Maybe this has been there forever, but;


What Edmunds.com Says:Using its luxury brand image to sell affordable cars could prove itself a tenuous plan of attack, but there's little doubt that the car will be an entertaining drive.

What We Know: After much hemming and hawing and keeping a close eye on the competition, BMW has decided that it will, after all, bring its 1 Series to the American market. Helmut Panke, BMW's Chairman told Inside Line that the launch will coincide with the introduction of new bodystyles in the European market. He wouldn't confirm that it would be a sedan, but he did note American distaste for hatchbacks. Regardless of which bodystyle is used the 1 Series will be built on the same platform as the current 1 Series hatchback. It's expected that the U.S. version of this vehicle will be powered by a 2.5-liter inline six, which produces roughly 218 horsepower. With one of the longest wheelbases for its size, the 1 Series will probably sell for about $25,000. All-wheel drive could be featured on some variants, but it will not likely be available as a standard feature.
<!-- (JSP_END) /InsideLine/InsideLineWeb/WebRoot/components/futurevehicles/preview.jsp --><!-- End VDP Content --><!-- (JSP_END) /InsideLine/InsideLineWeb/WebRoot/components/futurevehicles/preview.jsp --><!-- End VDP Content -->

This is almost exactly the type of car I want, Subcompact RWD with handling and power. I hope they make a Ci version or even better, the cabrio is under $30k.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/FVDP/Preview/styleId=100277802

Found this too:

Will you bring the 1 Series to the U.S.?
Eventually, yes.

When?
Some papers speculate the end of '07; some say the beginning of '08…[the introduction] is tied to the addition of body styles. BMW is understood as premium, and a hatchback (like the current model sold in Europe) doesn't really fit on that level.

Is a three-box sedan more likely?
There are many alternatives. We have not given that away, but it's not going to be a hatch.