[dmg]

Much like the unviverse can grow only soo much and then retreat..

Can the next future model get any better than this?

They have ultimatley gained a few years, but have they come to the road in perfection that they have cornered themselves? Will competetion ever catch up and make it cheaper w/ more stand. options. Or not for a long time...

Then what does the maker have to offer

EVeryone knows the BMW magic, but it's really just engineering. Cant a maker jus dissect a BMW and get to that magic eventually?

Just pondering

[MCS]

Perfection is an opinion and will always shift.

There are those that lament the handling and steering feel of the older BMWs. On the other hand, style and engineering will continuously get better as manufacturers use lighter weight/stonger materials, better tire technology, and refined use of electronics.

I believe that certain innovative technologies such as active steer, voice control, and dynamic stability are still in relative infancy. They will continue to improve and get more refined to add to the car and the driving experience.

That being said, I did not order active steer after testing it.

Ford, in development of the GT400, bought a Ferrari Modena and disassembled it. Did they build a better one? There are arguments both ways and I think it would be the same for BMW competing manufacturers.

[cdheaven]

i dont think my bmw is perfect. and i do think that as technology advances, of course, so will the bmw. 1. there is a lot of technology on the market today that bmw doesnt offer. go visit your local mercedes show room for more info. and 2. in the next years to come, much more technology will be developed.
for now. bmws navigation is not up to date, and i believe that they should AT LEAST be on par with acuras unit.
2. i think it will get cheaper and easier to make faster motors. im a little disappoint in my money/horsepower ratio.
just my opinon

[scottz5]

Other cars are catching up thats forsure!

[txusa03]

Originally Posted by MCS

Perfection is an opinion and will always shift.

What he said. In addition, a perfect car IMO is one that is dependable. These cars are man made so no way they are perfect. Human have flaw... my 2 cents...

[marcus330i]

I agree...no such thing as a perfect car. But my 06 330 is more powerful, more economical (fuel) and has more techno gadgets (Nav, BT, lighting, better seats, better airbags, bigger wheels/brakes, etc etc) than my 01 330i. And the MSRP for the 06 was only $1000 more....a miracle considering the value of the dollar in 2001 vs today. So in my opinion the next 3 series will astound again.

But that's really not as important to BMW as this:

BMW Group shows 23% increase in sales in August

Over 856,000 cars delivered in the year to August
MINI grows by 19% in a monthly comparison

Munich. In August this year, the BMW Group delivered 99,193 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand cars, which is a 23.2% increase over the same month last year (80,530). For the year up to and including August, volume sales rose by 11.4% to 856,731 vehicles (previous year: 769,095).

As far as the BMW brand is concerned, the number of automobiles delivered to customers rose in August by 23.9% to 85,079. In the first eight months of 2005, sales grew by 11.0% to 717,051 BMW vehicles. The driving force behind the boost to sales in August was, in particular, the product innovations in the year 2005. 24,169 of the new BMW 3 Series sedans were delivered in August. In comparison with its predecessor model in August 2004 (16,291), this is an increase of 48.4%. Since the market launch in March this year, dealers worldwide have already handed over 118,791 of the new generation of BMW 3 Series sedans to customers. The model review of the BMW 7 series is also being very well received by the market. In August, the rise in sales was 29.3%, with sales growing to 4,456 units (previous year: 3,445). Year-to-date, 29,425 vehicles were delivered, which is almost up to the level of the previous year (30,268/-2.8%).

Dr. Michael Ganal, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for sales and marketing, said, "Our growth was extraordinarily strong in August. This applies in relation to the development of the BMW Group over the year so far and also in comparison with our relevant competitors and the market as a whole. Over the year, we continue to expect the BMW Group to achieve an increase in sales in the high single-digit percentage range".

Link to full press release: http://www.bmwusa.com/bmwexperience/...tm?article=212

[E90Fleet]

Similar questions were asked for both E36 and E46, and BMW has always come up with a answer

[HRC]

Originally Posted by dmg

...Everyone knows the BMW magic, but it's really just engineering. Cant a maker just dissect a BMW and get to that magic eventually?...

The competition has been trying for a very long time. They buy the bimmers and tear them apart. I think part of the *magic* is money. Nothing (except for patents) stops them from copying BMW. But when they tear down a bimmer and see how the thing is screwed together, I think they conclude that they can't build them as BMW does because it would cost millions to change over the manufacturing process, etc...

Danny

[btc]

The most expensive car on the market today are still not perfect.

[stressdoc]

The mind rolls amidst the possibilities:
Ceramic engine blocks
Diesels in the USA
Further advances in computerized integration, e.g., a more effective office or entertainment environment in the car when you do not want to be actively involved in driving.
Elimination of all office and entertainment distractions in M-sport bimmers, replaced by virtual reality simulation of autobahn conditions.
And, for the penultimate, the 335d and 335i

Had a thought the other day that it would make sense for emergency vehicles to have a signal that would flash on screen to all cars in the vicinity.
And then I started getting paranoid about all the potential controls that big brother could equip our society escape capsules with...

[northerncalguy]

Originally Posted by btc

The most expensive car on the market today are still not perfect.

Cost is a consideration, but by no means the only factor when gauging perfection. I am not even sure perfection can be measured, but there are cars with more attributes of perfection that others.

[bcaslis]

There will always be a chance to make a better BMW. Perfection really is the balancing of time to market / quality / cost. Each BMW I've had has been "better" than the last in most areas.

[ben1364]

Interesting observations, all. The fact is that the gap is narrowing, particularly the gap between BMW and Infinity at the lower end of their respective car lines. While others like Infinity are moving closer to BMW handling and developing engines that are serious competitors, BMW seems to be diverting some of their engineering talents and investment to gee whiz stuff that other companies are famous for. Sad, I think but what do I know? I have only been loyal to BMW for a few more than 30 years.

[stressdoc]

I agree with ben1364's observation that perfection is relative; we judge cars by comparison with the competition. The 'perfect car' is the best one currently available. Ditto for the shift in BMW priorities from sturdy road-rocket to cushy high tech. One hears an echo from the Porschephiles. Maybe they are just adjusting to the shifting market needs of us 30+ year devotees, who by all rights should be demanding comfort in our old age. But the 'age poll' proves me wrong; look at all the youngsters going for E90s!

[Casey 5]

There must be something in the water in Bavaria...their ability to make music with engines is astonishing. Nothing drives like a BMW.

[icedragon]

I don't think BMW is perfect. However, should BMW ever reach complete perfection, the snob value of the car will still live on.

[ben1364]

stressdoc wrote in part, "... But the 'age poll' proves me wrong; look at all the youngsters going for E90s."
************************************************** **Yup, the E90 is the entry level BMW car in this market (U S). The question is whether or not BMW will be able to keep these conquests over time. During the '80s 'Yuppies' discovered BMWs, many of whom later migrated to Acuras and Lexi. I think it could be argued that BMW began to change about then. I came very close to buying an Infinity this year and very well may do so the next time around if BMW keeps up it's migration toward the mainstream. It is getting more and more difficult to rationalize the cost difference, especially since I seldom drive at 9/10ths any more!

[lux.sh]

Competitions ARE catching up.

Even few years back, there was NO contest. BMW was in the class of its own.

These days, all these BMW hunters, Acura, Lexus IS, Infiniti, etc are all coming up.
The gap is still there, but I do feel they are catching up faster than BMW is running away.

[dmg]

Here is what you need to do, put one hand on each knee and push as hard as you can. With a little luck your head just may pop right out of your ass. Then and only then will you realize that there is no such thing as a perfect car and there is always room for improvement, like clutch feel the feel of the MT (given I'm spoiled) making the techno-nannies so good that you don't ever know that they are there etc

No need to get testy dumbalina. It's a theoretical question, and one that has been said on some auto reviews. I think it's a worthy question if I don't say so myself.

You can only improve handling/feel so much and the rest is just details, but true as all said on here

Just a fun and redundant question...I like hearing everyone's opinions and educated comments

Oh, and leave my butt alone

[Ed_330i]

are you guys just judging this based on your observation of the 3 series.

[34Three]

Originally Posted by ben1364

Interesting observations, all. The fact is that the gap is narrowing, particularly the gap between BMW and Infinity at the lower end of their respective car lines. While others like Infinity are moving closer to BMW handling and developing engines that are serious competitors, BMW seems to be diverting some of their engineering talents and investment to gee whiz stuff that other companies are famous for. Sad, I think but what do I know? I have only been loyal to BMW for a few more than 30 years.

I like Bens description here, after returning from my ED trip I am completely satisified with the e90 improvements but I still ask myself what was it about the 89 325i that got me hooked on BMW? It was the heavy wheel and teutonic handling of a civilized sedan that drove like a track car. There is something about that car that I paid $2600 for in 2001 that still rivals what I paid $40k for recently. Call it nostalgia, call it foresight whatever, I will never forget where this car came from, and that my friends makes it worth the premium, its a pedigree, a blood line, a legacy that keeps us coming back for Bayerische Motor Werkes

[Oz]

I don't think no car could ever be "perfect" and it doesn't matter how expensive the car is.

Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura might be catching up with BMW on their 3 series but how about 5, M, 7, Z, and X? Overall, I honestly think BMW builds better cars.