BMW to build 5,000 1Ms?

[NPVPositive]

Interesting article here:

http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2011...location-26445

Note this quote from the article:

Initially, just 2500 were to be built for the world market but the Munich maker now says it will build 4000 1 Series M coupes by the end of this year – and will continue to build the car until June 2012.

"Maybe we will get to 5000 cars, we don't limit it, we let the markets decide," the head of BMW M-division sales and marketing in the Asia-Pacific region, Marcel Muhl, told motoring.com.au at the launch of the car in Melbourne overnight. "But this year we will get to 4000 after thinking we would only build 2500 in the original plan."

As a result, BMW Australia has been able to increase its allocation from the initial batch of 125 cars, with another 100 on the way. All are allocated to dealers and most are sold, the company says.

BMW Australia has requested yet another handful of cars on top of the extra 100 that may take the total number to between 225 and 250 vehicles, but it won't know until later in the year.

[Papethova]

We should have some credible info (hopefully) in about 8-10 hours

[Dee Pee]

What happens in 8-10 hours?

[speedM]

People that paid over msrp aren't going to be happy..

[Whteverjklasdf]

BMW is still taking deposit for 2012 model production here in Hong Kong...

[HERR FSTIR]

Here we go again...

[DooBs]

hrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

[Whteverjklasdf]

Don't know about the US market, but a lot more RHD 1M will be made i guess.

[marcel b]

the latest thing I "heard" from somebody at BMW Münich is that at the moment it doesn't look like an increase of units, and that there will be only 2'500 1M produced.

of course, nothing official

[NPVPositive]

Originally Posted by marcel b

the latest thing I "heard" from somebody at BMW Münich is that at the moment it doesn't look like an increase of units, and that there will be only 2'500 1M produced.

of course, nothing official

Seems hard to believe that Marcel Muhl, the head of BMW M marketing for Asia, wouldn't have accurate information . . . the article is a direct quote from him. Australia has definitely doubled its allocation, so the cars must be coming from somewhere.

[escobar929]

i sure hope so, I want one!!!!

[bdaddylo]

Interesting how the article misquoted the UK allocation figure to be 400 instead of 450 which has been public knowledge for months.

[mikewills]

If this was actually true, why wouldn't Brian Watts mention this during his interview with bimmerfile a week ago. He's only the head of marketing and sales for M.

[T1T2GRE]

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little upset by BMW's decision. On the other hand, I would have wanted this car even if they made 10,000. I still love an old-fashioned run-of-the-mill E30 325i or is - and they made zillions of those. This isn't so much about exclusivity or resale for me as it is a return to roots with weight reduction, etc.

I will still be happy when I pick up my 1SMC!

[Papethova]

Originally Posted by Dee Pee

What happens in 8-10 hours?

The factory tour I had initially scheduled at Leipzig takes place and these questions will be asked there... waiting for Dackelone to return from the tour to post the answers

[1Madness]

Some anecdotal evidence that I discovered while I was searching for this car... a very reliable CA confirmed that they would be getting a total of nine cars.

[tkbr0wn]

United?

[1Madness]

Originally Posted by tkbr0wn

United?

No. Not United.

[Sy546]

even if 2000 cars come to the US, i still believe it will have a huge following and have very low depreciation. Not that i care b.c after driving this car, it will never be sold, just like my s2000.

[Red135]

Originally Posted by NPVPositive

Seems hard to believe that Marcel Muhl, the head of BMW M marketing for Asia, wouldn't have accurate information . . . the article is a direct quote from him. Australia has definitely doubled its allocation, so the cars must be coming from somewhere.

Doesn't it also seem hard to believe that Mathew Russell wouldn't have accurate information? He has already directly posted on this forum that there will be no 2012.

[1Madness]

Originally Posted by Red135

Doesn't it also seem hard to believe that Mathew Russell wouldn't have accurate information? He has already directly posted on this forum that there will be no 2012.

I don't think there will be a 2012 model for the US market... just based on what I've seen over the past year. I do believe that there is a production ramp-up on this car. The CA told me that there was no chance that they would get more than five cars a few months ago. Now they have almost doubled their allocation.

Either they are ramping up or moving slots from other countries to fill US orders to meet the 2011 deadline. After 2011 they will shift focus to other regions.

Nine cars equals about 1% of all the 1Ms headed for the states. It is a big dealership but not that big....

[MDORPHN]

I may be mistaken, but was under impression that Leipzig is already operating at capacity. And since it also produces the very hot-selling X1, any additional 1M production was result in fewer X1s.

Neil