Will BMW Bow Down To The NISSAN GTR???

[SDNR]

Or the brand name. I mean, let us face it, premium German cars cost as much as they do cause people are willing to pay the premium for the brand name, not really cause they cost as much to build - wasn't there some article on the ridiculous amount Porsche makes per 911 - something to the tune of $20,000. And I don't even want to imagine what the figure is for Italian exotics.

I am not ridiculing the idea of brand value. Like it or hate it, it is part of the modern society. I like to think of myself as someone not too into brands, but I will admit, the toughest part of buying a GTR if I ever get one will be telling my friends I paid $70 grands for a Nissan, while I will proudly announce I sunk 100 big ones into a Porsche.

I agree to a point ...but Western Europe is an expensive place to run a business, the costs are very high and it doesn't always translate into excessive profits -- especially after tax.

 

[Sunny]

True, but so is Japan, if you take real estate prices as an indication of relative living expense - which in turn, I guess, would decide the cost of running a business.

But one thing I did conveniently ignore in my post is Nissan can afford to sell GTRs at a loss (I don't know if that is the case). Chysler does sell the Viper at a loss (or at least used to), but Porsche can't do the same for 911.

 

[Mr Robert]

Ah, another one of those refreshing BMW bashing threads! I wonder why the boy did not start a thread like "Will Alfa Bow Down To The GTR???"... or one about Chevrolet for that matter?

Anyway, no, BMW will not bow down to the GTR. Nissan has created a car that does not compete with anything BMW has to offer so there is really no need to make a reaction on account of that. By the sound of it the boy wants BMW to build an Audi RS and if someone should be doing that its Audi...

 

[Merc1]

True Sunny.

This brings me to another point. Nissan really can't threaten BMW, Porsche or any other sports, sporty luxury car maker from a business point of view because the GT-R is a one-off model for them. Their "business" is the Altima, Murano, Maxima, etc. etc. They couldn't build enough of them put Porsche out of business. Now were BMW and others did dodge a bullet in this country is the fact that they decided not to label the GT-R and Infiniti. That would have put it closer to, if not directly in a competition with BMW's M3 in some people's minds.

Really Chevy is the only one that makes the Corvette in sheer volume to threaten Porsche, but the two cars are so far apart asthetically that both have their devoted following that wouldn't hardly dream of owning the other.

M

 

[Guibo]

^Interesting points DocM.

Why are German cars so much more expensive than Japanese ones? ....Japanese labour is not cheap, so it must have a lot to do with productivity.

What do you think about the possibility of yen devaluation, a policy supported by the Japanese government in order to maintain high exports (and reduce imports into Japan)?

 

[Mr Robert]

Really Chevy is the only one that makes the Corvette in sheer volume to threaten Porsche, but the two cars are so far apart asthetically that both have their devoted following that wouldn't hardly dream of owning the other.

M

And Chevy is the only car maker that produces a car that directly competes with the GTR and that is because of pricing vs performance.

 

[Merc1]

True Doc.

My gut feeling is that Porsche is the only one with anything to really worry about here. This new Vette and the GT-R may get some Porsche intenders that are on the fence, but I can't see any of the Italian/British exotics much considering a Nissan or a super Corvette.

M

 

[SDNR]

What do you think about the possibility of yen devaluation, a policy supported by the Japanese government in order to maintain high exports (and reduce imports into Japan)?

I guess Japan is worried about China's growing dominance as the 'world's big factory'.

 

[Bruce]

Ah, another one of those refreshing BMW bashing threads! I wonder why the boy did not start a thread like "Will Alfa Bow Down To The GTR???"... or one about Chevrolet for that matter?

I don't think there's anything about this thread that could be classified as "BMW bashing". Furthermore, it's creator has shown his affection for the BMW 1-Series Coupe many times before.

 

[cawimmer430]

^Interesting points DocM.

Why are German cars so much more expensive than Japanese ones? ....Japanese labour is not cheap, so it must have a lot to do with productivity.

For one, the Germans practice prestige pricing, and two, the Japanese keep their currency artificially weak by purchasing large amounts of US Dollars. This makes their products cheaper in the US market. The Euro is very competitive with the US Dollar resulting in "expensive" European products in the US (now add prestige pricing to that).

Lastly, the Japanese have always practiced this strategy of offering more for less money.

 

[PanterroR]

As much as I love the GT-R, BMW doesn't need to change a thing about the M3. The day they make the M3 a TT-AWD car is the day I turn to their competitors. the M3 is all about a RWD with a high-revving naturally aspirated engine. If they go the "AWD with Twin-turbo" route, all they'd be doing is following Nissan and others. BMW doesn't need to follow, they need to lead.

Word.

And no, BMW will NOT bow down to anyone, let alone Nissan.. Regardless of this GT-R monster.

 

[SDNR]

You are right Chris, the Japanese have always done this.

Just a little OT:
In the mid 70s, the German company Zeiss decided to stop making its Contax cameras in Germany and did a deal with Japanese electronics company Kyocera to make them in Japan. In 2005, Zeiss and Kyocera decided to discontinue the production of Contax cameras altogether because they were not competitive in the digital camera market.


^I guess my point was Zeiss took advantage of Japanese technology and the yen.

 

[vedjo01]

LOL,funny thread..here is what I think..

 

[Centurion]

After having read a few of the reviews and comparisons I'm impressed by what Nissan has accomplished with the GT-R. The Vette off course offers similar performance but is just like the Viper, a bit uncivilized. While cars like the 911 and GT-R has leather interior with more or less all comfort features found in any Benz or Bimmer. I'm glad Nissan chose that path because this will be a good choice for those who are in the market for a high performing daily driver resembling the M3.

 

[Zafiro]

I want to change the question: Will Skyline GTR bow down to ZR-1?

 

[Merc1]

Yep. I expect a full humiliation of the GT-R by the ZR-1.

M

 

[Maximus Decimus]

I think the following cars will see less than expected sales volumes thanks to the GTR. M3, Carrera's and Caymans, and Z06's. For the same money it will outperform the M3 and Porsches in basically every performance category. Although it's certainly not Audi/VW standard, the GTR will likely have a much more refined interior than the Chevy. Am I the only one that thinks the Vette and the Chevy Aveo use interior bits from the same parts bin? My buddy test drove a new Vette, and although it drove great, he said the fit and finish could have been better as he noticed an odd but persistent squeak coming somewhere from the rear over every bump.

Onehots2k, I said the same thing in the other forum where you posed a similar question. I love the M3, always have, always will, and even though I'm not sold on the styling of the GTR inside or out, the value for dollar can't be beat. $70K!!! The new ZR1 is estimated to be $100K!! and will certainly not be 30 grand better. Vette's don't have enough Rodeo drive cred for that $100K price tag IMO and they still have the stigma of being a car for mid-life crisis Caucasian American males who take viagras with each coffee.

 

[Merc1]

All the cars that have been on market for a while yes, the Porsches and the Z06, but the M3 I seriously doubt it. The waiting list I'm sure is full at every dealer across the U.S. They may have a few people to defect over the GTR, but not enough to even notice. A new M3 is still a highly sought after model no matter what else happens elsewhere in the autoworld.

M

 

[Mr Robert]

I don't think there's anything about this thread that could be classified as "BMW bashing".

Maybe, but why is it always BMW? I just can't understand why they were chosen to be the target here.

 

[Mr Robert]

I'm glad Nissan chose that path because this will be a good choice for those who are in the market for a high performing daily driver resembling the M3.

In what way do you think it resembles the M3?