Quote:
Originally Posted by FIRSTM
agree with you, but I believe Porsche really knows what they are doing, still offering MT in their cars is testament on how they understand their customers. if you can find older 3.8 liter 911, and take it for a spin, do it. Most newer latest 911 are all turbo, similar to 1M experience except rear engine bias, still very fun. So keep your 1M.
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Everything these automakers do is an attempt to maximize their profits. BMW decided a couple of decades ago that their path to riches was to tap the mass market, and over time has basically jettisoned their old-time, core, enthusiast audience. People who are enthusiastic about performance, manual transmissions, handling, etc., are way fewer in number and way less profitable to cater to than their new, "luxury car" audience.
Porsche sells most of their cars at a higher price point than does BMW, and sells way fewer units. I would assume that on a unit basis, Porsche sports cars are considerably more profitable to make and sell than are BMWs. At this point, I'd imagine that both automakers are making and selling more SUVs and crossover vehicles than sedans and sports cars. Porsche's business model allows them to cater a bit more to the odd enthusiast, with such things as manual transmissions, whereas BMW is just using their M-label to sell SUVs and other non-M-worthy vehicles, so they need to sell a few "real" M-cars to retain the mystic that they then plaster all over their other, much more profitable, lines.
From a business perspective, this all makes sense. From an enthusiast perspective, what BMW is doing doesn't make a lot of sense, and the enthusiasts are going to go elsewhere (and many have done so already).