Steve:

I wish that, instead of commenting on the Z8 problems to BMW’s USA M Brand Manager last night at the Quarterly Meeting, I’d given him some feedback on the overall tack he took on the questions and comments from the membership.

I would have liked to remind him that he had an opportunity to listen to “the core layers of the onion”, to use his analogy and to gain a better understanding of the desires of BMW’s most loyal but also most educated and critical constituency.

Very unfortunately, he responded to questions and comments like a presidential press secretary in defense mode.

The comments about the increasing weight of generations of M3’s were from members who were articulating, to my ears, the reasons why they have been BMW customers for decades. These were people who had been driving various incarnations of the M3 and had a wealth of experience and the ability to articulate what they liked about the cars.

Instead of hearing what was said as the positive characteristics these loyalists wanted to see in future versions of their beloved sports sedan, the M guy, hunkering down into his mental bunker, launched into a lengthy speech as to why weights had increased as features were added. This long spiel indicated clearly to me that this guy wasn’t thinking of his audience at all, but just reacting.

I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of the people at that meeting had a pretty full understanding and appreciation of the trade-offs between weight and features and that more than a few had professional engineering credentials in dealing with these issues. Nobody at the meeting should be presumed to be so stupid as to not understand that electric seats add weight.

What I heard people saying was “What we’ve loved about the cars was their simplicity and performance. Please keep it that way.” I also heard people saying, “Give us some options on options.”

The disappointing response I heard from BMW was an encyclopedia of reasons why BMW wouldn’t ever consider what its core constituency would want.

So the BMW M brand manager didn’t listen, and, judging from the laughter at my overly sharp comment about speed bumps, the audience in general pretty clearly felt annoyed that it wasn’t being heard.

Likewise, this guy’s flatly negative reaction to the interest in custom configurations of vehicles was more like a David Spade Capital One Bank Commercial on how to say no than any kind of “give and take”.

For me personally, when he caustically commented, both without knowledge and flatly incorrectly, that BMW would not have made a 50 year commitment to Z8 spares, (see the Phil Marx Roundel article, among other supporting documentation), I gave up on the guy. He was acting, in fact, like little more than a speed bump.

It really is a waste of time and resources for BMW to send out executives to “placate the provinces”.  Understand that I’m not asking to get some bobble head to agree with every comment and mouth platitudes, nor do I expect a presentation of the ten-year product plan. I would appreciate it, however, if BMW would pay us the respect of listening with an open mind and engaging in a meaningful discussion that could refine the Company’s understanding of the perceptions and concerns of their core market and give that market a chance to be heard. Its for BMW’s own good.

As GM still hasn’t learned, if you don’t hearken to noise of your customer’s comments today, the silence of their wallets in the future will be deafening.  

There is no reason that BMW could not offer deletes on a special order sale. Any member who wants to order a 3 series, or if needed just the M model, should be able to delete the sunroof, power seats, add lightweight seats getting rid of leather and other weight saving options.  Cut out luxury items, add a fully adjustable suspension, HINT! Front Camber adjustment. Brake options, A/C delete,

Also special rim and tire package, delete the runflat spare/tire stuff. Even offer Carbon fiber options for the hood, doors and trunk.

I'm rather upset my wife's E90325IX can not be ordered with traditional tires?!

IMHO BMW is running on fumes. M is for marketing now. It's not about what got them there. The racing programs are very important for image, but the current trend in M cars is not the same as it was in the 80's.

I want a 3000 lb, 300HP M car. Wake up BMW. Before it's to late, otherwise I'll find a way to buy that other german mark. The club members that drive E30's who, own 2002's, etc must be numb.

Weight is the killer in any sportscar. I see a trend. BMW does not.

Steve

So what's the answer.  If you want the dynamics and feel of an e30 M3 then buy an e30 M3, stuff an s52 motor in it, and keep it alive for as long as possible.  Me, I prefer the e28 M5 for its size and flexibility.  With 4 doors I have half a leg to stand on with my wife on why I should keep putting money into it.  For true enthusiasts, the glory days of BMW are gone.

Bob K.

former BMWCCA member