Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st
This is a very short sighted comment and of oxymoron.
There are lots of fast, luxury cars out there. People choose M3/4 because it is 1. a BMW and 2. an M car. They like the characteristics, history and prestige behind it. If BMW stops making cars of motorsport nature of which made the subbrand M, they are lost in identity and eventually will perish.
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Please point out the oxymoron, I can't see it.
I don't know how you decide which car to buy, but I can tell you how I and the majority of other people buy their cars: They have a budget, and they have a few (or many) weighted characteristics in mind, that the car should fullfil. Let's look at an imaginary sample list of those:
- Budget: 80k
- Should be fast, don't need a slow car
- sports car, want to feel the street with all the bumps on the occasional joy rides
- Sitting in traffic, so preferrably a converter automatic
- Not going to the racetrack so no super harsh setup is needed, but still a firm suspension
With this list in mind, every potential car gets rated: For example a sonata:
- Fits into the budget, even cheaper -> very good
- Not really fast -> bad
- No proper suspension setup and FWD -> bad
- Automatic -> good
- No super harsh setup, but also not a firm suspension -> mediocre
As you can imagine, taking into account the different weights this car would be somewhere more on the bottom of the list
Now let's do the same thing for the G80 M3/M4 how you wanted it to be:
- Fits into budget -> good
- Fast car -> good
- Fast car, you feel everything, but actually too much for sitting in traffic -> mediocre
- DCT -> bad
- Harsh track setup -> bad
You can see, the car would also be near the bottom of the list. Probably still higher than the Sonata, but not a perfect match. If we do this once again, but how the G80 will (probably) be:
- Fits into budget -> good
- Fast car -> good
- Fast car, you feel everything, and at the same time not super hard-> good
- converter auto -> good
- sporty, but not harsh track setup -> good
And now this car would be a very good match, people consider it and in the end buy it. Not based on what the heritage dictates (homologation car for track) or what you want (ultimate track car), but based on what the car is. We're back at my initial comment: The M3 wouldn't be the right car, if it was like you wanted it to be. But I didn't judge it like that, but like it actually is: With a firm, but not too firm suspension, with a converter, with all the driving assistants and luxury gadgets. And then the M3 does fit really well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st
I would understand if BMW wanted to charge more for the same DCT/MT package and there will be lots of current owners including myself who are willing to pay extra for keeping the iconic sports sedan longer in the shrinking market, but it seems instead they are forcing majority of avid drivers altogether to make an inferior purchase to what was offered 6 years ago. M cars were never directed at people who wanted S-class equivalent ride; it was for people who wanted 911 feel and performance while retaining practicality.
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Don't fool yourself, remember that this forum is a bubble, there are proportionally much more likeminded people signed up here. You can bet all your money, that BMW went with exactly that decisions, that will make them the most money. If there were many people like you (or if that would be the majority), BMW would offer such an option. But the truth is, you are a minority and BMW has calculated that it is not worth it to invest the money to develop/homoligate a DCT transmission (at least not for the same price). And as I said before, if you want track, BMW actually offers you a much better car than the normal M4, you can get the M4 GT4, all the track focus, DCT, super firm suspension, bucket seats you want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st
These are very emotional purchases and any change that brings the car closer to mainstream cars that offer comfort, efficient, and luxurious ride instead of keeping its uniqueness will act adversely on the M division sales.
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I don't know if you got this, but M's most sold car is the X3. It pretty much is comfort, efficiency and luxury par excellence. I am 100% certain, making the cars more comfortable, efficient and luxurious will boost their sales.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrix1st
Maybe it's BMW group's plan to ultimately fade out motorsport division. They have always been pussycats to put R&D into motorsport since F1 days.
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No, just like any good company, they are going with time. ICE are on the brink of their existence, if you want to believe it or not, alternative drives are the future, that's what the people want. And again.... producing what the people want = selling lot's of cars = $$$. The only reason BMW exists in the first place. Why do you think are they now competing in Formula E, because it's fun? Just marketing?
As a disclaimer: I don't want to argue pro or contra DCT/Converter. I just want to explain why BMW did this, why it is the correct decision (from BMWs POV) and why you are probably not the target group anymore. I'm not in the market for the G80 or any other sports car (will order the G30 LCI 545e once it's available) and I couldn't care less if they put a DCT, converter, electric, manual or whatever into the G80.
To sum it up: BMW wants to make $$$, BMW realised if they put a converter into the G80 they will make more $$$. So they put a converter into the G80 and are happy about their $$$. No, BMW doesn't give a *** about your (individual) opinion. Don't get me wrong, they do care about their customers (that's why they put a converter in), but it seems like you are not the target group and hence not a customer. So they don't care about your opinion.