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12th of March 2009 | 10:39 GMT | Charles Darveight
BMWERC. Or Incapability Versus...
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Cost reduction has affected brand image everywhere
- The passion has dilluted from most of today's cars
- BMW and Mercedes-Benz might actually be better together
... unconcern. For years, car manufacturers have been defying us by explaining that the dashboard from their 10-12k automobile is quasi-identical to the one found in its bigger and more "luxurious" 50-70k sister because they are reducing costs and, as a bonus, the brand's image is at stake.
If twenty or thirty years ago you could recognize a car after its shape, the dashboard, the seats, the taillights, etc. now you have a friggin' high chance to mistaken a Ford for a BMW or a Mercedes-Benz for a Hyundai if you squint your eyes for a bit.
A new way of reusing parts is invented each year to manufacture cars from the same parts they built ten years ago. Although they keep bragging about the impressive level of technology, I haven't noticed any decrease in the price of cars. On the contrary.
A lot of small cars are not even manufactured by the original company anymore. Deals with obscure companies are made to build certain established brands. Brands for which buyers pay good money hoping for the legendary quality of brand X but getting the doubtful quality of brand Y.
They have eliminated humans from the production process. It's been said that they're stupid and the use too many resources. Robots came. They're smart and don't need cigarette breaks. And yet, the best current cars are created manually, by humans, the ones who are so difficult and annoying sometimes.
They have eliminated the idea of competition. Brands are no longer what they used to be. Now you can buy a "British" MINI manufactured by BMW and powered by a lawnmower engine made by the famous French conglomerate PSA.
Just how much can the British humiliate themselves? They still can. Just take a look at the other British car brands and you will understand.
Try to get to a BMW showroom. Climb into the 1-Series and then, progressively, 3-Series, 5, 7. Besides some extra inches in interior space, do you notice any major difference? The main difference between the 1-Series and the 7-Series is about 100,000 euros. And yet you can't really get that just by looking at the interior. Same dashboard, extremely similar materials, same incapability conveniently defined as conservativeness.
Repeat this experiment at a Mercedes-Benz showroom. Start with an A-Klasse and finish with an S-Klasse. Do you get where does that one hundred grand worth of difference is actually?
Now you will understand why an alliance between BMW and Mercedes-Benz is something normal. Why someday they might actually combine. Giving birth to BMWERC. A new brand, for a new world. A fake one. Without any real values. One where just someone's profit is the only thing that counts...
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If twenty or thirty years ago you could recognize a car after its shape, the dashboard, the seats, the taillights, etc. now you have a friggin' high chance to mistaken a Ford for a BMW or a Mercedes-Benz for a Hyundai if you squint your eyes for a bit.
A new way of reusing parts is invented each year to manufacture cars from the same parts they built ten years ago. Although they keep bragging about the impressive level of technology, I haven't noticed any decrease in the price of cars. On the contrary.
A lot of small cars are not even manufactured by the original company anymore. Deals with obscure companies are made to build certain established brands. Brands for which buyers pay good money hoping for the legendary quality of brand X but getting the doubtful quality of brand Y.
They have eliminated humans from the production process. It's been said that they're stupid and the use too many resources. Robots came. They're smart and don't need cigarette breaks. And yet, the best current cars are created manually, by humans, the ones who are so difficult and annoying sometimes.
They have eliminated the idea of competition. Brands are no longer what they used to be. Now you can buy a "British" MINI manufactured by BMW and powered by a lawnmower engine made by the famous French conglomerate PSA.
Just how much can the British humiliate themselves? They still can. Just take a look at the other British car brands and you will understand.
Try to get to a BMW showroom. Climb into the 1-Series and then, progressively, 3-Series, 5, 7. Besides some extra inches in interior space, do you notice any major difference? The main difference between the 1-Series and the 7-Series is about 100,000 euros. And yet you can't really get that just by looking at the interior. Same dashboard, extremely similar materials, same incapability conveniently defined as conservativeness.
Repeat this experiment at a Mercedes-Benz showroom. Start with an A-Klasse and finish with an S-Klasse. Do you get where does that one hundred grand worth of difference is actually?
Now you will understand why an alliance between BMW and Mercedes-Benz is something normal. Why someday they might actually combine. Giving birth to BMWERC. A new brand, for a new world. A fake one. Without any real values. One where just someone's profit is the only thing that counts...
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16.03.2009 | 17:23 GMT
you do not know what are you talking about. there are a lot of diferences: materials, technology, (space, as you said), but also the image! maybe the price is to high, but the cost is much higher form 1-7 series for example.
09.04.2009 | 05:07 GMT
he was trying to say that instead of creating new and interesting cars, bmwerc will just get tunnel vision and build the same car in 4-5 sizes. it's reasonable that a price difference will exist but maybe 4 times the price of the car is a bit too much since you only get about twice the size. plus, with premium brands you get the same quality on any model, so the materials and technology aren't the same at all. its just about the size :P