Quote:
Originally Posted by jmg
Pretty sure. The F30 340i doesn't sell as well as the 320i and 330i because of the price. They were being heavily discounted even when new. Adding a 'M' to it ups it's visibility significantly even to the casual enthusiast. Those who could not afford a true M car can now suddenly get their foot in the door with an M Performance car. It seems to be working, because I think it's going to do well. Most people didn't think the 340i was an S4 competitor simple because it didn't have a specialized badge like 'S' does. Frankly, since most people don't really take advantage of the M3/4's true capabilities anyway, it's more about the badge and bragging rights. Can't really blame BMW for taking advantage of human nature. It's nice that they upped the performance aspects of the M340i too, but that is to be expected in the next gen 3 series flagship. Had the M340i still be named the 340i, it would probably be exactly the same as a fully spec'ed 340i M Sport without the badges.
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I guess that makes sense. Mercedes and Audi have the C43 AMG and S4 as the mid-performance level and the entry levels are all 4-bangers.