Quote:
Originally Posted by tszene
Quote:
Originally Posted by JCZ5
People keep saying "manuals are all but gone"...well, again that depends on perspective. Sure, there are much less MT options nowadays compared to 20-30 years ago, but there are still options readily available. Not all cars need a manual transmission option. For example, I am fine with regular 3/4/5 series without a MT. However, BMW has been great by providing the M2/3/4 with a MT because they're more catered towards the driving experience. Also, there are still plenty of car enthusiasts working at C-suite levels at BMW, etc. I think we will be good for some time.
In the value oriented category, you still have the venerable MX5, the mustang, Hyundai N series, etc in MT. If you want to step up, there are Porsche, Lotus, Aston Martin. If you want very niche brands, there are Morgan, BAC, Aerial, etc.
Let's give another example. During the quartz crisis, people thought mechanical watches were going to disappear. Nowadays, there has been a resurgence and mechanical watches have increased in popularity. Similar parallels can be drawn with typewriters, record players, Hi-Fi systems. Each example, people thought it was going to disappear. But in each, there were a resurgence of interest. Either by people who have previously experienced the analog pleasure of these items or new generations who have come to appreciate it.
An let me add, the car enthusiast crowd is a lot larger than the watch, typewriter, record player and Hi-Fi system crowd...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JCZ5
An let me add, the car enthusiast crowd is a lot larger than the watch, typewriter, record player and Hi-Fi system crowd...
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Well, I guess they are not large enough to keep the ED program going. Which I why this thread was formed. So I beg all of you to start writing to
CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com
And let's make a difference. |
True, good to let BMW know that they need to consider bringing back ED.
But even more so is for people to actually sign up to do ED. The forum is a bubble where we think ED is a popular choice. But outside of us, no one really knows about this. There has to be more awareness. Local dealers should bring this up for every new build order as a "did you know..." And lastly, we should be ok paying $XX for it to make the financials work.
I think someone posted that only 500 NA EDs are done each year. If this is true, and I was in BMWs position, I would shut it down as well. Makes no sense. Some claim that this brings brand visibility and engagement...well this is not entirely true because again, no one knows about it. Dealers are not pushing it, people are not actively participating in this, no business case. By in large, BMW takes on a relatively high cost for each ED.
Unfortunately, bringing this back cannot be quickly reversed, especially during these poor financial times and travel restrictions. However, there is a huge opportunity to build out NA PCD. The cost savings will be substantial and the barrier of entry, much lower. Flying to Europe is a commitment. Flying to PCD east and PCD west is a lot more mainstream. In addition, each performance center can also bolster non ED traffic with performance programs. Performance programs are almost pure profit with what BMW charges. I do not have BMW's financials, but I would wager that it is a money generator, especially considering how many corporate events they do.