U Spy: 2015 BMW 1-Series GT Caught Hauling a Trailer in Munich

Remember the BMW Active Tourer Concept from 2012 Paris motor show? Well, here's what the production version looks like in the Bavarian firm's signature camouflage wrap.

The 1-Series Gran Turismo (GT) tester was nabbed by Carscoops' reader Peter S., who told us the following: "While I was sitting in a cafe house in rainy Munich and drinking my morning café I recognised a camouflage BMW outside. I ran out and took photo shots of it.

The regular length 1-Series GT (there will also be a longer model possibly featuring space for 5+2 passengers) was snapped hauling a trailer, while revealing very few of its details.

Underpinning the new BMW model will be the group's UKL modular platform shared with the next Mini, which means that the 1-Series GT will break tradition by offering front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive may be offered as an option on more powerful engines.

One of the car's closest competitors will be the Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

We tip our hats to Peter S. for the scoop shots!

PHOTO GALLERY

Schwabenfolia Squeezes Some Color on the BMW 1-Series M Coupe

Leave it to a German tuner with a tongue twister name like Schwabenfolia to go all lime green with a limited edition sports car like the BMW 1-Series M Coupe, of which a little over 6,300 units were produced during a ~1-year run.
But fear not, as Schwabenfolia didn't actually paint the Bavarian coupe, instead, it applied a lime green foil wrap, which is priced at €2,150 (US$2,850).

Scoop: BMW's Concept Active Hybrid Takes Production Shape as the New 1-Series GT

The first modern day BMW to be offered with front-wheel drive is almost upon us as the Bavarian car manufacturer is moving ahead with the development of the 1-Series Gran Turismo (GT) that was previewed through the Concept Active Hybrid at the 2012 Paris Motor Show this past September.
The 1-Series GT is a roomier and more practical addition to the 1-Series range that currently comprises the new generation three- and five-door hatchbacks available in both RWD and AWD configurations, and the exclusively RWD older Coupe and Convertible body styles.

BMW’s Hybrid Active Tourer Concept is a 1-Series GT in Disguise

If things stayed the same, we would probably still be living in caves – or even worse. Change is inevitable and this stands for car manufacturers, too.
BMW apparently thinks the same way; that’s why the Active Tourer Concept that premiered at the Paris Auto Show toady breaks with the Bavarian carmaker’s tradition by offering front-wheel drive.
The automaker claims that its latest study “offers an initial insight into innovations for the premium compact segment… in terms of both the interior and the drive concept.”

Rumors: BMW to Reveal 1-Series Grand Turismo at the Paris Motor Show [with Spy Video]

There's a lot going on at BMW these days but no project is bound to be more divisive than the firm's first front-wheel drive model, the upcoming 1-Series Grand Turismo, which was previously known by the acronym F.A.S.T., which stands for Family Activity Sports Tourer.
Citing inside sources, the crew over at the BMW Blog reported that the 1-Series GT would make its world premiere at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show this fall.

Spy Shots: New BMW M135i with 320HP 3.0-liter Turbocharged Six

Earlier this week, BMW blew the covers off the first models of its new M Performance sub-brand, namely the M550d, X5 M50d and X6 M50d.
But that's only the beginning as the German firm plans to expand the range to include if not all, most of its models including the 1-Series five-door hatchback, a prototype of which our scoop photographers caught while testing in Europe (albeit with a fake 118i moniker on the tailgate).
So far, the most powerful model of the new 1-Series hatch is the recently announced 125i sporting a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that puts out 218bhp and 310Nm (228 lb-ft) propelling the five-door model to 100km/h (62mph) in 6.4 seconds and on to a maximum velocity of 245 km/h (152mph).

Hyundai America Nabs BMW Designer Christopher Chapman

If there's one thing that Hyundai and Kia can lay claim to, is that both companies eventually understood the importance of design and made significant efforts to improve the styling of their vehicles in the past few years.
To achieve their goal, the Koreans didn't hesitate to bring in experienced designers from other brands, with the most notable transfer being that of Peter Schreyer from Audi who took over and revolutionized Kia's design language.
The South Korean group continues to inject its brands with foreign designers, with its latest hire being Christopher Chapman of former BMW fame. Chapman was named chief designer of the Hyundai Design Center in Irvine, California, and will be responsible for new vehicle and concept design for Hyundai.

BMW 1 Series M Coupe: Official Teaser Video and Photos of Smallest Ever M Model

[Updated] Just moments ago BMW released the first teaser video of the hotly-anticipated 1 Series M Coupe (that's the official name the Bavarian company is -currently- using for the car). No details about the powertrain or performance specs have been revealed, though in the video after the jump, M boss Kay Segler leaves no doubt that the 1-Series M Coupe will be a powerful machine that will give its driver "the goose pimples" [...].

The video shots suggest that the 1 Series M model will get the usual "M treatment" with extended wheel arches and a bodykit with unique bumpers and side skirts. According to Segler, the smallest ever BMW to wear the M-badge will arrive in showrooms in the first half of 2011. More to come so stay tuned...

BMW 1-Series M Coupe

The BMW 1-Series M Coupe is pretty fast on paper. Reaching the 60 mph (96 km/h) mark in just 4.7 seconds is no small feat, but nowadays, it seems that performance cars need to have a respectable “Ring” time under there belt to command respect. Now, a forum member of the 1Addicts fan site who calls himself "SteveD" claims that the Ring time for the 335-horsepower strong M model is 8 minutes and 12 seconds.

If true (and according to the Nürburgring lap times list posted on Wikipedia), this means the entry-level M model is 10 seconds faster than the E46 M3, on par with the E86 Z4 M Coupe, but 7 seconds slower than the E92 M3.