80 percent of BMW 1-Series drivers think the car is a front-wheel drive

[petrolhead]

In a conference call with reporters and analysts, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed that 80 percent of BMW 1-Series drivers believed they were driving a front-wheel drive car.

The 1-Series is, in fact, a rear-wheel drive car. BMW does not yet make any front-wheel drive vehicles, although, BMW Group's MINI brand does.

Reithofer used the statistic to support BMW's claim that customers will warm to front-wheel drive BMW's when the company begins introducing them later this decade. BMW recently announced it was building a front-wheel drive platform for an entry-level BMW to compete against the Audi A1. BMW plans to share that architecture with MINI where it may be used to build up to 20 model variants for both brands. The architecture will also be used for the next-generation MINI Cooper which is slated to debut in 2013.

BMW plans on producing and selling up to 1 million front-wheel drive MINI and BMW vehicles by 2015. Reithofer said the results of the 1-Series survey were "quite a surprise" but BMW sees it as good news in that consumers will be accepting of front-wheel drive BMW's, despite the brand's long-standing adherence to performance-oriented rear-wheel or all-wheel drive platforms.

Source: WCF

[petrolhead]

:bash:

[Bruno]

this is fake and BS statements that the CEO is claiming. he only wants to raise awarness and prepare people for the front wheel models that BMW are about to launch.

[SSense]

I suspect this is just a case when you need to ‘justify’ something. Guess they want to push FWD cars at all costs.. People thought doing the X5M was the worst BMW could do? This survery surely takes the cake..

this is because of the same reason of GT

why?

since rear wheel axe occupies a big space, they are looking for solutions

either they are making big fat arse look GT concepts or getting completely rid of rear wheel drive not to comprimise from inner volume

which is the only point bmw loosing against audi...

[Ramzi]

I dont like the idea of a BMW FWD car....RWD cars is a trade mark for BMW which they are now sacrificing in search of profit. I can't even dare to imagine a FWD M car:please:

[Haissam]

FWD FTL :(

even the cheapest bicycle is RWD!

[Ayham]

This is nothing...I met a chap who was told by an AGMC salesman that his 125i coupe has a turbo. He argued that the 135i has "two" turbos, while the 125i has one.

I gave up convincing him otherwise....

[reak6ion]

This is nothing...I met a chap who was told by an AGMC salesman that his 125i coupe has a turbo. He argued that the 135i has "two" turbos, while the 125i has one.

I gave up convincing him otherwise....

330 has 1 and 1/2 turbo :D

[mahmoud_bedewi]

FWD FTL :(

even the cheapest bicycle is RWD!

good one haissam :rofl:
even bicycles have LSD :rofl: