Quote:
Originally Posted by paddy335
Is it a genuine mass-market cross-shop, a much more niche one, or just interweb BS?
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With such coarse-grained breakdown of possibilities, I think it is pretty safe to say the middle choice is the right one.
Clearly BMW is luxury brand (in North America, anyway) and they target consumers who are willing to pay a premium for a product that, when you put emotions aside and just consider practical concerns, is a functional stand-in for your typical Honda Accord or Ford Explorer. It is one part desire to be pampered and one part desire to be a member of a more exclusive club.
M products add performance to the equation. Once you do that, you start to draw from a pool of people who may not normally consider buying the 328i over the Cam-cord, for example. They make the leap to the luxury car mainly because it is the price of entry to one of the highest performing vehicles on the market. Now this doesn't mean that the other features are completely superfluous, it just means they aren't major selling points for these particular buyers. Naturally, then, if another product enters the marketplace with similar performance but without the bells and whistles these people take notice and start weighing their options.
For my part I will say that I'd seriously entertain the Mustang but I have reservations about it lacking one of my favorite performance features of my M3 - the DCT transmission. But it still warrants a test drive.
By the way, nevermind the Mustang which carries at least a reputable brand name, I would absolutely plunk down $50k today for a purpose-built lightweight sport coupe or roadster from any manufacturer anywhere in world if it was built on OEM E92 M3 drivetrain and chassis components. I don't care if the car is built in China, has an interior on par with a 1980 Pinto, and only comes in bright purple or mauve.