80 percent of BMW 1-Series drivers think the car is a front-wheel drive

[Monster]

BMW sees the statistic as good news in that consumers will warm to future front-wheel drive BMWs
By Alex Ricciuti
March 22, 2010 5:00 pm
Filed Under: BMW, German, Industry

In a conference call with reporters and analysts, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed that 80 percent of BMW 1-Series drivers believed they were driving a front-wheel drive car.

The 1-Series is, in fact, a rear-wheel drive car. BMW does not yet make any front-wheel drive vehicles, although, BMW Group's MINI brand does.

Reithofer used the statistic to support BMW's claim that customers will warm to front-wheel drive BMW's when the company begins introducing them later this decade. BMW recently announced it was building a front-wheel drive platform for an entry-level BMW to compete against the Audi A1. BMW plans to share that architecture with MINI where it may be used to build up to 20 model variants for both brands. The architecture will also be used for the next-generation MINI Cooper which is slated to debut in 2013.

BMW plans on producing and selling up to 1 million front-wheel drive MINI and BMW vehicles by 2015. Reithofer said the results of the 1-Series survey were "quite a surprise" but BMW sees it as good news in that consumers will be accepting of front-wheel drive BMW's, despite the brand's long-standing adherence to performance-oriented rear-wheel or all-wheel drive platforms.

80 percent of BMW 1-Series drivers think the car is a front-wheel drive

Just because the customers are ignorant, it doesn't mean the company can get away with hypocrisy . Basically BMW is saying "Hey 80% of these customers are idiots, we can dilute our brand value, and make a massive killing from this."

So now I found the answer to my question "What type of customers are BMW aiming for with this new small car?" The answer is "Idiotic badge slaves."

 

[siko]

This kinda makes being a 1er owner a little embarrassing.

 

[bmwownage]

Fact is most buyers knows sh!t about cars, they just buy it for the looks, the feel, the brand perhaps. It's only enthusiasts who really do "care". And i mean, BMW should make cars RWD because they believe it's the best configuration, NOT because they simply want buyers to know their cars are RWD, but by what the guy said, they are making RWDs because it is simply a marketing thing. This is frustrating.
I'm OK if they make their special small car a FWD, just don't make the main stream (1series upwards) adapt the same. Afterall this is about the heritage, a heritage, a brand, a specialty that took all these years to accumulate, and BMW shouldn't "just" let go. yes perhaps there will still be much more "idiot" car buyers than enthusiasts (those who care), but without enthusiasts, the brand will not be the brand it is (was) and your brand image just slides, then the "idiot" car buyers would get something else instead. I mean, sometimes you got to sacrifice something now to get a brighter/more secure future... milking the cow, making anti-fans cars won't help it. BMW in a way has this sporting heritage that Mercedes/Audi doesn't have, and they really should keep at it. It's like quite a while ago, people look at a e46 318i and says "geez this thing handles well" while looking at a C180K people would just say "this is crap", but this "advantage" appears to have eroded quite a bit already and imo they just can't continue to let it slide more.

 

[Merc1]

WOW......there goes that nonsense about BMW customers being oh-so knowledgeable enthusiasts! Who in their car-right mind would think a BMW is FWD?!?!

You won't see any BMW CM nonsense in this thread. There ain't enough spin in the world to fix this one.


Anyway it seems to me BMW is about to make the same mistake that Mercedes made, a FWD bastard that doesn't represent or do the brand any good beyond generating sales numbers.

Mini should be all things FWD within the BMW group. Period. Expand that brand. A FWD BMW? What the hell for?


M

 

[jack]

so this means 80% of the 1series drivers have never driven the car on snow

 

[Betty Swollocks]

I am truly stunned.

 

[Cashmere]

Its not just 1series, lots of BMW owners think the same. One of my buddies has a 325Ci (dad bought it for him and he claims to be an enthusiast as well). I was driving with him the other day and he's like

"Damn my front wheels are worn already, this is what I hate about FWD's!". facepalm moment.

 

[Guibo]

So basically this is admitting that their marketing of the 1er as a unique proposition in its segment (RWD driving dynamics, uncorrupted steering) is a miserable failure.

 

[Sunny]

I doubt this holds true for the 1er customer base in US - which is mostly enthusiasts buying 135 and shunning 3er. But is probably true for 3er. Also I wonder if a person doesn't know his/her BMW is RWD know what RWD or FWD is in the first place.

 

[MikeJ]

I'm not at all surprised to hear this. Many people have practically no interest in cars, and technical aspects have little or no effect on their choice of car. Heck, I've had several people tell me that they went to a dealership and simply chose a car they thought looked nice. And not all of them were women...

 

[Zafiro]

I knew it. Thats what I've been saying for a long time. I drive a FWD bimmer



My first thought. This sounds like a bad excuse from BMW. Like they are making this up to justify a front wheel drive BMW.

 

[ghusheshe]

This is a bit patronizing from the Chief. I drive a 135 series convertible and do not think its FWD. Talk about generalising nonsense...

 

[ree]

I knew it. Thats what I've been saying for a long time. I drive a FWD bimmer

lol… …I'm between shock and amusement…normally you can feel if your car is FWD or RWD…

 

[coolraoul]

I don't buy it. If you don't know if your car is FWD or RWD, it surely means you don't know what is FWD or RWD in the first place.

So it's not 80% think the 1er is FWD, but 80% of the 1er driver don't know what it means to be RWD.

And BMW i using that excuse to justify a FWD car bearing the BMW name. Which will only shock the true enthusiasts, who are not any more the concern of BMW.

Makes sense from an economic PoV. But will disappoint many fans.

 

[PanterroR]

I don't buy it. If you don't know if your car is FWD or RWD, it surely means you don't know what is FWD or RWD in the first place.

So it's not 80% think the 1er is FWD, but 80% of the 1er driver don't know what it means to be RWD.

Nothing to add.

 

[Human]

Reithofer is talking shit - period! Where is the statistics poll? Including myself (my wife) who bought the 120i back in 04' I have 5 friends all driving 1er's of them 2 are 135i coupes AND not one of us were called/mailed or received postal correspondence from BMW SA or BMW AG on this matter AND all of us know the 1er is RWD!

Who's fooling who?

BMW is pissing me off big time with this utter nonsense!

NEWSFLASH - Herr Reithofer! 80% of BMW owners wants you to step down as CEO of BMW AG.

 

[ghusheshe]

This upsets me as a BMW customer, BMW management and their arrogance. The CEO is taking us for idiots, 'they don't know what RWD is drive, 80% of them confirms this, so lets give 'em a FWD 1 series and they wont even notice the difference". Almost every 1 series owner I know knows that his car is RWD, dammn the sales man at the dealership even has this included in his sales pitch.. Dammn you BMW management.

 

[Mr Robert]

so this means 80% of the 1series drivers have never driven the car on snow

Truth spoken.

This upsets me as a BMW customer, BMW management and their arrogance. The CEO is taking us for idiots, 'they don't know what RWD is drive, 80% of them confirms this, so lets give 'em a FWD 1 series and they wont even notice the difference". Almost every 1 series owner I know knows that his car is RWD, dammn the sales man at the dealership even has this included in his sales pitch.. Dammn you BMW management.

As this is said by BMW, we all know this stunt is pulled just to justify BMW going cheap with FWD. The customers will notice, it will only be too late by then.

"Hey, mr Salesperson, why does this new BMW not act like the 1-series I had before?"

Oh, well, this type of condecending statements is just another reason to move away from BMW or at least put on my "BMW never to buy"-list, which today includes:

1. V6 engined models
2. FWD models

 

[ghusheshe]

Mr Norbert Reithofer Sir, remember this old BMW ad?

You need to stick this to a wall in your office... Since Easter is around the corner..

 

[klier]

This is a bit patronizing from the Chief. I drive a 135 series convertible and do not think its FWD. Talk about generalising nonsense...

Yes, here's one of those:

WOW......there goes that nonsense about BMW customers being oh-so knowledgeable enthusiasts!

As for this news: BS 100%. Only some people who get the car from their company as a lease car who just don't care about cars don't know things like this.
I think that 80% of real 1er buyers knows perfectly well that the car is RWD. Such a lame BS report