Ludwig Willisch

[ajshanny]

I ran into Ludwig Willisch (CEO of BMW NA) on the train from Newark to DC tonight and introduced myself as a BMW CCA member. He seemed totally uninterested in speaking with me, which I found quite surprising for someone in his position. I thought it was sort of rude given that I'm a customer and obviously enthusiastic enough about the brand to recognize him in a non-industry context.

[nachob]

Sorry man! He could've had a bad day or maybe BMW CCA members are not his favorite. A lot of us CCA member gripe about bloated, soft cars, no dipsticks, no spares, disappearing temp gauges, etc etc.

Personally, I have a really really really bad feeling about BMW USA. It seems to me that they don't get it. For example, the 235i only comes with full idrive, active suspension and vinyl seats as the base interior. The European version has a beautiful alcantara interior as the base one. BMW USA specs vinyl over alcantara. A lot of these lame choices are from them as they think Americans prefer vinyl over alcantara. There are countless things like this in the way they configure cars for the USA that really bugs me. I still would give him the benefit of the doubt as he is a person like all of us but I am not a fan of what he is doing with BMW USA.

[Hobbe]

In the past you would need to love cars, especially driving them, to be employed by BMW AG.
Today it's just another business.

[Jay-K]

some people..

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Hobbe

In the past you would need to love cars, especially driving them, to be employed by BMW AG.
Today it's just another business.

So true!

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by ajshanny

I ran into Ludwig Willisch (CEO of BMW NA) on the train from Newark to DC tonight and introduced myself as a BMW CCA member. He seemed totally uninterested in speaking with me, which I found quite surprising for someone in his position. I thought it was sort of rude given that I'm a customer and obviously enthusiastic enough about the brand to recognize him in a non-industry context.

why did you introduce yourself as a BMW CCA member? what is that going to do? maybe that's why he was bored of you!

screw him...BMW is losing the plot anyways, and people like him are part of the problem....even though wasn't that guy a former head of M gmbh several years ago? Maybe he was just in a bad mood.

[ajshanny]

I'm not accusing him of not being a car enthusiast, I just expected that he would be more friendly to a customer - particularly one who is obviously an enthusiast (as opposed to just a casual BMW owner). I meant 99.99% of the public would not recognize this guy and I did. That and me identifying myself as a CCA member should give him a clue. I doubt he gets approached by random strangers anywhere other than car-related events. I didn't take it personally, but it did surprise me somewhat.

[nachob]

Still thinking about Tony Gwynn. Way more famous than this guy and both times I met him he was so nice. Shook my hand. Class guy. Gonna miss him.

[Dee Pee]

As a 1M driver, there's only one BMW executive that I'd get geeked over: Dr. Kay Segler.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by Dee Pee

As a 1M driver, there's only one BMW executive that I'd get geeked over: Dr. Kay Segler.

Yeah, Dr Kay is THE MAN!

He gets it!

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Hobbe

In the past you would need to love cars, especially driving them, to be employed by BMW AG.
Today it's just another business.

And for the employees who screw up or should be fired(but can't be) they get sent to China. lol


The BMW AG employee's I know ARE enthusiasts! And I am always shocked on how your average German knows so much about cars. Even non car ppl know what an e30 is or an e36, Golf V, or VII, etc model codes...

BMW NA really needs to listen to "us" car guys and build us a car that we want. Take a gamble and LISTEN to us BMW!!

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by nachob

Still thinking about Tony Gwynn. Way more famous than this guy and both times I met him he was so nice. Shook my hand. Class guy. Gonna miss him.

Crap...I didnt know he passed away. That sucks!

[l888apex]

I met him before as well, he didn't seem too friendly.

[Overpar56]

Indifference to customers = failure.

A few years back I was at Sebring 12 hrs and the president of Mazda USA was there to lead a parade lap of us Mazda owners. He noticed that a heavily modded Speed6 was blowing smoke from a turbo seal. Even though the car was out of warranty, modded like crazy, he told one of his dealer contacts to fix the car for free. The guy that owned the car never asked for it. Now that's class.

Mazda gets it. BMW, I'm not too sure they do.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by Overpar56

Indifference to customers = failure.

A few years back I was at Sebring 12 hrs and the president of Mazda USA was there to lead a parade lap of us Mazda owners. He noticed that a heavily modded Speed6 was blowing smoke from a turbo seal. Even though the car was out of warranty, modded like crazy, he told one of his dealer contacts to fix the car for free. The guy that owned the car never asked for it. Now that's class.

Mazda gets it. BMW, I'm not too sure they do.

W are all BMW fans but it's true, Mazda gets the "car guy." Unfortunately, Miata is not right for me but they do seem sponsor a lot of performance events, SCCA solos, etc. Zoom Zoom.

I think BMW AG has an identity crisis also. They remind me of GM when they were selling tons of trucks, making billions and buying all sorts of companies, even a satellite company. Then Boom! and they were bankrupt for not planning ahead. BMW USA is especially myopic and they are ruining the brand. They want to maintain BMW as a "luxury" brand at the expense of the of the car nuts so they are slowly eroding their Ultimate Driving Machine credentials. They did this with the 135i which if Mazda was releasing it, they would've had cool suede cloth interiors and club racer versions that would've reduced the cost, sold more of them to autocrossers and racers and elevated it to 2002tii status. Instead, they luxed it all up, with vinyl fake leather, woodgrain dashes and automatics. What they didn't get was that the 1 series was the lower end BMW and it should've been sold on performance for what it really was. They still could've sold luxe versions but they blew it. Now if you order a M235i in Europe, you get this as your Alcantara base interior :

But hold on, this is not luxury enough, so Mr. Willisch and his people at BMW USA put vinyl or "faux leather" in its place. I would've gotten one if it was configured the European way without idrive, active suspension and alcantara. Thank you Mr. Willisch.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

Crap...I didnt know he passed away. That sucks!

He passed just a few days ago. I was just thinking of that because he was my sports hero growing up and when I finally met him, it was the opposite of the OPs experience.

[Overpar56]

Mazda has a never give up, little guy mentality. I've had 4 of them. Still own two. The RX8 probably was the most neutral handling car I've owned. Just felt connected. Low torque, oil and fuel consumption, and potential for a new engine down the road got me thinking about keeping it only 2 years. Now it looks like a new rotary will come out in 2-3 years and if they fixed fuel consumption, I may take a look at them again. Once our CX7 gets ready to retire, I'll probably buy a Mazda3 hatchback. Good looks, great content and high praise from the auto mags.

As for US spec cars, BMW isn't the only company who does bonehead stuff. VW has the Scirocco. Great looking car. Stays in Europe. How long did it take to get the Audi TT RS here? Granted there are crash, emissions and currency exchange issues to deal with, but when you have fans posting on Facebook pages they want it, the automotive press praises it, and people ready to pluck down cash for them, why doesn't the US marketing teams get it?

BMW is one or two big recalls away from being like GM.

Rant over.

[Sparks1M]

BMW managed to design and build my darling M1. I'm not complaining.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by Overpar56

Mazda has a never give up, little guy mentality. I've had 4 of them. Still own two. The RX8 probably was the most neutral handling car I've owned. Just felt connected. Low torque, oil and fuel consumption, and potential for a new engine down the road got me thinking about keeping it only 2 years. Now it looks like a new rotary will come out in 2-3 years and if they fixed fuel consumption, I may take a look at them again. Once our CX7 gets ready to retire, I'll probably buy a Mazda3 hatchback. Good looks, great content and high praise from the auto mags.

As for US spec cars, BMW isn't the only company who does bonehead stuff. VW has the Scirocco. Great looking car. Stays in Europe. How long did it take to get the Audi TT RS here? Granted there are crash, emissions and currency exchange issues to deal with, but when you have fans posting on Facebook pages they want it, the automotive press praises it, and people ready to pluck down cash for them, why doesn't the US marketing teams get it?

BMW is one or two big recalls away from being like GM.

Rant over.

I knew the last Audi NA President Johann De Nysschen through several meetings and he was a really nice guy. Spoke to him at length every time I ran into him.....the new Audi NA President Scott Keogh actually called me on the phone when I was upset about Audi service and ordering last time when I decided to trade my Audi for the 135is. He too is an enthusiast.....he personally called me to tell me he wanted to keep me as a customer.....how many company presidents do that?!

I told him back then I was getting a 135is and his words were "that's probably the only BMW I'd buy along with the 1M".....so he definitely 'got it'

the TT RS importation story is a crazy one that even involved death threats to the Audi president if they didn't bring it over here....lol! yep crazy stuff. Those damned enthusiasts....always get too fired up.

[SCOTT26]

I would not want to be disturbed too if I was looking forward to a quiet train journey. Would you? His tenure at the helm of BMW is beneficial because he can judge the market from another perspective and provide more ambitious options which are overlooked because they don't fit with the tired and tested philosophy.
Some of your expectations are too much as is the comment about BMW AG. Stipulation to being employed with BMW AG is that you must have an interest in cars. To suggest no one at any of the BMW installations do not like cars is insulting and untrue.

[ajshanny]

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

I would not want to be disturbed too if I was looking forward to a quiet train journey. Would you? His tenure at the helm of BMW is beneficial because he can judge the market from another perspective and provide more ambitious options which are overlooked because they don't fit with the tired and tested philosophy.
Some of your expectations are too much as is the comment about BMW AG. Stipulation to being employed with BMW AG is that you must have an interest in cars. To suggest no one at any of the BMW installations do not like cars is insulting and untrue.

Not sure which post you are referring to, but I didn't say anything about the issues you mentioned. As far as not wanting to be disturbed on the train, a more friendly reaction would not have take much time in my opinion. I'm not judging, but as I said in my first post, I was surprised my the interaction. I just happen to think customer relations is an important issue for a company that makes luxury consumer products, and would not have expected his reaction to be what it was.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by Overpar56

Indifference to customers = failure.

+1