Quote:
Originally Posted by pylon
I would agree with you to an extent. With our cars here (VW) there has been a shift in North America. And we now have a few models that are pretty much North America exclusives. But we still have the highly impractical CC, under sized Tiguan, and Golf/GTI if you want the true euro feel.
In BMW, Benz, Audi and Porsche's case, they have added model to appease a wider market with SUV's, but their core models. C-class, 3 series, A4, 911, have all remained true to their roots, and even though the cars might me bulking up a bit, they are getting faster, and better performing with each iteration, in lieu of some bigger dimensions.
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I hear ya, but I think even the core cars are getting a little soft around the edges, and plump with weight, due to demands of the masses. The 3 series has gotten a little more concerned with ride and luxury every new generation and less so with handling, and a lot of the newer reviews seem to indicate this is true with the new one too. IMO in the case of BMW the 1-series is the new 3-series because it's still focus mostly on driving (personally, the 128i was one of the more fun cars Ive driven in the last 10 years).
I know that a lot of people say that these CUVs and crossovers are what makes the company money in order to make the fun stuff, which in many ways is true, but I guess my issues is that all these other models tend to shift focus and priorities away from the core values of the company. There's less time to make a few good models, and resources are spread thin.
It's now all about satiating the brand whores of the world. In the case of Porsche, instead of building a sub-Boxster which a lot of enthusiasts have been clamoring for, they are now going to be building a baby Cayenne. Instead of giving us a nice wagon, BMW gives us some bloated Crosstour wannabe. Audi won't even let you get a Quattro wagon with a manual, but pushes you into some lilly crossover.