BMW Drops 250 Photos of the New and Possibly Last RWD 1-Series Hatchback

We have already seen and reported on the brand-new 2012 BMW 1-Series, which was revealed a couple of months ahead of its world premiere, which is scheduled for the rapidly approaching Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

Nevertheless, if the first batch of photos didn’t do the trick for you, you’ll be happy to know that today, BMW released a massive gallery with some 250 pictures of its compact sized hatchback, which may very well be the last version to feature a rear-wheel drive layout as the Bavarians are rumored to be planning a switch to a front-wheel drive platform for the next generation model.

But enough with the talking. Hop over the jump to check out all the high-res gallery.

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BMW Readying FWD 1-Series GT for 2014 Launch

*2012 BMW 1-Series Hatchback Pictured above

It’s no secret that BMW is getting ready to adopt a front-wheel drive layout for its smaller models including certain versions of the next generation of the 1-Series. BMW’s decision has already sparked a lot of discussions whether its front-wheel drive products will remain true to the brand’s “ultimate driving machine” motto or an insult to the company’s heritage.

Now it seems that the day we will see the first front-wheel drive BMW is closer than we thought. According to Autocar magazine, the 1-Series GT, which is said to be a more practical version featuring a high-rising tail like the 5-Series GT, will be the first BMW to adopt front-wheel drive. Its launch is scheduled for 2014.

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Kanye West Beware: BMW’s 1-Series Composes its Own Music

It’s a fact that car manufacturers go to great lengths to promote their new products. Traditional means like TV and press advertising are so last year –and so is celebrity endorsement, though they are still employed by the carmakers. However, the new place to be are the social media, like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

BMW has gone one step further in promoting its brand-new 2012 1-Series: it has created a video clip named “check my machine” which shows the process of manufacturing the car.

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BMW Creates New Performance Edition models to Celebrate Sponsorship of 2012 London Olympics

There are many ways to celebrate the sponsorship of an event like the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but when it comes to automakers, the norm is the introduction of special edition models.

For BMW, the festivities over its sponsorship of the games begin with the UK launch of two new Performance Edition models based on the 1-Series hatchback and 3-Series sedan.

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Kelleners Sport Tunes the BMW 1-Series M Coupe to 410HP

German aftermarket firm Kelleners Sport is one of the first official tuners to get its hands on the new BMW 1-Series M Coupe and offer a complete conversion. Named KS1-S, the modified 1 M Coupe’s turbocharged straight-six now delivers 410-horses, or a good 20% more than the standard car, and just 10HP short of the E92 M3, while torque is increased from 450 to 550 Nm or 405.7 lb-ft. Read more »

BMW Boss Says Front-Wheel Drive Bimmers will be “The Ultimate Driving Machine”

The times, they are a-Changing sang Bob Dylan, and they did. And for the most part, it’s for the better –or we’d still be living in caves. But when one of the staples of the motoring world embraces a new philosophy, be prepared for the purists to cry “FAIL”. The news of BMW adopting front-wheel-drive for its future compact models is the perfect example.

For decades Munich has bombarded us with its naturally aspirated in-line engines, be that with 4, 6, 8 or 10 cylinders along with 50/50 perfect weight distribution and the “ultimate driving machine” tag.

Now turbos are all the rage, even in the M-division and they are trickling down to the rest of the lineup in the name of fuel economy and CO2 emissions. But a FWD BMW? Where is this world coming to?

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Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.

Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

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U-Spy: New MINI Coupe and BMW 1-Series Hatchback Spotted on the Road

Eagle-eyed Carscoop reader Michael from Germany is always on the lookout for any new cars and prototypes on the road. His latest catch is the freshly revealed MINI Coupe in a blue suit with silver stripes, while he also seized a couple of shots of the new BMW 1-Series hatchback, both of which were spotted in Munich.

The new MINI Coupe was only just unveiled online a couple of days ago, so we assume the car pictured is most likely an early production version used for testing.

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VIDEO: Automobile Mag’s Take on the BMW 1 M Coupe vs M3 Debate

From the moment BMW introduced the new 1 M Coupe, it was more than evident that the smallest member of the Bavarian firm’s M family would be compared with the brand’s most illustrious product, the M3 Coupe.

Automobile Magazine’s West Coast Editor Jason Cammisa voiced his thoughts on the 1 M Coupe versus M3 debate in a rather amusing way during his first drive of the sports car in California.

The skinny? “If you want an M badge, go ahead and buy an M3. If you want what an M3 could be, buy one of these things [the 1 M Coupe]”. Follow the break to watch the full video.

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Fail: BMW 1-Series Driver Mistakes Shop for…Parking Garage

A pair of security cameras mounted inside and outside of a store allegedly located in Mexico (according to the Youtube poster), caught an accident involving a dangerously careless driver of a BMW 1-Series hatchback on film.

The video captured the middle-aged man in the BMW as he slowly entered the parking lot. For some unknown reason, he didn’t come to a stop and continued his way as if there was nothing in front of him.

Once inside the store, the reckless driver (20 seconds into the video) –get this- adjusts his exterior mirror as he puts the car in reverse to exit the shop and almost hits the cashier in the process! Amazingly, no one appears to have been injured. Watch the video footage after the jump.

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BMW Fans Imagine New 1-Series Coupe, Cabrio and M Models

The all-new BMW 1-Series five-door hatchback has only just been announced, yet bimmer enthusiasts are already dreaming up the car’s future lineup. Some of the more talented individuals went one step further drawing up renderings of the Coupe and Convertible models, which as we recently reported, may or may not carry the 2-Series sticker as part of broader change in names, and even a three-door hatchback with the famed M badge.

Follow the break to check out the creative work of the members of Bimmerpost and leave your thoughts below.

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BMW Rumored to Rename New 1- and 3-Series Coupes into 2- and 4-Series. What Do You Say?

Citing unnamed sources from within the brand, Britain’s Car Magazine reported on Tuesday that BMW is seriously entertaining the idea of renaming the next generation of its two-door 1- and 3-Series models into the 2- and 4-Series respectively.

The new badges would be applied on the two-door coupe and convertible as well as the sportier GT fastback models of the future 1- and 3-Series lineup.

As some of you may recall, this is not the first time that BMW has toyed around with the thought of turning the 3-Series coupe and convertible into the 4-Series, with the Bavarian company coming very close to executing the idea in the beginning of the new millennium.

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