BMW and Mercedes Could Co-Develop Next-Gen 1-Series And A-Class Together

[cawimmer430]

Interesting.



BMW and Mercedes Could Co-Develop Next-Gen 1-Series And A-Class Together

German automotive giants BMW and Mercedes-Benz might end up co-developing their next-generation C-segment models, the 1-Series and the A-Class, as part of a greater alliance that could also include sharing autonomous car technology.

According to German newspaper Handelsblatt, the automakers need to first figure out costs so that they can go on to invest billions in self-driving systems and avoid falling behind any rivals or newcomers such as Waymo.



By sharing a compact car architecture, BMW and Mercedes could save billions in investment costs, according to insiders with knowledge of these discussions, although if something does materialize, the first joint compact car models would likely not be launched before 2025.

One major issue to overcome is the fact that BMW and Mercedes engineers might actually resist the idea of a joint venture, which would make matters more difficult for upper management execs, as reported by Automotive News Europe.



Up until now, Daimler and BMW have worked together on projects such as Nokia's mapping company Here (with Audi also involved). They have also merged their short-term rental services Car2Go and DriveNew in an attempt to bite off a bigger chunk of the mobility market.

Should the two go through with jointly developing future 1-Series and A-Class models, we imagine that fans of either brands might join engineers in taking issue with it, although technically and financially, things could end up working out well.


Link: https://www.carscoops.com/2019/01/bmw-mercedes-co-develop-next-gen-1-series-class/

[12,000 RPM]

Makes sense. I will leave it at that :)

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I hate to see competitors working together!!! Same with Ford and GM designing transmissions together!

[Xer0]

This pretty much kills the manual in the next 1er.  I think we have to accept that this, and maybe the next, generation of new cars are the only ones left that will still be available with a manual.

[12,000 RPM]

Honda, unlike Mazda, will never let the manual fundamentalists down.

I'm really trying to be nice about this collab so I will just stay quiet :) :) :)

[giant_mtb]

Honda, unlike Mazda, will never let the manual fundamentalists down.

I'm really trying to be nice about this collab so I will just stay quiet :) :) :)

(: (: (: (: (: (:

[Submariner]

Honda, unlike Mazda, will never let the manual fundamentalists down.

I'm really trying to be nice about this collab so I will just stay quiet :) :) :)

Meh.  Honda will eventually jump on the automation bandwagon through market forcres or government demands.  Automation will be the final blow to the manual gear box.

[cawimmer430]

This pretty much kills the manual in the next 1er.  I think we have to accept that this, and maybe the next, generation of new cars are the only ones left that will still be available with a manual.

Based purely on observation, roughly 7 out of 10 BMW 1-Series' I see parked on the streets have an A/T transmission.

I also don't think the manual transmission is dead - yet - in the 1er/A-Class. You can actually buy the current A-Class with a manual transmission. It's available in all models except the A250, A35 AMG and the upcoming A45/A45S AMG.

I can see something similar taking place in the next-generation A-Class and of course the 1-Series'. The manual will still be there, but it may be confined to lower end models.

[cawimmer430]

Current A-Class interior with a 6-speed manual transmission. This is an A200 Sedan I configured on the German MB website with the "cheap MBUX" system (tachometer with no RPM gauge and smaller central display).

[12,000 RPM]

Meh.  Honda will eventually jump on the automation bandwagon through market forcres or government demands.  Automation will be the final blow to the manual gear box.

As long as Honda keeps making good vehicles they will have the margin to sink cash into 3rd pedal cars.

We are seeing the limits though. For example in the US you have to choose between 3 pedals or adaptive cruise control. No brainer for me, I spend way more time in conditions conducive to ACC than to nailing the perfect downshift.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

As long as Honda keeps making good vehicles they will have the margin to sink cash into 3rd pedal cars.

We are seeing the limits though. For example in the US you have to choose between 3 pedals or adaptive cruise control. No brainer for me, I spend way more time in conditions conducive to ACC than to nailing the perfect downshift.

Same here. Plus there's no beneifit to manuals anymore. They used to be faster and got better fuel economy. Now that that's a wash the ONLY benefit is driver involvement. IMHO not once have I found my car less engaging because it's missing a third pedal.......

[BimmerM3]

Same here. Plus there's no beneifit to manuals anymore. They used to be faster and got better fuel economy. Now that that's a wash the ONLY benefit is driver involvement. IMHO not once have I found my car less engaging because it's missing a third pedal.......

For me, it's about being in the right gear at the right time. It's really unlikely that an auto transmission will be programmed exactly to my liking in all driving conditions. And I've yet to drive a CVT that I really like, though a few have been okay enough that I might consider getting a vehicle with one for other reasons (mostly PHEV/hybrid tech).

That said, give me a DCT or a good shiftable automatic, and I mostly agree with you. Especially for a DD. The transmission in my dad's A4 is fantastic.

[12,000 RPM]

With enough horsepower the transmission kind of doesn't matter. Plus most modern autos will let you "prime" the engine to get into the powerband early. Even my Kia has a +/- toggle that is effective enough. Really no less functional than a manual for street stuff.

For fun or extreme driving conditions (i.e. track work) give me a manual. But I think I may have bought my last manual street car for a very long time