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See the very end of the interview for his comments on 1 Series.
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Chris
'95 325i
The first half of his answer makes it sound like they feel Mini is all they need to represent BMW in the small car segment in the US. However, in the second half, he states that the 1 series targets a different audience than Mini. So is the 1 coming to the states or not?
BMWNA's management is on crack anyway. They won't offer the AWESOME cloth/leather combo for the 3 series because they feel leatherette is 'superior'. And why in the world do they restrict customers by grouping options in 'packages' without making those options available separately (like they are in Europe)? Get a clue plz.
The MCS already has excellent handling.
Is BMW rethinking its plan to bring the 1 Series to the United States?
No. We used the Mini brand in order to ensure that BMW was represented in the small-car segment. You have to have a package with front-wheel drive to seat four people. And if you have a front-wheel-drive car, it can't be a BMW. What better brand than Mini?
The 1 Series is a rear-wheel-drive car, which takes us back to the original size of the BMW 2002. The 3 Series has grown up. The 1 Series takes us back to where we were when we generated the sports sedan that became synonymous with BMW success. As a front-engine rear-wheel-drive car, it has excellent handling and dynamics. And it will appeal to a younger group of people who are looking for that type of car. That's a different group and mind-set than the Mini group.
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Was the plan not to bring the car here? If so, I'm a little confused...
The first paragraph seems to say the mini fulfills the spot in the small-car segment while the second is saying how great the 1 series will be and how it appeals to the younger crowd while not being clear as to whether we will get it
He is saying that the Mini is BMW's small car line, while the 1 will be an enthusiasts sporty line, so they aren't the same market.Chris
'95 325i
It is clear to me from his statement that we will get it. The question stemmed from rumors that BMW is not bringing the 1 due to the exchange rate and fear of devaluing the line (read "lowering the high profit margin per car that BMW NA has currently"). Chris
'95 325i