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      11-06-2010, 08:09 AM   #38
SCOTT26
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SCOTT, and that's why BMW is losing its image as an "ultimate driving machine" and slowly becoming the german toyota. No offense, but BMW has lost focus of its roots
Have they?
If BMW retained just it's core cars 3,5,7 then the company would not be independent, If things went opposite back in the early 2000's then your 3er would have been based on a VW Golf platform- that is how close it got , when BMW vetoed any advance help from VW and jettisoned Rover and decided on the 1er to replace the Rover compact.

Unfortunately the market was changing , customers where taking advantage of compact sporty roadsters and large SAV's. BMW went in thinking with the idea of a SAV but make it more like a car hence why the X5 is the best selling and best driving SAV in it's segment.
Customers were wanting more from their cars and purely niche cars are brought from customer demand for something new and stylish on an existing concept. BMW could not sit back and concentrate on their core models because they would not have retained their independence.

But today if there is a German Toyota it is Volkswagen.
Look at how Toyota use Toyota platforms on Lexus models the same as underneath that Audi lies a VW platform.
Volkswagen has huge resources to do this and share one platform across the whole group. BMW do not so when everybody was throwing money at super expensive vanity projects ,( including some that do not make any money) BMW invested in Efficient Dynamics and a new modular architecture to sustain future growth which will appear underneath the 1er and 3er. The outcome? Efficient Dynamics caught the competition off guard - of the each segments BMW and MINI are representitive of. BMW are the leaders in efficiency. Even the 118d is more efficient than the Toyota Prius without sacrifice of driving enjoyment.

The new modular architecture is designed to be spread across a whole range of models of the 1er and 3er. The modular architecture can be stretched , widened, and shortened to suit a wide range of models from the 1er and 3er.
The advantage? it is entirely cost effective meaning that BMW can increase their profit margins on the 1er and 3er. Models can be created by moving firewalls and suspension mounts to suit each car meaning every model will not be the same. Of the 20 new models BMW will launch by 2015 the greater majority will be based on 1er and 3er because along with the city car segment or UKL which will be provided by MINI and the BMW Compact.
The Premium Compact and Premium Entry segments are earmarked for future growth within the industry. It is these segments that every manufacturer will be aiming for.

Actually one of the benefits here is because of mass production in a high volume product, BMW will be able to lower the cost of expensive "Big car" options , normally found in the Premium luxury segment of a 7er for the 1er and 3er.

In the economic crisis every Premium manufacturer and BMW included experienced a global trend towards "downsizing".
Although customers were downsizing from a higher premium model to either a compact , or premium entry model they were still equipping their cars with premium model features.
The customer would spend more on premium compact and premium entry cars if they get the same features , a lot of Premium features usually found on a luxury car like the 7er will be available for the 1er and 3er for the first time.

But to your question has BMW lost it's roots as "The Ultimate Driving Machine"?
Look at the acclaim the cars receive. nearly every single BMW model is the leader of the segment , the new 5er has surpassed expectations. The 7er is so far the leader of the segment. The 3er is unsurpassed , The 1er is truly one of a kind, and the X5 is still the segment leader even in the face of more competition. The new X3 is off to a great start , customers ordering an xDrive 20d will not take delivery until next April. I expect the X3 will retain it's segment it created. And then we have the M3 - sunsurpassed, every rival-outclassed. Next year we have the all-new BMW 6er, which at Paris caught the attention of every CEO of our competitors.

Vision Efficient Dynamics is truly testament to the BMW philosophy of making cars that are very much different from everybody else. That is the appeal of BMW, competitors try to emulate the BMW image but they dont drive as well as BMW's. Vision Efficient Dynamics is taking the concept of a Sports Car but doing something entirely unique with the concept , especially in turning it into something people do not expect a sports car to be.
That is the genius of BMW we do not want to be the same , we want to be independent not only in business but also in our products.

That is why the Vision Efficient Dynamics will be our "Image" car because there is nothing else like it.
Our recent Investment at our Leipzig works shows that BMW are taking this image seriously with both the Vision Efficient Dynamics and the MegaCity Vehicle to like it's sports car brother there will be nothing else like it on the market.
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