BMW cars losing its exclusivity

[shanbala]

Recent article in Monday's Asian Wall Street Journal:BMW AG to cut production,raise prices globally, especially in the U.S.It was an interesting read but the para that caught my attention:-" Like other premium German brands selling in the U.S.,BMW faces an increasing tough choice between trying to protect profitability and holding on to market share. In recent years, BMW has pushed aggressively to sell cars in the U.S., using discounts and easy leasing terms. Auto executives and analysts warn that BMW risk losing their most valuable asset - their exclusivity. Previously, BMW car buyers paid full price, attracted by the belief they are getting an exclusive product."Are BMW cars losing its exclusivity in Malaysia ?? I have been owing BMW cars since 1990 and I for one agree that its exclusivity has eroded over the last 5-10 years. rgds

 

[bmw7833]

In my previous reading, BMW more to protect the exclusivity, but Mers is more to fight for sales volume.

Don't know which one is true, but obviously BMW design more to sporty looks in the future even the flagship, 7 series.

That's why i like my e39 more to e60.

 

[shaifulo]

i dont think the exclusivity has eroded, it's just more people have bigger disposable income & they've got taste to splash on nice bmws. have u ever seen a real E34 M5 in Malaysia?? hardly....but the E60 M5s....I've seen so many of them already

also, bmw is so good that it runs well for so long and changes hands in 2nd hand market multiple times over its lifetime. that's why u see so many bmws on the road :top:

 

[genius328i]

I don't know whether is tru or not but one of my germany friends said
we build mercedes for sell
we build bmw for ourself

 

[astroboy]

Or else how could I afford an E90? What exclusivity? High maintenance exclusivity? :stupid:

Its exclusivity to me remain the kidney grill, hofmeister curve, balance chassis, creative use of logic (RFT for example), RWD, loss to who? MX5? Mini? AE86?

 

[funfer_fahrer]

The American automotive market is a big market with many major players. Like other car makers BMW also wants a fair share of the market. Americans generally are very loyal to their Made in USA brands such as Ford, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, etc. How to penetrate such market? They brought in Chris Bangle. Who is Chris Bangle? Put his name alongside with other great designers such as Pininfarina and Giugario, something is just not right. He's an American with big American dream. First, he introduced the X5 in Alabama plant knowing that Americans love SUV so much followed by E60, E90 etc. Americans purchasing habit is far from Malaysians. If it's going to be a luxury car, it has to be Lexus. Period. BMW? Is that a washing machine? If not because of World War Two they won't even know that a country called Germany exists. BMW's Bangle-lisation also has its own price. Most potential buyers have mixed feelings about the design. That is mistake number one. Not only that, the so called flame-surfacing aka natural sand dunes curves also affects the overall feel of the car. Basically, it is origami - the art of folding metal sheets to form these shapes. As a result the thickness of the metal used must be reduced. The end result is a very curvy shape but very light. The tank-feel of the premium German car is totally lost. That is mistake number two. Let's go to mistake number three. To maintain exclusivity, BMWs must come from one source - Munich. No other places. Nowadays, they have Alabama plant, Rayong plant, South Africa plant. Even the great German camera Leica still proudly says Made in Germany since the last 50 years before they went digital. During those years, it was "The Camera". To answer your question whether BMW is losing exclusivity in Malaysia, the answer is "yes". Because we have CKD units. There is an attempt to make the car affordable to the masses.

 

[jarance]

Loosing its exclusivity is not a bad thing. If it so exclusive then not many people can afford it..i.e some of us...

We would not be able to enjoy and experience of the UDM or SDP..

 

[jarance]

Loosing its exclusivity is not a bad thing. If it so exclusive then not many people can afford it..i.e some of us...

We would not be able to enjoy and experience of the UDM or SDP..

 

[infinityKL]

The American automotive market is a big market with many major players. Like other car makers BMW also wants a fair share of the market. Americans generally are very loyal to their Made in USA brands such as Ford, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, etc. How to penetrate such market? They brought in Chris Bangle. Who is Chris Bangle? Put his name alongside with other great designers such as Pininfarina and Giugario, something is just not right. He's an American with big American dream. First, he introduced the X5 in Alabama plant knowing that Americans love SUV so much followed by E60, E90 etc. Americans purchasing habit is far from Malaysians. If it's going to be a luxury car, it has to be Lexus. Period. BMW? Is that a washing machine? If not because of World War Two they won't even know that a country called Germany exists. BMW's Bangle-lisation also has its own price. Most potential buyers have mixed feelings about the design. That is mistake number one. Not only that, the so called flame-surfacing aka natural sand dunes curves also affects the overall feel of the car. Basically, it is origami - the art of folding metal sheets to form these shapes. As a result the thickness of the metal used must be reduced. The end result is a very curvy shape but very light. The tank-feel of the premium German car is totally lost. That is mistake number two. Let's go to mistake number three. To maintain exclusivity, BMWs must come from one source - Munich. No other places. Nowadays, they have Alabama plant, Rayong plant, South Africa plant. Even the great German camera Leica still proudly says Made in Germany since the last 50 years before they went digital. During those years, it was "The Camera". To answer your question whether BMW is losing exclusivity in Malaysia, the answer is "yes". Because we have CKD units. There is an attempt to make the car affordable to the masses.

Great, made to understand in simple english, cheers mate.:top: