@ about 90 votes, the results are interesting.
Still a high number of die-hard M fans that will / most likely will buy the new gen M cars, but a full 31% that probably won't buy.
Obviously, I don't know why the 31% won't be buying the next gen M cars (financial position has changed, moved to a city where car is not needed, likes other cars, etc.) but it's still 31% of an enthusiast community.
Perhaps, BMW is correct in that appealing to a wider, non-enthusiast audience is more lucrative than appeasing the die-hard fans only. Perhaps, they have struck a balance with their cars.
I have a friend down hear in DFW, he drives an M4. He told me he really isn't sure why he bought it other than it looked good and it's more of a status thing. He is thinking of trading it in on a new X3
. For every enthusiast who carves backroads, AutoXs, tracks, or just admires... I suspect there's 5 people the likes of my friend