BMW's Game Changer – A Vehicle That Is Redundant Before It's Even On Sale

by Derek Kreindler

Published: January 31st, 2014

bmw s game changer a vehicle that is redundant before it s even on sale

BMW’s new nomenclature dictates that coupes have an even numbered naming convention, while sedans get an odd numbered digit. But with the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe, BMW has managed to disrupt the integrity of it right off the bat.

The Gran Coupe, said to be the black car in the center of the photographs, is just a 4-door 4-Series with a sloping roof. But a 4-door 4-series is, of course, a 3-Series. Aside from the sloping roof and the presumably missing center seat in the back, how is this at all different from a 3-Series? What’s the selling proposition? At least the 6-Series GC has a competitive set in the Audi A7 and Mercedes CLS, while offering a distinctive package versus the 5-Series. This really doesn’t look that different at all. Then again, luxury niche customers have always been ignored by the Germans…

#BMW #Bmw4-series #Bmw4-seriesGranCoupe

Derek Kreindler

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Hummer on Feb 01, 2014

I've seen several people make point of the 3-series being common as a legitimate reason in and of itself to buy the 4 What about the grand old idea of buying something you want and like, I've never purchased a vehicle on the basis of what others will think of me, they have all been bought because I wanted them and they made me happy. Is image really that big to some of you?

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- Zykotec on Feb 01, 2014
  
  I think BMW too a large degree makes a living on people who buy cars only for the image. Offcourse there are still car enthusiasts who buy them too, because they think they look good and drive/handle well, just like there are some people who buy an ILX or CTS because they like those cars. BMW and Audi, and partially Mercedes has understood the current market of people with a 15 minute attention span though, with a new model released almost every forthnight, without spending an awful amount of money on development. It is the late 50's all over again.This is one reason Ford and Opel , and many Japanese brands are struggling in Europe, with very few models that are not updated often, people just forget that they excist...
  
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Gottacook on Feb 01, 2014

It's funny how the German automakers (starting with the first-gen Mercedes CLS and the VW CC; today BMW and Audi as well) began featuring frameless windows in their premium four-door cars at the same time that Subaru began to abandon them.

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