Team-BHP - Now this is News!!! BMW To Partner with Fiat for Small Cars!

Quote:

Originally Posted by karanraheja (Post 896906)

BMW To Partner with Fiat for Small Cars:

http://www.******************/just-i...or-small-cars/

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Here is another link to the news:
BMW and Fiat teaming up for new small car platform - Autoblog

This sound slightly weird. They are already in pact with PSA Peugeot Citroen for small cars and their MINI model shares engines with Puegeot small cars like 207.

I fail to understand what is the point behind this.

And they got the news from Reuters, which clearly says Alfa Romeo and BMW are going to be involved in platform sharing.

The deal seems to be centered around development of the new MINI, and introduction of Alfa Romeo in the U.S

Source: Fiat, BMW look at Alfa Romeo-Mini cooperation | Deals | Regulatory News | Reuters

::ITALIASPEED:: says that Fiat and BMW are involved in talks about sharing components for their next versions of Mini and Grande Punto, both of which are due sometime in 2011 timeframe.

Also, BMW is helping Alfa Romeo to set up its US operations.

One more link to the news:
BMW Announce Platform Sharing Agreement with Fiat Group

The entire article is: ( source is the above link )

Quote:

Today BMW announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share future platforms with the Fiat group. If you are about to go head over heels at a prospect of seeing a BMW 3-series carrying the Fiat label, you need not worry, the cooperation agreement proposes that the Mini and Alfa Romeo brands will share future platforms.

"We are currently examining with the Fiat Group possibilities for the joint use of components and systems in MINI and Alfa Romeo vehicles in order to achieve economies of scale and thus cost reductions within the framework of our Strategy Number ONE",said Friedrich Eichiner, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

Full details of how the collaboration will work are yet to be revealed, but it is likely the agreement will not be seen in production form until the third generation Mini Cooper which is still some five years away.

Source: BMW AG

This simply stunned me. BMW MINI to have common platform with Alfa Romeo ? I hope that this deal remains to the small engine part only and does not extent to badge engineering.

Here are some further developments on this news:

"Isetta is the result of BMW’s “Project i unit,” which has been working largely independently to develop electric car technology. It’s not know if the Fiat-BMW partnership will be a two-way stream..."

"It appears Fiat has at least two regular engines planned for the car — one delivering 65 horsepower and the other 105 hp."

"Both cars are likely to seat three passengers, including the driver. This should give Isetta the upper hand over Daimler’s Smart ForTwo."

Here is an illustration of what the car might look like:

Now this is News!!! BMW To Partner with Fiat for Small Cars!-isetta1.jpg

Now this is News!!! BMW To Partner with Fiat for Small Cars!-isetta2.jpg

Source: Leftlane - news, reviews, and info for the auto-industry