Tom Purvis, Chairman and CEO of BMW North America visited with us to expound on the laurels of the BMW 1 Series, destined to be a hit on our shores.

The 1 Series has been in production in Europe since 2002. The automaker is looking to fit the 1 Series in-between the Mini Cooper and the 3 Series.

Better yet in addition to the coupe, which will be on sale in March, a covertable is ready to come off the production line just in time for summer driving with an end of May release. Purvis announced that the convertible will start at $33,875 for the 128i model and $39,875 for the 135i model.
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One our quest to find a BMW 1 Series, the boys and I headed over to BMW Canada of Sunday afternoon. We didn’t find a 1, but Jim Kenzie’s steed for Targa Newfoundland was sitting outside the shop door. This Cooper S is pretty typical for a tarmac rally car, with lots of John Cooper Works add ons, along with all the usual safety upgrades. Oddly enough, it was the first time the either of the boys have ever noticed a removable steering wheel.

Targa Newfoundland is a tarmac rally that attracts teams from around the world, bringing both modern and vintage rally cars to the incredible roads around Newfoundland. Canadian automotive writer Jim Kenzie and his Mini have become fixtures at this annual event.

More Mini pics after the break

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Well, at least one 1 has made it here. AutoSpies has posted this shot of a BMW 1 Series compact 5 door taken in the San Francisco Bay area sporting manfuacturer plates. Available in other parts of the world since 2005, the 1 Series is smaller than a 3 series, which puts it in the compact class. What makes it unique to the class, is that it is a rear wheel drive machine that car be outfitted with one of several engines, ranging from a meek 116 hp, up to 163 hp. We want that one in The Garage!

BMW Canada is about 1 KM from The Garage, so we’ll have to spin by over the next couple of weeks to see if we can spot one here.