BMW says yes to 1 Series M successor, no to M6 Gran Coupe with xDrive

Wed, 13 Mar 2013

If you're anything like us, the first half of that headline made you smile. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe was, without a doubt, one of our favorite cars from the past few years, and according to a BMW Blog interview, Dr. Friedrich Nitschke, head of the company's M division, has confirmed that a successor is in the works.

"We haven't made a decision yet, but the 1M coupe was so successful, that in my opinion, I am absolutely sure we will build a successor," Nitschke told BMW Blog. Currently, BMW only offers the M135i version of the new 1 Series hatch in Europe, which Nitschke says is "not a pure M car."

Moving elsewhere in the M range, BMW Blog asked about the M6 Gran Coupe that recently debuted at this year's Detroit Auto Show. The obvious competitors for this car will be higher-power versions of the Porsche Panamera and Audi RS7, but while both of those offer all-wheel drive, the M6 only sends power to its rear wheels.

"We will not bring an all-wheel drive, only a rear-wheel drive," Nitschke said in the interview. The main reason is that adding AWD means additional weight has to be tacked on, and even so, the BMW executives said that the car was developed to have specific handling and steering characteristics common to a rear-wheel-drive car. "I think it's perfect the way it is," Nitschke stated.

By Steven J. Ewing