[erio]

Marketing baby...that's what this is all about. I don't think they really care about preserving the M badge for the true enthusiasts. They care about the masses. They know the M badge sells and they want to create an affordable M that's available to more consumers. First it was the damn x5/6m and now this..... I don't buy this rational of how it will make the regular M better by providing more development funding. They have plenty of resources to accomplish that task without diluting the M badge. Pretty soon the M badge will be a factory option for all cars. By diminishing the exclusivity of the M badge, I really think they will loose a lot of us because people who drive M cars as a general rule like the exclusivity. However, by sacrificing loyal customers along with the M heritage they will in turn gain enough new customers to more than make up the difference. I guess they feel it's worth it.....sad.