Quote:
Originally Posted by Brookside
That's part of where I see this whole small-fast car thing going...cutting edge technology that distinguishes it from cars costing less.
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I wonder if it is slightly different than that. Economy cars are providing unprecedented levels of refinement and performance. Honda Civic Si, VW GTI, Mazdaspeed 3 etc. are providing a lot of bang for a reasonable buck. That's not to say that they are BMWs, Audis or Mercs, but they offer pretty good technology and refinement and the premium carmakers may be running out of tricks to justify the price gap to their entry-level models.
I think we're seeing a convergence between premium and mainstream makers. The meeting point will be small, fast cars. They won't converge around larger cars, family sedans, SUV etc. But seeing a small Audi (A3) or Merc (B200) priced very close to a VW and Civic Si gives the impression that premium makers are seeing an opportunity to steal some market from the mainstream makers and culture a deaper entry-level foundation for their brands.
While I'm sure we will see versions of the 2er that merit "entry-level exotic" status, with an associated cost, I'm more inclined to think that the product strategy behind the 1er/2er has been more in line with offering a product that will provide for a broadening of the BMW family, without compromising the brand...
My $0.02...