BMW got flamed in the Wall Street Journal !

[Derek A.]

Anyone have online access to post the article ??

[bfd]

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums...6111030-1.html

Its interesting that for just about every other model, the roadfly board is "the" board.....

[Kalevera]

Makes me cry, really.

They do need to fire Mr. Bangle; from this dilettante's viewpoint, he has done little to further the cause, stylistically or otherwise.

In my business, when you don't produce results, you get fired. I don't think BMW's idea of results were negative sales. Where are Uncle Fritz and Grandpa Klaus when you need them?

BTW - anyone know who designed the e32/e34?

LOWELL

[tim]

"BTW - anyone know who designed the e32/e34?"

Paul Bracq was BMW's design chief for the first generation of the 5 series. The original designer on the 5's, when they were redesigned from the 3.0, was a guy named Marcello Gandini. I do not know whether he was still the designer on the e34. Claus Luthe was chief designer from about '78 through the eighties and nineties including all of BMW's great modern cars.

Read about it here:

http://www.blankenese-world.de/kunde...W-Designer.htm

where it will help to speak German, but is not necessary (hint: "die Luthe ara" means "the Luthe era"- you'll figure it out.)

Chris Bangle sucks, but lets face it, the company has changed, and not for the better. They actually think he's great- when sales are down and they've alienated their hard core, so go figure.

[DanQ]

Mr. Bangle, BMW's head designer, shrugs off suggestions that his designs have scared off buyers. "We're not trying to be everybody's darling," he says in an interview. "Sometimes you leave people behind. But then you also pick up some new people."

There are really two problems here. Bangle is just one of them. The other problem is idrive and the quality issues. Quality problems will lost customers real quick. Mr Bangle's attitude doesn't help though. He seems to think that they can afford to leave behind a loyal customer base to chase after a newer market of customers. Why can't you keep your current customer base while going after the new ones?

[tim]

They're too worried about going tit-for-tat on every electronic gizmo that the Lexus and Merc guys can come up with that have forgotten that they used to let form follow function, not the other way around. Given the inversion of priorities its no surprise that build quality and mechanical integrity have also gone by the wayside.

[Derek A.]

BMW has also created a different kind of consumer. I see it every day. Most BMW owners invested in their cars and held on to them for a number of years. These days I see far more customers not taking care of their cars and dumping them at the end of the lease. There is a far greater fear of owning a used BMW past the warranty period than in years prior.

[drum2430]

I'll just keep my e-34 in great condition and not ever have another car payment.

[John B.]

Take a look at the new BMW K12R, R12RT & ST and you'll see Bangle isn't the only designer at BMW that needs a permanent vacation. David Robb is on par with Bangle when it comes to "updating" the traditional look of BMW motorcycles. He didn't do too bad with the K12S as he stole most of it from Aprilia but his clean sheet bikes have been ugly for the most part. The mechanical problems plaguing the late model beemers have driven away many long time owners such as myself & many of my friends. BMW motorcycle sales in the U.S. were way off for 2004 with many stand alone BMW shops in serious financial trouble & many others taking on other brands of bikes. As a result of their poor performance resulting in a loss of market share BMWAG has cut the U.S. bike division's budget to the bone which will make it tough to properly promote the new models.

[John B.]

I'll just keep my e-34 in great condition and not ever have another car payment.

That would be my plan also. I could be quite happy driving this car for a long, long time.