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Good, Bad or Ugly - Current and Future styling trends of BMW

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series

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#291 of 728 Hey by tlcman Jul 09, 2004 (11:49 am)
I was driving down the main street in my city past the BMW dealership... I saw a 645 ci a nice black coupe, at first I did not make the connection with BMW and thought it was an Austin Martin one of the Dbs or vanquish, I Just had to take a look at it. So after turning around and heading back I realized that it was the New 6! the Black paint job makes this car look mean and intimidating, I love it. and as for the styling, im not a fan of the rear, but other than that its all good to me. I think it is good that they made a change, because for a while around the 92-00 there everyone and I mean everyone loved BMW's this is great but also bad. BMWs sales went up but the feeling of a driver and passengers being seen in a BMW wasn't as exciting as it was when they were still considered luxury Imports and If you had one people look at you like you were a celeb. That all started to fade out when everyone started buying BMW's I think the change is good because now people either Hate the new styling or absolutely love it. This is starting to make BMW more of an exotic name instead of holding the title of the middle class grocery getter. I believe that less of the New stylings are going to sell than previous models, but thats not bad, it just means that the cars will hold better value and are more sought after by people who love the looks. Thats all in my own opinion.
#292 of 728 by m4d_cow Jul 09, 2004 (12:13 pm)
6 series is actually quite a breakthrough, while im not a fan of Bangle designs, i admit the 6 is a cool looking one, same thing goes for the z4. bangles designs are more into being "aggressive" and "sporty", leaving the old theme which suggests "elegance" and "simplicity".   the new 7 is actually not bad (w/o the eyebrows) but they dont sell well.i think the real problem is they applied the design in the wrong market segment, in this case: modern styling in a conservative market.
#293 of 728 I think... by tlcman Jul 12, 2004 (9:16 pm)
I believe that they did not want to sell as many cars as the older modles as to not flood the market with new body style BMW's Porsche does the same thing by limiting production. I think that they want their cars to accuire value by not flooding the market, but rather selling to a select group that will grow. They WILL be sought after by people who like the exotic look (I know my next car will be a 645ci). I have been to a BMW production plant and yes they care about sales but they also dont want BMW to become too well known they still want that Porsche feel to their cars (you know when a 911 goes by everyone turns their heads), that is what they are trying to achive, they already have enough money. Its a pride thing with the BMW name in the center.
#294 of 728 tlcman by saugatak Jul 13, 2004 (12:20 am)
I have been to a BMW production plant and yes they care about sales but they also dont want BMW to become too well known they still want that Porsche feel to their cars (you know when a 911 goes by everyone turns their heads), that is what they are trying to achive, they already have enough money. Its a pride thing with the BMW name in the center.   I can't agree with this. How can you say BMW is trying to get more exclusive when they're producing the X3 and the 1-series, which are cheaper versions of X5 and 3-series?   I think BMW is trying to sell as many cars for as high a price as possible, as are all profit-driven manufacturers.
#295 of 728 Sales by riez Jul 13, 2004 (3:49 am)
tlcman... BMW's management has been obsessed with sales for many, many years. They have long believed that a modern car company has to reach a certain size in order to survive. Manufacturing economies of scale, market presence, R&D, etc. That was a huge reason they ended up with the Rover debacle. BMW wanted to use Rover to be their "mass market" brand/marque.   Is one reason why BMW kept MINI (and is promoting the heck out of it) as well as Rolls Royce. BMW wants sales at the low end and high end, and wants to dominate these respective niche markets.   Don't forget that Porsche almost was sold in the early 1990s. Not unlike what almost happened to BMW in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Both had severe sales and profit declines at the times that almost led to their demise. Yet another reason why size can matter.
#296 of 728 I agree with you guys by tlcman Jul 13, 2004 (11:42 am)
Excuse me I did not state myself clearly enough, They are very much into sales, 1 series and X3 show that? yes they do, they are cars with less refinement than that of a 3,Z4,5,X5,and7 series with a smaller but still heafty price tag. I agree that they want their cars to sell...If a company didn't then they would go under! Im just saying that with their new body styles (Im mainly aiming at 5,6,and 7) they are targeted to a new groupd of buyers. If they wanted to be mass marketers and continue with their large profit gains then they would not have changed their body styles. You would not believe how fast those were flying off the factory, let alone showroom floors. they knew how bangles designs were thought of. Their redesigned 7 series has been out for over 2 years, they saw that they were not flying off the floors as fast as the older modles and if they still wanted to make the same profits that they had been then they would not have changed the 5 series, nor spent the money to reintroduce the 6 series. Yes they want to target a new group yes they want their cars to sell, but they also want their cars to have the Porsche feel that I stated earlier, and the new modles do have that.    How can you say BMW is trying to get more exclusive when they're producing the X3 and the 1-series, which are cheaper versions of X5 and 3-series?   Porsche has a similar system to BMW and Saugatak made me realize that, Porsche has the Boxter which is a lower end car and fairly uncomparable to the 911 (I know I own a 911), anyway the Boxter sells lots of modles to people who want the Porsche name and not the price, that would be the equivalent to the 1 or X3 of BMW marketed to people who want the BMW name but not the price, the Boxter gets the extra cash in to complete market R&D and customer feedback, then they develop cars like the GT and new 911 modles ect. Same concept and aim for BMW. BMW is a name of pride, and they do want many people to have them and show them off but do not want their cars to be seen on every road. The older modles were like this, when I was coming home from work yesterday I sat in my car and counted 6 BMW 5,3, and two 7 series (all old bodys) drive by in less than a minute, This is what BMW is not aiming for with their new bodys (According to BMW productions reps)   BTW they sold Land Rover
#297 of 728 tlcman by designman Jul 13, 2004 (8:01 pm)
"Porsche has a similar system to BMW and Saugatak made me realize that, Porsche has the Boxter which is a lower end car and fairly uncomparable to the 911 (I know I own a 911), anyway the Boxter sells lots of modles to people who want the Porsche name and not the price."   Boxster is not comparable to the 911? I'll say. It's lighter, has a superior design and balance due to the mid-engine design and, accordingly, it handles better. Did you also know that the 996 911 shares about 40% of its parts with the Boxster? They are virtually identical from the cabin forward. They have the same engine block and the Boxster S has the same 6-speed transmission. The only differences are the engine displacement, intake, rear suspension and engine placement. The 911 Carrera has more power and that's it. Finally, ever wonder why the Carrera GT has a mid-engine design like the Boxster, unlike the 911?   Also, take a look at August Motor Trend and see how the Boxster S blows away the Z4, Audi TT and 350Z, then tell me if this is about a badge stuck on the hood and about people who are not willing to pay extra for a better car.   Lastly, if you are so unconcerned about badges and spending money, tell me why you didn't go for the NSX, a car that outperforms the 911?   I don't believe BMW has two platforms that share parts like the Boxster and 911. And it's because Porsche really can't afford to do it any other way.   As far as people buying badges—you will always have them. But this has nothing to do with the integrity of the cars they buy.
#298 of 728 From your tone you must own a Boxter by tlcman Jul 13, 2004 (8:41 pm)
Boxster is not comparable to the 911? I'll say. It's lighter, has a superior design and balance due to the mid-engine design and, accordingly, it handles better. Did you also know that the 996 911 shares about 40% of its parts with the Boxster? They are virtually identical from the cabin forward. They have the same engine block and the Boxster S has the same 6-speed transmission. The only differences are the engine displacement, intake, rear suspension and engine placement. The 911 Carrera has more power and that's it. Finally, ever wonder why the Carrera GT has a mid-engine design like the Boxster, unlike the 911   .... Wrong board for this, The 911 is rear engine and mine handles wonderfly pulling almost .9 lateral G's, can your boxter do that? ... Thats all Im going to say bout my 911   I don't believe BMW has two platforms that share parts like the Boxster and 911. And it's because Porsche really can't afford to do it any other way   ... engine wise yes but other than that, X3 has parts borrowed from the Z4, 5 borrowed parts from 7, 6 borrowed parts from 7 and 5, and X5 has 3 parts mixed in with it, X3 and X5 have the same optional engine 3.0, X3 uses the 2.5 liter too.... I dont know where you got that... Ive seen them being installed so dont try to convince me that they all use separate parts that uneconomical, Yes the Boxter is not to be taken lightly and Porsche puts out great cars, but it is a step lower than any of Porsches other cars, that is their aim no matter how it preforms they are more seen on the road and MUCH cheaper than 911t's or any other Porsche, while they have the same engine block they do not share power and they are asembled differently how slightly it may be...   But this board is aimed at BMW so lets try to keep on the subject
#299 of 728 tlcman by saugatak Jul 14, 2004 (12:33 am)
If they wanted to be mass marketers and continue with their large profit gains then they would not have changed their body styles. You would not believe how fast those were flying off the factory, let alone showroom floors. they knew how bangles designs were thought of. Their redesigned 7 series has been out for over 2 years, they saw that they were not flying off the floors as fast as the older modles and if they still wanted to make the same profits that they had been then they would not have changed the 5 series, nor spent the money to reintroduce the 6 series.   Interesting theories. I'm really not sure what BMW was trying to do with Bangle so your guesses are as valid as anyone else's.   My guess is that BMW just picked the wrong man for the job. They wanted to be bold and daring and it didn't quite work out. It costs a fortune to do the design, R&D and tooling for these cars, so I think that even though Bangle's designs have not been a huge hit, BMW has no choice but to ride it out.
#300 of 728 by kdshapiro Jul 14, 2004 (7:44 am)
People must like the new 7 series because the latest sales figures show the 7 series slightly behind the LS. This is a far cry from the doom and gloom that BMW is going under and Bangle is single-handedly responsible.   Bangle took a big risk and seems to be paying off. BMWs are like art, they take time to be appreciated. Picasso was not a hit when he started out either. I do think the designs need to be tweaked though, not trashed. My guess is that people are waiting to see what the new model year brings and when the new models arrive, sales will sky-rocket.

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