[Cnoprea]

This is false my dad works at magna plant next door to the factory that produces the body in whites. The car pictured is brought over from Munich. And also included a very early on photo of the BIW from about 6 months ago

[DML]

Originally Posted by DCG

I'm here sticking up for all of us BMW enthusiasts and also sticking up for American jobs such as the South Carolina BMW plant workers. I'm assuming we all are interested and if your are capable enough to purchase one, the reason is because they are of a certain elk. Yes we live in a ever increasing global marketplace and I totally get that, BUT once anything gets "farmed out" it is never ever the same and that's with all products, it's quite sad actually. Made in the USA, Made in Germany, Made in Italy, Made in Japan, Made in Canada all meant something and still does mean something.

I stand by my statements and will NEVER yield! Because I want to see manufacturing stay and come back to United States!

Not everyone can afford and M car, not everyone wants one, not everyone needs one. But this is to me the essence of BMW and always has been. And I particularly want it to stay that way, because I hold them to a higher standard than other brands as we all should, and they should hold themselves to a higher standard as well.

Try to purchase a Coffee maker not manufactured in China, a COFFEE MAKER!!

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by solstice

Let's face it, when we buy a luxury item with long history and tradition the country of origin is intertwined with the brand. A Rolex made in China anyone? A Ferrari assembled in India? The quality might be as good or better but it no longer has the same connection to the history that shaped the brand. This aspect has nothing to do with the race of the buyer or producer. It's about brand identity and authenticity.

One of my family members is the owner of a small but successful high-end loudspeaker company. His biggest market is China where the demand is that every single piece even the packaging material need not only to be made in Sweden but clearly market "Made in Sweden".

Does it matter that a $1000 IPhone? Hardly but a +$50k car? Yeah, I think it does to most if they are honest.

Same happens with Rolex watches. Buyers and aficionados alike will not accept a Rolex made anywhere but Geneva, Switzerland.

However, in car world, things play out much differently and it is impossible to keep
Manufacturing contained to the country of origin.

[sahajesh]

Originally Posted by 530iDriver

Same happens with Rolex watches. Buyers and aficionados alike will not accept a Rolex made anywhere but Geneva, Switzerland.

However, in car world, things play out much differently and it is impossible to keep
Manufacturing contained to the country of origin.

Oh dear.

The examples quoted are hardly mass produced items like a G20, are they? In any case, it's not a 50k car, it's a lower-value one with options to make it 50k.

If you are picky about country of origin, you really want a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin etc and not a run-of-the-mill BMW made for the corporate market, first and foremost.

[snaketh]

Will all 3 series for NA now come from that plant? I had a GTI built in Mexico and it was fraught with build quality issues. Germany has a reputation and a very strong economy built around manufacturing. Not the UK, or France. It's the Germans who nailed that.

Here's hoping the next gen 2 stays in Germany.

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by DML

Try to purchase a Coffee maker not manufactured in China, a COFFEE MAKER!!

Or a flat screen TV not made in Mexico!!!

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by snaketh

Will all 3 series now come from that plant? I had a GTI build in Mexico and it was fraught with build quality issues. Germany has a reputation and a very strong economy built around manufacturing. Not the UK, or France. It's the Germans who nailed that.

Here's hoping the next gen 2 stays in Germany.

Looks like for the Americas, San Luis Potosí plant will be the main supplier of new 3-Series.

Higher trim levels M340i and M variants may come from the Munich plant.

If you see a car you like in the dealer lot, run the VIN serial number against VINDecoder site to determine plant and country of origin.

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by sahajesh

Oh dear.

The examples quoted are hardly mass produced items like a G20, are they? In any case, it's not a 50k car, it's a lower-value one with options to make it 50k.

If you are picky about country of origin, you really want a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin etc and not a run-of-the-mill BMW made for the corporate market, first and foremost.

Amen to that.

If you want a BMW put together by Hans and Helmut in Germany, you will always have choices there (5,6,7 Series, M/Alpina cars,etc).

Higher volume BMW models like the 3 and 4 series will always have their production distributed across different regions of the world.

[solstice]

Originally Posted by sahajesh

Oh dear.

The examples quoted are hardly mass produced items like a G20, are they? In any case, it's not a 50k car, it's a lower-value one with options to make it 50k.

If you are picky about country of origin, you really want a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin etc and not a run-of-the-mill BMW made for the corporate market, first and foremost.

All relative to the buyer, a BMW is the Rolls or Ferrari for many. A highly desirable luxury product with strong and premium brand identity with expectations on authenticity.

[530iDriver]

BMW has been selling 3 series vehicles made in South Africa here for the better part of 30-40 years and that fact has never caused the uproar we are seeing in this thread.

And for those looking to defect to MB or Audi, the C-Class is also manufactured in South Africa and Alabama. Likewise the A3 and Q3 are made in Curitiba, Brazil and the Q5 at their newest plant at San Jose Chiapa, Mexico.

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by solstice

All relative to the buyer, a BMW is the Rolls or Ferrari for many. A highly desirable luxury product with strong and premium brand identity with expectations on authenticity.

So authenticity to you means made 100% in Germany, with German workers and German sourced materials?

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by solstice

All relative to the buyer, a BMW is the Rolls or Ferrari for many. A highly desirable luxury product with strong and premium brand identity with expectations on authenticity.

A BMW is desirable but hardly a luxury and/or exclusive product when it comes to the high volume nameplates like the 3 series. Anyone with a decent job and credit history/score can afford it through leasing.

An Alpina B7, on the other hand,is an exclusive automobile with a high level of luxury, performance and pedigree. A BMW 330i, not so much in terms of exclusivity and pedigree.

[solstice]

Originally Posted by 530iDriver

So authenticity to you means made 100% in Germany, with German workers and German sourced materials?

Assembled in Germany, yes. 100% German materials? No. Again, this not a logical aspect based on actual quality or exact percentages of materials etc. Those arguments can be made and are made by CFOs every day.

[Remonster]

Originally Posted by Schmee150

I tried the Teflon tape myself. Tired lubricating the rubber seals inside and out. Still creaks now and then. Only solution is G80

Really? Is the teflon applied in the right spot or are you getting other interior creaks unrelated to the window trim noise? There are plenty of unpleasant interior creaks and rattles in these cars.

[Dethsupp0rt]

Originally Posted by 530iDriver

Mexico has had car manufacturing plants for decades.

Over a century, in fact . . . and both GM and Ford were producing vehicles there in the '20s.

Originally Posted by 440xiGCMSport2

Also education level is lower generally so it isn't people on here being racist but if you look at the facts than you can see where people are coming from.

Mexicans are a hard working people as you can see they take jobs that no one in America want to do but sometimes it is about experience and the fact is that the other countries mentioned all have way more experience.

These workers are getting top-notch training, so their (mis)perceived level of "education" really isn't relevant. Proper training and proper work ethic is what matters here, and there's no reason to believe either would be better if these were produced solely in Munich or Shenyang.

[solstice]

“Anyone with a decent job and credit history/score can afford it through leasing.”

Would you like to take a stab of the percentage of the world population where this applies?

I’m pretty sure that a BMW, any BMW represents a premium dream car for quite a few people around the globe.

[530iDriver]

Rosslyn plant in South Africa has enjoyed the highest levels of quality control among all manufacturing facilities in the BMW Group network:

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by solstice

"Anyone with a decent job and credit history/score can afford it through leasing."

Would you like to take a stab of the percentage of the world population where this applies?

I am speaking specifically about the US/Canada.

I am aware of the disparities elsewhere in the world and the high cost of new vehicles in continents like Europe.

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by solstice

"Anyone with a decent job and credit history/score can afford it through leasing."

Would you like to take a stab of the percentage of the world population where this applies?

I'm pretty sure that a BMW, any BMW represents a premium dream car for quite few people.

Indeed, BMW is an aspirational brand.

Otherwise, we would not be having this conversation in the first place

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by solstice

Assembled in Germany, yes. 100% German materials? No. Again, this not a logical aspect based on actual quality or exact percentages of materials etc. Those arguments can be made and are made by CFOs every day.

Fair points. Again if you insist on 100% German manufacture, then seek out for models within BMW that meet such criteria.

[sahajesh]

Originally Posted by 530iDriver

Fair points. Again if you insist on 100% German manufacture, then seek out for models within BMW that meet such criteria.

Exactly - globalisation and economics will always mean that mass produced items will be made wherever it's convenient.

Luxury/rare/specialist items do not follow this rule.

If anyone is that concerned about a Mexico 3 series, then trade up but "Friday afternoon" cars come out of Munich too.

[320iG20]

Mercedes C-Class models with 4-cylinder engines come from South Africa since 2015:



From 2017 on also C400 and C43.

Only the T-model is still completely produced in Bremen, Germany.