Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26
If anything BMW are adapting to their original strategy.
Independence just does not flow through the companies philosophy but it is present in everything BMW puts it's ideas to.
innovation , marketing.
BMW are the market leader in reduction of vehicle emissions.
BMW is the worlds no1 Premium manufacturer.
BMW is the segment leader in nearly every segment it is present in.
BMW showcase an individuality in product and design independence.
But most importantly BMW connect with the enthusiast driver whilst others try and fail.
As I have mentioned before the key segments to look for growth is the UKL/CITY/MINI , Premium Compact and Premium Entry. BMW have invested to make sure that their products in these segments are not only individual but also desirable. Within these segments are all-important sectors which BMW is not present in. By aligning BMW with MINI the two can co-exist and become cost-effective to introduce a choice of variants across the two brands. By the end of this decade - the combined MINI and BMW FWD series are projected to show sales of 800,000 units helping BMW meet it's 2 million units in 2020.
The GT is BMW's answer to the large slice of the MPV segment in europe where the passenger is more important. BMW did not want a Van with an all-round glasshouse they wanted something that offers a spacious interior and great flexibility but in a car-like dynamic shape. A car that will offer mainstream volume competitors a very difficult time in the market. Especially for customers who want a more premium choice when choosing a car of this type.
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I am excited about this. Heres why...
First off, I dont like the design, I dont like Front wheel drive, nor do I really care about megacity, eco, or passenger oriented vehicles. BUT, I do LOVE and value my M3, I loved my previous M3s, and even non-M BMWs I've owned.
With that said, BMW NEEDS to make money. While its so easy for us to sit back and criticize the decisions being made to offer these small, FF vehicles and non performance oriented vehicles, BMW is fighting one heck of a difficult battle against the likes of audi and MB.
Unlike BMW, Audi has an incredible amount of resources at its disposal. Technology, information, parts, and MONEY are shared amongst the parent company VW. Audi's family is very big. Audi is part of a 10 BRAND family including VW, Porsche, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley, to name a few.
Whereas BMW only has BMW, Mini, and license to Rolls Royce.
BMW does not have 16-20k eco cars like VW does that are insane money makers for VW and in return fund Audi to make cars that will eventually kick BMWs ass. Nor does BMW have insanely HIGH profit yielding vehicles that Porsche does as the highest profit margin auto maker in the world.
So, do you want BMW to start charging you $150,000 for an M3? Do you want BMW to lose in the long run against Audi due to lack of funds and resources? Or would you rather they make a new "money maker" segment like eco FF passenger cars to fund the development of the enthusiast cars we REALLY like??
I'm all for it. BMW, make what you have to make, weather it be ugly, front wheel drive, whatever... as long as you make enough money to afford to make the badass cars you are known for making, without having to water them down or passing high cost over to your loyal clients.
Bravo on your efforts to do it on your own, instead of merging or selling the BMW brand to a bigger company to survive.