A fresh report out of the United Kingdom effectively confirms BMW has no plans to build a hotter 1 Series to take on the likes of the upcoming (310 kW) Mercedes-AMG A45 S and the Audi RS3 Sportback.
Of course, the third-generation 1 Series has moved to a front-wheel-drive platform, with the four-cylinder M135i xDrive topping the new range (offering 225 kW) and taking on the likes of the Mercedes-AMG A35 and Volkswagen Golf R.
Speaking to Auto Express, BMW M product boss Carsten Pries suggested the German firm’s high-performance division would focus on building performance vehicles with “global” relevance rather than getting involved in power wars.
“If you look at the relevance of performance hatchbacks, they are not global things,” Pries told the publication.
“If you put something like an ‘M1’ on top of it – working title, of course – you would have to increase the price again because you put more substance into it. But whether this would then be a smart business proposition is not something I would answer with an immediate ‘yes’,” he added.
Earlier in June 2019, BMW M boss Markus Flasch confirmed the Munich-based automaker would create a worthy follow-up to the current M2 Competition, but also effectively ruled out full-blown M versions of models such as the X2 and new 1 Series.
