hoffmeister_fan
Kraftwagen König
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In light of the discussion about BMW and what it stands for (Yes, I know the abbreviations stand for "Bayerische Motor Werks", so no smarty-pants remarks 
) in this thread http://www.germancarforum.com/threads/shock-secret-new-bmw-car-spied-15.html.30293 I figured that it deserves its own thread. This post is a bit ponderous, unwieldy, and bit scattered, but bear with it and I'll try to be as concise and clear as possible....
To me BMW was one of the first car brands I liked since I was a kid. I was a fan of the 1980s 6-series and it's aggressive stance. As I got older I became aware of its sporting nature and how it valued engineering know-how. It simply marketed itself as the "Ultimate Driving Machine" and backed it up with the 2002, 3.0 CSL, the M1 and it's M line-up. Eventually that know-how would trickle down the more mainstream line-up. They provided a car that was fun to drive and could seat 4 people comfortably. Essentially they popularized the idea of a 4-door sports sedan more than any other brand. BMW not only just seemed to position itself as an engineering that put a precedence on efficiency, but also a company that put a priority on pushing the boundaries on design. They tend to embrace more avant-garde lines that made them more accessible than their chief rival, Mercedes-Benz. That's not to say that MB did not value design or engineering efficiency/prowess, but when I saw a Benz, I would think of a more stately individual in an overly starched suit. Essentially, I thought it was car brand that's perfect for my father. Now I hope that I did not inadvertently start another MB vs. BMW (vs. Audi vs ______) war as that's not my intention in the slightest. As wishy-washy as at may sound, I'm a fan of the "Big Deutch 3" and appreciate what they each bring to the table and how they push the other one to be better in the name of competition. Ok, now I'm digressing....
Now that I spoke fondly of BMW's past, I'm sure I'm roiled up in nostalgia and probably ignored BMW's past missteps. Now we are in the present. And with that, BMW's line up has at least doubled, if not tripled, in count from what it was about 15 years ago. They offer cars in segments that did not exist 15 years ago. Now, how does this play out for BMW?
BMW, first and foremost, is a business with investors and employees that have to be paid and profit to be made, so survivability and flourishing is priority numero uno. But with expansion, is the brand being diluted or simply re-branding themselves, i.e. BMW is the ultimate driving machine but we also do _____(fill in the blank)? I think it's core value with non-M cars there's a greater degree of flexibility thus they can offer, say a cross-tourer, and still retain it's "BMW-ness." However, in their sub-brands such as their M cars, there's a different story. Sub-brands are created with a focused principle or philosophy in mind. In the case with the M cars the principles were to make sedans and coupes that were uncompromised in performance. They would take lessons that were applied in Motorsport (if I remember, that's what the M stands for...a little sarcasm) and apply it to production vehicles. Technologies include, but not limited to making the core BMW vehicle more powerful and perform on par with actual sports cars. SAVs are ponderous and heavy and even with the latest gizmos, such as torque-vectroring, are still SAVs. Can we honestly say that an X6 would perform on par with a 911? No. While I'm aware that an X6 and the 911 they are not in the same class, neither is an M3/M5 sedans and the 911. But those 2 sedans can certainly hold their own versus a dedicated sports car. I remember Gerard Richter famously saying that an SAV or a car with a slushbox are not part of the M philosophy. I understand that times have changed. And with time people change, such is the case with Herr Richter no longer the head of the M Division. And also with time, business models need to adapt to current situations and demands in order to maintain sustainability. With BMW's mainstream products, there's a significant breadth to what this brand can offer and the niches it can occupy as long it presents itself with a vehicle with some sporting pretense. With it's mainstream line, new principles can be introduced, such as Efficient Dynamics, which is an initiative that I personally applaud. However, with a sub-brand there ought to be a philosophy that should be adhered closely with little compromises being made, otherwise it's just another mainstream BMW with a more powerful engine, slightly different trim and nicer wheels. What's so special about that? Coming back to the M-version of the X's, that's how it appears. From a short-term business point of view, marketing the X's as being part of the M family is great because the ///M label is storied and thus guarantee more sales when it busts out on to the market, but what does that do to the durability of the ///M label in the long-run? Also was the X considered to labeled differently, such as how the large 8-series performance was called the 850CSi?
Some may seem this to be veiled attack on the inclusion of SAVs in the M line-up. And, in a way, you're right, I won't try to hide the fact that I'm pretty annoyed when principles are compromised. But I do understand the business necessity to do that. Profit's to be made, but at the expense of compromising principles? Now as I conclude this long-winded "dissertation" I would like to leave you guys with a few things to ponder....As BMW aficionados on a car-centric message board, do we represent a minority in the vast population? Also, as cheesy as it may sound, what does BMW, M, etc. represent to you?
Respond in whatever manner you want but let's avoid a brand war, it just get's us nowhere.
) in this thread http://www.germancarforum.com/threads/shock-secret-new-bmw-car-spied-15.html.30293 I figured that it deserves its own thread. This post is a bit ponderous, unwieldy, and bit scattered, but bear with it and I'll try to be as concise and clear as possible....To me BMW was one of the first car brands I liked since I was a kid. I was a fan of the 1980s 6-series and it's aggressive stance. As I got older I became aware of its sporting nature and how it valued engineering know-how. It simply marketed itself as the "Ultimate Driving Machine" and backed it up with the 2002, 3.0 CSL, the M1 and it's M line-up. Eventually that know-how would trickle down the more mainstream line-up. They provided a car that was fun to drive and could seat 4 people comfortably. Essentially they popularized the idea of a 4-door sports sedan more than any other brand. BMW not only just seemed to position itself as an engineering that put a precedence on efficiency, but also a company that put a priority on pushing the boundaries on design. They tend to embrace more avant-garde lines that made them more accessible than their chief rival, Mercedes-Benz. That's not to say that MB did not value design or engineering efficiency/prowess, but when I saw a Benz, I would think of a more stately individual in an overly starched suit. Essentially, I thought it was car brand that's perfect for my father. Now I hope that I did not inadvertently start another MB vs. BMW (vs. Audi vs ______) war as that's not my intention in the slightest. As wishy-washy as at may sound, I'm a fan of the "Big Deutch 3" and appreciate what they each bring to the table and how they push the other one to be better in the name of competition. Ok, now I'm digressing....
Now that I spoke fondly of BMW's past, I'm sure I'm roiled up in nostalgia and probably ignored BMW's past missteps. Now we are in the present. And with that, BMW's line up has at least doubled, if not tripled, in count from what it was about 15 years ago. They offer cars in segments that did not exist 15 years ago. Now, how does this play out for BMW?
BMW, first and foremost, is a business with investors and employees that have to be paid and profit to be made, so survivability and flourishing is priority numero uno. But with expansion, is the brand being diluted or simply re-branding themselves, i.e. BMW is the ultimate driving machine but we also do _____(fill in the blank)? I think it's core value with non-M cars there's a greater degree of flexibility thus they can offer, say a cross-tourer, and still retain it's "BMW-ness." However, in their sub-brands such as their M cars, there's a different story. Sub-brands are created with a focused principle or philosophy in mind. In the case with the M cars the principles were to make sedans and coupes that were uncompromised in performance. They would take lessons that were applied in Motorsport (if I remember, that's what the M stands for...a little sarcasm) and apply it to production vehicles. Technologies include, but not limited to making the core BMW vehicle more powerful and perform on par with actual sports cars. SAVs are ponderous and heavy and even with the latest gizmos, such as torque-vectroring, are still SAVs. Can we honestly say that an X6 would perform on par with a 911? No. While I'm aware that an X6 and the 911 they are not in the same class, neither is an M3/M5 sedans and the 911. But those 2 sedans can certainly hold their own versus a dedicated sports car. I remember Gerard Richter famously saying that an SAV or a car with a slushbox are not part of the M philosophy. I understand that times have changed. And with time people change, such is the case with Herr Richter no longer the head of the M Division. And also with time, business models need to adapt to current situations and demands in order to maintain sustainability. With BMW's mainstream products, there's a significant breadth to what this brand can offer and the niches it can occupy as long it presents itself with a vehicle with some sporting pretense. With it's mainstream line, new principles can be introduced, such as Efficient Dynamics, which is an initiative that I personally applaud. However, with a sub-brand there ought to be a philosophy that should be adhered closely with little compromises being made, otherwise it's just another mainstream BMW with a more powerful engine, slightly different trim and nicer wheels. What's so special about that? Coming back to the M-version of the X's, that's how it appears. From a short-term business point of view, marketing the X's as being part of the M family is great because the ///M label is storied and thus guarantee more sales when it busts out on to the market, but what does that do to the durability of the ///M label in the long-run? Also was the X considered to labeled differently, such as how the large 8-series performance was called the 850CSi?
Some may seem this to be veiled attack on the inclusion of SAVs in the M line-up. And, in a way, you're right, I won't try to hide the fact that I'm pretty annoyed when principles are compromised. But I do understand the business necessity to do that. Profit's to be made, but at the expense of compromising principles? Now as I conclude this long-winded "dissertation" I would like to leave you guys with a few things to ponder....As BMW aficionados on a car-centric message board, do we represent a minority in the vast population? Also, as cheesy as it may sound, what does BMW, M, etc. represent to you?
Respond in whatever manner you want but let's avoid a brand war, it just get's us nowhere.
