RE: BMW M550i gets 530hp; 840i gets 340hp and RWD

[E65Ross]

Water Fairy said:

AFourCab said:

Cost-cutting most definitely started with the E36 and if anything, abated during the E46 period. An E36 is not a pleasant place to spend time, apart from ergonomically and the sound from the sixes.

My BMW indy reckons the E46 is one of the best models they ever made. Over engineered, it feels solid and is a lovely place to be even after 15 years and 162k.

In comparison my 2017 2 series GT is all very modern, less analogue, dull, and generally very boring. And feels far more tinny.

Likewise an E46 feels tinny and cheap compared to my old E65. The E90 generation was better to drive than the E46 too, in my opinion. It didn't look as nice, but it was nicer to drive.

[fatboy b]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Popped into bmw at the weekend and we noticed a brand new delivery miles standard M4 with over £17k knocked off.

£17k!

WTF is it with modern bmw pricing? Every car seems to be at least 20% overpriced so they can knock huge numbers off to get you a “deal”. Do people really fall for it?

Seems to be more noticeable in bmw group. I’ve just bought a second car - a Mini Cooper S. It was 8 months old when bought. It had dropped 35% in that time and 4500 miles. So my guess is that as they offer 0% finance on new, the inflated prices pay for that. But then they crash in price, and the pcp on a second hand one is 12.4 % to pay for that crash.. That can be negotiated down to 8.9%, which is still a rip off, but props up the crap resale value of their cars. Proper fooked their resale values.

[J4CKO]

E65Ross said:

J4CKO said:

Same with all the German brands really, including Porsche, used to see a Porsche occasionally, now see them absolutely everywhere, a lot of tarted up VAG stuff isnt it really ?

So which 911 is a tarted up VAG?

I was responding to a ridiculous glib statement with another one, read between the lines, look for the subtext..

[fatboy b]

Water Fairy said:

AFourCab said:

Cost-cutting most definitely started with the E36 and if anything, abated during the E46 period. An E36 is not a pleasant place to spend time, apart from ergonomically and the sound from the sixes.

My BMW indy reckons the E46 is one of the best models they ever made. Over engineered, it feels solid and is a lovely place to be even after 15 years and 162k.

In comparison my 2017 2 series GT is all very modern, less analogue, dull, and generally very boring. And feels far more tinny.

E46 over-engineered?? They were great cars, and the last good looking one they made, but over-engineered? My 328ci was the first UK chassis failure of the e46, which went on to be a well known weakness for that car. So over-engineered they weren’t.

Edited by fatboy b on Monday 20th May 19:27

[av185]

yonex said:

Exactly. And quoting Porsche as ‘reliable’ is hardly a position of strength

Edited by yonex on Monday 20th May 16:12

Strange view bearing in mind they were the only manufacturer along with Lexus and Toyota scoring 100% in the 2019 JDP surveys.

[av185]

Arsecati said:

av185 said:

Depends on the Porsche.

Incidentally, there are way more Mclarens and Lamborghinis than Pork in my neck of the woods.

Pah, they're used as taxi's round my neck of the woods -

Yep 4 seater supercars have a number of benefits.

[fatboy b]

av185 said:

yonex said:

Exactly. And quoting Porsche as ‘reliable’ is hardly a position of strength

Edited by yonex on Monday 20th May 16:12

Strange view bearing in mind they were the only manufacturer along with Lexus and Toyota scoring 100% in the 2019 JDP surveys.

I struggle to see how they can get a ‘true’ 100% when there’re plenty of recalls between them. Maybe they issue all owners with rose-tints

[anonymous-user]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Popped into bmw at the weekend and we noticed a brand new delivery miles standard M4 with over £17k knocked off.

£17k!

WTF is it with modern bmw pricing? Every car seems to be at least 20% overpriced so they can knock huge numbers off to get you a “deal”. Do people really fall for it?

I got 35% off a pre reg 340i (4 miles on the clock)..fully loaded. Appreciate it was end of line before the G20 but confirms that BMW pricing is a joke.

[E65Ross]

J4CKO said:

E65Ross said:

J4CKO said:

Same with all the German brands really, including Porsche, used to see a Porsche occasionally, now see them absolutely everywhere, a lot of tarted up VAG stuff isnt it really ?

So which 911 is a tarted up VAG?

I was responding to a ridiculous glib statement with another one, read between the lines, look for the subtext..

Ah my apologies

[nickfrog]

doog442 said:

I got 35% off a pre reg 340i (4 miles on the clock)..fully loaded. Appreciate it was end of line before the G20 but confirms that BMW pricing is a joke.

Simply ignore it I guess and focus on the transaction price, which is precisely what you did. At the end of the day if you're happy with the car and the price you paid, a few numbers on a price list shouldn't generate that much detriment.

[anonymous-user]

fatboy b said:

av185 said:

yonex said:

Exactly. And quoting Porsche as ‘reliable’ is hardly a position of strength

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 20th May 16:12

Strange view bearing in mind they were the only manufacturer along with Lexus and Toyota scoring 100% in the 2019 JDP surveys.

I struggle to see how they can get a ‘true’ 100% when there’re plenty of recalls between them. Maybe they issue all owners with rose-tints

They scored 108 problems per 100 vehicles.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/20...

Let's not mention the bore scoring etc of the 6 pots. Nice cars but woefully engineered in that period.

[pSyCoSiS]

530bhp from a non-M, off the shelf car is impressive.

[av185]

yonex said:

fatboy b said:

av185 said:

yonex said:

Exactly. And quoting Porsche as ‘reliable’ is hardly a position of strength

Edited by yonex on Monday 20th May 16:12

Strange view bearing in mind they were the only manufacturer along with Lexus and Toyota scoring 100% in the 2019 JDP surveys.

I struggle to see how they can get a ‘true’ 100% when there’re plenty of recalls between them. Maybe they issue all owners with rose-tints

They scored 108 problems per 100 vehicles.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/20...

Let's not mention the bore scoring etc of the 6 pots. Nice cars but woefully engineered in that period.

Amazing how much things improve over 14 years

[moldy]

Agreed !!

550 touring please !!! still begers belief when BMW have so many niches filled there is no M5 or M3 Touring

[anonymous-user]

moldy said:

Agreed !!

550 touring please !!! still begers belief when BMW have so many niches filled there is no M5 or M3 Touring

It’s very strange.

[Epiphany]

doog442 said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Popped into bmw at the weekend and we noticed a brand new delivery miles standard M4 with over £17k knocked off.

£17k!

WTF is it with modern bmw pricing? Every car seems to be at least 20% overpriced so they can knock huge numbers off to get you a “deal”. Do people really fall for it?

I got 35% off a pre reg 340i (4 miles on the clock)..fully loaded. Appreciate it was end of line before the G20 but confirms that BMW pricing is a joke.

I wouldn't class that one scenario on an end of model already registered clearance deal as confirmation that all of their pricing is a joke. I'd say you got lucky and got a good deal.

I'd say part of it is sheer desperation to keep selling cars in a market where Retail sales have completely tanked over the past 2 years and continue to get worse month on month.

[E65Ross]

yonex said:

moldy said:

Agreed !!

550 touring please !!! still begers belief when BMW have so many niches filled there is no M5 or M3 Touring

It’s very strange.

I believe it is because the suspension for a touring model is quite different to the saloon or coupe, and considering the M cars get a complete suspension rework, it costs a lot of money. Fine when you're selling hundreds of thousands of non-M tourings, but when you're selling less than 1000 the R&D cost per unit becomes astronomical to the point they clearly don't think it's worthwhile.

[Oily76]

Nerdherder said:

Wouldn’t mind a 530hp M550i thanks.

Don't get your hopes up! Bet it doesn't come here.

[anonymous-user]

E65Ross said:

yonex said:

moldy said:

Agreed !!

550 touring please !!! still begers belief when BMW have so many niches filled there is no M5 or M3 Touring

It’s very strange.

I believe it is because the suspension for a touring model is quite different to the saloon or coupe, and considering the M cars get a complete suspension rework, it costs a lot of money. Fine when you're selling hundreds of thousands of non-M tourings, but when you're selling less than 1000 the R&D cost per unit becomes astronomical to the point they clearly don't think it's worthwhile.

Interesting, why would that be? Are the shells that different that the mounting points are not the same?

I'd have assumed the only real differences would be spring/damping rates, if the rear axle had a higher SWL on the estate than the saloon?

[E65Ross]

BathyThermo said:

E65Ross said:

yonex said:

moldy said:

Agreed !!

550 touring please !!! still begers belief when BMW have so many niches filled there is no M5 or M3 Touring

It’s very strange.

I believe it is because the suspension for a touring model is quite different to the saloon or coupe, and considering the M cars get a complete suspension rework, it costs a lot of money. Fine when you're selling hundreds of thousands of non-M tourings, but when you're selling less than 1000 the R&D cost per unit becomes astronomical to the point they clearly don't think it's worthwhile.

Interesting, why would that be? Are the shells that different that the mounting points are not the same?

I'd have assumed the only real differences would be spring/damping rates, if the rear axle had a higher SWL on the estate than the saloon?

I am not 100% sure, but I remember that being the reason on the E39, and I know the E60 needed some different rear suspension to the saloon (in M5 guise, at least) so assume that's why. But yes, the same development costs for far fewer cars would see the individual price per car go up, meaning it'd likely sell in even fewer numbers....hence they don't bother, which is fair enough.