Bmw company as a whole (please take a look and vote)

[LeoIWH]

Hi everyone, I have been looking around the internet and commenting but I am receiving a tremendous amount of comment about BMW and I would like your opinion on this matter, so Is BMW failing or in other words like their design, many comments on the z4 looking like a fiat, is it a joke or it has great similarities? this is just one of them, they start to combine kidney grill on the newer models like the 3 series, and kidney grill on an x7 is the size of a car wheel, the I concept front looks like a Kia, many more and I can list on but I just don't understand if anyone can explain it to me, is the brand overrated and popular because of the past? is this the new market trend I didn't know? or is it something else?

I'm a great fan of BMW but the comments very concern me and my opinion on this matter is that the design arent traditional, yes I know time moves on but these new fleet is just so disappointing for me(The 8 series 2018 looks ok I guess)
Thanks again

 

[t-tony]

Hi Leo, perhaps it's just the general trend of car design. When we go over to Florida the rental cars all look pretty much the same and most are of Japanese or Asian decent and the styling is so similar whether it be a sedan (saloon) or even an SUV. Also designs must be influenced by the collaboration between manufacturers ie. BMW and Toyota in the case of the new Z4 and the Supra, even the front grille on the Ford range is very Aston Martinesque. My own opinion is that BMW are coming back to what I like in interiors now from the early to mid 2000s which weren't very nice, in my view.

Tony.

 

[Paul Rice]

BMW like other manufacturers, Porsche for example need to stray away from their DNA to survive.
In a perfect world for me BMW would be more exclusive, but that sounds selfish!
The thing that seems to be a constant, especially with BMW is the way opinion on style changes for the better with age.
So will be interesting to see in 15 years "when the new Z4 comes into my price range" what the opinions are!

 

[Grumps]

I dont like modern cars one bit. All much of a much, I think half the problem is they are so governed by regulations on green issues etc it's forcing them all to appear the same which frankly to me is just plain boring. Give me an older well maintained car any day.

 

[Ianmc]

BMW has changed from a "prestige" car maker to a "volume" car maker over the last 20 years. Business growth reasons of course but that is the fact. Also they have vastly devalued the "M" badging so it is now all but worthless, again for volume reasons. With a business hat on, it makes some short/medium term sense. Long term and from an enthusiast viewpoint it does not.

 

[Rha]

BMW has a great past, for me their future (to survive) is in the volume market as all the other popular makes seem to have caught up or even overtaken them, so unless they get really creative (electric wise) they’ll end up just another average producer. Only BMWs I’d like to buy have all ceased production.


So my answer is yes they’re on the slippery slope, but how near the bottom is anyone’s guess.

RHA, Roy.

 

[mwpe]

BMW are still making good cars but I think they have diversified too much. There is such a bewildering array of models to choose from. They have devalued the "M" badge but so have the competition. How many models of "AMG" Mercedes are there.
The fact is I would not want any new car these days, the are all too stuffed with unnecessary technology, I like to drive the car myself.

 

[Nodzed]

Not really a BMW fan if I'm honest, I'm a Zed fan, I have zero brand loyalty. I tried several hybrids before I chose the VW GTE, I didn't like the 330e same as I have never liked any 3 series I have driven. Are they loosing it? probably not TBH, they spend millions in customer research so there will be a plan? Their only real rivals in the car world are VAG and they will always come out on top due to their multi brand diversity. (IMHO)

 

[Pingu]

Car companies only need to appeal to those who buy their cars new and, to a much lesser extent, those who buy their spares. That's not many of us.

Lots of folks thought that Jaguar had sold their soul when they made a diesel estate, but it seems to sell well. Same can be said for Bentyga (a diesel Bentley SUV, for God's sake), or the Panamera, Cayenne and Macan from Porsche.

If you buy new, they might be interested in what you have to say. Otherwise, you can just drive around in other people's cast-offs - like me.

 

[Althulas]

I would love if they did a remake of a 507 with modern running gear instead of the new roadster, but like Pingu says I’ll drive round in the cast offs I like. Have been toying with Z4 35i but might fall back in love with the ///M once I stick to being at home and sort it out.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

I remember the days when BMW only made a couple of models, 1602/2002 and 6 series, now they seem to be making a car to fit every possible niche. X7

 

[MalcQV]

I think many modern cars share a similar styling que. Always have but I think it is closer today than ever. I'm not a BMW fan as such and have not followed the brand. I bought this Z3 because I wanted another soft top (preferably two seater). It might have been a Smart Roadster or an MX5 but this came up in very good condition.
Anyway I do not think BMW are doing anything wrong. They're surviving and in a changing technology, rather well I think.