BMW rejigs the front-wheel-drive 1 Series as a GTI-taunting hot hatch

The third-generation BMW 1 Series is not sold in the United States. It’s also front-wheel drive, a switch that left BMW fans in a dumb stupor. Mounting the engine sideways means the hatchback is no longer eligible to receive a straight-six, but the Munich-based firm is taking advantage of the new layout to catapult the 1 into a segment dominated by the Volkswagen Golf GTI: hot hatches.