Old Slogan is New UDM

CSteve

CSteve

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BMW's ad campaign for 2012 will feature the new/old slogan: The Ultimate Driving Machine.
Too bad the cars don't live up to the slogan. Once upon a time in a parallel universe they did. No more. Still Bangalized, without dipsticks, chip dependent, and reliability ratings at the bottom, they have no soul.

But don't get me started.
 
Steve-

Saw your post and it made me sad. But it also got my dander up, as I think you have painted BMW with too broad a brush. Yes, they are no longer strictly a performance car company, which they undoubtedly once were. But the car business requires economies of scale to survive, and there aren’t enough serious drivers out there to sustain a business based on the performance-minded alone. So they’ve had to appeal to the soccer moms, the status-seeking posers, and the like. However (and this is a BIG however), if you drive one of their M cars, you will have no doubt that they remain committed to the Ultimate Driving Machine spirit. I’m warming up my M Coupe for a drive this afternoon. I invite you to come on over, slip behind the wheel, take to Bucks County twisties, and have you mind opened to seeing the marque in a better light.

So you should embrace the great unwashed who subsidize the technologies that we love in our go-fast cars. This is the same philosophy that Enzo Ferrari used for decades; he was open about the fact that he sold street cars for the sole purpose of funding his racing program. Think of the X5's of the world as funding the M Division, BMW Classic (nee Mobile Traditions) and the like. You'll feel better...
 
Larry,

Keep that dander up, it's good for the heart. But I am not criticizing the performance of the M Cars. I have driven in an M3 and an M5 on the track with racers at the wheel. Amazing cars. Out accelerate, corner, brake, my modified CSi in every way. And most of the other cars on the track. Those guys are amazing and scary drivers.

But talk to Len S. about build quality and corner cutting when BMW Corporate could have put so much more into their cars and still reaped enormous profits.

Read the Roundel columns where the writers advise either leasing or selling at the end of the warranty because owners will face huge repairs bills. And the free oil changes, etc during the warranty have been stretched too far for the engines, leading to expensive problems down the road, AFTER the warranty has expired.

When it comes to contemporary BMW the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Steve
 
i agree with both, bmw its now a boooring company, very similar to everyother company, it is no longer that exciting feeling we have when we start our 40 year old e9's

but is actual business, and also how society has evolved, you can easily see that we are outsiders, taking care of our cars also with big expenses in time and money

that is how it works, ...be grateful if you have the oppotunity !
 
new bmw cars

I'm a sales manager for a BMW dealer. I'm also a car junky.
The new cars are very well engineered. The safety and technolgy is fantastic. The braking and handling is great. Sure there are things that are not good about them. I hear the complaints from enthusiust type people like ourselves. No diesel in a stick shift? No wagons? Why so many gadgets etc. But they still are cars built for the general public and not just people like you and me. With that being said....
WHY CANT I GET A STICK SHIFT DIESEL RWD WAGON?
lol
They are going down a slippery slope with the new 4cyl turbo 5 series and the upcoming 4 cyl turbo 3 series.
You wont be able to get a naturally aspirated 6 cylinder stick shift anymore!!
 
mario1017 said:
I'm a sales manager for a BMW dealer. I'm also a car junky.
The new cars are very well engineered. The safety and technolgy is fantastic. The braking and handling is great. Sure there are things that are not good about them. I hear the complaints from enthusiust type people like ourselves. No diesel in a stick shift? No wagons? Why so many gadgets etc. But they still are cars built for the general public and not just people like you and me. With that being said....
WHY CANT I GET A STICK SHIFT DIESEL RWD WAGON?
lol
They are going down a slippery slope with the new 4cyl turbo 5 series and the upcoming 4 cyl turbo 3 series.
You wont be able to get a naturally aspirated 6 cylinder stick shift anymore!!
Click to expand...

Heh - the bolded text amused me, because this is pretty close to what I wanted back in August when shopping for a new car. I ended up with a 535xi sedan (the GTs are so ugly). Would have much rather had a wagon (not avail), diesel (not avail), manual (not avail in AWD). What's funny to me is that I would have ordered a car to get all of this stuff, and I'm pretty sure it's available in the EU and other markets, so the only thing I can figure is that BMW doesn't want to have to teach its service departments about those things in the US for the small number of sales they would make.

After 5 months I'm already very bored of the 535. It's an extremely competent car with lots of cool gadgets, but it strikes me as more of an appliance than a car. More's the pity.

I am hopeful that the rumored M550dx will actually make an appearance in the US.
 
In reality I am a Porsche guy but the Z8 still impresses me!

Almost every car company even Ferrari has to build user friendly cars for the masses...

But what was absolutely amazing to me was when Top Gear does their testing of the worlds fastest cars around the same tight track with the same professional driver the new Porsche Panamera Turbo (4 door Coupe) was the at the time 6th fastest car! They have tested a lot more cars since then and the Porsche has moved way down the list but the 4 door Panamera is still within a second or so of many ultra fast exotic cars.

This was up against, Lambos, Vipers, Ferraris, Astons etc and a 4 door car on a tight twisty track could hold its own... That is truly amazing!
 
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I travel to Europe frequently on business and the wagon, oops sorry I mean 'estate', look started to grow on me... Plus having our first child convinced me of the practicalities.

So I said auf-Wiesersehen to my black/black gorgeous E39 M5 and Guten-tag to one of the last new 2010 edition 535xi Touring. I love it, and thankfully so does my wife.

We seriously considered a 550 GT with some kind of sports package..... and it still looked uglier than a Porsche Panamera.
 
550 gt

I confess, I want a new 550 GT. I starred at one all summer long on our showfloor. Fell in love. It grew on me. They are interesting.
Another reason I want one is because no one has one!!!
But the X6, dont get me started on it. It's so impractical. Its hard to see out off. Its hard to get into. its ugly. and its 75k ++

the panamera, great car, but it never grew on me. the technology and layout of the car is a little complex. the tech bits not as good as bmw. most of the people who buy them are not porsche buyers (in my observation) but status buyers.

BMW just announced they were the #1 luxury automaker in the US. Mostly because of the product they have is still superior and more interesting than most other luxury automakers. I do hope BMW offers the new 3 series in an estate and hatchback, and sales would grow, and people would stop buying audis!
 
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