Paul Tan's Automotive Industry News

BMW City based on MINI platform

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BMW LogoIf you’ve read the post below, you’ll know that Audi is developing it’s new Audi A1 to go against BMW’s MINI, not intending for the latter brand to have the premium small hatchback market all to itself. Now get this – BMW is making it’s own compact car based on the MINI’s front wheel drive platform to go against the Audi A1, which was developed to go against the MINI. Somehow I find that hilarious.

Auto Motor und Sport says the new BMW compact car will be called the BMW City. The 3.75 meters long compact is expected to hit the streets by end-2010, the same year Audi intends to roll out the A1.

BMW used to produce a small minicar a long time ago back in the 1950s called the BMW Isetta, which was powered by a BMW 1-cylinder motorcycle engine. It was known as the rolling egg, as it had the appearance of an egg with wheels.

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7 Comments »

  1. azrai said,

    July 26, 2007 @ 7:07 am

    BMW City? Honda City aka Fit Aria? :-)

  2. 4G63T DSM said,

    July 26, 2007 @ 7:42 am

    Probably smaller to go agaisnt the Smart.

    I see very little point in BMW going into even smaller cars than the 1 series…
    well….BMW has kind of limited themselves now since 1 is the smallest number.

    If anything, it will probably be badged a MINI. Since the new MINI has grown in size (If you compare the (New) New Mini with the Original Mini), I’m sure someone can slot in another city car under it.

  3. szw said,

    July 26, 2007 @ 9:51 am

    BMW can do that if they make the small car abit bigger then MINI , it’ll work fine…

  4. shaunyeap said,

    July 26, 2007 @ 10:15 am

    I think the threat to BMW here is not only what Audi might be launching to go against the mini, but the new Fiat 500 that’s coming out in Europe, pretty soon!

  5. The Unicons said,

    July 26, 2007 @ 10:37 am

    BMW gets the name from Honda? City… for city driving. Haha. Hopefully will see more news on this in the future.

  6. silverfish said,

    July 26, 2007 @ 3:16 pm

    Ze Germans are hellbent on having a model that caters to every conceivable person on the planet.

  7. proton.GL.. said,

    July 26, 2007 @ 4:57 pm

    http://www.cwwcardesign.com/cars/bmw05i.html

    0 series

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