View Single Post
      11-23-2010, 09:18 AM   #35
SCOTT26
Major General
SCOTT26's Avatar
5299
Rep
5,824
Posts

Drives: A big F-off German Truck.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: WORLDWIDE

iTrader: (0)

In the ramp up to the 2003 launch of the BMW 6er, marketing decided to introduce continuity to the portfolio of coupes.
Since the 6er was replacing the 8er and becoming BMW's flagship Coupe.
The onus was on the coupe based models of the 1er and 3er (still in the design process) to seperate them from their relevant "Odd" number counterparts.

For a couple of years or so the onus was on moving the 1er coupe to 2er and moving the 3er to the 4er. Since the outcome was that both ideas where voted down due to the apparent fact of the M3 issue. The only evidence of the proposed strategy is apparent when you look at the E92 before the facelift. It is not a 2dr E90 everything about that car is completely different , design wise , they share nothing in sheetmetal either.

Seperating the Coupe and Cabrio by not making them automatically descendants from the E90 has proved to be advantageous for BMW.
As the E92/E93 is the best selling 3er Coupe/Cabrio to date.
The same strategy of seperating the car design wise from the upcoming F30 will also become apparent with BMW invoking a premium feel that will bring the car in line with the new 6er Coupe to stand out just as the E92/E93 had done.

The 2er was intended because we wanted to show that the car was a direct descendant of the 2002 , especially for the US market who have a relationship with the old 2002. When I first seen the full claymodel design in Munich it was badged 235i.
Why the decision has arisen again is due to the current model strategy.
Between now and 2015 , BMW will launch twenty new models.
To reflect the projections of future growth on the Citycar segment , Premium Compact and Premium Entry. The majority of the new models will be based on the 1er/3er matrix.

And because there will be several Premium Compact additions.
The current strategy is to whether seperate the Coupe (F22) and Cabrio
(F23) models of the 1er from the Sporthatch and it's forthcoming counterparts that will join the 1er. It is being looked at to seperate the sporty models from the regular models in which - 2er will compliment the Coupe , Cabrio and the Z2 Roadster and Coupe, Whilst 1er will maintain the Sporthatch , CST, GT etc.

The Z2 Roadster and Coupe are needed by BMW to offer a Compact sporting concept similar to the MINI Coupe and Roadster. The aim is to offer sporting dynamics that equal or better cars that are twice the cost of it for a specific price.
Weight is the key priority hence why the car will go no further than a four cylinder. As for the Z2 The Brand requires it.
Appreciate 0