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      11-27-2012, 08:24 AM   #46
bradleyland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
Most other companies have caught up to BMW in handling and braking (at the level most people drive on the street) and BMW has nowhere else to go but into the compact FWD market.

...

So stop trying to spin this into BMW “thinks differently than any other manufacturer”. They did 30 years ago, but not now.
This is such a silly argument. If we're setting limits at the way "most people" drive on the street, then there is no reason to buy anything up line of a Corolla S. And that's exactly the point. BMW continues to build cars that drive great beyond the way most people drive on the street.

The apprehension about BMW losing focus is understandable with this number of changes, but focus is defined as the central point of attention. BMW will continue to make more RWD drive models than they do FWD models. They are expanding their M line-up, which means more sales and more money for BMW Motorsport. Arguably, this makes them more focused on the things that matter to enthusiasts, even with the addition of FWD models (there are plenty of enthusiasts who drive FWD cars, btw). There is no getting around the fact that FWD packaging makes cars more affordable and more usable on a daily basis. I owned several GTIs, and I put my MkV GTI within 8/10ths of my 135i. Delivering an enthusiast focused FWD platform to the market is a brilliant move for BMW, because it will bring more driver-focused customers to the brand earlier in their buying cycle, simply because they can afford it.

As to BMW's current direction, I have not read a single automotive journalist (with any credibility) who has panned the new BMW models (F30 and F10). To the contrary, they all say they're spectacular, with the possible exception of the move to electric assist steering.

All this talk about losing focus and failing as a company is nothing but chicken little bullshit. The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Meanwhile, the next M3 is promised to be lighter and more focused than the last, and we're going to get a successor to the 1M, just like we asked for.

Give it a rest and wait for the product before you deliver the eulogy.
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