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Originally Posted by synclastica_86
But would you said by bringing in the Cayenne, Porsche has tarnished its own name? Proud 911 owners still enjoy the way that their car drives; the Cayenne didn't "dilute" the Carerra experience did it? Just because //M made an SUV, it's not going to make their brand and other cars worse.
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Yes, that is a very relevant case. I guess one could say that some P-car loyalists might have indeed been seriously turned off by that. Imagine how Ferrari owners would feel if Ferrari released an SUV. But, most 911 owners probably did not care since most use their 911s to go to the grocery store. In other words, it obviously was a good business move for Porsche, but good business moves don't always satisfy/emote the entire customer base. You need to keep your lead users happy and interested as they play a key role in projecting the image. The danger is "diluting" the brand to the extent that excitement around the brand is significantly diminished. I personally do not think BMW will make that mistake.
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Originally Posted by synclastica_86
As a E92 owner, I am indeed interested in finding out how far we can push this chassie. However, aren't there enough after market tuner for that? Dinan's 650hp M3, is that far enough for you?
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The E46 CSL did not have significantly more power, but it did have a lighter chassis and better intake/throttle response and camshaft and valve modifications (probably aimed at better performance at the high rpm range, but I don't know the specifics). Something about optimizing a system to make it as "lean" and "dedicated" as possible rather than simply increasing displacement. One could probably make similar changes to a stock E9X M3, but the image of the CSL stands out as a "less-comprimised" performance car (I won't call it a race car), which is a concept that is appealing to many. (Don't we all secretly want "less comprimised lives"?) But "appealing" does not mean that those folks will actually put their money where their mouths are and purchase a CSL and commute in it if it were to be avaliable.
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Originally Posted by synclastica_86
As long as //M still makes cars that lives up to traditions and standards, I'll still be a loyal customer.
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I think this is the main issue. Some people are concerned that the //M "Motorsport" tradition is at risk. I personally do not think so, but significant reduction in the R&D budget and M engineers possibly spending time on not so relevant projects--"dilution" of focus internally--might indeed to be problematic in the long run. We'll see...