BMW stays ahead of rivals Audi, Mercedes in global-sales race.

[klier]

Right, it will be small cars. Not E-Classes and what not, that would be crazy dumb for Mercedes lend out anything beyond the A/B platform to Nissan/Infiniti.


M

Well, they could lend out an old E-class platform like they did with the Chrysler 300C? Wasn't that car based on the W210 and didn't it roughly come to market at the same time as the W211??

 

[Merc1]

Well, they could lend out an old E-class platform like they did with the Chrysler 300C? Wasn't that car based on the W210 and didn't it roughly come to market at the same time as the W211??

They could, but I highly doubt Infinti would want Mercedes' leftovers especially when their current platform is sportier than the E-Class to start with. Chrysler couldn't built a RWD sedan for shyte and needed help, Infiniti doesn't.


M

 

[Wolfgang]

Nissan’s Executive Vice President Andy Palmer explains it:

“There are very few mass brands that make that walk into luxury. And there’s a reason for that, which is embedded somewhere within the way the products are executed and in the engineering. A luxury brand will need much better torsional rigidity, much better NVH than you would put into a mass brand. If you have a product that handles like an A-class or a B-class, with that level of NVH, with that level of torsional rigidity, but you can do it at a cost, which is closer to where a mass brand would be, then you’re in a very good place from a competitive point of view. And that’s where we’re trying to be.”

Report: Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti team up on new compact hatchback | egmCarTech


PS. Any chance for some Cross Coupe inspired styling? Please.

http://www.germancarforum.com/new-v...-official-volkswagen-cross-coupe-concept.html

 

[Tumbo]

Wow, Audi is really on fire!
Well done!

 

[braaf]

^Did I miss something?

 

[Sunny]

.

 

[Deckhook]

Do BMW need another brand to boost its global sales? I'm not sure because they BMW don't have a great record taking over other car manufacturers and turning them around, Rover being the prime example.

I think BMW's next goal is begin the biggest European brand in China, it's the only way I see to stop Audi eventually overtaking them as number one luxury German brand. Also expanding the variation within each model group like what Audi are doing will probably help, extend the 1 series to include a 4dr saloon and a possible fastback/GT but I think it's biggest sales boost will come from the new sub 1 series car.

 

[klier]

Do BMW need another brand to boost its global sales? I'm not sure because they BMW don't have a great record taking over other car manufacturers and turning them around, Rover being the prime example.

Yep, and Mini and RR don't count anymore.

Meh, why am I even bothering?

 

[Merc1]

I was gonna say that isn't true, BMW is pretty good at growing and preserving other brands. 2 out of 3 ain't bad at all. Of course no one does it like the VW Empire does. Ford, Mercedes, GM not so much...


M

 

[klier]

Skoda, Seat and Audi are all FWD rebadged VWs. I don't see what's special. Audi does good, Skoda ok-ish and Seat bad. But maybe you mean Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti? Those three do fine indeed.

 

[Deckhook]

Yep, and Mini and RR don't count anymore.

Meh, why am I even bothering?

BMW have turned Mini into a brand and hats off to them they played a blinder with this product but before that it was simply a model within a range of cars, hardly a company as such and yes I will conceed that Rolls has done well under BMW but we aren't talking about a huge company producing hundreds of thousands of cars per year which is probably why it's been a success because it hasn't placed a huge financial burden like what Rover did. It took VAG years to turn Skoda round, something that would have probably have pulled BMW under if they had tried.

This isn't a debate of who's best at turning failing brands round, it's about how BMW can stay ahead of the competition and in my opinion expanding their own range and concentrating of new markets is the way forward, not buying other car companies.

 

[Merc1]

Skoda, Seat and Audi are all FWD rebadged VWs. I don't see what's special. Audi does good, Skoda ok-ish and Seat bad. But maybe you mean Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti? Those three do fine indeed.

I think you knew I meant the great brands, Seat and Skoda I know nothing about since they aren't sold here.

I know you have VW and everything they make, but to say that Audis are nothing more than re-badged VWs is just sheer ignorance klier. I know you know better than this.


M

 

[Mr Robert]

1/2 the VAG empire is running about on a golf platform, yet you would hardly consider comparing a TT to a Golf GTI.

But they feel rather the same, don't they?

 

[Human]

I think you knew I meant the great brands, Seat and Skoda I know nothing about since they aren't sold here.

I know you have VW and everything they make, but to say that Audis are nothing more than re-badged VWs is just sheer ignorance klier. I know you know better than this.


M

Aren't they? I am sure if you do a forensic audit into the parts bin you may be surprised

 

[Deckhook]

Why are we discussing Audi cars on a BMW thread that's about how BMW stay ahead of the competition.

Keep on track guys.

 

[klier]

I know you have VW and everything they make, but to say that Audis are nothing more than re-badged VWs is just sheer ignorance klier. I know you know better than this.


M

Have = hate. And I don't hate VW or even VAG, just Audi. And a lot of Audi models ARE rebated VW models, there is no ignorange there. What did you think the TT, A1 and A3 are? Bespoke unique Audi models??? Hah!
Audi being a rebadged VW is of course hyperbole. But it is true to an extend. And the Audi models that are no rebadged VW, share tons of other stuff with it's simple brothers. So much it's not even funny. Even the most important part, like engines.

Also, you and me both know it isn't exactly true Merc, but I love saying it. Call it ignorance, or call it irony. I don't care what you call it, as long as you stop making it serious I am well aware of the fact that the A6 is not based on an existing Passat. But I hope you are aware that that same A6 shares a hell of a lot of it's parts with a mere Polo/Golf/Ibiza/Passat/Octavia.

 

[Deckhook]

Please Klier, enlighten us as to what exactly the A6 shares with the models you were referring to because I am sure lots here are dieing to know.

 

[Merc1]

Apparently at least 2 people here don't know what a "re-badge" is. To re-badge is when you take a badge off one car and stick it on another, without changing anything else. Like the Chrysler 300 to Lancia transformation. Toyota Land Cruiser to Lexus LX570, Ford to Mercury, those are the exact same cars with different names stuck on them.

An Audi TT is not the a Golf with a different badge. Is it a Golf with different interior and body, sure you can argue that, but it isn't just a simple "re-badge" job. Audis are not re-badge jobs. Skoda, Seat, yeah maybe so, don't know cause we don't get them here, but Audis are not simple re-badge jobs of VWs. Re-bodied, same platform in some cases yes, but just a simple badge swap, they aren't and to continue to say it is just plain wrong and ignorant of the facts. Period.

The part that really gets me is that most people here wouldn't know any of this parts sharing, platform sharing nonsense unless someone told them to begin with. How many here have looked under a Golf and a TT and figured out that they share a platform on their own without some magazine telling them so? Right.


M

 

[klier]

A different interior and body, and everything else is the same. I call that a re-badge. A technical rebadge. Which is even worse because they're making you believe you buy an exclusive sport car (TT) when it's a simple Golf in reality.

Done with this topic now, thanks for participating guys.

 

[Deckhook]

Still off topic but tell me Klier does the TT actually use that a Golf chassis and put its shell on top?