With each passing day, news of a turning point at BMW is becoming more frequent – the future of a brand that is developing against a backdrop of economic contraction.
At a time when Europe lives in a climate of uncertainty about its future and the market does not absorb production as it should, brands such as BMW take the opportunity to change their course. It is certainly not a “free” decision, which leads BMW to realign its path is an economic situation that worsens and in which it does not want to mix, preferring to “get used to it”.
There's no point in beating around the bush – the decision to produce a platform for front-wheel-drive models, to apply to both the Mini and BMW, is purely economic, with other reasons of such residual importance being a distraction. It's hard, as different times are approaching and soils that have never been trodden before. The bosses in Munich are certainly afraid, while showing themselves to be strong and courageous to make difficult decisions.
BMW already had as its brand image the “we will never use front wheel drive”, today we can say “never say never” , but in fact, the Bavarian construction company did what few are willing to do – instead of expecting pride to be the crumbling of a colossus, it preferred to act frankly and ensure its sustainability.
These reflections and course options tend to arise in “abnormal” situations, never forgetting that in business, market instability is perhaps more normal than many might think. This stability is increasingly a myth and the need to reinvent ourselves to survive, a reality.
The comfort zone of companies lies in stimulating the creative skills of their leaders, who go first through another skill: that of listening to the appeals of their market. This is not to say that we must make conditioned decisions, but reflecting and identifying weaknesses is fundamental and this must be done together with those who consume what we produce and always with an eye on the competition.
If it is a fact that BMW has timidly decided to move towards front-wheel drive, Mercedes-Benz has already done so a long time ago. BMW is a true leader and is at the height of its history on all fronts – the driving pleasure is the icing on the cake and the engines are incredible. However, the demand for a more economical and efficient product, together with the need to drastically reduce production costs, led the German construction company to rethink its models. The decision is taken under penalty of being the motto for the emergence of expressions such as: “BMWs were known for driving pleasure”.
Future “1M” without rear wheel drive?
Don't kill yourself, fans of the Bavarian brand, BMW has not said at any time that it will stop producing rear-wheel-drive cars. However, with the appearance of the 2 Series, which, in the image of the 4 Series, will receive the coupé and cabrio models of the previous series, the 3 and 5-door 1 series will become BMW's entry-level models for the four-wheel world.
With this new definition of levels comes the news that by 2015 the 1M will be released and that it will no longer be a coupé, as this configuration will be handed over to the 2M or, most likely, the M235i… and as the new 1 GT series will use the UKL platform, the question remains - will the future baby M, the 1M of 2015 or perhaps “just” the M135i of 2015, be the first M to leave rear-wheel drive behind?… When asked about the future of the 1 Series, BMW says it is considering both, without being sure where the power of its engines will go – whether for the front wheels, rear wheels or optional Xdrive (all-wheel drive) giving the possibility to choose this traction instead of the rear-wheel drive as it already happens with the M135i, for example.
This is a time of change and BMW seems to want to join this “wave”, which, in my opinion, is still forced. It is understandable, however, that the power of a falling market is still evident.
BMW believes that in 2013 its sales will increase and perhaps the North American and China market are a good reason to believe in a counter-cycle. But even so we are inevitably led to reflect - an M without rear-wheel drive, if any, not only marks a turn but also marks a period that no one will forget. Turning, but probably without a small M to go sideways.
Text: Diogo Teixeira