German Car Zone

EnI, I guess that all GT vehicles comes with optional sport stripes with wording like "To hell with the environment, I will not be around for long" or "I wanted a sports car and a versatile van for my hobbies - I got none of the above".

I hate this car+5er GT+fascination concept from bottom of my heart.

A Concept wont debut in Frankfurt more likely Geneva 2010.
They are still fine tuning the engineering . First development prototypes are expected to be on the streets this summer. As work is gathering pace quickly.

Overall the 3er GT will showcase the styling cues that will be inherited in the next 3er although I am extremely glad not to mention ecstatic to tell you that the next 3er will be no where as near a reflection as the above Computer Generated image.

3er GT otherwise known as Progressive Activity Coupe will be more of a low roofed shooting brake accompaniment to the 3er Touring, Think of a uniquely styled sports hold-all for the weekend. (see below)
What is fascinating about this car is that BMW want the car to be very dynamic in both looks and character and offer something really special to the customer.

The 5er GT proceeds the individual styling cues the GT series will receive such as similar shaped lights and welcoming lounge style interiors a similar dash layout is also evident. The twin kidney grille is much smaller but about the same width as it stands out as the nose of the car. The rear as it is much upright than the 5er GT but has a coupe like slope towards the rear of the car leaving a very shallow rear screen , The rear lights are slimmer , more angled and faired in towards the rear of the car .

As for what will be shown at the IAA ? Shanghai ,Tokyo and Frankfurt will all see World Premieres from BMW either as production models or exciting new Concepts.

What about the wheelbase of the BMW 3er GT? Will it be longer, e.g. in the region of the new 5er, like the wheelbase of the 5er GT is that of the 7er...?

BMW has officially lost it. You can't tell me that all these non-car models are somehow "needed" and warranted. This is ridiculous.

M

Here's the BMW's calculation:

The plan is to put as many profitable niche models based on core platform (eg. 1er, 3er, 5er, 7er) in the market as possible. The timing plays a crucial point: to ease the core model change transition period.

Therefore eg. a GT models based on a new platform & design yet coming before the have a task to prevent drastic sales drop on a core model change. this pre-model on a new platform can also make the core model better: since the small corrections can still be applied to the core model.

More models on a same platform = more / new buyers = more sales = more profit since these variants are very cheap to make & very profitable ... trying to reach some level of economy of scales.

BMW AG (as well as eg. Daimler AG) are in very unpleasant situation: they are too small to execute some serious economies of scales yet too large to be niche brands only. So, now both try to boost sales - also with huge model expansion. Also with models which are hardly true to the traditional brand perception (but still true to core brand values: sporty driving for BMW, comfort for MB). Of course Daimler still has larger R&D department, and can afford some more experiments. And also MB brand is still a synonym for luxury so MB can sell very expensive models more easily than BMW.

But - due to current crisis - this calculation is in danger, and may fail. Why? Because due such huge drop in sales which can lead to extreme negative cash flow, and huge loses. Perhaps even to liquidity problems - if the crisis is long & deep.

I'm sure this crisis will force ALL carmakers to rethink the future model strategies, and change them completely. Some models will be axed. Perhaps even some of the existing model (being discontinued). IMO Project i is a great answer to the situation but coming too late. If Project i was already here it would rescue BMW (just like Isetta did in the past). Therefore BMW are redirecting all resources into Project i & other smaller cars (1er & 3er variants) - canceling the big cars like 7er GT, Z8, X7 etc. 5er GT are still the project from the past - no way they could be axed in this phase.

Thanks EnI, all this is really encouraging and pretty much what I have been saying all along.

Time to officially quit all the BS about cars like the 5 GT and their so called link to BMW core values. Lets face it, they were made only to make those few extra bucks before the market eventually would die. Pants down as the market went belly up a bit to early...

The only positive thing for BMW about this crisis is that going small and pure is pretty much going back to what BMW does best. Keep it simple and BMW will do just fine.

You mean a chair with DPC, DCT, xDrive, efficientdynamics, etc. ?

As said before: yes, they do it for the money. That's what the business is fore. Not for some idealistic / romantic reasons.

BUT ... it's not something BMW made up. The car is based on market research, and there is (was?) a need & demand for such a car - and BMW did a BMW version of such car. With typical BMW driving characteristics - don't forget that. Still one of the best cars in the segment.

Yet I agree BMW core is all about small, nimble, agile, efficient & fast cars (mainly 4dr & 2dr sedans) - but due to our American friends BMW was forced to make the cars bigger & more luxurious over time - since there was a demand for such cars in the all crucial times. That was the price for independence (and Quandt's domination in BMW AG).

Yes, BMW brand could remain all about small, nimble, fast, agile & efficient cars - but not as independent company, but as some niche brand & company under eg VAG or Ford roof. Like eg. Alfa Romeo under Fiat - a great brand of AR: once a role model to BMW ended in Fiat arms & almost died off - being completely dependent on a health of a parent company. You go up with your parent, and you go down with him - unless you are sold before to some other company.

Great brands like eg. Aston Martin, Land Rover, Jaguar, Bentley RR were only able to survive under the roof of some stronger & bigger company.

In the late 80s BMW decided to rather be a fish eating smaller fishes - and getting bigger than being eaten by a bigger fish.

And all the model line expansion is a part of that plan: getting bigger to no to be eaten by an even bigger fish.

Yes, it's a price for independance.




PS: To bring up Porsche ... Porsche is in a different position - even less investor dependent since Porsche / Piech is controlling almost 100% of Porsche, while Quandts control less then 50% of BMW AG.
And Porsche was in a different position: producing mid-sized genuine rear-engined sports cars, while BMW was a brand of sporty sedans (2dr & 4dr): and a sedan was hardly considered a sporty car at that time. It was a direct competition to Alfa Romeo: yet better. German, reliable, better made, Teutonic. Luxury came later - since customers wanted that. Especially in the promising US market (which also made Porsche to become less hardcore, and even introduce an SUV!!!). In the end it's all about money.

I would not say BMW have lost it but are better to adapting to requirements required my todays mobility demands.
Remember BMW develope and test every idea even new vehicle concepts , our research shows there was definite desire for a vehicle like the X6. Just as older BMW owners have found in our research programmes that the brief behind the PAS was very much something in their favour .

Right now all our attention is focused on Efficient Dynamics and Project-i we have already had the first phase of Project-i with the MINI-E and with our Berlin programme underway ahead of the US programme we will introduce the MINI-E to London later this year.