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Sedans BMW 3-Series 2009 BMW 3-Series
276 messages, Last post on Aug 25, 2009 at 9:57 PM
You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: jmaroun (Nov 26, 2008 10:12 am)  It took me years to accept a V-8, but I caved in when I remembered BMW's history had precedents. V12s don't seem relevant to 3 series cars. |
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Replying to: jmaroun (Nov 26, 2008 10:12 am) Yes, but neither of those is an M car. I don't care if BMW puts a turbo V-6 in every grocery getter they sell (I'm not buying one anyways) - as long as they leave the M's alone. M cars are supposed to be special, focused, and uncompromised. What they're doing with the M cars tarnishes the whole brand. It's like hearing a punk rock song from your favorite independent band in a TV commercial for maxi pads. It's a sell out, nothing more.
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Anyone else experience the newer generation iDrive that's found on the 2009's? Among other things, the graphics are much better. You now have the ability to go back to the previous screen and the surrounding buttons that go directly to a given function such as "Audio" make using it quicker and easier. Redundant controls for the radio with six preset function buttons are available as are climate control functions so you can totally bypass the iDrive for routine use. I think IDrive for all its bad press is really easy to use and is much more intuitive. It greatly trumps the Command Center controls of the Mercedes while still overall falling short of those found in Japanese marques. The single control of the round dial on the console has been trend setting and iDrive, I believe, will continue to improve. |
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Replying to: fedlawman (Nov 26, 2008 12:36 pm) At the 2001 X5 4.6is press intro BMW NA's Martin Birkman told me why the hot X didn't wear an M badge: "An M car typically has a manual transmission, rear wheel drive, and a high- revving engine." So much for that...  On the other hand, I'm sure BMW realizes that the softer, low-revving M cars will attract more BMW wearers and poseurs. And it appears that the strategy is already bearing fruit... 
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Replying to: roadburner (Nov 26, 2008 7:18 pm) Already? Hasn't this strategy been in play since the '80's, when the "driver's car" became the must-have accessory of the upwardly-mobile? It appears to have worked every time it's been tried, for going-on 25 years. The fact that actual car guys have shunned the brand in recent years, for a variety of reasons, is beyond irrelevant in the land of the BMW marketing "team." There's more at the door. Oh boy.
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Replying to: cdnpinhead (Nov 26, 2008 7:29 pm) Yes, but the M cars were the last refuge of the real enthusiasts. Now even more M driver seats will be filled by imbeciles who think that trailing throttle oversteer is a band that used to open for Kansas.
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Replying to: roadburner (Nov 26, 2008 8:01 pm)  Andrew McCarthy, Molly Ringwald, and a 325.
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Replying to: fedlawman (Nov 26, 2008 9:32 pm) They might need to do another movie quick... CEO says BMW in “biggest crisis in its history;” rivals have similar concerns BMW, which has seen it sales double since 1999, is now in the “biggest crisis in its history,” CEO Norbert Reithofer told Germany’s Spiegel. Like all automakers, BMW’s sales have been hit hard by the financial crisis, but the company’s reliance on leasing for a large percentage puts it in an even more vulnerable position. Reithofer isn’t alone in his sentiment. Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche admitted the situation could easily be the “worst crisis since World War II.” If that’s the case, expect more job cuts and production slowdowns at Mercedes and BMW. Even Volkswagen, which has a much broader brand and model mix, is concerned about its future. “We have never before seen this kind of a crisis,” chairman Martin Winterkorn said. He said it would be impossible for his company to avoid “difficult cuts” and “painful” measures. According to the New York Times, luxury cars from BMW and Mercedes are beginning to pile up at U.S. ports. But they aren’t the only ones. Literally thousands of Toyota and Nissan models have filled acres of land at the port in Long Beach, California. In fact, Mercedes, Toyota and Nissan have requested to lease additional space at a 160-acre lot to park their slow-selling cars. Recently, Toyota Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita characterized the current situation as “an emergency, of a magnitude we have never seen before.” So is any automaker immune to the economic collapse in America, Europe, and Asia? Simply put: no. After all, Mercedes, BMW, VW, and Toyota are usually thought of as the most stable automakers in the world. Their survival will depend entirely on their ability to quickly adapt to slowing sales. Without the same rigid union and legacy costs of the Detroit Three, we’re hopeful they’ll all pull through. Regards, OW |
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Does anyone know if 'Training and MACO' ($560) comes from BMW charge to dealer on every car?
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