Bimmer Blow: BMW's Group US Sales Drop 11%

This is just people holding out for the new models. Nothing to see folks, move along.

No suprise crudy cars have crudy sales

Introduce the 1-series to the US and sales would probably go up pretty well. With the 2007 models coming in at $35k base, you're missing a large market. Although I'm not a fan of Toyota, they have Scion for teenagers/young adults, Toyota for more of the mature person, and then Lexus if you make decent money and you're a more mature person. Audi has VW and the A3. MB has other Daimler Chrysler counterparts. BMW has nothing to penetrate the young market or not so well-to-do market.

BMW is up.... BMW AG as a whole is down, because of Mini...

If wasn't for MINI brand, BMW would suck worse on sales for sure.

Logical it is possible you know to love both Audi and BMW the same amount and give neither brand preference over the other.

I know people that do and I'm one of them.

I guess prestige isn't doing any help here.

BMW (unlike toyota) does NOT build cars-for-kids!

thats what the japanese mkt is for.

its true, that BMW may seem down only because of the MINI brand which in 5 or so years has not changed the Cooper at all. The refresh is not all that "fresh" either.

To be honest, for those who start blaming MINI and not explaining why, well, you don't know much about anything and ranting is what you do best. Oh and for the record, August has always been a slow season for many automakers out there, except the japs, but i wont go into detail or else all hells gonna break loose. As for MINI, you should all know, since you practically masturbate over autospies, that the next gen of MINI's are coming out...and considering their has been lots of press release over the past few weeks, many people around town know. Also, at one point, MINI slowed down production, when they had to renovate the Oxford plant, and it has been like that ever since. Because of that it's hard to get a new MINI, the way you want it. If someone wants it real bad, they'll have to choose whatever is on the lot or whats left around the country, which to many consumers is a bummer. BUT the '07 is coming and everyone is waiting,so pretty soon you'll see those sales eventually increase.

Do not count with 3 series coupe to fix that problem. The most of 3 series will be sedans, so that will not help......may be the X5 that looks almost the same, will help them to stay aloft. The coupe is very nice, but trust the market for that kind of car is very small an there are a lot of beautiful cars in that segment.

razzy23, thats too bad because alot of the kids would like a BMW. Also they do have the 1-series and the Mini. Get 'em while their young and they'll be there forever. A company, in general, should have fanatics from the time they are kids.

BMW has peaked, sales for will continue to be strong but not nearly like the success they have seen over the past 10 years. New styles- quality issues and an unrelenting focus on becoming #1 has lead BMW astray. They need to refocus on what got them to where they are today- awesome driving machines with awesome ownership experience and quit mass producing cars to achieve a sales goal.

Are there any numbers that are broken down by model like the rest of the brands?

"August has always been a slow season for many automakers out there, except the japs"

Minimtl, forget the fact that your post is racist. That's also the stupidest claim I'ver heard yet about all of today's sales numbers. Only Japanese cars sell well in August. My God!!

And posters blaming BMW's woes on product not out yet (335, X5) is the same argument we could all fall into. (Lexus waiting for the LS, Infiniti waiting for th G, Audi waiting for the TT?, Acura waiting for -I dont know what the hell they're waiting for, a V-8?) Meanwhile, however, Lexus climbs while BMW falls. EOS.

(BTW, just checked, Audi showed a gain too)

Interesting. Most BMW's in the US are either new or were freshly designed, and sales still fall. Either people are turned off by the designs or the competition is more apppealing at the moment. Either way, I have a feeling the future might be better. The new X5 has been warmly received on most BMW forums, so I am guessing that a lot of wealthy Americans might be interested in it. You know how we like SUVs...

Sales are slowing down because new model year vehicles are coming out in the coming months, have of BMW FS lease portfolio is extending to get into another vehicle that isn't available yet. Just because there is one poor month means next to nothing. People don't want to buy a 330/325 when the 335/328 are weeks away, and same with the current X5, and 3 series coupes.

I love how everybody is so quick to give defeat. BMW is on top and will remain there for years to come.

phantom330-
Why is BMW off when Audi,MB, and Lexus all showed gains in August. 2007 models are weeks away for Audi,MB and Lexus just like BMW.

in the uk, bmw is launching 32 model changes this month.
3er coupe, new engines, facelift x3 (i think), trim changes, it all adds up to a new bmw for every day in september!

besides, its US

Once again, you cannot attribute lowered BMW sales to waiting for product. The 3, 5 and 6 are still relatively new, and selling in full swing. Yes they will be adding new models, but so will Lexus and every other brand. Thats what happens this time of year. GS430 is not selling because people know a 460 is on the way. LS430 continues to sell but is not on fire for the same reason.

Jovi, yes these are US sales we're talking about, those are the figures that were released today, and BMW group is down, not just Mini.

Phantom, BMW is not on top and never has been. They lead in only one segment, 3 series. (Of course, I always say when the IS and ES are combined, Lexus wins this segment too)

The only competition to BMW is Mercedes Benz not Audi, Not Lexus, Audi 7100 US Sales, Volvo sells more cars in the US than Audwagen, Lexus a force in the USA but a non factor worldwide.. Why do you people hate BMW?? Because they are so damn good, the largest luxury car maker in the world , even without Mini. Facts 2005 BMW Brand without Mini 1,127,000, Mercedes without smart 1,077,000, Audi 829,000 Lexus 400,000.

I guarantee BMW will be #1 worldwide luxury brand AGAIN in 2006 (not including Mini sales). Not wannabe Lexus , not rebadged VW wannabe Audi..

Who CARES if sales are down??? Do you buy a new car based on the number of cars sold by a manufacturer??? I personally dont want to see lots of the same car I drive when Im out and about....and I dont...cause kids cant afford them.

huu76, another blog that has nothing to do the the main topic.. I am a bmw , mercedes fine automoblie owner and fan, Toyota is like shopping at wal-mart, BMW is like shopping at Neiman-Marcus, futhermore the toyota camary and new lexus ls both have Bangle-like spoiler trunks and since when is BMW bankrupt they the third most profitable automaker behind toyota, and honda. Just admit it BMW's are great, you are a hater.

yea, what ever...

huu76,

It's only a matter of time before Toyota buys BMW and saves it from bankruptcy.
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Ding Ding! FUNNIEST POST OF THE MONTH!

huu76,

Toyota, 1.2 million units in Europe alone. Right in BMW's backyard.
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Hahaha! Toyota vs BMW. Do you know how funny that sounds? A base model 318i would walk over whatever Toyota offered against it. Toyota and BMW don't compete. Furthermore, of course your TOYautos will be cheaper than a BMW. Most people aren't car enthusiasts. They want a simple car that brings them from A to B.


F1 - Toyota 28pts, BMW 26.
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A 2 point difference? Wow...



Lexus owns N.America. Toyota rules Japan and w/ Honda, lead in Asia. BMW losing Europe. Lexus unique cutting edge design, BMW trying to un-Bangle their cars.
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While BMW's designs don't appeal to everyone (me included), there are many people who buy a BMW not for the design, but for the badge. And you're complaining about BMW design eh? Most Lexus' are nothing to look at either...

Polk,

BMW has nothing to penetrate the young market or not so well-to-do market.
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MINI

Recovery ?

Step 1 - Fire Bangle
Step 2 - Get some style back into product line
Step 3 - Exorcise the BS attitude from many dealers (sales drop should start to help that)

OK, let's see what's coming withing the next 2 months:

* FL X3
* new X5
* new 3er coupe
* new 328 and 335 sedans and wagons versions to replace the 325 and 330 versions
* new MINI

So basicaly ~75% of cars.

azimport-
great post- step one accomplished- bangle retired!!!!!
step two and three will be tougher!

BMW is still above what they were at last year in 2005. Lets break this down about the sales and such. The 3-series coupe production on the 2006 ended in May of 2006 and the new 3-series coupe has just arrived with the 335 coupe due in the next few weeks. Majority of the production cars wont be out til September ... That is about a 5 month lapse or about 2000 cars a month in the US.

The current X5 production ended in the month of August and every dealer only has 5 to 10 units available. BMW sells about 5k units a month of the X5. The new 2007 X5 wont be available in US showrooms until mid to late November.

The current 3-series conv hasnt been available really all summer with very limited production ...

That is ALOT of cars that will impact BMW's numbers .... BMW still managed 25k units in the US.. That is 3x as many as Audi. More cars than Lexus or Mercedes ... excluding the Suv's as a fair comparison ... I would say that BMW is doing well considering. BMW wont be up to full production for their dealers until mid november, so I would expect to see the numbers down again for September and October. Also, there is something called Oktober fest in Europe and BMW Group slows down production about 75% during the month of August .....


huu76 ... are you smoking crack or something? why would BMW sell out to Toyota. lol ...

Jesus Christ Plano what were you thinking man ?!

"Quandts must be slamming their bier steins".

Do you think this was something surpriseing, unforseen ?!

Does anybody know anything about the automotive industry around here.
I mean BS, rumors, crapy coments...and so on.

huu76,

1.2 million units that went to Toyota, not BMW's/MB low end cars (the ones they hide from us in N.America).
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Eh...the lower end BMW's or MB's still don't compete with Toyota. Someone buying Toyota's typically looks for value-for-money. Someone buying a base model BMW or Mercedes doesn't consider value, even if it is a base model.



It's still 2 more pts than BMW has, racing heritage and all.
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So? If Toyota miraculously wins F1 this year, the kudos to them. But that's still a small step for them. BMW has decades of motorsport experience and technology up their sleeve.


Mini's are pricey for what they compete against. It's more of a fashion/yuppy car (ppl who know nothing about cars).
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Of course they're pricey. Simple marketing. The MINI is a cult icon. BMW knows that people are prepared to PAY for the MINI for the sake of owning one. Why not capitalize on that? The original MINI, towards the end of its product life cycle was being grossly overpriced - and people still bought it.

huu76,

BMW may have new models, but so does Lexus. BMW will slowly bleed because they have no general car division to make money for them, and they rely too much on the 3 (ever since they discovered you make money selling to the general pop'n). Next year or two should be telling.
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This coming from a fanboy of Lexus? Hello! The RX put Lexus on top of the "Best Selling Luxury Brand In The US" list. I could tell you the same damn thing.

"Lexus will slowly bleed because they rely too much on that RX SUV."

Sure, the new IS and ES have their charms and probably will sell well, but BMW's 3-series is a successful formula and if it makes money for BMW, then let it be. You're forgetting that BMW's cash cow in Europe is also the 3-series, but now with the addition of the 1-series, they've got another potential cash cow.

and its not like the 5 doesn't sell either.

BMW 530i, people like Huu76 have different views on the auto market, personally I like BMW beacause i don't want value cheap car like toyota or VW. A lot of blogs on autospies don't have much logic, they just envy BMW' s success.

huu76,

Lexus makes money, and so does Toyota ($10-12 billion net profit a year). Do the Quandts have this much money to help out BMW when things get rough? The 5 may sell, but not in enough volume to replace the 3's margins.
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BMW also sells MOTORCYCLES. BMW motorbikes are extremely popular in Europe and are successful in motorsports as well. Don't forget that.

So, Lexus makes money? You're forgetting that the RX was Lexus's cash cow. Look at the sales of that thing now. Sure, you got your IS an ES and they sell, but that's because they're cheaper than the German brands and appeal to people who simply want a well-equipped luxury car. Someone who wants a bit of excitement in the driving department seeks a BMW first, then an Audi or MB.


The 1-series will just cannibalize the 3. You think the common buyer will pay an extra 10K for a car that's no better than their econobox just because it has BMW on it? The 1 is for ppl who can barely afford a 3, so they'll buy a 1 instead.
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Even if it does, it will still bring in revenues for BMW. Heck, in Europe, A and B-Class sales are stealing sales away from the C-Class, yet MB is making money off them. The 1-series is cheaper than a 3 (depending on model) and if someone buys one, then BMW profits from this purchase.



Don't forget Toyota can pull their 1.8L engine out and stuff it in the IS if they want, since you guys keep saying Europe likes smaller engines.
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Yeah. The question is, why don't they? Lexus has had an eternity to adjust to the European market - if they did their market research right. A company like Lexus, with the resources at their disposal should know better. The impression I get is that they're not serious about Europe.

So they offer an IS220d. But what do they do? They strip the IS220d of the safety features featured in the IS250 making the IS220d only 1/3 as safe as an IS250. And they don't offer an automatic for it too. Confusing...

As for F1. If they have all these surprises, where are they? What are they waiting for? All this experience you speak of should have them fighting for 1st.
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Can you really blame BMW? I don't really follow F1, but perhaps the drivers are at fault?

weel Im from Europe, and if we want a big nice luxury car, we buy the 7 series, the s class og even a A8, Lexus is not the same to us, maybe we just dont like the way they look, the old Ls looked like a bad copy of an s class...

Formula 1, remember BMW/Sauber is a new team, they dont even think to win anything this year, their first year. Still they got 3rd to races ago. Well done.

huu76,

If Lexus isn't serious about Europe, as you hypothesize. Well, just imagine what will happen when they do (i.e. Toyota).
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Sorry. Adding smaller engines and cheaper trim levels won't work wonders for them overnight. It will take YEARS to develop. Lexus still has a lot to do. European cars require sharper steering than this vague stuff we get in the US. The suspension needs to be harder (sportier), not softer. Lexus sells the same soft suspensions in Europe that they do in the US - with the exception of the IS.


If you have no problem with the 1 stealing sales from the 3, how do you feel about the 1's margins being less than the 3's? I highly doubt the 1 will create new customers, just rearrange the existing ones.
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I don't have a problem with the 1-series. The 1-series may steal 3-series customers, but it also attracts potentially new customers who aspire to own a BMW. Same deal with the 3-series.

european cars are very different to american ones. we have different (read better) steering, suspension and interior, but we do pay higher prices. also, the toyota yaris is 3 inches shorter here thsn the american one, we don't get the corolla or yaris sedan, the rav-4 here is shorter, we don't get the 7 seat option or the v6.
we don't get some of your engines (no 4.0 in the discovery, no smaller v6 in the 300c, only the 3.5), our cars are generally smaller and more fuel efficient. and diesel.
lexuses however, are generally big, vague steeringed, soft suspensioned, fuel guzzling petrols, so it's no wonder they don't sell very many. their designs are too american for our tastes (read GS, SC and last gen LS), with either over styling (quad headlamps AND lots of curves is just too much, as is the complete inelegance of most of their models) or very brash (SC, LS) styling, with shiny interiors with too much wood (GS, SC, RX).
on the outside, the good looking ones are the RX (it is sharp, not bloated) and the IS (but that is a bit over styled).
the GS is pig ugly (and it looks like a pig, quad headlamps are an american thing, as are big curves, looks like a fat belly dancer), the SC looks like a pumpkin (and has a shiny interior and can't handle AND shockingly has a poor ride here), the LS isn't out yet, but again, no diesel, no smaller engines, high depreciation, vague (electric!) steering, and bland styling that is at the same time so american.

think about it.
the best selling car in the uk is the ford focus. in america it is the ford F-150.
both are perfect examples of what we want. we want small, clever packaging, efficient engines, good inetrior and good handling, you want v8s, crap handling, big loadspace, and lots of toys, with a bad interior.

huu76,

I really don't think they're going to find any new customers for the 1, just like MB hasn't found very buyers for the B-class (atleast not around the greater Toronto area).
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I don't think MB is planning on selling many B-Classes in Canada. In Europe, the A and B-Classes are hits.

huu76,

It's not America/Canada's fault Europe has no land or oil. They can't even defend their own oil, they need the U.S. to do it for them.
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What's this got to do with this thread? Europe has oil: Norway and Romania for the most part. Even Germany has a few oil reserves, but not enough to even support their domestic economy.

And the US isn't doing shit for Europe in terms of oil. The Europeans get their oil / gas from Russia, the Middle East and Norway / Romania.

oil....anyone heard of north sea oil and north sea gas?
quad heads always were an american thing. think of the caddys from the 50s.
bmw covered theirs over, now it doesn't look like that so much.
honestly, the gs would so much better with single heads and a sharper boot and roof-line.

Yeah Logical Porsche is also a cruddy company they have weak torque

russia sells a lot of gas and oil to western europe.