Whatever happened to the New 2002?
by Donald Pitschel
At the 2002 Geneva auto show in March, BMW showed a convertible concept called the "cs1." While it may have been presented as a "concept," it was really the public debut of the new small BMW platform, the 1-series.
So, what does a newer-than-new BMW have to do with the 2002? You may recall that a few years ago several automotive publications reported that BMW was working on a "New 2002" - just in time for the year 2002. The 1 Series may not be called a "2002," but it may be the next best thing. In fact, at one point in its development, it may have been a "2002."
The first hints that BMW might build a new 2002 emerged in late 1997. The New Beetle was still quite new, and the industry seemed to be developing an obsession with retro designs.
Maybe it was New Beetle envy that led then-BMW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder to boast that BMW still had the original tooling for the 2002. He even suggested that, "theoretically" BMW could restart production of the old girl.
Is this the New 2002?
|
BMW obviously had no intention of producing "new" 30-year-old designs, but it did want to make a point - Volkswagen wasn't the only company in a position to exploit nostalgia for its classic products. In fact, BMW was actually more in touch with its past - literally, having kept the original tooling.
Mr. Pischetsrieder went on to say that, to BMW, "the character of the 2002 and the fascination of an involving rear-wheel drive automobile are worth preserving." The implication being that while the New Beetle was an exercise in empty retro-pastiche, with no engineering relationship to the original, BMW continues to bless everything it makes with genuine 2002 goodness. (The company continues to push this idea: Earlier this year it ran a print ad campaign using the slogan "Inside every 2002 BMW there's a BMW 2002.")
From the BMW Web site January-February 2002.
|
Red Rover
By early 1999, BMW was starting to suffocate under the mountain of debt from its acquisition of Rover. In February the executives and the board fought over what should be done about it. Pischetsrieder lost the argument and his job. (Oddly enough, he's just landed the top job at Volkswagen.)
BMW's board appointed a new CEO, Joachim Milberg. Shortly thereafter Milberg made it clear there would be no BMW-branded products positioned below the 3-Series. In the post-Pischestrieder BMW, MG-Rover would provide all the "non-premium" products. End of story.
But as Rover continued to lose money, it was clear that BMW would have to amortize the costs of Rover's small car development - and the best way to do this would be to use a Rover small car platform for a small BMW. So despite Milberg's proclamation, rumors about a small BMW resurfaced. But the rumored plans weren't in keeping with the spirit of the 2002 - it looked like the car would be front-wheel-drive. The company even looked into borrowing a front-wheel-drive platform from Volkswagen or Ford.
Or is this the new 2002?
|
Needless to say, traditionalists didn't like the idea of a front-wheel-drive BMW.
In the spring of 2000, BMW unloaded Rover to a group of British investors for a symbolic 10 pounds (but kept the new MINI). Without Rover's lower-end products to bolster overall vehicle volumes, the company again had a need for its own high-volume, entry-level product.
We'll probably never know exactly what plans were considered - but BMW got the message about front-wheel drive. Late in 2000, Milberg spoke with the press about future product plans, including . . . a new small BMW.
Milberg said he had spent the weekend driving a 2002 - to get a feel for its character. And while he didn't quite say that BMW was working on a "new 2002," he made it clear that they would produce a new, rear-wheel drive BMW positioned below the 3 Series that emphasized driving pleasure.
A five door 2002?
From AutoCar magazine 2001
|
Not quite a 2002...
In early 2001, BMW officially announced that the new car would be called the "1 Series," and that it would be available in 2004. While Milberg hinted at both a coupe and sedan, BMW hasn't officially disclosed which body styles will be available. Since the company will reportedly change its naming scheme to use odd numbers for sedans and even numbers for coupes, there could be a coupe called a "2-series." Looks like that's probably as close as we'll get to a "new 2002." Rumors suggest that there could be a very wide range of products on this platform; including not just a sedan and coupe, but also 3- and 5-door hatchbacks, a "sport wagon," and possibly a "Z2" roadster.
It may be for the best that BMW isn't going to call the 1 Series a "2002." Perhaps they didn't want to risk pissing off crotchety old-school 02-philes. No doubt we would have argued endlessly about whether or not a new 2002 was worthy of the name. (Granted, that could have been fun.) Considering what's happening with the new MINI, it's likely that we would have had to look on resentfully while fashionistas drove the prices up and the dignity down.
The fascination
If one thing connects all 02 owners, it's how thoroughly we appreciate the dynamic and mechanical immediacy of the 2002. Plenty of cars have more pace and more grip than a 2002, but that's really not what it's about. It's about feeling the suspension work in a corner at a relatively sane speed and feeling the pulse of the whole drive train when you rest your hand on the gear lever. Despite their amazing reliability and ultimate performance, modern cars - even modern BMWs - lack this immediacy. They're more effective as anesthetics for commuting than as tools for driving.
The E46 Compact with a Photoshop finish.
|
We'll have to wait and see if the 1 Series can satisfy as a modern incarnation of the 2002, but at least BMW seems to understand that even its own cars may be at risk of becoming too soft and remote. Ultimately, the question of resurrecting the 2002 badge isn't that important as long as BMW recognizes that "the fascination of an involving rear-wheel drive automobile [is] worth preserving."
)