Quote:
Originally Posted by LogicalApex
Honestly, the current time is a really challenging time to be a car maker and planning for the future. Look at what the market is telling them... On one hand you have users like us who like driving and want a car that is exciting for this. On the other hand you have users who are drooling over a future where cars drive themselves. In a driverless future driving dynamics are useless.
You also have ever tightening safety and pollution regulations. Some places, like the EU, are requiring cars to prevent speeding at all and advanced safety systems require a middleman between you and the car. A computer driver can also be extremely efficient pollution wise. Savings lives is important and we shouldn't discount that in all of this. But it really makes building a "driver's car" really difficult unless you're able to price the cost for missing safety and pollution targets into the vehicle (translation: more expensive niche cars become "driver's cars").
All that said, they could still deliver a better iDrive here. What Mercedes showed off is leaps and bounds better and that's astonishing to me since this is one of the key areas that pulled me from MB to BMW!
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This is BMW's problem. In a world where driving dynamics mean nothing, why buy a BMW over a Mercedes or Audi? Both of the latter have better interiors and aren’t trending towards hideous design, and are typically more comfortable. Reliability becomes a moot point with electric drivetrains.
Counterpoint to the “expensive drivers car:” a Miata is much more fun to drive than any new BMW. Honestly, F series and G series BMWs (with the exception of the 2er) are bloated, numb cars - and they were intentionally made this way.
Porsche’s done a much better job than BMW. They’ve capitulated to market trends (the Macan & Cayenne) while still not sacrificing driving dynamics, quality, or style. Their brand identity is intact. A Taycan is undoubtedly futuristic while still looking like a “Porsche.” The iX is hideous, and has none of the characteristic BMW design cues. I’m not an older person either - I’m 24, and will be a part of BMW’s target demographic in the coming decades. Nothing in their new lineup appeals to me, nor do they make a compelling argument for me not to look at a competitor when the time comes for me to replace my E90.
BMW is going to be the new Cadillac if it continues down this path.