Aside from the centre-cap removed alloy wheels and the blue brake calipers, which identifies the prototype as the M140i, the images taken by motor1.com differs little from the ones snapped by Autocar five months ago, although the online publication does claim that the next One will not be offered in three-door guise due declining market demand, and that an M1 variant has been ruled out completely.
As previously indicated, the biggest change will come underneath the skin where the 1-series will switch to a development of the Mini’s UKL2 front-wheel drive platform dubbed FAAR, and eschew the straight-six petrol engine for a four-cylinder turbo due to the architecture’s configuration.
Based on a report from the British publication at the time, the One will also spawn an X Performance model in the shape of the M130i, which will be offered solely with xDrive all-wheel drive and produce in region of 221kW, making it a direct rival for the Mercedes-AMG A35. This model is however only due in 2020.
Aesthetically, the 1-series is set to take inspiration from the X2 as evident by the headlight design, while the rear bears similarities with the current 5-series. No interior images have yet been seen, but expect it to get BMW’s new iDrive 7.0 operating system and the 10.25-inch infotainment display, as well as the X5-inspired digital instrument cluster.
