[Doctor///M]

Looking forward to the M2!

[gmfive]

Thankfully, no M7. Thanks BMW

[spuntyb]

M crossovers and SAC's, but no wagon. Awesome.

[flyga3]

Originally Posted by W///

I came here to boo that BMW keeps refusing to build an M3 Touring (someone build one), and cheer that the M2 is finally about to be released.

Carry on.

+1
Touring would be such a cult car if they did...but ok they have to RAISE the center of gravity with these X M's, even though they have 4 doors and a hatch.
Oh wait, they lower the X M's by 10mm, OH, everything is now ok. WTF.

[sdshah]

M3 touring is for soccer moms. Give me an M4 GC please.

[FilipMPower]

I don't understand these half-M's like the M235i. They are good cars but they are not built by the M division. The difference between a 3 series and a M3 is way too big in the wrong way. The M3 is a better car than any standard 3 series in every single way, instead of being more track focused. I at least wont be buying a standard car instead of the (more expensive) M version. I couldn't accept buying a 3 series knowing that there is a way better variant. The 335i is a great car, but the M3 is superior is every way, especially because the M3 can have very soft dampers for the city, like the 335i. I couldnt accept buying the lower tier car. The 335i should be the sporty car and the M3 the track car, but the M3 is a better road car than the 335i. So I think the 335i should stay 335i (or 340i) and not M335i. M should be directly for track cars, so an M7 shouldn't exist, which is OK. BMW should have their road cars be better on road than the M cars, which are track cars.

The M6 I drive is definitely no track car, that is the road car. And the M6 is how I would imagine the 650i to be, how it should be. The real M6 should be more like an M CSL, basically I want M cars to be more hardcore.

This opinion might be unpopular, but when I buy an M car, it feels like a road car BMW, not like a track M.

Of course I understand that my way of M divison would make the M divison sell WAY less, but I still think M should stand for Motorsport.

[BimmerMat135]

Originally Posted by W///

Forgetting their root? That's should have been step 1 when Jag was bought out from Ford.

Two very very different things here. You know the Jag SUV will sell. The F81, as badly as I want one, will be a VERY niche vehicle.

The X3M might not be that huge seller and will probably cost more in R & D. As for jaguar they are able to bring new cars with manual have a sporty line up and a suv at the same time. Even Lotus is thinking about suv these day. BMW use to have a sporty line up but it is slowly fading away. Plus If you look at the roots of M/// they weren't there for sales numbers.

[C5driver]

Originally Posted by FilipMPower

The M6 I drive is definitely no track car, that is the road car.

The current iteration of the M6 is a powerful GT for long distance cruising. It's weight will never cause it to be confused with a track car.

[FilipMPower]

Originally Posted by C5driver

The current iteration of the M6 is a powerful GT for long distance cruising. It's weight will never cause it to be confused with a track car.

Exactly, but the current M6 should be more track focused, the 650i should be the GT which the M6 is.

[dsad1]

Originally Posted by sdshah

M3 touring is for soccer moms. Give me an M4 GC please.

I am surprised by there not being an M4 GC. They might be scared of it eating too much of the M3 sales.

[C5driver]

Originally Posted by FilipMPower

Exactly, but the current M6 should be more track focused, the 650i should be the GT which the M6 is.

I think its target is the S65 AMG.

Moving forward, the Gxx M6 in 2019 will be significantly lighter, due to BMW's investment in CF (7-series, i8, i3, etc...). Look for weight savings that may or may not translate to a direction that's more CSL.

[BimmerMat135]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

An F81...they would literally sell tens of those.

Wagons are only popular on places like Jalopnik where everyone circle jerks to how great they are but would, in reality, never actually buy one.

What about a raised up chassis that is now lowered for handling I guess that is the clever way to do. X3M might sell more than the F81 but the bases of the project are wrong. So it is going to be a challenge to get it as sporty as the F81. Mercedes have the E63 wagon it might not be their best seller but at least they have it why can't bmw take any risks pleasing long term buyers?

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by Blksnowflake

Watering down the M Division with this M sport baloney. Some M Sport cars look daringly close to full M cars. The difference between a standard and M are distinguishable but not so much for the M Sport variants, a huge mistake, look at a standard C400 and C63S, from a design point a view, even enthusiast will be suckered into a double take for confirmation.

But they want to lure buyers with that little "M" it will of course work, but then I won't feel the need to shell out the money for the high end when it's not really that high anymore.

I considered buying an STI but then realised the better engine is in the WRX, so no thanks, the better platform is the WRX, but they make the STI look better. Not quite the case with BMW yet but it's where we're headed imo.

They're all doing it now.. My first recollection was Audi's "S-line." I didn't like it at first either, but the simple fact is the m sport packages make the car look better. I'm now on my 3rd and not one has been because I wanted to pretend it was a real M. It simply looked better every time, so I got it.

And they sell way more m sports than ///M's, so I don't think they're upset if you skip your M, sorry..

[emathis]

Definitely will leave BMW now. Was hoping for an M3 Touring to replace the X6M. Fed up with waiting for years for a M-Touring.
After 22 years it's time to say good bye BMW

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

An F81...they would literally sell tens of those.

Wagons are only popular on places like Jalopnik where everyone circle jerks to how great they are but would, in reality, never actually buy one.

+1. It's the same with the manual transmission. People say will they buy but every year the take rate decreases.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by BMW M3 CRT

Summary:
[...]
- M2 will be presented before its presumed debut at Frankfurt IAA auto show!

I've checked the original Dutch article (http://autovisie.nl/vijf-vragen-aan-...rank-van-meel/). However, nowhere does M Boss Frank van Meel say that. Ditto for the summary (http://www.telegraaf.nl/autovisie/au...n_alles__.html)

Except if OP got information off the record that the M2 will be revealed prior to the Frankfurt Motor Show, this M2 info is inaccurate if merely based on the interview.

Originally Posted by yousefnjr

What I read from that is M2 will be at Frankfurt, didn't see it say before Frankfurt... Hopefully I just need glasses

The other article referring to the original interview noted: "Lastly, he said the M2 Coupe will be released in the following months so we will get to see it in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with sales to commence by the end of the year." (http://www.worldcarfans.com/11507089...m2-coming-soon).

Again, Frank van Meel did not say that either when answering the five questions they asked him. The editors of Autovisie did as additional info (they even speak about "at the end of this year").

[Zerouali]

Originally Posted by MRV99

I agree but Mercedes has now jumped on the M-sport bandwagon by creating a sudo "AMG". The (letter)## Aka C63 AMG is used for true AMG powered models and (letter)### C400 AMG for M-sport style performance upgrades. BMW has scared the competition to do the same stuff so they are doing something right

Mercedes were milking the AMG brand long before BMW started their M performance nonsense.

Sadly BMW obviously decided that it was working for Mercedes and decided to follow suit. A shame but it won't stop anytime soon.

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by MRV99

I agree but Mercedes has now jumped on the M-sport bandwagon by creating a sudo "AMG". The (letter)## Aka C63 AMG is used for true AMG powered models and (letter)### C400 AMG for M-sport style performance upgrades. BMW has scared the competition to do the same stuff so they are doing something right

The trend was started by Audi !

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by sdshah

M3 touring is for soccer moms. Give me an M4 GC please.

Wrong. If it were for soccer moms, they would sell like hot cakes. Unfortunately, soccer moms like SUV's and SAC's.

[r3dbimmer89]

Originally Posted by BimmerMat135

M3 Touring is a no go and X3M is a go? Seem like Jaguar will give me more interesting options in the future. Tired of the ultimate share holder pleasing machine. I heard that bmw is considering a M235i active tourer. Really it is time to move on.

The US, China, and Middle East love full fledge SUVs... the three most important ///M markets....

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

An F81...they would literally sell tens of those.

Wagons are only popular on places like Jalopnik where everyone circle jerks to how great they are but would, in reality, never actually buy one.

Audi do pretty well with their RS4 Avant (450 bhp) and RS6 Avant (560 bhp)

http://www.audi.co.uk/new-cars/a6/rs6-avant.html

Mercedes do well with their C63 Estate (476 bhp 510 bhp)

http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/cont...mg_estate.html

3 series and 5 series Tourers sell well and both the 330d and 335d do well.

With the 335d the quickest 3 series.

So yeah, they are missing a trick.

Even if they turned the MSport trim into a similar way Audi have with the S compared to RS models.

[mshab356]

Originally Posted by Blksnowflake

But they want to lure buyers with that little "M" it will of course work, but then I won't feel the need to shell out the money for the high end when it's not really that high anymore.

Would you say the Audi S and RS are comparable, and that you wouldn't shell out the money for an RS model ever? Because Msport and M are like S and RS. You get more than just some aesthetic parts when you get M/RS over the Msport/S models. If you only care about the body style and stuff, sure go ahead and get Msport and save money. But when you get the RS/M models, you get a whole package (engine, suspension, drivetrain, etc).