Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsuo111
Ironically, BMW today is like Cadillac in the '70s and '80s. A once great marque, reduced to begging for scraps from buyers who can't, or aren't interested in driving. And today's Cadillac is the BMW of the '70s and '80s.
At that time, BMWs were purchased by 'in the know' enthusiasts interested in superior driving dynamics. Most people in N America were unfamiliar with the brand. You had to justify driving a BMW instead of a familiar, heavy metal monster from Detroit. At some point in the last 15 - 20 years, BMW became known more as a social prestige brand and has lost its claim to driving dynamics. But most of today's BMW buyers are more concerned with looking awesome at the mall rather than rowing a 6-speed or balancing traction in a high-speed curve.
On the other hand, Cadillac now has no social prestige, yet drives circles around most any BMW. Cadillac builds cars for drivers - naturally aspirated, enough power, superior handling to most any BMW, manual transmissions, RWD, you get the gist.
Looking forward to my next drivers car, a Caddy, a C8 Vette, or maybe a Cayman. Sadly, BMW doesn't have anything that makes the cut....
|
Agree. Mercedes is headed in a similar direction. These companies have either lost what they had, or gave it up willingly in search of something new. What they lost was the enthusiastic support of a customer base developed in the 1980s and 1990s. The 2010s and beyond are a different era for carmakers.
I argue that BMW and Mercedes have questionably sufficient resources to be as successful in the next 30 years, as they have been in the past 30 years. The shift to electric vehicles, and increased competition as always, are strong factors.
The majors (VW, Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota) have what it takes to go the distance in the next era. The Koreans seem hungry enough to invest, and the Hyundai global enterprise is substantial. The niche German brands, BMW and Mercedes, could get pushed into novelty status alongside Tesla, once the majors get their EV businesses into full swing.