[SCOTT26]

It seems from what SCOTT posted that BMW doesn't really cater nor care about the thoughts of enthusiasts, as they are just a fraction of the market. This being an enthusiasts forum is probably not the right place to be posting and discussing this atrocity.

Enthusiasts are still very much in our thinking look at the 1M for example as catering to enthusiast demands. But everyone learns that you cannot please everyone and there were enthusiasts that turned their nose up at even the 1M.
What you have to realise is that in the industry there is constant progression whether in design , technology or even the customers requirements. There is no way a company like BMW especially as it is independent can stand back and let their competitors walk over them.

a BMW has to appeal to a global audience and that means reflecting the current trends , ideas and cultures. From an enthusiast point of view BMW still provide the best handling dynamic character as expected from a BMW in a typical original BMW fashion, BMW are not trying to imitate anybody else in that department.

No need to get upset over these comments SCOTT. Enthusiasts simply do not like this car. You'll sell it well, as you've shown through past numbers, and that's all that matters.

I do not get upset , I just let out a sigh and move on because I have heard it all before , on this and that but as time progresses everything we do is criticized and disected by many parties but as we progress time proves we were right all along.

If we take the 3er GT for example one of my tasks in marketing a new model is to organize and make good use of focus groups to introduce the new model which the 3er GT was generally accepted. As the car was presented to not only current BMW customers of existing or previous 3er models but also customers who have never owned a BMW before. Hatchback/Fastback models are immensely popular in Europe for the customer that needs more flexibility than an existing sedan.

A focus group participant told me that he went to a VW focus group where they showed a five dr version of the next euro Passat model which up until 1988 was a five dr initially.
And they listed the 3er GT as a potential rival.

As we will communicate the 3er Gran Turismo is essentially still a 3er but with a broader range of flexibility. In Europe for example , not everyone wants the utility of a Touring and unlike the US not everyone will go for the SAV option.
Each BMW model is developed from the onset to match the customers needs and the 3er GT is no different.

The 3er GT is not for everyone but those who will choose it will for the reasons discussed here individuality , flexibility and those that overlook convention.