According to BMW’s ad for its M products, “history and compromise cannot be made at the same time.” Huh? What about The Missouri Compromise, the Camp David accord and The SALT treaty? The headline’s patent absurdity is capped by the copy’s intellectual inanity. “Nothing about our M cars is a compromise.” Anyone familiar with automaking knows it’s nothing but compromise: design vs. packaging vs. performance vs. technology vs. price vs. regulations vs. cost vs. time vs. internal and external resources. To suggest otherwise isn’t just wrong, it’s nuts. A very strange kind of nuts…
Obviously, the German automaker fancies itself a company apart: the last great independent automobile manufacturer. Which is almost true and fair enough. But it’s one thing to weave a less tangled corporate web than your conglomerated competitors, and quite another to advertise the fact. It’s hard to imagine a potential Zephyr, 9-3 or LS430 buyer opting for an equivalent Bimmer simply because Lincoln, Saab and Toyota nestle within larger corporate structures. On the sharp end, it’s “don’t know, don’t care.”
Of course, BMW’s latest ads are designed to make you care; to explain how the company’s independence ultimately produces ultimate driving machines. Quite apart from the ads’ creepy subtext (Aryan purity produces purebred automobiles) and the strange non-sequiturs born of megalomania (“It is a high-performance vehicle that actually exists in the real world”), it’s simply not true. The dreaded iDrive mouse-driven multi-media controller proves that BMW’s corporate independence doesn’t guarantee “the pursuit of great ideas.” More to the point, BMW no longer produces “the ultimate driving machine.”
At the risk of being over-literal, which BMW model would that be? Yes, the M3 is a truly magnificent motor, well worth a seat in the Driver’s Car Hall of Fame. But anyone who’s driven a Porsche 911 or Ferrari knows the M3 doesn’t even play in the same league as these phenomenal foreigners. You could argue the point on price– the M3 offers maximum pistonhead pleasure for a more accessible entry fee– if BMW let you. Their M ad clearly states “We refuse to subject them [BMW’s M cars] to money-saving shortcuts or mass production.”
In truth, enthusiasts have known for over a decade that BMW has lost the plot. The company’s campaign to expand into every product niche extant has sacrificed their cars’ unique selling point on the altar of growth and profit. How can an SUV– any SUV– be an ultimate driving machine? Although you can credit the X5 for at least trying to satisfy the brand proposition, the X3’s execrable ride and handling demonstrate the company’s complete lack of commitment to their creed. By the same token, the rest of BMW’s product line has become heavier in weight and lighter in steering. The 6-Series is a travesty.
Look closely and the evidence of BMW’s ultimate brand betrayal is everywhere: the fitment of stiff run-flat tires (that tramline on smooth pavement), disastrous ergonomics (what happened to the driver-angled console?), compromised visibility, over-complicated driver interfaces (column-mounted shift knobs, starter buttons and the world’s worst gearbox); even Chris Bangles’ fussy exterior shapes reveal a distinct turn away from the company’s former focus on driver satisfaction. The fact that BMW hasn’t built a convincing answer to Porsche's Boxster in ten years tells the tale.
And now BMW is putting Dr. Norbert Reithofer at the helm. Dr. R is Bimmer’s production go-to guy, the man who ensured that the company’s factories in South Africa and Spartanburg, South Carolina created profitable products worthy of international export. In his treatise “The Fascinating Power of Production – Worldwide Competence in Producing Premium Products,” Dr. R touted the fact that Bimmer’s production process meant that luxobarge customers could have it their way, choosing from variations that “amount to 10 to the power of 17- that is 100,000,000,000,000,000, which is an incredibly high number.” Yes it is. It’s also a very revealing one. Instead of boasting that BMW makes one ultimate driving machine, Dr. R took pride in 100 quadrillion possible variations.
I suppose it only makes sense. When a car company loses focus, it can either accept the fact that it’s lost its way and begin the long, painful and expensive process of returning to its roots (wither Cadillac), or it can widen its original remit to justify– if not celebrate– it’s more expansive agenda. BMW's ad campaign and Dr. R’s appointment tell us which way BMW’s wind is blowing. They formalize Bimmer’s hugely successful growth-oriented philosophy, and ensure its continuation. Never mind that BMW no longer “sticks to the knitting.” The company has never been so profitable.
And yet, history will record that BMW’s decline began even as it entered its most vigorous period of growth. Ironically enough, the automaker’s fate was sealed years ago, when the company compromised it core value in the pursuit of profit.
I had a BMW salesman use “the last independent car company” on me when I was recently car shopping. I don’t get it. Inependent of what? Ford is independent, I think. So is GM, MB, Toyota, etc. Sure, all of these companies have their sub-brands or divisions, but so does BMW. Do they mean that they are a small car company? Is it an advantage to not get the economies of scale that all the others use for an excuse for questionable acquisitions?
PS What happened to the website? The homepage appears to be from a couple of days ago.
Gee, I really like my e46 sedan.
And I loved my M3 and E36 328i.
jeez, sounds like sour grapes after BMW decided not to let you play with their cars. BMW has to balance sport and luxury AND utility and i think they do it better than anyone else. 911s in another league? E46 M3s and 996 and even 997 Carreras produce roughly the same performance numbers, and the M3 has a real back seat and a real trunk and saves bookoo (my own personal spelling) bucks. And criticizing BMW for making SAVs rings a little hollow when Porsche did exactly the same thing.
Normally I’d be inclined to disagree. (Outside of Porsche and the exotics, who else has a lineup that performance driven; they may not be as focused as they used to be, but they’re still far ahead of the rest of the industry.) But now that I think about it, this is sounding a little too similar to GM during the ’80s.
It’s not the iDrive or the styling (we all know GM has done far worse than that) but it’s the focus on profit that gets me. Because when GM began to be driven solely by money, they put out the very cars that would lead to it’s downfall-cars like the Diesel Oldsmobiles or their compact Chevy’s (the Celebrity comes to mind). But when GM lost its focus they were still making huge profits, they made them all through the ’90s. And we all know what happened after that.
Now, I don’t think that BMW would go down the same way. They know where they come from and how they got here. But I’m afraid that their push for more profits will get them to come up with more iDrives, more Bangle Butts, more of these really bad ideas that distracts them from what they should really be focused on, and then some other company beats them at their own game (my money’s on the Japanese). With GM, we can all see exactly what happens when a car company looses their focus. I would just hate to see that happen to BMW.
I think you mean “Aryan”. The Arians haven’t been around for over a thousand years.
I specifically waited until now to publish this piece to put a little clear air between TTAC's Bimmer ban and my thoughts about the company's ethos. I've been wondering about the company's dedication to ultimate driving for years, even before iDrive offered proof positive that they had their collective heads up their ass. As always, I critique from a place of love (strange as that may seem). I really do love and admire some of BMW's products, both past and present. I want BMW to be BMW. Is it such a bad thing to remind them when they forget who they are? Anyway, who says BMW has to balance sport and luxury and utility? If you're selling an "ultimate driving machine," the car's driving dynamics should be Job One. And probably Job One and Two as well. The 7 is a fine-handling luxobarge with a cracking motor, but it's over-complicated controls and flawed ergonomics detract from the car's core values. As OlympicTorch points out, as the editorial made clear, there are warning signs that Bimmer has lost its focus. My rant is not a blanket condemnation. It's a warning, issued to a company that feels it needs to give advice, rather than seek it.
I have a problem with the entire premise of BMW being the only “independent” car company as well. I can see this being argued with regards to to the global conglomerates that are, say, Ford, GM, or Volkswagen, but what about Honda? Or even Toyota? Do the fully in-house developed brands of Lexus and Scion somehow make Toyota less independent than the BMW-purchased brands of Mini and Rolls Royce? Add to your list, Farago, that if even with insider knowledge about its own future vehicles, this is what BMW considers to be its best selling point going forward, then there’s likely little to crow about in their pipeline.
Who knows, maybe even their brilliant suspension engineers, with their historically singular ability to provide both telepathic handling and compliant ride, and who were always their piece de resistance (with the exception of their work on the godawful X3) gave up and left the sinking ship.
Either way, they need to fire their ad agency, pronto.
phil:
That’s true about Porsche making SUVs, but they never marketed themselves as “unwilling to compromise.”
I borrowed a 2003 M5 once, and parked it next to a 2006 M5. I know the new one has 100 more ponies, active side bolstering, SMG, ventilated seats, eye catching style, etc…but that doesn’t sell it to me.
There’s no doubt the last gen M5 was my definition of the Ultimate Driving Machine. I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels that way.
o_fizzle: to be fair (though I think this distinction is largely lost in their message), they are claiming refusal to compromise on their M cars, not their line as a whole. And there has never been an X5 M (very explicitly, as they did have the X5 4.8is that on any of their other cars would have qualified as an M model).
Robert,
For what it’s worth, I agree with Phil that the piece does sound like sour grapes.
More to the point, I’m with you that BMW should stick to what it does best rather than branching out and lose its focus. There is no need for the I-drive, 6-series, 1-series, and the SUVs. Why do we need an M on everything? Aren’t the M3 & M5 enough? And who cares if the company is independent? The last time I checked, people did not stop buying a Ferrari and Aston because they’re overpriced Fiats and Fords.
But, my faith in at least a portion of the company is restored after my test drive last weekend. The car is the MZ4 coupe. It’s true that BMW had not built a Boxster competitor in the last few years, but do yourself a favor and check this baby out. This is more than a competitor to the Boxster S, Cayman S, or your beloved 911.
And what’s the love for the 911 anyway? I beg to differ with a portion of your bold assertion: “But anyone who???s driven a Porsche 911 or Ferrari knows the M3 doesn???t even play in the same league as these phenomenal foreigners.” Before buying the M3, I test drove the 911 twice, 911S, 911 GT3, and Boxster S. The base 911 is the worst of them all. After that, I decided on the M3.
I’ll grant you that 911S and GT3 (and Ferrari) are better, but we’re talking about close to 90K for the S, and more for the other machines. M3 vs. 911 was not even close for me.
But then again, even Porsche is churning out SUV’s and sedans (Panamara, etc.) And the Cayman is a pure example of building a car purely to profit and fill a gap between 911 and Boxster.
It’s unfortunate that BMW is straying, but that seems to be the modern tide. Name me a company that doesn’t do so.
If I have my way, BMW would stick with just 3, 5, Z, and M. That’s more than plenty to make a living.
My wife has an ’04 3-series (E46) that we just took in for service a few weeks ago. We got an ’06 3-series as a loaner for a day. It was actually a relief- we liked the interior of the E46 much better, and the driving dynamics weren’t really improved on the new one. She spent a 20 minute drive trying to tune the radio on the thing and never got anywhere.
I’m happy that we have the right car for us, but it’s sad that BMW’s latest offering didn’t speak to us at all. I really hope that BMW can get back to the E36/E46 experience in a decade when we start looking for a replacement, since they were the only ones offering anything that actually felt like a well thought out car when you tossed it into a corner.
I’ve also noticed a change in tone concerning BMW marketing methods. It’s really hard to explain, but without question, it’s creepy. A sort of arrogant superiority, that if questioned, results in dismissal. No matter how badly they screw up a product (I-Drive, SMG, Flame Surfacing, Run Flats) we are told that we just don’t understand and must learn. One could say that it’s the German culture. However, a quick visit to a Porsche, VW, MB or Audi dealership destroys that assumption.
Last great BMW ……2003 M5 (e39)
>>>jeez, sounds like sour grapes after BMW decided not to let you play with their cars.
I beg to differ. It’s a well thought out, well-written piece of automotive criticism. I liked among much else the point about cars being compromises. That is what shapes the different personalities of cars. One of the many things I hate the most about the GM skateboard vision of the future is that there would be no need for a whole series of compromises. It would be the automobile as computer box. It may be convenient, and it may be practical, but such a car would completely lack soul.
There is certainly a tone of arrogance in their marketing. It is sterotypical German, that they know what is best and that everyone else must get used to it, or that everyone else isn’t clever enough to understand what they are doing.
I’ve driven most of the new BMWs and though they are mostly a better driving experience to much of the competition at their price points, BMW has, as Farago correctly notes, taken their eye off the ball. They have lost that focus that made them the most revered and coveted car maker of all. In fact, that their tag line is no longer the ‘ultimate driving machine’, but ‘ultimate driving experience’ is telling enough.
I simply cannot see myself in any of the current crop of BMW abominations. Their focus on electronic gimickry, gadgets, loss of driver-oriented ergonomics, putrid interior and exterior design and horrible reliability will keep me away for a long time.
To wit, my business partner had an E60 M5. After three months of it being continually in the shop, the dealership bought it back from a livid and furious pistonhead. Another partner had a E60 530d. After a year of software upgrades and reboots (yes, really) he sold it vowing never to return to marque. However, badge snobbery is still there and BMW will continue to sell a lot of cars making them accessible to more people and in all conceivable niches.
Alas, I think my E46 M3 is the last of that once proud lineage.
CellMan, the only problem with your argument is that, with the exception of the Z4 (which loses to the Boxster) and the 6-series (which loses to… well i don’t know what it loses to but it’s certainly not a driver’s car itself), for the purposes of just driving, BMW does still make the leaders in each respective segment (one might even say… Ultimate Driving Machines?)
As a holistic ownership experience, or from a practical standpoint, they often don’t rank quite as high, and arguably never have.
I see a distinct correlation between the advent of Bangleisation and the downward spiral that followed. I-drive is a disaster but teutonic, ostrich like, behaviour refuses to accept that fact. The Z3 hasn’t been mentioned, but this hairdressers’ car should never have had a BMW badge anywhere near its’ unlovely prow. The Z4M, 10 large more expensive than the regular Z4, is another blunder. A chicken in every pot and a BMW in every driveway. The 2002 is dead, long live the 2002.
“I had a BMW salesman use ???the last independent car company??? on me when I was recently car shopping. I don???t get it. Inependent of what?”
The last time I checked, the BMW Company was a family-business owned by the Quandt family. I don’t know If they are floating on the stock market, but if so, the family controls the action. If I’m not wrong, family members functions as the board of directors, but with quite independent CEO:s. Since the family let the engineers save the company in the early sixties, they haven’t done much in the day-to-day business. So, that’s why they are “independent”.
Beware the Benedict Arnold…
Has anyone noticed that BMW has also gone from using a female voice to a male voice in their ads? I’m not sure their message is necessarily much more creepy than it has been historically, but there’s just no female softness there to take the edge off.
Edit: Here are the ads:
http://www.bmwusa.com/uniquelybmw/CultureOfIdeas/tvcommercials.htm
Although reliability is not as bad as Cellman implies, i agree with the general comments. My e46 M3 is still a kick; after countless startups i still revel in the gnashing whirling raspy sounds that arise with a twist of the key, and often stay in lower gears just to hear the snarl of that motor. the next M3 may have us all backtracking but i agree they’ve made more than a few stupid moves. I was given an 05 530 while my X5 was in for service, and i also could not preset any radio stations and what’s worse, the salesperson i enlisted for help couldn’t do it either! she was a blonde and i did have mixed motivations, but still…
so robert, i don’t think we care so much about their advertising drivel, but we care big time that the driving experience we all relish is being either diluted (new 5 series) or completely lost (6 series). and i’ll readily admit that if business is good for the next couple years i’ll be making the cayman/911 decision (hopefully with DSG) and try to find the nuances you so skillfully extoll.
as a suggestion, i’d really appreciate an editorial and subsequent discussion of rear drive vs all wheel drive. You hit the 325 xi pretty hard because of its all wheel propulsion and yet the 4 in C4 seems to be a plus. And btw, thanks for hanging in there and keeping yourself and TTAC alive, sans gallbladder.
Dead on, stuff like i-Drive, Bangle styling and stratospheric prices are the reason why the only current BMWs I care about are motorcycles. Unfortunately some of the same thinking is invading the bike division causing lots of sturm und drang over the power assisted brakes on some models. The great appeal of cars like the 2002 and the first 5 series was their simplicity, they had what they needed to do the job and nothing else, no gadgets, no fripperies. The 1 series seems to approach that ideal but it’s unlikely to be sold here, and even if it is, it will be laden with power operated toys.
This may explain why my favorite BMW car is a 3.0CSL “Batmobile”, followed by an ’89 M5 in metallic beige with no badges.
I really like BMW, however, I think they have gone a little too gadgety with the newer vehicles. Even after having the new 325 and 330 as loaner cars while my car was in the shop, it is ok, but I really prefer buttons over menus when using the radio. I’m still holding out that the new M3 will make me forget how much I really dislike their other vehicles right now.
If I were to distill all that BMW is into one car it would be the E39 M5 (the E30 M3 would be a really close 2nd).
what exactly is idrive from what i get from this article it sounds like a computer controlling the radio and other entertainment things with a mouse now if so how can that be bad i think it sounds alot better then messing with all those little buttons and it probably looks pretty cool
I, for one, would love to see the 1-series here. I’ve had the chance to admire them on trips to England in ’04 and ’06, and I can understand Bimmer’s reluctance to foray into the “entry-level” arena after seeing M-B’s horrid attempt with the C-coupe. Well, even if they were to change their mind at this point and bring the thing over, they’ve got some pretty stiff competition from the GTI and A3…and for less money, too (well, the GTI at least). I think the last thing BMW needs is to be going head to head with VW (image-wise). Still, I’d like to see the small, hi-po Bimmer diesels I’ve been reading so much about, so that might be a nice way to renew a little bit of core competency and uniqueness in the brand. I wholeheartedly agree that the 6-series is an absolute monstrosity. I still can’t figure that one out…
ultimate driving machine my arse…. thats the sort of title I associate with a lotus exige not a bloated sedan with an overly complex system that you must interface with to make certain adjustments.
Independant… that matters how? Do they make all of their own parts? That doesn’t exclude BMW from compromise in any way shape or form.
I bet dollars to pay that BMW uses the same vendors that vw, audi, mercedes and nearly everybody else does. The independant part only means that they dont buy as many and probably cant get the pricing on say a brake light switch that perhaps VW can because VW uses the same part in basically every car it currently produces… That means every VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, bugatti, lamborghini and bentley. So lets say that Delphi makes that switch *because they do* and that VW buys them for a fraction of what BMW buys a simmilar unit for…. that Independance sure paid off for BMW.
So really just how independant is bmw if they are dependant on outside vendors for parts just like every other MFG….
I think you may have to blame the marketing research folks for any strange creepy subtext related Germanic history in the current advertising campaign. If the market research trade mags speak the “truth”, the whole independence tag line supposedly was the result of some extensive market research into people who are not buying a BMW product, but supposedly have the “profile” to do so (read sufficient wealth to buy a BMW product). Per the market research dripple, this segment see themselves as uncompromising, creative and following their own drumbeat — that is — independent. Thus, a new marketing campaign is birthed. As mostly car enthusiasts on this site, the campaign was not designed to sell to us.
I also think there is also a marketing tie-in related to the Ingvar’s post above, as the Quandt family still owns 49% of BMW. I remember reading a few articles about their unhappiness regarding the Rover acquisition. Anyway, I think of all the current automobile manufacturers, BMW is the one least burdened by all the all the “street” requirements ( i.e., monthly conference calls with equity and debt analysts, ensuring their earnings meet projections, trying to hold on to their current debt rating) primarily because of their capital structure. This allows BMW an “independence” that other manufacturers just don’t have.
In the end, the new marketing campaign is about selling more cars than last year, even if they are no longer the ultimate driving machine.
Simple.
BMW has really good marketing. Lots of salesmen (and BMW drivers) totally buy into it, or at least use it to their advantage to sell cars or just plain think they’re better than the rest of us. It’s no secret BWM is one of the best perceived car brands out there, from an enthusiast/image point of view anyways. It’s a well managed brand, and selling luxury is all about image and perception.
My point? BMW is using its great heritage to sell out. Seems to be working too…
I have never set foot in a BMW car, but I have put thousands of miles on their motorcylces.
BMW used to build a great motorcycle. They had a vast network of small independent dealers, and they built some of the most reliable motorcycles on the road. While a honda or a kawaski motorcycle would wear out at 30 or 40k miles, a bmw airhead with 70k was just getting broke in. A bmw airhead motorcycle is like owning a vw bug. Do the regular maintenance, and the darn thing will run forever.
Then the maketing guys and bean counters took over. Lot of the small independent dealers closed, the quality of the bikes went down, and the money spent on the bmw motorcycle image went up. It is a sad state of affairs, because the it appears that the same thing is now happening to the car side of the company. They have trashed their image with a lot of motorcycle riders, it is just a matter of time til they do it with their cars.
I considered both the 911 and M3, and I chose the M3 with the competition package. It wasn’t just about money. The M3 runs very well with the 911, which will be forever cursed by the rear engine layout. The 911 is a great car, no doubt, but to say the the M3 and 911 don’t belong in the same club is a more than a stretch, it’s simply incorrect.
I don’t understand people and their obsession with constantly putting down iDrive.
– It’s much better than leaning forward while driving and using a touch screen, or fiddleing with a bunch of cluttered knobs and buttons. If your experienced with any type of new electronics (PCs, DVD players, cell phones, video games etc) you should have no problem with it whatsoever.
– It only takes 5 minutes of playing around with it to get the hang of it. Just because BMW took a risk and tried to develop something new and different to simplify things for their cars is admirable in my opinion.
– As the rags will falsely lead you to believe: entertainment and climate buttons ARE actually still present on the dash for quick access. Plus it is quite intuitive in modifying vehicle settings (and kinda fun) especially in the new M5.
– The new versions in the 3, 5, 6, and restyled 7 are even easier to master.
Oh, and just for record: I’ve driven both the previous V8 M5 and the new V10 one. The 2006 has a superior ride, steering feel, power, handling, luxury and technology. Can’t wait ’till it come in a manual! There’s a reason it’s sold-out until 2010…
I know it’s hard for some you computer-chair car-czars to swallow, but BMW is in the business of growing and making money… and they’re doing exactly that.
Sasquatch –
So the end justifies the means? Maybe people are expecting too much of a legendary brand, which is at the end of the day just in it for the money (like everyone else).
I’ve never had the opportunity to deal with iDrive, although from what I gather it’s years ahead of its time. My beef would be that it’s in a future I don’t like: needlessly complex and where the goal seems to be minimizing the involvement of driving. That, along with outer-space potato styling, may sell cars, but I have my doubts it’s an improvement.
It isn’t.
There was a issue of Car and Driver Magazine in the spring of 2002 that featured a series of ‘comparos’ under the headline: “M vs. AMG.” The 4 matchups were:
M3 convertable vs. CLK 55 AMG convertable
M coupe vs. SLK 32 AMG
M5 vs. E 55 AMG
X5 4.6is vs. ML55 AMG
It seemed strange that they felt that this X5 qualified as an M car, but the explanation from C&D went something like this:
“The X5 4.6is is as close to an M model as your going to get from their SUVs (SAVs… whatever). We asked a BMW spokesman why and he explained that the M badge would only go on cars that used a stick shift. An M car must be one that is enthusiast focused and that is demanding of its driver.”
Every time I see a new e60 M5, I shead a tear at this symbol of compromise.
iDrive has taken far more hits than it deserves. I’ve used it on a demo basis, and I had no issues with it. In fact, iLike it!
I agree with Robert. BMW is turning into Merecedes. The emphasis has shifted from sport to luxury, from youth to middle age wealth. They have freely admit to this by even suggesting that the new 3 series coupe will be “more luxury inspired”. The 6 series already is a luxo-barge for aging execs. All of their cars are getting bigger so quickly that the current 3 series is nearly the same size as the old 5. All the focus on useless technology such as active steering, run-flats, iDrive do nothing for the driver – why don’t invest some cash in improving the clutch action?
My old E35 328is was such a totally driver focused car, my current 330ci less so but it still has what it takes but it will probably be mt last.
It’s ironic, recently I found myself standing at the dealership waiting for my car to get an oil change when I realized that after 20 years of lusting after BMWs I have had reached the point in my life where I could afford any of their products yet thay have nothing for sale that I want.
I’m with Farago on this one.
“Now, I don???t think that BMW would go down the same way. They know where they come from and how they got here.”
-OlympicTorch
Yeah, but so did GM. And with the arrogance they are displaying, I’m ready for the BMW Death Watch.
I’ve said it for a while. BWM is drastically losing the plot, faster and faster everyday. Its actually sad. As a 16 year old, I dreamt of having an brand new M5 when I could afford it. Now the only reason I would take a current gen M5 is to resell it and make money.
I’m disappointed with you, BMW.
BMW is still far from a deathwatch…the arrogance they are displaying still has a few decades to go before reaching “big 3 extent”. Is it just me or does it seem like the whole auto industry is being overrun by financiers and accountants who want to put profitability first? Maybe that’s a reality of the market, but what a sad market it is.
GM is on death watch, Ford just as well be, Mercedes and BMW seem to be becoming fatter by the day (I believe the exterior dimensions of the latest 3 series are larger than mid to early 1990’s 5 series), Toyota’s quality veneer is cracking, Honda is ditching sports cars with very few exceptions but going away from the fun to drive for sure, Nissan is unexciting besides the (shock wearing off) 350Z and G35, VW is selling Rabbits with Inline 5’s, DCX is on a stunted comeback thanks to fuel prices killing any momentum from the brightest lights (300 & Co., Ram & Associates), Hyundai’s chairman is a con.
All this wouldn’t be such a bother if more exciting products were available though; why does everything look to be designed by a focus group – oh right, because everything now is. Entry level luxury is so over-crowded and is no more than an exercise in branding. What’s really disapointing is even the leaders (which definitely includes BMW) seem to be losing their identity and direction. Sales are up though…does that justify everything?
I agree that a lot of BMW’s current offerings put forth comfort and endless amounts of technology, but that is just the way the market is at the moment. When people pay exuburant amounts of money on a premium make, they expect to be pampered with these things.
I would love for BMW to offer stripped down versions of it’s M3 and M5. Manual seats, 6 speed, simple AM/FM CD, maybe A/C, no Navigation or any of the expensive “driver’s assist” doodads. But that’ll never happen…any thoughts?
I would like to see BMW offering a stripped down version of the M3 because they did it before with the M3 CSL. A stripped down M5 to me just wouldn’t make sense due to the car having a “sedan that can put sports cars in their place while riding in style with friends and family” appeal.
On another point, I think the iDrive still needs a few more generations until it gets to something that everyone can use easily. I would like to see buttons that could automatically take you to a mode (e.g. cd, nav, etc) instead of having to use the controller to back out of the mode you are currently in and then select the new one.
I think people are glorifying BMWs past. Today’s M3 is better than any M3 of the past and every past M3 always lost to a contemporary Porsche. I mean obviously, they are different kind of cars.
Quote: “Ironically enough, the automaker???s fate was sealed years ago, when the company compromised it core value in the pursuit of profit.”
When in the history of human kind was ever a company that hasn’t had profit as its core value? You either start thinking about profit after your second product or you just won’t be there very long.
Of course it’s all about compromise, but it depends on how much you’re thinking about the driver when you compromise. And BMW is still very good at that, but they were never as good as people want to believe.
Concerning the term “independent”. I guess that means that BMW is in the hands of the Quandt family and therefore doesn’t have to “compromise” too much when it comes to dealing with stockholders. The Quandt family holds the majority of the shares and doesn’t interfere with management. Also they are no huge conglomerate like GM, Ford, Toyota, VW or DaimlerChrysler. They have Mini as second Brand but there is no badge engeneering going on so there doesn’t have to be a “compromise” between the interests of the different brands.
I’m always envious of the years of experience with BMW you guys are sharing. I am the newer buyer that BMW wants to persuade. And I don’t like what I see either.
The exterior of the 3-series… talk about a compromise. I agree the last generation of 3 was much nicer looking. And I-Drive… too antiquated. Slow, with a Windows-like interface. Not elegant at all.
Audi catches my eye. With elegant designs, great interiors and a focus on technology.
The guy who said he couldn’t find something of BMW’s to buy, that’s right.
Sour grapes aside, I think BMW has dropped off significantly in the past 3 years. The last 3-series I liked was the 2002…since then, their styling has gone quite far away from the signatures they spent years on – the sharp angles and folds gave way to squared off rear ends. But the M has stayed quite nice looking, up until the current year. They still look nicer, thanks to the flares and aggressive stance.
The cars that made me want a BMW are no longer made, and the new ones don’t exactly inspire lust. But comparing them to a Porsche, more pure-bred sportscar than the M3 ‘compromise’, is folly. That’s where the sour grapes came through for me. But everything else is pretty spot on.
One of these days, I’ll pick up a used ’01 or ’02 330XI to play with…or maybe a 00 M3.
I don’t quite get throwing BMW under the bus for jumping into SUVs. Sure, they don’t handle like the 3 or 5 or 7, but they still, at the peak of the SUV market, handled better than any Ford or Chevy or Dodge could dream of. Comparatively speaking, it was definitely BMW handling, but not BMW-car handling.
I still don’t get the whole attack on iDrive – I was able to understand it and use it fully within minutes, but I grew up with Computers and Video games and such – I’m used to a centralized controller for simplification.
I agree with you. I do like the BMW SUV’s. (I know that’s crazy talk.) They do what they’re set out to do. They look rugged. They drive great. And the X3 doesn’t feel like a German car it’s so generously proportioned inside.
Also, I like the idea behind iDrive. I do like tech in vehicles. The issue I have is interface and usability. It’s slow and not attractive-looking.
Why are all of you so upset about Bmw’s path to success??? Business is business!!! Don’t be upset, just buy what you like and be happy. Their sales and substantial profits are due to “intelligent marketing” and a history of great cars!!
That said, look at the empirical data below.
All figures in Billions: Source: Forbes.com
BMW Gross Sales=60.16 Net Profit=3.01
Volkswagen Group Gross Sales= 112.61 Net Profit=1.32
Porsche Germany Gross Sales= 7.97 Net Profit=0.95
DaimlerChrysler Gross Sales=177.04 Net Profit= 3.36
The only company that beats Bmw’s net profit margin is Porsche and they do make fabulous cars. I own one myself and enjoy every moment of it. So, the moral of the story is, Bmw does what it does best:-)
I do love various makes and models of automobiles, however, Bmw has had a fine line of vehicles through the ages!!!
Note: I didn’t list Japanese or any countries’ auto makers here for the sake of the subject!