German Car Zone

a financially sound action, and i highly doubt that bmw is completely eradicating their intention to enter the supersedan market against the aston martin rapide, porsche panamera, for a number of reasons:
bmw has a lot of engines to play around with, especially because a new 5 series is due soon and thus an m5, the new 4.4 liter in the m5, and the naturally aspirated 4.0v8 in the m3
BMW will most likely wait until the crisis has run its course and then will reacreate the cs

I think Daimler will have to cancel one of these. In fact, I think they should cancel the Gullwing. One sportcar more... I prefer a typical 4-door cabrio, this is very Mercedes, very 30ish...

And such a unique car could sell well even in crisis time i think, whereas another sportcar is not as thrilling for me. Furthermore, it'd be extremely difficult to achieve the same level as the original Gullwing... The BS-models and SLR are enough for the sporty image, whereas the OCD could do wonder for MB's luxury image face to Rolls and Bentley.

As far as the CS is concerned... I don't think it will stay off long. If the Panamera and Rapide sell well, we could see the 8-Series quickly.
Don't you think possible that BMW only waits till the Hybrid Drive could be adapted to the 8-Series and "sportified" a bit? Such a green GT could a hit.

I don't believe this. Eni and Scott have already said the project is in to deep to cancel.

while this news is hard to stomach, it does make perfect sense.

This one http://www.germancarzone.com/new-bmw...oor-gt-25.html

Majority of what?

GCZ, and readers / members of other automotive forums & blogs? Most likely.

Majority of BMW customers? Hardly.


That would be a total return to the roots. Return to the times when BMW was labeled as "German Alfa Romeo".

But (un)fortunately BMW brand is positioned a bit differently today. Way higher.


X1 & MINI Crossover are kind a essential.
X1 is more or less a bigger AWD 1er in kind a Touring form. Something that's missing in the BMW portfolio - against the eg. Audi A3 Sportback Quattro, and MB B-class. 1er 5dr is not spacious enough, and has no AWD. Also small crossovers are extremely popular in Europe.
MINI Crossover is even more important for the MINI brand - since it will be a proper 5dr MINI - even with AWD. Clubman is a funky car, while Crossover will even be practical: conventional 4 side doors, and conventional tail gate.
Yet I admit the X1 & MINI Crossover idea sounded better a few years ago than today.
For the X5 M / X6 M read my comment below.


X5 M & X6 M decision was made years ago - based on demand from mainly USA, Middle East & Russia: where customers demanded a performance SUV - to rival ML AMG & Porsche Cayenne. And it was found such cars would be more crucial for BMW brand than the M3 / M6 CSL, or new Z8.
M versions X5 & X6 are relics of different times. Yet can't be canceled at this pount. It's like aborting a child just before being born. A no go.

Mind the mainstream customers see SUVs as the ultimate products in a carmaker portfolio: since such vehicles communicate power & mightiness. While supercars and special editions (like CSL & BS) are more of collector items - and are more of aficionado cars.

My opinion on CS being canceled:

IMO the aftermath of this economic crisis will be a start of a new tech revolution: the eco-tech (ET) revolution. And eco-tech cars are more essential for EVERY carmaker right now. Even Ferrari, Bugatti, Rolls-Royce & Porsche etc.

And CS is very important car for the BMW brand image ... it's a future BMW flagship after all. And it's stupid to launch a new flagship in the middle of recession (therefore IMO MB will also axe the ODC based car).
Also such a car may have a counter effect when launched: imagine the world in a deep recession, everybody introducing eco-friendly solutions & cars, while BMW launcihing an ostentatios new flagship.
Therefore this project is canceled for the time being, and being postponed for some time. And I'm sure it will be revived after this crisis is over - and it will feature all the eco-friendly tech.

I'm sure BMW would cancel even more projects if could. But some are just to far in development. CS just wasn't. Mind that in the begining of this year a project manager was chosen - so, the project was alive (technical development) for a year only. Mind if on donor-platform, the car is ready in about 3.5 years, otherwise in 5. So, the project was still in the beginning, and "ready to be aborted".

And CEO Reithofer says clearly: the preority is EfficientDynamic, and the smart competitor. All the other project will be revaluated, and I'm sure many of them will be aborted (X2, X4, Z2, Z8, Y3 PAC, some M models etc).


Btw, it would be nice to make a tribute IN MEMORIAM thread for the CS Concept. RIP.

Such a beautiful car.

You are absolutely right Warot, this is a pragmatic decision. I am certain that nobody at BMW wanted to cancel this project, it would have been a very difficult decision ...but this is no time to be sentimental, BMW (like all the others) are in 'survival mode' right now.

Guys, for the love of god just read what Eni and I are saying. BMW cannot just cancel the E7x M's because they are way too mature to cancel. The abortion analogy is a very very easy way to understand.

What you guys are proposing (i.e cancel the E7x M):
all the money that has gone into R&D (think engine, Ring testing...), money that has gone to get suppliers for parts... put everything on a boat... send it out to the Atlantic and detonate it. Because that's exactly what you guys are suggesting BMW should do. They've gone this far now, it's wayyyyy too late to cancel.

The CS is nowhere near that stage. I'm not arguing that this move will be more accepted by BMW fans, but they are a company afterall. And it's not like resources are completely unlimited.

In hindsight, yes this car is coming to life in the wrong period for sure. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there are no new SAV's for a while, but you cannot cancel cars that so close to the market already!

Exactly Rob, that's what we are trying to say. I hate to see the CS go, I'm sure at BMW headquarters they don't want to see it go, and neither do the fans... but come on, these shenanigans about axing the X5 and X6M instead is ridiculous

Speaking for myself, again (read my entire post) I understand why they canceled the CS and not the X5/6 models, my point is that none of them are really relevant to the market in its current state. Trying to pass the notion that the X5/6 models are more socially relevant or somehow are a better fit for the market where I'm calling it nonsense. Period.

Has nothing to do with why this was or why this wasn't cancelled.


M