put it at A$55k for an equivalent model. Which is about what I would have been willing to pay for the R. Guess it's trading off between RWD fun/lower powered engine on the bimmer vs a grippier AWD and more powerful engine on the R.

While the front will never be called beautiful, it doesn't look that bad in the video from Fifth Gear.

[DoggieHowser]

ps just get past the shaky cam on the opening bits of the video

[GOLFBALLS]

Mmmm, i'd take the E87/E82 shape any day over the new model.... 135i Sport FTW

[Buller_Scott]

"this car can go on twitter, facebook, google, the news, can read the weather...."

pertinent to my recent rantings, am i the only one who thinks that this is f'king gay?

so i guess the age of simple, light, esp-on-or-off-and-that's-all-you-need, "control your gearchanges yourself because its simply more fun" kind of cars is at an end

[geoff_gti]

Mmmm, i'd take the E87/E82 shape any day over the new model.... 135i Sport FTW

+1


Twitter in a car....wtf. Rediculous. The rear end looks like a stretched new Polo

[DoggieHowser]

I think it's a precursor to the fully "connected" car design that's coming up in future.

I think it's honestly a stupid use of technology. BMW wants the car to tell you to take the bus in the future, apparently, if the bus would get you there faster.

I can see it now: WALK TO THE SHOPS, YOU FATASS!!! IT'S ONLY 15 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD. IT'D TAKE YOU THAT LONG FOR YOU TO FIND A PARKING SPOT, YOU IDIOT!


I do think the Japanese system I saw in Nissans to be much more usable.

There, the handsfree system somehow ties in to a phone/address directory, so after you call a person in the car, it automatically prompts you if you want to start a route to the person you just called. It'd give estimated times, with the the option of paying toll or not, so you can decide if you want to pay the toll and reach earlier or not.

Anyway, I can't say I am a big fan of the 1 series coupe either. It seems honestly gawky from the dimensions. And I do prefer hatches.

I wonder if the hatch will get the 135i/1 M engines this time.