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      09-15-2020, 02:37 PM   #16
xlover
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel View Post
It's true that the 8 Series and M8 have not been strong sellers, but I would suggest that it has very little to do with the way they are styled. Instead, it is likely because the market for six figure personal luxury coupes and convertibles (i.e high end, non-sports car that aren't good at transporting more than two people) has all but entirely evaporated.

Mind you, I am not taking sides on whether a 4 Series that more closely resembled an 8 Series - or for that matter an 8 Series that more closely resembled a 4 Series - would be a good or bad thing. I am just saying that the 8 Series - in particular, the two door models - has far more serious issues than the way it looks.
That's fair, in truth it is certainly more nuanced than my statement. I do think design (or some type of standout specialness) has a lot to do with driving demand in the mid to upper tier price points of vehicles that are impractical. Very few brands have the cache like Porsche of exclusivity and selling something totally unique. No doubt this shows in the investment going toward development (and sales success) of suv coupes (like the forthcoming MX8) which stand out.

I would argue that if you asked bmw behind closed doors if the conservative design aimed at brand traditionalists was doing the car any favors they would say no. Instead of helping build demand for the aspirational price point it likely deflated it.

I would also add the detail around the price differential and value equation vs the 6 series might be obvious to those on this board who know the ins and outs of the order guides but is less obvious to the causal buyer with 100k to spend on "something stylish and cool"

This is a long way of saying I disagree with the statement that 8 series styling would have been a good idea for the 4 series
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