William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

July 12, 2012

When BMW introduced their M Performance vehicles lineup, enthusiasts in the U.S. had wet dreams of M550d xDrive sedans and wagons, X5 and X6 M50d crossovers, and the M135i hatchbacks roaming the roads. However, the dreams would be dashed due to emission regulations or the mantra of "Americans don't buy hatchbacks."

However, there appears to be some hope on the horizon. According to Autoweek, BMW is working a M Performance vehicle to be shown at the 2014 North American International Auto Show called the M235i coupe.

M235i? Let me explain. The rumors of the BMW 3-Series coupe and convertible moving the 4-Series designation could be happening with the 1-Series; the hatchback sticking with 1, while the coupe and convertible move up to 2.

The M235i coupe will come with a 316 HP version of BMW's N55 turbocharged 3.0L inline-six currently used in the M135i hatchback. Transmissions will include a six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. All-wheel-drive will be available, along with a convertible version.

Source: Autoweek

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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Seems that BMW is bent on bringing their Chevy Versions to America. Be interesting to see how these water down cars affect their luxury image.

Yeah, exclusivity is usually tagged along with luxury but BMW wants to expand their market share so luxury might go out the window.