Rumors All that Talk about a BMW Supercar

[DblPen]

^there is nothing else quite like fried snickers bars

But that does not make them a good thing..so the jury is still out on the i8

DAT LOOKS GOOD MAN, WHERE CAN I GET THEM?

 

[EnI]

I strongly disagree. They need to keep their lower end of their product range interesting, the lower end, as it's the most affordable models.
It's the recepy that worked miracles with BMW. They made the 3er great, and everything else was marketed by this!

sure, but they became #1 luxury brand without building a supercar, so i doubt they are thinking about building one now
i would love for it to happen, but if it has dull steering and massive weight - no thanks

Exactly. Twice.

 

[LaArtist]

DAT LOOKS GOOD MAN, WHERE CAN I GET THEM?

The land of the free and the home of the brave!

 

[Levi68]

How many FWD cars must BMW sell before they'll be able to "waste" (in BMW language) money on building a driving supercar?


Anyway, I'm laughing at the argument "BMW doesn't need any supercar". BMW doesn't even have a sportscar like a Cayman. I mean does Ferrari need the LaFerrari? Does Porsche need the 918 Spyder, that brings them loses with each car sold (rumors)? Yet they make it.

 

[klier]

Anyway, I'm laughing at the argument "BMW doesn't need any supercar". BMW doesn't even have a sportscar like a Cayman.

No, but BMW does have the M135i, soon the M235i and very shortly ago had the 1M.
All have been/are/will be better than a Cayman.

 

[Giannis]

BMW doesn't even have a sportscar like a Cayman

BMW's sportscar is supposed to be the 3er.

I mean does Ferrari need the LaFerrari? Does Porsche need the 918 Spyder, that brings them loses with each car sold (rumors)? Yet they make it.

Yes, they need it. They need the brand-cache because they are supposed to be selling the best, the purest, the most involving sportscars in the world. They have a sportscar image, an ultimate driving machine image, the image of "only the best". BMW is much more mass market. BMW is selling mainly sedans and coupes and many estates in Europe and they are supposed to continue this, not shift to the supercar business.

R8 or not R8, the A3 is still uninspiring to drive. M1 supercar or not, the 3er is still the best driver's car in the segment. A supercar would not make any difference to the end buyer, unless the only thing he cares is the "bragging rights".

 

[klier]

BMW's sportscar is supposed to be the 3er.

The 3er is a big comfortable family sedan, even in M pack guise.
Far from a sports car imho.

 

[Deckhook]

Anyway, I'm laughing at the argument "BMW doesn't need any supercar". BMW doesn't even have a sportscar like a Cayman. I mean does Ferrari need the LaFerrari? Does Porsche need the 918 Spyder, that brings them loses with each car sold (rumors)? Yet they make it.

Ferrari and Porsche are sportscar/supercar manufacturers, its the backbone of their business and they are in direct competition with themselves along with a handful of others so their need for a true supercar is far and a way greater than BMW's need.

BMW are already renowned for producing fine handling normal cars what really would a supercar bring to the table apart from proving what everyone already knows that they are easily capable of the task.

 

[Levi68]

No, but BMW does have the M135i, soon the M235i and very shortly ago had the 1M.
All have been/are/will be better than a Cayman.

They are very, very good cars, but not sportscars, more so sporty cars. Everything comes up to how we define sportscars. I have a different definition: 2 seats, compact and light. For me even the Cayman is getting big. Z4 is of perfect size, but very far from being light. Now a Z4 Coupé, 300 kg lighter than Roadster, that would be a proper sportscar, at least for me.

BMW's sportscar is supposed to be the 3er.



Yes, they need it. They need the brand-cache because they are supposed to be selling the best, the purest, the most involving sportscars in the world. They have a sportscar image, an ultimate driving machine image, the image of "only the best". BMW is much more mass market. BMW is selling mainly sedans and coupes and many estates in Europe and they are supposed to continue this, not shift to the supercar business.

R8 or not R8, the A3 is still uninspiring to drive. M1 supercar or not, the 3er is still the best driver's car in the segment. A supercar would not make any difference to the end buyer, unless the only thing he cares is the "bragging rights".

"Ultimate Driving Machine" and "FWD MPV"? Please!

 

[Levi68]

Ferrari and Porsche are sportscar/supercar manufacturers, its the backbone of their business and they are in direct competition with themselves along with a handful of others so their need for a true supercar is far and a way greater than BMW's need.

BMW are already renowned for producing fine handling normal cars what really would a supercar bring to the table apart from proving what everyone already knows that they are easily capable of the task.

Is BMW's business rivaling Toyota and GM? Is FWD BMW's business? BMW Group's business yes, because of Mini, but not BMW's.

 

[klier]

Definitely a case of how we define it indeed, because I wouldn't consider a Roadster to be a sports car

 

[Levi68]

Definitely a case of how we define it indeed, because I wouldn't consider a Roadster to be a sports car

That is why BMW had the Z4 M Coupé so that it could be a sportscar. But numbers showed it, worst selling BMW ever.

 

[Deckhook]

@Levi68, isn't BMW's main interest increasing its market share and gross profits above all else?

Fwd is necessary for BMW to achieve this and is far more important to the brand as a whole than any supercar ever could be, even the iBrand is a niche market and in their eyes far more important than a supercar.

 

[Levi68]

@Levi68, isn't BMW's main interest increasing its market share and gross profits above all else?

Fwd is necessary for BMW to achieve this and is far more important to the brand as a whole than any supercar ever could be, even the iBrand is a niche market and in their eyes far more important than a supercar.

Isn't an X7/X8 so as X6/X4 also a niche? BMW is filling out every possible niche except the one that is about real sportscars. BMW is no more what it was, so they can now make a supercar, just as they can make an M SUV. I simply do not believe Mercedes doesn't make any profit with the SLS or Audi with the R8. Audi has two sportscars, TT and R8, later probably even a third one, the R4/R5, BMW not even one. Mercedes has SLK V8, SL AMG that runs circles around the M6, and the SLS, soon the SLC, and BMW nothing.

No excuses.

The thing is that the supercar/sportscar is coming, I don't see what nonsense are SCOTT and EnI telling. The Lexus LF-LC is coming as an CL and DB9 rival. The NSX II as a 911 rival, the 911 rival from Toyota could be shown as a concept this end of the year @Tokio. All these cars are to come in 2015-2016 (production), aside of course the new Gallardo (2014) and the new R8.

 

[ACE]

isn't BMW's main interest increasing its market share and gross profits above all else?

No. BMW's main interest is maximizing shareholder value. If BMW think that an M8 wouldn't help achieve this objective, then you won't see one.

 

[Deckhook]

No. BMW's main interest is maximizing shareholder value. If BMW think that an M8 wouldn't help achieve this objective, then you won't see one.

Increasing market share and gross profits go hand and hand with maximises shareholder value.

 

[Deleted member 25]

I honestly do not really care about a BMW supercar, i simply know it won't happen, what i really like BMW to do though is t stop softening the cars to such a point that only the 3er now is the benchmark of the sporty prenium cars. And don't start with the customers want it, yes some of them want it and that's it. No supercars, no F1, no N/A, tons of vans and trucks, freakin FWD, all that was swallowed for the sake of the main cars (Sedans + coupe+roadster) to stand as the benchmark, but even that is starting to erode, now a 5er has to share the 7er's platform, what's next ? A 3er sharing the X5's too ? Apart from (certain) M cars, how many time do you see BMW coming frst in the comp tests ? This paradigm of the "We do waht the era and what the customer want us to do" will eventually make them forget what their core assets are and what their brand stands for, this is not just a romantic cry from the heart, this is a rational and factual risk, look at what happened to apple after they have fired Jobs. They should learn from that.

 

[dalab]

The 80 'M1 was a commercial disaster ...... only 450 were sold, but it was a commercial disaster????
BMW today earns $ 5 billion each year and sold 1.85 million cars, but in 1980 sold 300,000 cars as much, why this jump?? I' remember from my childhood and I think the success is attributable to this huge increase was the image of BMW and its icons as the M3, the car he grew up dreaming and only wish that I had for years. (now called M4 phew)

Over 30 years using the iconic image that leave the M1, this contributed or not to what is today the quintesential sport brand, the best driving machine, the ultimate blah blah blah.

If no icons like the M1 or M3, BMW would like Saab or Volvo.
The loss of money today is more than gain in coming decades, if you do good, sometimes you have to lose to win ............

 

[Deckhook]

IMO its the M brand that's increased public interest in the brand as a whole, the M1 started the ball rolling but failed to boost brand image it took the iconic M3 to turn the letter 'M' into a worldwide success and the most desirable letter to have on your boot lid. So basically using the M branding on normal cars has filtered down to public perception believing all their cars even the ordinary ones were special.

A supercar only really improves an image that's somehow lacking sportiness like Lexus, this is something BMW isn't lacking so adding one would only boost egos rather than brand image.

 

[SCOTT27]

Isn't an X7/X8 so as X6/X4 also a niche? BMW is filling out every possible niche except the one that is about real sportscars. BMW is no more what it was, so they can now make a supercar, just as they can make an M SUV. I simply do not believe Mercedes doesn't make any profit with the SLS or Audi with the R8. Audi has two sportscars, TT and R8, later probably even a third one, the R4/R5, BMW not even one. Mercedes has SLK V8, SL AMG that runs circles around the M6, and the SLS, soon the SLC, and BMW nothing.

At first the SLS AMG was not profitable. Later additions have made it profitable. There is an interview in which had the SLS been conceived during the economic crisis they would not have done it. It was just by luck that the project started early that it became too late to cancel.
The interview was posted in the SLS thread somewhere.
You forget SLC is not an additional model but the replacement for the SLS. Daimlers board have put the halt on further Vanity projects because they need volume. And have been pushed into partnership with Renault-Nissan.

The R8 is possible because of the parts bin resources of VAG , if VW sneezes then every brand catches a cold. Apparently no single model is okayed unless it can be shared across brands. its interesting to read that VWs competitor to the throne in Europe is a rising Skoda. Back to the R8 , therefore it can make money because practically its a Gallardo underneath.