Flying Ace wrote

BMW already has a track machine. It's the M4GTS. Put your money where your mouth is and send some money there for one.

Flying Ace wrote

Plus I'd safely say the AMG GT doesn't really eat away at C class AMG sales. No C63 AMG has been a legitimate track day car other than the Black Series. So MB wasn't in a position of strength to begin with with the sports saloon market. They NEEDED a 911 fighter to get buyers in the door. Remember, the MB buyers averaged out to be the older than buyers of all 3 luxury brands. (i want to say close to 50s was the average buyers' age).

SINasTER wrote

DeeKay wrote

SINasTER wrote

They should concentrate on build quality and resolve issues with the 3-4-5 series instead of pursuing more cash cows...

Quality has went to hell since 2011 and the uber-rich that potentially wants a 9 series will want quality and not have the car stay at the dealer for over a month each year :

I'm on my fourth BMW 3/4-Series from 2012 (leasing times etc. made upgrades good choice)

None of them *knock under the table* have had a single issue other than normal wear like brakes etc.

You don't keep your car long enough... A car isn't supposed to last 4 years, especially at their price point.

I have owned a 2004 3 series, a 2008 335, a 2011 335 and a 2011 550. The 2011 335 the motor blew and I ditched it. The 550 is getting major surgery (motor and transmission replaced) right now and it's barely over 100k. My girlfriend had a 2001 Volkswagen with 560,000km on it and she changed it for a new one just because she wanted, never had a single issue with the car!

We are plagued by multiple recalls, maintenance issues, electronic problems and so on and that's on a car with just a couple years behind it.

At 80k$, the car should last at least 200,000km without major problems. And all those problems started around 2010, when bmw tried to sell more cars and decided to lower the quality to be able to supply the demand

cbertels wrote

And yet still no true 911 or AMG GT competitor...

babaikram wrote

I agree with you. Mercedes Benz have been shown to be much more reliable than BMW. The only silver lining is that BMWs are still more reliable than Audi.

cbertels wrote

Other than the Alpha, RS5/RS4, C63, CTS/ATS, I guess you're right. Not many cars in the 3er segment...

aftercompletion wrote

cbertels wrote

Other than the Alpha, RS5/RS4, C63, CTS/ATS, I guess you're right. Not many cars in the 3er segment...

Sure, there's competitive cars in that segment, now. That's why I said in "the last 20 years."

For each legitimate competitor in 2018 you cherry pick I can name five cars from the last 20 years that tried billing itself as "3-killer" and failed miserably.

b.oom wrote

i8 is targeting the base Carrera, with similar ouput and performance; and while the Porsche is ancient regarding the technology it is using, the BMW is coming with the latest trend. The i8 is the direct competitor for the 911, even if it is more expensive.
.

cbertels wrote

Well let's see that extensive list. I showed you mine...

aftercompletion wrote

Just off the top my head? Cars that tried to compete with the 3-Series but failed to make a dent in BMW's market share. This list probably soon to include the Tesla Model 3.

Jaguar X-Type
Cadillac ATS
Hyundai Genesis
Audi B5 A4
Infiniti G35
Infiniti Q50
Lexus IS XE10
Volvo S60
Merc C-Class W202

MRV99 wrote

Mercedes did not have a super luxury offering so they bought the struggling Maybach brand.

antzcrashing wrote

Will it be available in a manual?

Flying Ace wrote

you guys realize what you're asking for right? You're asking for BMW to make a car that cannibalizes its halo performance car the M3.

Ask yourself, if they made a version of the AMG GT, would you still buy an M3?....

Also, if it was so damn easy to make a 911 competitor, then everyone would have done it and put Porsche out of business. The reality is, most every other major manufacturers are in the business of making people movers not sports cars. Even Porsche couldn't stay with making sports cars. The Cayenne sales is what is funding all their car development.

Jason wrote

BMW design director Adrian van Hooydonk has hinted that a BMW 9 Series could be forthcoming. The 9 Series would likely be a 4-door coupe taking on the likes of the Mercedes-Maybach S600.

When asked by Autocar if BMW had plans for a 9 Series, van Hooydonk responded: "Let's say this: we won't stop here [with the 8 Series]. Obviously our job is to have more ideas than the company can build, because the other way round would be very bad.

"My team and I are now looking at 2021 and beyond – as far out as 2030. We have a lot of plans."

As for design? The BMW Future Luxury Concept shown in 2014 could easily be drawn upon for inspiration and clues.

SINasTER wrote

They should concentrate on build quality and resolve issues with the 3-4-5 series instead of pursuing more cash cows...

Quality has went to hell since 2011 and the uber-rich that potentially wants a 9 series will want quality and not have the car stay at the dealer for over a month each year :

SINasTER wrote

They should concentrate on build quality and resolve issues with the 3-4-5 series instead of pursuing more cash cows...

Quality has went to hell since 2011 and the uber-rich that potentially wants a 9 series will want quality and not have the car stay at the dealer for over a month each year :

lbahoshy wrote

A proper sports car is not about pure performance only. It has to be emotional. It’s the whole experience. How the car looks, sounds, and of course the way it drives is the most important.

The average lay person would not distinguish an M3 from a 340 M performance looks wise. If BMW wants to compete with AMG GT, R8, etc then it needs to build something that looks like a super car or exotic car and has the performance to match. The i8 certainly has the looks but something is missing.

The 911 has an iconic shape that every child can recognize. There is no other car that looks or drives like it. With the rear engine layout you learn to drive it differently than other cars although the more recent iterations have taken away this characteristic somewhat. There is a very loyal following among 911 owners. The older ones hold their value really well - just look at 993 prices- 20 year old 911s selling for often more than m4 money. Just look at auto trader.

mk1-fan wrote

antzcrashing wrote

Will it be available in a manual?