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BMW purists, have your rotten tomatoes ready because the all-new 1 Series has just been revealed and, as we were expecting, most models in the 1 Series lineup will be front-wheel drive. Yes, the Bavarian automaker has abandoned the traditional rear-wheel drive formula with a longitudinal engine in favor of a cheaper, easier to manufacture, and more compact transverse engine with power going either to the front wheels or all four, depending on the model.
Its internal code name is F40, and the model it replaces was called the F20. The cars themselves aren’t only different from a drivetrain layout standpoint, but also design, as the new F40 really embraces the proportions of a front-wheel drive car, with a short snout, steeply rising belt line, and slightly smaller exterior dimensions overall. In fact, if you put it alongside the new BMW X2 crossover, the 1-Series will just look like a slightly lower and sleeker version of that, but I doubt non-car people will easily be able to tell them apart.
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