Does BMW's The Ultimate Driving Machine Ethos AND Product Offering NEED To Be Changed To The Ultimate Technology Experience?

The more we think about it, the more we see it coming true. If you're a fan of BMW, folks, this is clearly a brand that has lost its way.

Right now the Bavarians are floundering.

THINK: What else does it have going for it aside from the all-new X7? We'll wait.

The more Agent 001 and I have been speaking about this, it's become clear: Today's mainstream drivers are not particularly interested in driving dynamics, "the ultimate driving machine" or "driving pleasure." Hell, they don't even know the difference between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive.

Today's mainstream consumer desires, more than anything else, magical technological experiences. As I've written about previously, modern autos have shifted from being a product you establish a relationship with and cherish to a disposable piece of technology. Much like an iPhone or Android device, people have to have the latest at all costs.

What say you, Spies? Do YOU think that BMW needs to completely rethink its brand and its product positioning so that it better reflects consumer taste's in the evolving automotive market?

SSBMW - 2/23/2019 9:09:52 PM

+5 Boost

The Ultimate Lease Machine. I've been a huge BMW fan all my life. I've owned several and currently own two. They've made nothing desirable since 2013. It's sad. It's terrible. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I wouldn't even consider a trip to a BMW dealer.

PUGPROUD - 2/24/2019 4:56:53 AM

+3 Boost

Make a beautiful looking "I've got to have it before I die design" that stands out from the crowd, drives well and all will be forgiven.

Foncool - 2/24/2019 7:02:48 AM

+2 Boost

BMW’s are the Victor Victoria of the car world. A German car pretending to be a Japanese car that is pretending to be a German car!

mre30 - 2/24/2019 10:19:22 AM

+3 Boost

Funny and sadly, correct.

MDarringer - 2/24/2019 7:09:43 AM

0 Boost

"Ultimate Technology Experience" would be as much of a lie as "Ultimate Driving Machine".

mre30 - 2/24/2019 10:24:01 AM

+4 Boost

How can it be the "Ultimate Technology Experience" if the buyers of most low to middle BMW's have to pay extra for things like "Apple Car Play". Can you even get "Android Auto" on a BMW?

BMW used to have a $500 +/- option called "Connected Services" and another called "Phone Integration" that was another $500 +/-. Ridiculous.

GermanNut - 2/24/2019 4:02:41 PM

+2 Boost

The BMW brand has lost its way. The biggest reason is due to stagnant exterior design that changes very little from one generation to the next. Its vehicles mostly no longer deliver the driving dynamics people think of when they hear the "Ultimate Driving Machine" slogan, which is another major contributing factor. Lastly, its interiors lack the luxury feel of many competing vehicles from Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

EVisNow - 2/24/2019 4:51:11 PM

+4 Boost

Despite the huge sign on the building "The Future is Electric", BMW's i-projects seem to have a lot of short circuits in the most important areas: performance (ranked 7 among current EV offerings), battery range, charging networks and price vs. performance quotient.
I guess Electric (BEV) is still a future for BMW, not its present even when MB and VAG are well on their way to full EV conversion.
Hanging on to ICE and PHEV will only prolong the apparent and painful decline of BMW.

MDarringer - 2/24/2019 5:04:24 PM

0 Boost

Indeed.

BMW should be trying to do an electric "2002tii" (i.e. capture that essence of goodness) which is a hoot to drive in a way that far faster modern BMWs aren't. The mere fact that the Tesla Model 3 isn't even remotely a "BMW" should indicate that to BMW that it is missing the ball by not having a mainstream, affordable, and fun EV BMW.

I'd even go so far as to evoke the style of the 2002 in a modernized but retro look and play on the name a bit. Morph 2002Tii to something like 2200Eii to indicate lineage, modernity, and electrification.

Arguably, the 8 Series should have gone full EV.