Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky13
Please tell me what the 235i is supposed to mean, "i" is supposed to mean something but M doesn't. IS had no brand equity and "I" after a number has no equity. Instead of "I" how about the "fu" instead of "i". I have bought BMW's for 20 years and the "i" and IS were meaningless. Having a M235 and M2 is no different than Caddy V and V Sport or Audi S or RS. Anybody with a business degree in Marketing or worked in a marketing dept or product development like myself think its a great idea. You could ask 1,000 people that never owned a BMW and not one would have a clue what the "I" or IS stands for. You could ask 1,000 BMW owners and they would tell you the "i" has no meaning. What the hell does the 35 mean, it's not a 3.5 liter, what does 28 mean it's not a 2.8 liter. You could ask 1,000 non BMW owners and a lot would know M stands for the "sport" versions of BMW because it has some equity. I'm sure BMW will expand this concept so get used to it.
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I'm from marketing, so I get it. Marketing is just to get the stupid people buy your product. "i" has a meaning, just as "d" and "is". "M", plus to having a meaning, adds value, something that "i" and "d" do not. And while "is" on the other hand does add value, it has no equity as you say, thus "M" makes sense. However, what makes sense from a marketing perspective is not necessarily good. Just as BMW does it wrong IMO, so do Cadillac with V and V Sport, Lexus F and F Sport, Mercedes AMG and "AMG", Audi S and S-Line.
Yet it is worse for M because compared to other "added value brands", M has the strongest heritage. Audi does it best, because S and S-Line are not full performance cars, and cannot get confused with RS cars.
However, it does not mean BMW has no way out. All the criticism will be gone from the moment BMW has one exclusive M model as flagship, something BMW has been reluctant to build without valid excuses. You would be lying to yourself not to admit that the R8 has done a lot for Audi's image, as a marketing tool, and that BMW does not need a hallo M car as they can sell cars without it. Before yes, but now not. Your answer will be the i8, and yes it has done something too, the long marketing process and hype build-up has spoiled the excitement. In the mind of many (no quantitative accuracy), the i8 is not a
dream car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BMW E90
Why is it called a 328i when it doesn't have a 2.8L engine? Same with the 335i. I really am asking the question.
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Because people = stupid. They buy what is sold to them, rather than thinking intelligently. [exaggeration]