That's it! After years of wondering what the small BMW would look like. We finally have the official pictures. And it's not going to send the other car makers to their drawing boards...

It might look pretty strange and modern to us in the US. But Europeans and Japanese are used to hatchback designs. And this one is pretty much the same as the new Opel Astra, with a touch of late BMW weirdness added to it. It's just nothing special...

But wait. BMW just announced that in the US, they will only sell the 4 and 2 door models. No hatch. And these cars are going to look even more conservative than this one. It'll just look like a smaller version of the next 3 series... Too bad.

At least, the interior seems more modern and upscale. And of a better quality than the cheap X3. And actually much better looking than the 5 series.

The most likely engine for the US is a new 2.0 Liter with 150hp. That should be pretty good, considering that BMW engines feel much more powerful than the numbers. With a 6 speed manual standard, and a new 6 speed Automatic as an option.

Beside the name, the big selling point will be the rear wheel drive, and perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

It is just a few inches shorter than a Ford Focus. So it fits between the Mini and the 3 series. It should start at under $25 000. Which is still pretty obnoxious for a small compact. But most of the time, so is owning a BMW...