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jstein77
jstein77 SuperDork
4/23/13 2:51 p.m.

It's a shame we only get the slightly awkward coupe.

TAParker
TAParker New Reader
4/23/13 3:03 p.m.

BMW hatch???? Awesome!!!!

Sky_Render
Sky_Render Dork
4/23/13 3:03 p.m.

I was in Germany 2 years ago on business, and I swear half the cars on the road were the 135d diesel hatchbacks.

Woody
Woody MegaDork
4/23/13 3:19 p.m.

It took me a moment to wrap my head around that one.

carguy123
carguy123 UltimaDork
4/23/13 3:39 p.m.

So you'd like to trade the totally awkward bloated thing in the picture for the slightly awkward coupe?

integraguy
integraguy UltraDork
4/23/13 4:45 p.m.

The hatchback 1 series came first, the "coupe" and convertible came a bit later but were made possible because the U.S. (one of BMWs biggest markets) all but demanded any bodystyle EXCEPT a hatchback....or that would seem to be the story.

I can't help wondering if dealers are the reason why the hatchbacks aren't sold in the U.S. since they might compete with Minis.

The next 1 series (about 2015-2016) will be front wheel drive and share a few/all? engines with Mini, at which time a hatchback 1 series (at least in the U.S.) would seem to be pointless.

BTW, I agree, the coupe and 'vert look a tad awkward, like the company tried to tailor a suit for something just too small to carry it off (shades of the Chevy Vega that looked a bit too much like a smaller scale Impala).

JThw8
JThw8 PowerDork
4/23/13 4:49 p.m.
carguy123 wrote: So you'd like to trade the totally awkward bloated thing in the picture for the slightly awkward coupe?

Yes, please.

wspohn
wspohn Reader
4/23/13 5:15 p.m.

A friend has one of these - BMW 2002 Touring - early 1970s, quite rare in North America.

yamaha
yamaha UltraDork
4/23/13 6:02 p.m.

In reply to integraguy:which is sad because the US 1 series is about the size of the e36 coupe.....they aren't small.

Appleseed
Appleseed UltimaDork
4/23/13 6:10 p.m.

Add a couple more PSI to that body and she'd pop.

Sine_Qua_Non
Sine_Qua_Non Reader
4/23/13 6:54 p.m.
wspohn wrote: A friend has one of these - BMW 2002 Touring - early 1970s, quite rare in North America.

Wow, first time I have ever seen one. Interesting.

carguy123
carguy123 UltimaDork
4/23/13 6:55 p.m.
JThw8 wrote:
carguy123 wrote: So you'd like to trade the totally awkward bloated thing in the picture for the slightly awkward coupe?
Yes, please.

So you like station wagons?

JThw8
JThw8 PowerDork
4/23/13 7:03 p.m.
carguy123 wrote:
JThw8 wrote:
carguy123 wrote: So you'd like to trade the totally awkward bloated thing in the picture for the slightly awkward coupe?
Yes, please.
So you like station wagons?

Love 'em :)

Lest we forget this is currently my favorite car in my stable.

Im also the guy that sold his E36 M3 to buy a 325iT and I dont even have kids (living at home anyway)

mad_machine
mad_machine MegaDork
4/23/13 8:00 p.m.

I honestly think the 2 door 1 series Hatch is the prettiest of the 1 series..

and you are right.. it is the dealers. They US dealers are the reason BMW stopped importing the 4 cylinders for a long time. They were only pushing the "upmarket" sixes. Those same dealers were the ones who all but killed the E36 Ti in the US. They would rather put people into the 318 sedan than the hatch

Appleseed
Appleseed UltimaDork
4/23/13 8:03 p.m.

Holy crap! Is that the Country Squire from Better Off Dead?

integraguy
integraguy UltraDork
4/23/13 9:08 p.m.

mad_machine:

this morning , about a 1/4 mile from my house, I "found" 2 318tis within a few blocks of each other. One was a sort of bronze color and the other a granite grey. About 6 months ago I found one for sale on CL in St. Augustine, Fl. The miles were okay, but I thought at the time that $5K was more than I wanted to pay for one. It didn't help that the car in question was at a "Euro-car" used car only lot.

JThw8
JThw8 PowerDork
4/23/13 9:14 p.m.
Appleseed wrote: Holy crap! Is that the Country Squire from Better Off Dead?

That was actually a 73 LTD wagon. Mine is a 78 Mercury Colony Park. Very similar though.

kanaric
kanaric New Reader
4/24/13 1:24 a.m.

I want one of these, bring the RWD hatchbacks

I'll take that one

Beer Baron
Beer Baron UltimaDork
4/24/13 2:54 a.m.
Sky_Render wrote: I was in Germany 2 years ago on business, and I swear half the cars on the road were the 135d diesel hatchbacks.

Yup.

Beer Baron
Beer Baron UltimaDork
4/24/13 2:57 a.m.
Sky_Render wrote: I was in Germany 2 years ago on business, and I swear half the cars on the road were the 135d diesel hatchbacks.

...with a manual transmission.

Travis_K
Travis_K UltraDork
4/24/13 3:28 a.m.

I think there were some electric 1 series hatchbacks here that you could rent for a while. I only saw pics of them though, the electric once I saw in person were all coupes.

HappyAndy
HappyAndy SuperDork
4/24/13 6:26 a.m.
mad_machine wrote: I honestly think the 2 door 1 series Hatch is the prettiest of the 1 series.. and you are right.. it is the dealers. They US dealers are the reason BMW stopped importing the 4 cylinders for a long time. They were only pushing the "upmarket" sixes. Those same dealers were the ones who all but killed the E36 Ti in the US. They would rather put people into the 318 sedan than the hatch

I prefer the hatch version too (I hated GM for dropping hatchback SAABs). And its funny that you mention the e36 318 . I always hear how nuch BMW people hate them, and that they are somewhat rare, but I see them every day in my area, 4dr, 2dr and hatch.

alfadriver
alfadriver PowerDork
4/24/13 6:44 a.m.

Pretty much a day in and nobody has posted "shame on BMW".

it's their choice to not bring it here, afterall.

DeadSkunk
DeadSkunk SuperDork
4/24/13 6:48 a.m.

Everyone knows 'Murakins don't like hatches.....unless they're on the back of a 2.5 ton CUV. Personally, I like that hatch better than the coupe.

HappyAndy
HappyAndy SuperDork
4/24/13 6:57 a.m.
DeadSkunk wrote: Everyone knows 'Murakins don't like hatches.....unless they're on the back of a 2.5 ton CUV. Personally, I like that hatch better than the coupe.

Then I must not be a 'murikan. I hate CUVs, and for most cars, given the choice between sedan, hatch or wagon, sedan would be my last choice. I even liked the C7 corvette shooting brake conversion that was discussed here a while back more than any other 'vette ever.

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