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      08-21-2019, 04:57 PM   #83
Wills2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Obioban View Post
There's just no reason to buy a BMW anymore.

They don't drive better than the competition.
They don't look better than the competition.
They aren't more reliable than the competition.
They aren't more luxurious than the competition.
They aren't cooler than the competition.
They aren't cheaper than the competition.

BMW used to be differentiated by driving dynamics. If you wanted a car that drove nicely, but was also reliable and luxurious enough to DD, BMW was your only option. No, this wasn't desirable to every customer in the world-- and that's fine. Every product does not to appeal to every person.

This was true of every BMW, not just the M cars. Every car had great steering feel, 50:50 weight distribution, good chassis feel, light weight for the practicality offered, rear wheel drive, a gimmick free, focused cockpit, with a responsive, linear NA engine, that could be paired to a manual transmission. Paying more got you that experience in a larger and/or faster car, but you got the above no matter what.

Because the above attracted car enthusiasts (who often also enjoy tinkering), it was also somewhat important that the cars were also easy to work on (no longer true).

During this period, their styling had a consistent form follows function mentality, which gave them a distinctive look compared to every other car on the road (also now abandoned).

This was the formula from 1962 (with the "New Class") till the early 2000s. Now it applies to... not a single car they make other than maybe the i3 (which is too ugly for most people to see past).

The above formula does not appeal to 100% of the population. It doesn't even appeal to the majority of it. BMW changed, trying to make a car for everyone. In the process, they made a lineup of generic cars that aren't better at anything and aren't particularly appealing to anyone. BMW id no longer differentiated, so now they're left scrounging for cheaper leases to get cars moved.
That's a great strategy if your aim is to sell the same amount of cars in 2020 as you did in 1990....

The world and the consumer has moved on, what was acceptable and profitable then doesn't translate into the needs and wants of a modern consumer. Neither would it provide the unit volume and scale a modern auto maker needs to turn a profit whilst investing billions in new tech to keep pace with and stay relevant in a changing sector.

What you're suggesting is the equivalent of Porsche going back to just making the 911 and expecting that to end well.
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