BMW Unlikely To Chase Mercedes-AMG’s A45 S With 1-Series M Hatch

BMW doesn’t appear particularly interested in making a potent 1-Series M to rival the likes of the upcoming Mercedes-AMG A45 S and the next-generation Audi RS3.

During a recent interview with Auto Express, BMW M product boss Carsten Pries said that the M brand needs to focus its performance vehicles on those with global relevance.

“If you look at the relevance of performance hatchbacks, they are not global things,” he said.

Also Read: 2020 BMW 1-Series Priced From £24,430 OTR In The UK

The new BMW 1-Series represents a significant departure from its predecessors as it is front-wheel drive rather than rear-wheel drive. The car is sold with all-wheel drive in range-topping M135i guise, a model which rivals vehicles like the Audi S3, Volkswagen Golf R, and Mercedes-AMG A35.

BMW M clearly has the ability to make an amped-up version of the M135i but Pries isn’t convinced such a model would make much of a (global) business sense.

“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 said.

BMW M built the potent 1M Coupe between 2011 and 2012 as a way to send out the first-generation 1-Series. While that model was loved by enthusiasts, the second-generation 1-Series didn’t receive a similar full-blown M model and its range was topped out by the M140i. However, BMW did build an M2 Coupe, which in essence, was the 1M Coupe’s successor.