BMW killing M Brand with M Performance Autos?

[Xtopherus]

Originally Posted by 1BMW4fun

Actually Mercedes never put an AMG badge on their regular line cars, they have option packages that have AMG stuffs but I haven't seen any cars such as C350 AMG or S550 AMG. Its all about marketing, making the buyers feel good about their purchase and making them feel special.

They'd never let an AMG badge appear on a regular line car, would they?

[JulieDriving]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Dude this is just common sense:

"M performance" which actually sounds better than "m" is actually worse. So if you want actual performance you buy "m" not "m performance" since "performance" really means cosmetics.

Also, if you want sport, you buy "m", not " m sport" which also sounds more sporty than just "m" but isn't.

So if you want the best you buy what sounds like the worst, if you want cosmetics you buy what sounds like sport but is actually performance.

Good point. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think that even Audi or Mercedes puts an RS badge or AMG badge on the trunklids of their non-RS / non-AMG cars.

[1BMW4fun]

Originally Posted by Xtopherus

They'd never let an AMG badge appear on a regular line car, would they?

Are you refering to the AMG stamp on the wheel? or the little badge on the fender. How is that AMG wheel stamp different from that M logo on the sport wheel for BMW? Its an accessories or part of a package. Again, it makes the buyers feel that they have something extra in their car.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by JulieDriving

Good point. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think that even Audi or Mercedes puts an RS badge or AMG badge on the trunklids of their non-RS / non-AMG cars.

Yeah, I think you're making the key point:

It's ok to brand AMG or s-line *parts* like wheels or bumpers. The real dilution is when the name appears on the trunk lid.

When I'm wondering what kind of car something is (like when I first saw a Fisker in the wild) I look immediately to the right side of the trunk.

If I do that with an M performance model and don't know a thing about BMW, I'll have to get a PhD in cryptography to figure out the difference between an Mxxxx and an Mx.

Bottom line is, "m performance" sounds better than "m".

Brand fail!

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by Vybz

????????? What are you guys talking about??

The article has nothing to do with killing the M brand. Or as a die hard fanboys would probably call it "diluting" the M gene pool. Who gives a shit if instead of using 335is they want to refer to the car as a 335M (M335). Does replacing the "is" on their top tier 335s emasculate your e9x M3? Did your M3 magically just turn into a civic?

The IS models already had m performance parts that they could opt to put on their vehicles, if they put a "m" prior to the model # instead of an "is" after to display their additional expense does it really hurt anything? (besides people's ego's apparently)



There is no difference. the "IS" badge will no longer be used for top tier models it'll be replaced with an "M".

As autobahn335 said, it's all probably just a marketing gag. It'll most likely work too. This really isn't a reason to get upset though. If anything is being damaged by this, it's people's personal pride more then it is the M brand.

+1......I am more concerned with what they do with ACTUAL ///M models than using the "M" instead of "iS". Actually, this will streamline things, and make it easier to brand and market. rather than having all these different letters, it will be simple: i, Xi, M, ///M. Pretty simple

Cheers,
e46e92

[e92_m3]

Guy 1: Wow, didn't know BMW came out with a M335i. Saw one today looks really good.
Guy 2: Saw an M3 at the supermarket yesterday. Looks good as well, but which is faster?
Guy 1: I guess the M335i is faster by all means. Name says it all.
Guy 2: You got that right man!

Guy 1 and Guy 2 give each other high-fives.

Moral of the story: Dilution of the M brand does not look good for hardcore ///M owners.

[SirSpeedy]

This is silliness. Very few people give a shit about the M brand and even fewer people recognize it. Anyone concerned with the dilution of the M brand should remove their trunk badge and feel liberated from the pretentiousness.

[Leonardo629]

So just how do you dilute a M car anyways? Add water or what?

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by e92_m3

Guy 1: Wow, didn't know BMW came out with a M335i. Saw one today looks really good.
Guy 2: Saw an M3 at the supermarket yesterday. Looks good as well, but which is faster?
Guy 1: I guess the M335i is faster by all means. Name says it all.
Guy 2: You got that right man!

Guy 1 and Guy 2 give each other high-fives.

Why would I give a damn about what Guy 1 and Guy 2 mistakenly think about my car?

Moral of the story: Dilution of the M brand does not look good for hardcore ///M owners.

Will these people's opinion of my car make it accelerate any slower? Corner worse? If not, then why would I care?

[e92_m3]

Originally Posted by Foodle

Why would I give a damn about what Guy 1 and Guy 2 mistakenly think about my car?

Will these people's opinion of my car make it accelerate any slower? Corner worse? If not, then why would I care?

Didn't sense the sarcasm I see...

Anyway, I'm not hating or anything. I'm just playin around man.

Have you seen my previous posts? Check it if you have not. Basically, I am in love with the 2012 335i with the M performance goodies. With the black stripe and all. That will be my next car once the M3's paid off.

M performance goodies is a marketing plan for BMW to make more sales. If I were a car company, I would definitely do something like that to stay on top.

[e92_m3]

Originally Posted by Foodle

Why would I give a damn about what Guy 1 and Guy 2 mistakenly think about my car?

Will these people's opinion of my car make it accelerate any slower? Corner worse? If not, then why would I care?

Made your life easier man. Don't assume. Your getting ahead of yourself.

Anyway quoting myself...

Originally Posted by e92_m3

I want this 335 M (Did I write that correctly?):

Originally Posted by e92_m3

WOW! Is it just me or does the 335i M look more aggressive looking than the e92 M3:


I want the 335i M to be my next car!!! Can't stop staring at it.

Above quotes came from this thread: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=722005


This:

Originally Posted by e92_m3

Although the change from e9x to f30 was not that drastic, I prefer the f30 in looks overall. It looks more aggressive due to the grill going downwards on the f30 compared to the e9x slanted grill.

Above quote came from this thread: http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=733562


And lastly, this:

Originally Posted by e92_m3

I really like this car overall. Stripe and all!

Above quote came from this thread: http://www.f30post.com/forums/showth...7#post12507167

[smq42]

Originally Posted by SirSpeedy

This is silliness. Very few people give a shit about the M brand and even fewer people recognize it. Anyone concerned with the dilution of the M brand should remove their trunk badge and feel liberated from the pretentiousness.

Agree wholeheartedly!!!! Best part of owning an "M" is that only a select few know what it is and you can fly under the radar most days.

For everyone else, it is yet another BMW.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by smq42

Agree wholeheartedly!!!! Best part of owning an "M" is that only a select few know what it is and you can fly under the radar most days.

For everyone else, it is yet another BMW.

It's ironic because that's the exact opposite of why BMW is doing this:

1.) an "xxxiS" car is a high margin 3 series, an M car is an entirely different product from a separate legal entity, M GmbH.

2.) xxxiS buyers are M wanna-haves but for whatever reason they aren't buying M ... But they want to! And they know what M is and know they dont have one.

3.) thus selling more xxxiS doesn't canabalize M sales (unless the brand dilutes) it just up sells more 3 series buyers ... If the hypothesis is right ...

In other words because we exist, the M brand exists. There are people who know about and want M but aren't going to buy to M for whatever reason.

Thus BMW is betting that by moving the known desired brand downstream they can convert more 3 series buyers into a higher margin car without losing people already willing to do that ... us.

They'll find out if their hypothesis is true.

As far as my pretentious arse is concerned, I'll liberate myself from my M badge and move on to a p-car ... Which ironically I like best badge-less

[White person]

About time some one said something I did not want to make a post my self cuz did not want to deal with the People who think we are wrong

[JulieDriving]

Originally Posted by e46e92love

rather than having all these different letters, it will be simple: i, Xi, M, ///M. Pretty simple

I saw one of these new M Performance cars when I was at the Welt this past June.

It's: i, xi (actually x-drive), ///MXXX, ///M.

The ///M symbol is the same.

If it allows the true M cars to be more performance focused and less weighed down by other considerations, it could potentially be harmless. Like the M-Sports are harmless. But it's still an extreme milking of the M brand.

[///M Rakete]

In order to support BMW's M marketing initiative and graduate to full poseur status I removed the "135i" badge from my 2011 M-Sport, BMW Performance Power Pack, etc. 135 and replaced it with a "///M 135i" badge. I just felt there weren't enough "Ms" on the car already and that adding only an "///M" badge would be goofy, so I went full poseur, dropped by the dealership in Koblenz, Germany and picked up the badge for the new 1-Series based M135i.

If my badge offend thee...

[speedfan]

Originally Posted by clar

The problem with M performance is that there is only one letter being used: M. Audi at least could play with S and RS to distinguish the products. BMW only has the letter M to play with and that inevitably, makes M owners feel that something has been stolen from them. Maybe they should call it N135 or something

You're so right. BMW's "IS" badge is worthless.

Originally Posted by Xtopherus

They'd never let an AMG badge appear on a regular line car, would they?

I believe that the MB manufacture never puts AMG accessories on NON-AMG car. The dealers do. Here's Vietnam & asia, we have C300AMG. it's NOT tuned by AMG at all. It's dressed up by the dealer. There was a thread about this here once.

[e46e92love]

Originally Posted by JulieDriving

I saw one of these new M Performance cars when I was at the Welt this past June.

It's: i, xi (actually x-drive), ///MXXX, ///M.

The ///M symbol is the same.

If it allows the true M cars to be more performance focused and less weighed down by other considerations, it could potentially be harmless. Like the M-Sports are harmless. But it's still an extreme milking of the M brand.

Exactly, I'm hoping this new branding will allow them to refocus the actual ///M GmbH built cars to be even more performance oriented......wishful thinking, I know.

But, though I'm not angry like some, I DO AGREE that the same thing that makes putting ///M badges on everything (people's ego and self image.....huge driving factors for BMW as they focus on in marketing) a good sales decision on the one hand is the same thing that will drive people away from true ///M cars if they think they are not that special anymore.

Just a thought.

Cheers,
e46e92

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by e46e92love

I'm hoping this new branding will allow them to refocus the actual ///M GmbH built cars

"... people will pay up to four times more for a brand they think is fascinating ..."

http://e.businessinsider.com/public/1008960

If you dilute the brand, it won't be fascinating, thus fewer buyers at lower margins (for dealers and/or BMW), thus less R&D, thus less performance

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

It's ironic because that's the exact opposite of why BMW is doing this:

1.) an "xxxiS" car is a high margin 3 series, an M car is an entirely different product from a separate legal entity, M GmbH.

2.) xxxiS buyers are M wanna-haves but for whatever reason they aren't buying M ... But they want to! And they know what M is and know they dont have one.

3.) thus selling more xxxiS doesn't canabalize M sales (unless the brand dilutes) it just up sells more 3 series buyers ... If the hypothesis is right ...

In other words because we exist, the M brand exists. There are people who know about and want M but aren't going to buy to M for whatever reason.

Thus BMW is betting that by moving the known desired brand downstream they can convert more 3 series buyers into a higher margin car without losing people already willing to do that ... us.

They'll find out if their hypothesis is true.

As far as my pretentious arse is concerned, I'll liberate myself from my M badge and move on to a p-car ... Which ironically I like best badge-less

Agreed.

There are lot people here who clearly do not understand the concept of brand value, how long it takes to achieve a high value brand, and how quickly you can destroy it when you try to over exploit the investment.

[CrazyIvan]

I was at the dealer yesterday to get an oil change on my real M car. They gave me a loaner X3 28i or whatever its called. So it had M wheels, M door sills, M foot rest, and so on... Does it drive like an m car? No! Does it look cool to 99% of customers? Absolutely! Do I really care? No. Why? Because I have a real M car. Most cars are too slow to catch up and see the badge anyway

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by Leonardo629

So just how do you dilute a M car anyways? Add water or what?

If you did you would do it metaphorically.