Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ezio
Quote:
Originally Posted by dbworld4k
Leave AWD to the noobs that don't know how to drive fast.
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95% of the customers you mean ?
i think BMW wants to sell to those people |
/flame suit on
That's precisely my point.
It's BS. The M3/M4/M5 are living proof of how BMW has now geared (ha) the M cars to the plethora of posers who have not a single clue how to drive the bloody thing to within an ounce of what a sports car is made for (see: moron crashing his Sakhir Orange M4 over a median at Cars and Coffee). These buyers have no business with an M car (or what M cars used to be). These 95% should be buying dolled up non-Ms with a million M stickers and badges just to remind them, for their country club dinners. After all, non-Ms are supposed to be the comfortable, daily driving sport-luxury cars.
The Ms were catered to true enthusiasts who don't bitch about a lack of low-end torque or slightly firm suspension. M cars were designed to be unapologetic in their sports car nature. Wringing out a motor to stratospheric RPMs with linear power delivery and crisp, nimble handling are values that used to be the core of BMW M. Not tuned 550i motors mated to a platform shared with a 7 series, and tweaked power trains found all over the lineups. That's not what a damn race-derived sports car is all about.
Look at how much current BMW M models have become so mediocre. There was a time when these were the unquestioned, dominant benchmarks in their respective classes (see E36 M3, E46 M3, E92 M3, E39 M5). Hell, the E92 M3 even won comparisons against the 997 Carreras. Today, the M3/4/5/6/71927322 are lucky to be the in the middle of their competitors with their ridiculous size, weight, plush suspensions and tractor torque curves. Maybe the M2 will be bmws saving grace (even then, with a tuned 235i motor).
That said, I get it. You need more power. More torque. That's the way the competition is going so FI is unavoidable. But for heaven's sake, why can't you keep up the class dominant engineering that once was? Why is there so much corner cutting (well, profits) instead of world-leading Motorsport engineering of yesteryear? Why are their current Ms just hopped up cookie cutter versions of their non-M counterparts instead of utilizing actual, real Motorsports research and development? I understand BMW has to adapt to their competitors, but they're doing a totally piss poor job of it.
A once unwavering class leader is now something to just simmer over and to appeal to the masses. And it's bullshit. M is all about Marketing and Money now, hardly about Motorsport. It's a shame. Ces la vie.
/rant