BMW CEO Comments from Detroit

[Kirby]

Helmut Panke had good reason to boast during a recent visit to Detroit. As the chief executive of BMW AG, he's felt the fury of critics angered by the radical design shift at the German automaker's flagship brand. Yet despite the dire predictions, BMW is expecting record revenues and earnings this year.

....BMW needs to get a grip on quality, which is lagging well behind some of its Asian rivals....."There is no excuse," Panke said glumly, adding that "We clearly want to be in the top three." ....

...In 2003, the People's Republic was the single-largest market for BMW's 12-cylinder vehicles, Panke reported with undisguised amazement....

....What else might be in store? "I honestly can say I don't know," said BMW's CEO. But a number of possibilities are under study, and one only has to look at the success of the X-series, said Panke, to get a clue. The traditional lines between product segments will continue "to blur," and BMW needs to stay on top of the shifting market if it hopes to maintain its current momentum.

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[Chesty Bonds]

Yeah i read a report in Top Gear magazine which showed all the Japanese companies as having the most reliability and build quality. BMW and Porsche were in the top ten, thankfully. I was amazed at who came last though... Mercedes Benz.

 

[epj3]

Ugh, so now they ARE trying to take away the fact that bmw has always kept its cars all pretty much looking the same.. that's the reason people LIKE them. They aren't 'showoff' cars necessarily - but then again, they are. I mean I say I don't drive my car because of the roundel - I do love that it handles awesome, has decent power, and the build quality is just amazing.

But come on... does driving in a BMW make me feel a little special? That I was smart enough to pick a car that STILL drives like it does, feels like it does, LOOKS like it does, etc.? yes!! I don't care what people think about it, but when I get compliments on my 17 year old 3 series, it makes me feel kind of good. Some people know what bmw is all about.

Now? I think they are in a competition to see who can slap the most plastic together and call it a luxary sedan...

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Ugh, so now they ARE trying to take away the fact that bmw has always kept its cars all pretty much looking the same.. that's the reason people LIKE them. They aren't 'showoff' cars necessarily - but then again, they are. I mean I say I don't drive my car because of the roundel - I do love that it handles awesome, has decent power, and the build quality is just amazing.

But come on... does driving in a BMW make me feel a little special? That I was smart enough to pick a car that STILL drives like it does, feels like it does, LOOKS like it does, etc.? yes!! I don't care what people think about it, but when I get compliments on my 17 year old 3 series, it makes me feel kind of good. Some people know what bmw is all about.

Now? I think they are in a competition to see who can slap the most plastic together and call it a luxary sedan...

My thoughts exactly. They don't make them like they used to. That might sound corny but it's bloody true

 

[deutsch100]

Exactly!! When I compare the build quality and materials in my 2004 330ci (which was designed in the mid 1990's) with say a new Z4, X3 or even the 5 series...you can feel the "cheapness". I am not saying that all the new BMW models are cheap...but they do not have the same feel as say my 330, the old 5 or 7 series..or even the current X.

This is the same for Mercedes, even more so. Sit inside a 1992-1999 S500 or S600, then sit inside a 2000-2004 S-Class. Or compare the 1986-1995 E-Class (W124) with the current E-Class. The materials, weight, reliability, durability are so shockingly different. German cars need to keep their new designs, but retain the same materials that were used in the 80's and 90's.

I honestly think they changed them, because people's cars were just lasting too damned long. My mom's 1994 E-Class is running and looking like the day it left the factory. That just doesn't happen anymore for Benz or BMW!!

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Yeah i have a quote here from 'evo' (62) magazine which i think pretty much sums up the new direction, for want of a better word, of the car companies:

"...American's aren't as obsessive about fit, finish, and trim textures as we Europeans are. That means they won't mind the wavy panel gaps, the acreage of black bumper plastic, the flimsy interior door handles, the hard surfaces where soft might be expected. But here un the UK the X3 will sell for around 30,000 pounds, placing it in the premium sector. Is BMW, then, being just a little bit cynical here? Does it rely too much on people's brand obsession?
Not so, says BMW boss Helmut Panke. He claims there is a new take on designerdesigned goods, a move away from softness and luxury to starkness and simplicity. How convenient for the car makers that is. The X3 isn't cheapened at all, it just reflects the new utilitarianism. Convinced? Nor am I."

This is only one example but i'm convinced that it displays the new direction which car-companies are increasingly taking, and it's terrible.

 

[x5ed]

Now? I think they are in a competition to see who can slap the most plastic together and call it a luxary sedan...

Infiniti comes to mind.