[Elaz]

Bmw has messed up the M brand. These things are everywhere now. It use to be more exclusive. They need to bring it back there again.

[espressoo]

Originally Posted by Elaz

Bmw has messed up the M brand. These things are everywhere now. It use to be more exclusive. They need to bring it back there again.

I’m in one of the richest county in America and see tons of BMWs and really nice cars but M cars (M3, M4, M5, M6, X5M) are still rare here. The ratio of Tesla Model S to M cars is like 20 to 1. A base Model S is the same price as most moderately equipped F8x on the road in this region. If you’re looking for exclusivity you’ll need to spend north of $150K.

[Elaz]

Originally Posted by espressoo

IÂ’m in one of the richest county in America and see tons of BMWs and really nice cars but M cars (M3, M4, M5, M6, X5M) are still rare here. The ratio of Tesla Model S to M cars is like 20 to 1. A base Model S is the same price as most moderately equipped F8x on the road in this region. If youÂ’re looking for exclusivity youÂ’ll need to spend north of $150K.

Well maybe not where your at but come to ny nj or ct and you will see plenty of them. As far as having a car you won't see as much as an M you can buy a 997.1 turbo 07-09 for 55k-85k depending on miles, conditions. I just don't see many of those around. Maybe where you live they use them as taxis.

[G-AZ-M4]

Originally Posted by Elaz

Bmw has messed up the M brand. These things are everywhere now. It use to be more exclusive. They need to bring it back there again.

I've driven a lot of cars in my day. Some faster than others. Some rarer. I've never worried about how many others also had one like mine. Same goes for this new F82.

I'm just enjoying the livin' crap outta it!

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Elaz

Bmw has messed up the M brand. These things are everywhere now. It use to be more exclusive. They need to bring it back there again.

How about if we just exclude you?

Then our cars will be more exclusive, just like you want: WIN-WIN!

[drgmt]

Originally Posted by Elaz

Bmw has messed up the M brand. These things are everywhere now. It use to be more exclusive. They need to bring it back there again.

No they don't. They need to make money. And lots of it to stay in business.

[Aapparition90]

People said that about Porsche with macan and cayenne. Its the most popular 100 k + suv vehicle i see on roads here (ranger rover excluded). In return it helps Porsche build things like the gt3's etc. No way they would be where they are today without them.
Its a calculation of profit made from exclusivity vs profit to simplify it

[drgmt]

Originally Posted by Aapparition90

People said that about Porsche with macan and cayenne. Its the most popular 100 k + suv vehicle i see on roads here (ranger rover excluded). In return it helps Porsche build things like the gt3's etc. No way they would be where they are today without them.
Its a calculation of profit made from exclusivity vs profit to simplify it

Agree

In the end they should sell what ever they can to profit and stay in business.

As a car maker a couple of bad years and you are toast. It's a tough game. If it will sell lots build it!

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by G-AZ-M4

I've driven a lot of cars in my day. Some faster than others. Some rarer. I've never worried about how many others also had one like mine. Same goes for this new F82.

I'm just enjoying the livin' crap outta it!

This.

Complaint sounds like an ego problem as opposed to a BMW problem. If you need a more "look at me look at me" car there are many options out there.

[jninja]

Funny thing is, I've only seen a handful in my life in person, that I can remember... the last one I saw was at the BMW dealership when I test drove back in December. I'm in the Capital of NY, and I can say the area is NOT flooded with M's by any sense of the word

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

This.

Complaint sounds like an ego problem as opposed to a BMW problem. If you need a more "look at me look at me" car there are many options out there.

I agree. It’s like look at me and the amount of money I can waste on a depreciating asset.

[stooker]

M brand was never about being "exclusive". Yyou'll need to spend waaaaaaay more money for something exclusive.

[e92_bryan]

Its even worse for mercedes making their c300 a C6(something) amg now, on paper a full fleged amg, but really a c300
At least bmw keeps the 3 digits and then add like 235M, not naming it a full M car
It makes sense from a marketing point of view because M cars are exclusive but if you can slap an M badge on a 335 equivalent then all the wannabe Ms will buy them along with the people who were already planning on buying them for performance without or without an M badge
But really most poeple could tbink theres more M cars but what I care for their opinions when most of them don’t really know anything about cars
I’d only care about what I think and probably other real enthusiasts if at all
Basically a thumbs up in the street from a fellow (if I had one) M3/4 owner is worth more than one from joe shmo on the street that can’t tell a lambo from a fereari

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by espressoo

I’m in one of the richest county in America and see tons of BMWs and really nice cars but M cars (M3, M4, M5, M6, X5M) are still rare here. The ratio of Tesla Model S to M cars is like 20 to 1. A base Model S is the same price as most moderately equipped F8x on the road in this region. If you’re looking for exclusivity you’ll need to spend north of $150K.

I live in a different country called Miami... let's just say there may be less regular BMWs here than M cars...

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

I agree. It’s like look at me and the amount of money I can waste on a depreciating asset.

Not entirely, I disagree... if someone pays a premium for a car that is supposed to stand for motorsports, it is rather disappointing when all of the cars that cost half price and are everywhere are driving around with the same badges. BMW did it for sales and it worked well, however for the enthusiast or who doesn't want a car like absolutely every other, its very off puting and may alienate them from the brand... remember this used to be done by ricers only... now suddenly bmw does it and its completely OK.

[e92_bryan]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Not entirely, I disagree... if someone pays a premium for a car that is supposed to stand for motorsports, it is rather disappointing when all of the cars that cost half price and are everywhere are driving around with the same badges. BMW did it for sales and it worked well, however for the enthusiast or who doesn't want a car like absolutely every other, its very off puting and may alienate them from the brand... remember this used to be done by ricers only... now suddenly bmw does it and its completely OK.

True some cars might perform just as good if not better than some bmw cars
Thats if you only care about performance though
Could 5.0 mustang, kia stinger, v8 camaro, or v6 accord beat a 335 or equivalent in a straight line or around some corners? Probably but I also don’t want shiity plastics, more road noise, etc...
Bmw still has a premium over other cars because it had wuality interiors and other features
Is it the best car ever? No
But I rather pay a premium for 335 than for a kia stinger which at the end of the day is still a kia
As for badging cars, I don’t believe the premium is much of a difference in bmw when comparing it to mercedes

[DanG]

I didn’t but my M2 to be exclusive. I bought it for the fun of driving it. The only one I wanted to impress was myself.

[MalibuBimmer]

When I buy an M car I'm not interested in "exclusivity" (which I read to mean to impress others). I'm interested in a well balanced, quick sports car. If BMW wants to festoon the "M" on lesser cars, I don't care. If other drivers who buy these cars want to feel that they have M-light cars, why should that concern me?

My purchase is for my driving satisfaction, not to impress others.

(The same is true with the AMG GT I bought to replace my i8. Mercedes slaps a lot of big engines in unbalanced cars and calls them AMG models. I am interested in a well-balanced sports car, and the AMG GT, which was designed entirely by AMG, is just that.)

So as long as BMW makes well balanced M cars I don't care that it slaps the "M" on its non-M models. It does that to stay alive. Which means the M division will remain alive, too.

For those of you who want to impress others with your car purchase, well there is always Lamborghini.

[bvanlieu]

I cut my teeth autocrossing and tracking cars in the mid 90's when I scrambled together disposable income for R compounds and brake pads. I had a good handling Honda (B18C) and looked up to all the E36 and handful of E30 M cars as people who wanted to have fun, and knew the M package was better at it. Along with the M cars, dozens of other fun cars and people helped me in my car culture development to appreciate the right tools for track jobs.

Only as I got older and could afford higher end cars did I notice the 'exclusive' effect: so many special edition cars like M bought by people who want to feel a certain way. I don't blame them: its their money, do what you want. Just saddens me when they will never be put to G tests in a track or open enough road: they deserve to be rode hard

I do object to a notion that this has watered down a brand or anything like that: BMW still makes the M car, so go buy it. You don't buy it for what other people think when you are an enthusiast (and this is an enthusiast site) you buy it for what it is.

I happen to have a more exclusive 3 series then the E90M: all it has done is give me commuter joy along with lots of emissions anguish. Had I gotten the slightly used M (I debated) I would have paid more for fuel and wondered about bearings over the last few years.

Either way, I got the modern BMW enthusiast experience

- b

[Spaceman Spiff]

Two types of people complaining here:

1) Those who paid money for the M badge and are upset that BMW is selling the same badge at a lower price.

2) Those who also paid money for the M badge and are upset that BMW didn't stop making M cars after they got theirs.

Exclusivity in this situation is a matter of how much money you can spend. If you have more to spend, move upmarket. If you don't, make peace with the fact that you're not the only one who can afford a basic, mass produced luxury brand.

[G-AZ-M4]

Originally Posted by DanG

I didn’t but my M2 to be exclusive. I bought it for the fun of driving it. The only one I wanted to impress was myself.

Yep. Well said.

[Spa2k]

Model proliferation is necessary to keep manufacturers profitable - and to provide enough research, development and marketing resources for future models (like the M2) that aren’t mainstream, bread-and-butter models. Chevrolet did it with SS, BMW did it with M, Mercedes did it with AMG, MINI did it with JCW, Ford did it with ST - and on and on. If you’re a poseur, you’re thrilled to have the letters on an otherwise ordinary car - and if you’re a true enthusiast, you know which letters to buy.