BMW’s new nomenclature dictates that coupes have an even numbered naming convention, while sedans get an odd numbered digit. But with the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe, BMW has managed to disrupt the integrity of it right off the bat.
The Gran Coupe, said to be the black car in the center of the photographs, is just a 4-door 4-Series with a sloping roof. But a 4-door 4-series is, of course, a 3-Series. Aside from the sloping roof and the presumably missing center seat in the back, how is this at all different from a 3-Series? What’s the selling proposition? At least the 6-Series GC has a competitive set in the Audi A7 and Mercedes CLS, while offering a distinctive package versus the 5-Series. This really doesn’t look that different at all. Then again, luxury niche customers have always been ignored by the Germans…
But I thought a Gran Coupe was a Plymouth?
Wasn’t that the Gran Fury?
Wasn’t that Christine.
Nope. It was a Ford. They drove one in that Cop Show…What was it…T.J. Hooker?
Plymouth had a 2 door gran coupe fury in 1970, in 1971 they had a fury gran coupe 2 door and 4 door.
There was also a barracuda gran coupe.
I guess BMW is following the Plymouth lead in calling a 4 door a gran coupe.
https://www.google.com/search?q=gran+coupe+plymouth&tbm=isch&imgil=UPPrt_cdo-vusM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcRD77-NAvXXsSTInByfYudniUvLKcS9N6o8aSbalTCsPkEOHO7w%253B1000%253B415%253B8pwMJjqa4VQkdM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.fuselage.de%25252Fply71%25252Fgrancoupe.html&source=iu&usg=__IixH-dBNVeTadYxjn9vI5Lc9qDk%3D&sa=X&ei=HmXsUrejGu7NsQTlpoFo&ved=0CCkQ9QEwAQ&biw=1432&bih=710#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=UPPrt_cdo-vusM%253A%3B8pwMJjqa4VQkdM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.fuselage.de%252Fply71%252F71ply_grancoupe_4drht_b.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.fuselage.de%252Fply71%252Fgrancoupe.html%3B1000%3B415
How has the 5-Series GT managed to stay alive? Or the X6? BMW is in their own mini world. (Mini, a BMW brand. Accidentally made a joke.)
The X6 was actually highly successful, enough that it will see another generation, to be based on the new F15 X5. And, indeed, it is a good-looking vehicle. The 5-Series GT, not so much…
It is a truck , with a hatchback coupe grafted onto it, my inner 13 year old Mad Max fan thinks it is an awesome vehicle, but it is not a good looking car in any way (unless compared to some Infinitis)
The fact that it is succesful (along with the Cayenne) really makes me hope that NASA can find another habitable planet as soon as possible.
The X6 is not a truck, and neither is the X5 on which it is based. These are rugged unibody vehicles, and are in the same kind of construction class as the Range Rover/Sport, Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg, Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and GL-Class, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, and—to some extent—the previous-gen Acura MDX.
Sorry, I should have written’-looks like a truck-‘,my bad.
Actually just saw another black X6 today, either an ‘M’ or some tuner version, and my ‘inner 13 year old Mad Max fan’ thinks it is probably the most awesome thing ever XD
The 5GT is actually very successful in other makes, and has sold in reasonable numbers in the US too. The problem is that by all accounts the success of the 5GT in the US has come at the expense of the 7, because it has 7-series space for the price of a 5-series. Oops. The 5-series wagon buyers who were supposed to buy it have been buying E-class wagons. Oops again.
I do agree that it is an ungainly beast. The 3Gt is much more attractive. The X6 is just a silly concept, but I don’t think it is ugly.
Agree on all counts. The 5GT is actually longer than a 7 I believe. The 3 GT was a very appealing car to me. Looked very nice, had great space front, rear and cargo, and solid performance and MPG. Then I drove it.
Visibility was the worst of any car I’ve been in. You can’t really see anything to the rear, and it lacks the oversized side mirrors of SUV/CUVs.
You are absolutely correct. The 5-Series GT sees its “success” at the expense of a 7-Series…although I would just pony up for a 6-Series GranCoupe or a 7-Series instead of trying to save money and getting an uglier car for it. With the X6, even if it does capitalize on X5 sales, these X6 customers pay a significant premium…so that BMW still profits on it.
@Atum
I can’t fully explain it, but I actually REALLY LIKE vehicles like the X6 or Infiniti FX37 (or whatever the hell they renamed it to) and even the Acura ZDX to a lesser extent. They’re incredibly impractical, but the form factor looks incredible to me. I actually test drove an FX37, and that interior was incredible… although I guess for a car starting at about $50k, it should be. I was actually considering a CPO X6, but I have read far too many BMW reliability horror stories to ever give that a go.
And how is this different from the 3 series GT? So we have 3 4 door 3/4 series. I have a headache.
The 3 series GT is based on the long-wheelbase Chinese version of the 3 series, and offers more rear legroom as a result. It also sits much higher and has more of a crossover-like seating position. The 4 Series GC will be lower, shorter, and sportier.
Seems like BMW is taking its cue from Mini and splitting the market into ever smaller slices.
MINI is BMW…
I’m aware, thanks.
/facepalm
Where does a long-wheelbased, jacked up 3-series hatch sit relative to the X1 and X3?
It amazes me that all these body variations are profitable for BMW, while most manufacturers can’t justify offering a manual transmission on some of their models in the US.
Is it cheaper to wrap a different body around the same powertrain than it is to certify a powertrain with EPA/FMVSS/whatever else?
That’s the power of fat margin you’re marvelling about.
It isn’t about cost to make, but how many people will buy it.
Don’t forget the upcoming X4!
Strictly speaking, a coupe refers to the interior volume and the roof line, not to the door count. We tend to use “coupe” as a synonym for two-door car, but that’s not quite accurate.
Gran Coupe sounds a whole lot better than Cramped Sedan, in any case.
Yeah, it’s actually completely consistent (though still something of a joke since the 3-series was a 2-door to begin with). 3-series: sedan and wagon, 4-series: 2-door and 4-door coupes. Bada-blah.
Audi does things the same way with the A4, A5, and A5 Sportback, so there’s nothing new here.
Off topic, but Butters is just plain hilarious. Randy is great as well.
The e30 3-series was a 2dr sedan (as was the 2002), and BMW always referred to it as such.
I’ve also heard that it was the number of seats. A sedan, whether 2 or 4 door had seating for four and a coupe seating for 2.
In the horse-and-buggy days, it had something to do with the seating configuration. (I’m not quite sure what exactly; that can be something to research.)
The word coupe comes from the French coupé, which means “cut.” In other words, smaller than whatever is the more standard size.
The engineering standard today is based upon the interior volume. If you cut the rear roofline into something more sporty, then you can call it a coupe if you like (which BMW likes, it seems.)
“Strictly” With due respect and no offense intended, PCH… Bullshit!
Historically, a 2-dr wasn’t even a coupe, but a sedan, if it had a back seat. Over the years the OEM’s marketing departments have managed to dilute the meaning of a Coup’e. The term now days, is just a marketing tool.
My first and last coupes, were my 33′ & 35′ Ford 3-windows, though my 49′ Ford ‘Business’ coupe loosely qualified.
No one, not even so-called ‘experts’ agree on what a coup is, so any comments about “strictly speaking” are indeed bs.
In the real world, it makes sense to identify vehicles by their configuration, e.g., doors, hatch/trunk, driven wheels. It does not make sense to identify them by an indeterminate thing like roofline. This is a case where the old ways are bad ways, and they should be abandoned with great prejudice.
To be fair, the ISO definition includes two doors (hatch optional) and a fixed roof, with limited interior volume. That is arguably “official”, although it’s not universally accepted.
In any case, terminology and accepted use change over time. They had “computers” back in the 19th century, but they certainly weren’t the same as what we have today. (A computer was a person who could perform arithmetic on long series of numbers.) We weren’t wrong to change it, we just did.
This!
I wonder how much extra any BMW costs because of all the various engineering, tooling, and assembly line costs associated with having so many slightly different models?
Then there’s the cost of dealers having to stock more cars to display them all, less availability on lots, etc. More marketing costs to run ads for each iteration,
I wonder what a BMW 3 series designed and manufactured like a Honda (sedan, coupe, or wagon, only 2 or 3 trim lines, all with same options on them) would cost vs the current system.
Not nearly as much as the extra margin they are making on the variants. The 4-series coupe probably costs LESS to make than the 3-series sedan, but costs considerably more. The 4-series Gran Coupe will certainly cost no more than the 3-series to produce and sell for even more than the 2dr. Like printing money…
People seem to forget that this is how all cars used to be sold. 4dr (sometimes in pillar and pillarless), 2dr, convt, wagon even quasi pickup all in the same lines. And 3-4 lines per manufacturer. But all most people want in the US is cheap, which is why we drown in a sea of silver and beige Camrys. I for one am perfectly happy to have a choice of styles, even if it costs more.
” But all most people want in the US is cheap, which is why we drown in a sea of silver and beige Camrys. I for one am perfectly happy to have a choice of styles, even if it costs more.”
Strange birds these car enthusiasts at TTAC. You’d think that some of them don’t really like cars.
I never understood the price difference between a Boxter and a Cayman. Crazy Germans.
It’s the exact middle between Boxter and 911.
“The Gran Coupe, said to be the black car in the center of the photographs, is just a 4-door 4-Series with a sloping roof. But a 4-door 4-series is, of course, a 3-Series”
*Humming the opening of the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony*
Fail fail fail faiiiiiil, fail fail fail faiiiiiil…
I’m witholding judgment until the driving reviews come in. My guess is that the 4 series GC will reclaim some of the driver focus that was lost in the 3 series sedan.
Most reviews say that the 4 series coupe delivers a more sporty driving experience than the 3 series, which is almost universally criticized for getting fat and sloppy in the F30 generation. So it would make sense for the 4 series Gran Coupe to distinguish itself from the 3 series sedan through the driving experience in addition to the roofline.
Which in itself is a hilarious commentary on affairs, as these ‘variants’ are 70-80% identical part numbers.
When the ‘driving’ experience is dependent more on the software they loaded than the physical design and layout, I don’t think you can really call it a plus.
If you look at part codes for BMW’s lately, they are beginning to rival GM for their promiscuity – especially on consumable (and semi-consumable) parts. I will be curios to see how different the hard points on these things are…
A base 328i shares 70-80% of its parts with an M3. I call it a plus if you can vary things in software, but the reality is it is different springs, bushings, dampers, tires, etc that make most of the difference.
Roundel has already drive a couple of the most recent BMWs and pronounced the steering much improved. I drove a ’14 328d and had absolutely nothing to complain about. Just because they initially got it not quite right doesn’t mean they can’t fix it.
When the physical geometry can’t change, yes, springs, bushings, dampers, tires, etc make all the difference between 2 versions of the same car.
My amusement comes from the fact that the difference between your Poverty3.1poorspec-i and the bigDick’em4xPowah!3.9 is generally a handful of parts that don’t cost particularly more to manufacture.
Creating new model designations in a line that has traditionally used those models to recognize distinctly different vehicles not only continues the naming farce at BMW, but means they can make fantastic profits off of differentials that are very narrow.
I also love that you are using the steering for your example – traditionally one of the most direct feedback mechanisms, and easily the one that has gotten the most out of electrification.
SIDE NOTE: I think it’s funny that in a few years, the ‘insider’ knowledge of the BMW line will create an entirely new subset of entitled owners – the 432is is a great car, but you should really try the 437ni – the steering is better and the tires are gripper!
BMW actually has a history of tweaking steering in response to customer feedback. They lightened the steering in the E46 (in 2001 I think), then restored some of the weight when there was a small uproar.
Criticism of their first wave of EPS has been near unanimous; I’m sure they are working on improvements.
Saying that a 4-door 4-series is just a 3-series is like claiming that a 4 door 6-series is just a 5-series. We are talking BMW here, they sell cars based on emotion, not on simple logic XD
*based on badge
I’m so confused. Everything that was, now isn’t. I almost had a aneurysm at the BMW display during the NAIAS.
All these models and niches make me think, “If it weren’t for my horse, I wouldn’t have spent that year in college.” The next niche they create is going to make blood shoot out my nose.
Lewis Black ftw!
I miss the pre-political Lewis Black. Back when everything irritated him.
Yeah, but remember this comes from the company that brought us the so memorably named Z4 sDRIVE3.0i. That lacks only a WTF? suffix to make it truly complete.
Glad I’m keeping my just plain M3 track car forever.
So the 1 was a 2 door in America, which became the 2, because the 2 door 2 needed to make room for the 4 door 1, now with twice the doors as the first 1. Then the 5 needed to subtract 2 doors to become 6, which then multiplied the doors by 2 to make the 6 the same as 5 with 4 doors. Then the 2 door 3 became the 2 door 4 so the 4 door 3 could keep twice the doors of 4. However, the 2 door 4 needs 2 more doors so the 4 door 4 is on the way to give us 2 times the doors and keep the number 4. So if I want a 2 door I take the 4 door model and add 1 but the 4 door models are still there with the 2 doors so I can get two two two times the doors.
Ok, I’ve got it
Now you’ve made me pass out in the lunch room with blood streaming out my ears.
Slow clap…
I for 1 would like a 5 door 4 or 3 door 1…
Amazing post. Well done!
“Ok, I’ve got it”
Nice, now please prepare the “with pictures” version.
BMW should be very thankful for all these insightful comments- especially since the company clearly has no idea what it is doing, any constantly needs bailing out.
I’m sure they will be very successful with it. I honestly don’t know who buys a 4 series Gran Coupe over a 3 series. I’m sure there is a reason, like exclusivity or styling. If they can charge a premium for it, more power to them.
A husband and wife goes into the BMW dealership. They look at the 5 series, It’s too big and out of their price range. So they look at the 3 series. OMG, it’s so common. There’s like 5 of them on our block. We can’t be seen in this. So they settle with the 4. It’s gotta be better than a 3, it’s more expensive and the number is higher, Lets get it.
And all the while BMW prints $$$$$$
…now, if only it had more ground clearance and awd..
BMW is giving the customer what they want(if they have money), and by that I mean every customer, and every ‘want’
You may think it’s funny, but that’s exactly how people buy Lexus IS: GS is too big and expensive, while ES is far too common in the district.
But the Lexus IS is also too common. What should Lexus do? The question is in the air.
[Raises hand] Hi, I’m Chris, and I’m potentially interested in this car. I’m not in the market right now, but I drive a BMW already (got an E90 335 18 months ago and have no desire to get rid of it, and that CPO warranty has plenty of life in it before I have to decide if the car isn’t worth keeping) and there’s a high likelihood my next car will be a BMW as well.
I’m young (early 30s) and not interested in something as massive as a 5-series. Overall I prefer the styling of coupes to sedans. But that said, I ave young kids in car seats, so 4 doors are basically mandatory. But besides them, my back seats are almost never used, so head room isn’t much of an issue. This offers a way to get both. Plus, if the 6 GC is anything to go by, this is more than a 3-series with a different roof line. Compared to the 5, the 6GC has a lower seating position, sportier drive, frameless windows, reduced B pillars, and an overall higher trim (although for that last the 4 is already less of a jump over the 3 than the 6 is over 5). And yes, the fact that it’s not he same car as the slew of identical leased cars provides some satisfaction, although the appeal is less about exclusivity then it is differentiation.
Is it a massive difference overall? Not really. If I was buying now would I spend the extra money? Hard to say without the car in front of me. But I’d consider it. Anyone looking at a BMW nicer than a 320i lease special has at least some extra money to play with. Is it logical? Not in the least, but then again very little above a Camry or minivan is purely logical anyway. It’s a car that I’d potentially get a bit more enjoyment out of and would make me just a little happier for years (I’m buying, not leasing), and to me that’s got the potential to be worth a few thousand bucks.
If you want different, don’t buy the Black Silver or white one.
BMW’s in Socal are like Subaru’s in Colorado. There’s 5 just in my parking garage. 2 silver, 2 black and 1 white. and I live in the hood.
I like it though I am not currently in the market to purchase or lease right now. However, with 2 kids still in car seats, a sloping roofline is not something that my 46 year old back would appreciate. I had an S60 as a loaner last year and it was really tight getting the car seats in not to mention my actual children.
It does look sweet though. Looking forward to seeing one on the street. Having never owned a BMW, I feel I owe it to myself as an enthusiast.
Indeed – how could one of the most profitable car companies in the world have a clue?
I’ve joked about the naming, because it can be confusing, but BMW knows exactly what they are doing.
“At least the 6-Series GC has a competitive set in the Audi A7 and Mercedes CLS, while offering a distinctive package versus the 5-Series.”
Well actually Audi has the A5 Sportback, they don’t sell it in the US or Canada though. I’m sure that will change if this does well.
I’ll try to concentrate here…
1-Series: 2 body styles + 1 ‘X’
2-Series: 2 body styles
3-Series: 3 body styles + 1’X’
4-Series: (soon)3 body styles
5-Series: 3 body styles + 1 ‘X’
6-Series: 3 body styles + 1 ‘X’
7-Series: 2 body styles if you count the long wheel base
bonus : Z4 roadster and i3, and i8 on the way…
That is 25 different cars, multiply that by engine choices, and add the Mini line-up and Rolls Royces, and it’s enough to get a slight aneurism…
And I probably forgot something…
There’s soon to be an X4.
But isn’t the X1 based on the old 3 series?
Probably, it looks like a 3-series estate, with a slightly less squashed roof, and a tiny bit added ground clearance. I just made the list based on the naming system.
Would you prefer the Model T approach? 3 body styles, 1 engine and any color you want as long as it is black? What exactly is the complaint here?
No complaint tbh, just more amazed that they are able to pull it off, and with a profit. Despite rumours, the T was available in other colors than black though, and in almsot as many bodystyles, but with only one engine (and mostly one chassis)
Escept for offering more differentiated body pressings, their lineup isn’t any wilder than what GM would have had available in the 50’s and 60’s. Choosing between a 3 series sedan and a 4 series GC is much the same as choosing between an all optioned up 4 door 210 sedan and a 4 door HT Bel Air, or maybe a Pontiac?. China has saved the european car manufacturers from hitting their equivalent of the 58-59 years so far, but it should be right around the corner…
Exactly the point I made in a previous posting – everyone used to do it this way.
Ultimately, there are two ways to make money in the car business. You can have razor thin margins and sell a ton of cars that are mostly identical. This is the Honda/Toyota model. Or you can make much bigger margins on much smaller numbers of cars by selling them on a more individual basis at a much higher price. Which works for the Germans. Toyota will sell you a fantastic transportation module for $20K, but it will be exactly the same as every other TTM in the parking lot at the mall. I can all but guarantee I will never park my BMW next to another one just like it. I paid for that privilege though.
Speaking of which, I once visited a kart racing place in Portland, Oregon. The rows of identical riced-out BMWs in front was a sight to see. There was just one other car… I forgot now what precisely, IIRC it was a Mini.
“Complaint”…? Its an unsupported negative bias.
Some of the ‘B&B’ really aren’t too bright or their nous/common sense, or native intelligence, is blinded by their overwhelming prejudice. Wait a minute, that is a contradiction. Maybe they are just fourteen, and are parroting their fathers who are stuck way back in the evolutionary slime.
There is something to be said for ‘retroactive birth control’.
Not at all sure what this comment was about or who it was directed towards?
But I’m quite sure some of the people here that praise the coming of the 4 series version of the 3 series sedan could be the same kind of people who call the ILX a rebadged Civic…
Not you, Zycotec.
Doing the Audi comparison … (European models included, but not Chinese)
A1: 2 body styles
A3: 4 body styles + S3 + Q3
A4: 2 body styles + Allroad + 2xS4 + RS4 + Q5
A5: 3 body styles + 2xS5 + 2xRS5
A6: 2 body styles + Allroad + 2xS6 + Q7
A7: 1 body style + S7 + RS7
A8: 2 body styles + S8
2xTT, 2xTTS, TTRS, 2xR8
No sure if this is exactly apples and apples with the BMW numbers, but this adds to 41 models …
Not completely apples, as some of those are just levels/versions of the same body. But yeah, the also do a good job at catering for every possible automotive need.
Yeah, if I remove the S/RS models, it’s 25 including the Allroad models, or 23 without. Very close to BMW numbers, and still working on more as well.
here is a handy chart. my brain hurts now too
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19ea3eg0zretcjpg/original.jpg
i have assumed that over the past half-decade or so, producing different bodystyles/setups on similar platforms has become far far cheaper than it previously would have been, and parallel technological advancements in other fields (ones i do know for sure actually exist, that is) seem to support this idea. i dont see any other way in which audi, bmw and mercedes endlessly inserting models into increasingly small gaps in the market could make any sort of economic sense. i suppose they should be congratulated on crediting their customers with enough patience to work out the subtle differences, though going by this it seems the north american market at least can’t really be bothered
BMWs the king of redundancy in the automotive world, wheres my Mini Cooper S with a detuned Mini One engine in it?
Ahh, another amusing thread. I think this car will be a hit for BMW and I’m hoping they refocus on the qualities that made the brand loved by enthusiasts.
Naming, for me at least, isn’t a problem and I’d guess won’t be for most people. Here’s why. You don’t need to remember the name. Go to the dealer, pick the one you like, take a look at the Monroney (which includes the name as well as various other sundry information) and order your car.
I can’t believe this subject warrants a thread.
I tuned in to see if 60 people actually cared, and apparently they do.
Or you can follow the common European practice of deleting the name badge altogether. Then if you’ve got a top end variant it helps deflect unwanted attention, and if you only have a base model 4-banger it makes you look better off than you are.
This makes sense in the BMW universe (i.e. making money). BMW sells its cars much like Luis Vuitton sells handbags. Sure they are good but the price is not justified by the product alone but mainly by the badge. So 4 is a bigger number than 3 and must therefore be more prestigious and thus cost more. Get ready for a 428 Gran Coupe which starts at $50K.
am I the only one that likes this thing?
it’s got the more agressive styling of the 4 series coupe, 4 doors and a friggin hatch out the back. Gimme it with a stick and AWD and it’s pretty much everything I want. It probably even comes in brown for the hipster dads. what’s not to like?
are we really trashing this thing for being a better looking (redundant) version of that hateful 3GT?
I’m willing to look at this thing as a mulligan on the 3 series GT and just pretend that thing never happened.
Nope. I’m interested as well. Not looking to buy anytime soon, but eventually I intend to own an “M” BMW, and once you’re in that price range paying a bit more for what’s [possibly, hard to tell without seeing it in person] a significantly better looking car is not necessarily a terrible trade-off. Yes, comparing base-to-base going from a 328 to a 428 GC is probably a pretty severe price increase, but once you’ve moved up the chain some that price differential becomes relatively narrower. $37k->40k means a lot more than, say, $70k->73k.
Remember when GM was just a finance company that also happened to manufacture cars as an inconvenience?
Well, BMW is clearly a marketing/PR firm that also happens to manufacture cars as an inconvenience…
I like it. This is perfect for people who want a 3 but would never drive something that common.
If every automaker was like Honda…
Four trim levels. The LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring. Usually one engine choice. Barely any option packages, except maybe navigation and AWD (which is a rarity in my neck of the woods). The world would be a lot happier.
However, there are customers such as my mother, who want the most basic model possible, except with a sunroof. So, to get a sunroof, she has to go to the top trim and get leather, heated seats, and other junk she doesn’t want, while paying 8 grand more. This is why the Base model RAV4 with that special body colored package would be perfect for my mom. But the dealer didn’t have a Black Forest Pearl one, so she had to pay a lot more for the Limited. Still, not as confusing as BMW.
Support the USA Bobsled Team, with its BMW designed 2-man sled, by test driving a new BMW. I will test drive the new ‘i3’ when available.
http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/salesandprograms/driveforteamusa.aspx?mobileoverride=true&so=bmw02eexjanpro&origin=bmw02eexjanpro
I’d buy it. It rides lower than the 3, it appears to actually be longer, and it probably weighs the same or even less. Kudos to BMW for actually providing options, even if the numerical names are confusing as hell.
I’ve seen several people make point of the 3-series being common as a legitimate reason in and of itself to buy the 4
What about the grand old idea of buying something you want and like, I’ve never purchased a vehicle on the basis of what others will think of me, they have all been bought because I wanted them and they made me happy.
Is image really that big to some of you?
I think BMW too a large degree makes a living on people who buy cars only for the image. Offcourse there are still car enthusiasts who buy them too, because they think they look good and drive/handle well, just like there are some people who buy an ILX or CTS because they like those cars.
BMW and Audi, and partially Mercedes has understood the current market of people with a 15 minute attention span though, with a new model released almost every forthnight, without spending an awful amount of money on development. It is the late 50’s all over again.This is one reason Ford and Opel , and many Japanese brands are struggling in Europe, with very few models that are not updated often, people just forget that they excist…
It’s funny how the German automakers (starting with the first-gen Mercedes CLS and the VW CC; today BMW and Audi as well) began featuring frameless windows in their premium four-door cars at the same time that Subaru began to abandon them.