Bmw Csi

BMW is showing CS1 Tuesday, a concept that BMW executives say is a strong hint at what its 1 Series will look like when it hits dealerships in 2004. And to make a splash, BMW is showing it first in cabrio form.

Unlike Cruiser, which plays to retro themes, CS1 is a car for the future, BMW says. "Forget about nostalgia when looking at this very special car," says BMW Chief Executive Helmut Panke.

The 1 Series will replace the 3 Series as BMW's entry-level car and is expected to be priced in the USA at about $22,000. A 1-Series convertible likely would fetch between $25,000 and $30,000.

CS1 uses BMW's new iDrive control system. It puts hundreds of controls and functions into a center console joystick, which moves a cursor on a dashboard screen.

CS1 is powered by a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine, producing 115 horsepower, and features the sequential manual gearbox, which shifts gears within fractions of a second via paddles on the steering wheel, rather than a floor clutch