the death of BMW M Brand - article

[M3_Power 636]

http://jalopnik.com/5924573/the-death-of-bmws-m-brand

now discuss

Have to say that I sort of agree with the author.

[jeffbebe 1560]

http://jalopnik.com/5924573/the-death-of-bmws-m-brand

now discuss

Have to say that I sort of agree with the author.

Interesting. I agree with some of what he says but I think they key point is at the end of the article. Marketing should be about taking the designers' and manufacturers' vision and selling it the world but it does feel like BMW's marketing team have commandeered the M brand to do their job for them. Instead of selling road cars on the back of BMW's prowess on the track they've grabbed the M stripes and stuck them to anything with a piece of kit from the genuine M vehicle. You only have to search TM to find hundreds of BMWs that are listed as M-tech this and M-sport that but few of them are genuine M3s or M5s. And, on the whole, it's not the owners sticking a badge on a standard vehicle; they've come like that from the factory because someone in the marketing department said "we'll sell more cars if we can stick the M badge on anything that's not bog standard".

Can't say that I blame them, it's worked and they sell a lot of cars but I do agree with the author that the mystique and aspirational quality of the M brand is diminished as a result.

[nath 134]

Markets change. More people can afford cars than ever and thus there will be much less people who now buy cars and are at the same time interested in car racing.

We nonetheless get whiffs of status or elitism in car racing so any whiff of that in our road car makes us feel as if some of that bona fide race heritage has rubbed off on us. The driving dollar demands a usable car, and that means luxury in these price ranges.

Television and the internet encourage us to increase status and visual appeal at all (and usually easiest route) costs, and so BMW makes a car for us.

[deeveus 81]

Firstly the guys name is Bill, I mean comon!

Secondly, that's just one haters opinion IMO. Yeah BMW have simulated noises in the stereo but partly because the greenies don't want noise levels to be breached & emissions laws prevent opened up exhausts. BMW are merely complying with rules and shifting with the market. Also, levels of safety requirements add weight & take away that driving experience a little, this isn't BMW's fault IMO.

He said BMW won't go bankrupt soon & they won't because they are still meeting the market.

Edited July 10, 2012 by The Diesel Guy

[MLM 57]

The M brand has been a victim of its own sucess. It used to be a racing only orientated devision which has through its own sucess turned into a marketing tool which is used to generate sales by putting a sticker here and a lip extension there. No longer to the designers or engineers vision for a car matter in a world where marketing dictate the position of product in the market and sales volumes rule. If an elevated position can be achieved with a splash of "M" then so be it.

Has the M devision got any weaker? I dont know, i dont think so, but the fact that you can now buy a piece, all be it small in some cases and feel a little special because of it is the power of marketing. As long as the M devision continues to churn out cars we can aspire to when we drive our M branded cars im happy.

[M5V8 337]

I have to agree to a point.

Whenever I see an AMG badge, 9/10 it's the full monty barking bad bajillion kilowatt car.

I hardly ever see real M cars, majority are M-Sport versions with the associated M badges all over it.

Whilst I'm not against M-Sport versions it does water down the brand somewhat. I wont even start with the owners whom just throw M badges on their 318's.

I agree on the cynical limited edition models like that lime rock crap. Come on. I know it's for the idiot North American audience whom wouldn't know what a real track orientated car should have anyway but in today's world any edition is posted up for all to see.

They have the M3 GTS and the CSL. They are more than worthy limited edition cars I aspire to own. Leave it there.

Lime Rock edition. FFS. KFC carpark edition anyone?

[byza213 1]

when i own a m3 i will be complete!!

[jeffbebe 1560]

when i own a m3 i will be complete!!

Hit the nail on the head... Enthusiasts will still enthuse about the genuine article. Who cares of BMW churn out some M branded cars we don't enthuse about. We still know which ones we aspire to own and if you don't know or care, then you'll rightly be very happy with your KFC Car Park edition.

If selling loads of M-branded cars means BMW can spend bags of cash on R&D to come up with cooler cars, I'm all for it. If they rest on their laurels then it'll be an issue.

[hybrid 1043]

BMW US is different to BMW globally. This isn't a new thing. State side has always had 'special' US only cars made up for them. They have a bigger market so can afford to come up with a whole new model.

Mean while the real cars (CSL, M3 GTS, e36 m3 and m3 evo and any e46 m3 with real headers) the rest of the world have access too.

Jalopnik is being a bit nieve and possibly fishing with this article. Really it aint nothing new and in typical US fashion the world is ending, but only in the US. (or the world as the like to call it)

I wouldn't worry about such things.

[Apex 693]

BMW have not build road cars that are anything like what is used in motorsports for a very long time so this is all hardly new.

They market a brilliant car very well... we buy plenty of products with bullshit names and nearly all manufacturers I can think of other than a few small companies have very little actual "motorsport" technology in their road cars these days or even compete in motorsports at all.

I do have to laugh at a lot of these special models though, often they remove 30kg and call it a "racing car" and charge you 30k more for it when you could go out and buy a lesser model, spend a day in the garage and remove 100kg and go the track and thrash them.

[jeffbebe 1560]

BMW have not build road cars that are anything like what is used in motorsports for a very long time so this is all hardly new.

They market a brilliant car very well... we buy plenty of products with bullshit names and nearly all manufacturers I can think of other than a few small companies have very little actual "motorsport" technology in their road cars these days or even compete in motorsports at all.

I do have to laugh at a lot of these special models though, often they remove 30kg and call it a "racing car" and charge you 30k more for it when you could go out and buy a lesser model, spend a day in the garage and remove 100kg and go the track and thrash them.

*Like*

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2959]

Not the best article, but I can see the guy's point.

The days of turning up at the track in competitive motorsport in anything remotely resembling road car, are long gone. The E30 M3s or GTHO Falcons of old are so far removed from an ALMS M3 or DTM M3 as to be a totally different animal. Try getting a WoF on one of those without any air bags, etc.

Yes, the M Division and M brand has become a marketing tool, but why not, it's all about selling cars at the end of the day whether by winning races on the TV or marketing a car that reflects that glory.

If he's mad at the moment wait until he tries to get his head around M Performance Vehicles, which are not M cars, nor are they production cars with M-Sport packs , but a whole new sub-brand.

Or perhaps he can look at the modern equivalent of the original M division, the Motorsport Division, and look at some of the cars he can buy from them. Then try telling me BMW has lost it's M soul..

[hybrid 1043]

I disagree ..

Porsche GT3

M3 CSL

M3 GTS

hell even the new 1M is incredible.

Every car manufacture makes a hardcore version that can be raced. Its just that the US doesnt see all of these models. Its certainly doesnt mean the M brand is dead or dying by any means.

[Apex 693]

They are incredible road cars yes. But I think the credibility of the "motorsports" name badge was at question from that guy... what they don't get is that apart from touring car wins in the 80's and 90's they have not done very well at all in any real "motorsports". Would they even make the top ten manufactures list for success in motorsport?

Its marketing at its best. If you can sell a 2.5 ton SUV as a motorsport model you are clever, just as clever as the guy that sell razor blades with Turbo on them, I know they are not turbochargers but I will buy the, just as I will buy a burger from MacDonald's named after Sydney.

[Neal 545]

I think of the m badge / accessory in context with the vehicle that it's on.

For some it means a sporting improvement over the standard car, others it might only be the hand built e28 & e34 M5's . Others it's the ltd versions of M cars that where sold for racing for Group N / A.

However the article misses M-power branding which seem to be the motorsport branding now of more recent years and the M badge being mainly sports model versions of road cars.