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Originally Posted by Road Runner
You've got a lot of speaking points there. The one that sort of sticks out for me (not too flame or anything like that) is the comparison to the Mustang GT. I rented one down in Florida, a 2007, and used to borrow my buddy's 2003 Mustang GT, I also owned a Camaro with a nice bored and stroked 350 in it. So not only did I ride in Mustangs and Camaros, but I drove them, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that you aren't comparing apples to apples here. I like both muscle cars and euros but for completely different reasons.
hp is a simple number, and this premium Mustang GT you rode in may have had a more aggressive suspension set up than mine, but I found the one I drove to be pretty mushy as far as handling goes. Simply put, there is so much more to a car's driving dynamics than its hp. Talk to a lot of BMW drivers and I don't think they're really interested that what the car does when you floor it at a light. And frankly, if we want to talk about who knows how to make and sell cars, BMW and its euro counterparts are fairing far better than the domestic automakers.
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Making and selling cars consistently well is a good thing, but when you purchase a car, you're only getting one model and not the line. As such while being on average good (as a brand) eases the decision to get a particular car of a brand, what really matters is how good the best offering in a class is, no BMW magic is going to interfere with that.
Manufacturers are less important than individual models. Especially now a days, There are American cars such as Dodges and Chevy's that have engines plucked from Europe or Japan so the whole situation of advantages ends up being a bit of a mess.
I agree with you that handling is a great thing, but do you really believe in your view that it's worth a penny more than having 400 hp?
A recent reviewer rated the GT with the dealer installed Ford Handling Pack ($2200) option, as being on par with many euro spec cars. That's near track style performance.
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And regarding your "consumer exploitation" comment, everything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Whatever the price of the 1er may be, I won't feel I'm being exploited, because if its too much, I won't buy.
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Then you are smart, but then there are others who have imaginations thick with concepts about Bimmers where those concepts are just that, only in their imaginations. The sad part is HYPE, what I just described, is not something you can FEEL when you wake up in the morning and start an engine. It's not something that improves skid pad ratings, and it's certainly not something that adds torque or extra speed. :smile:
HYPE however might be something that can take a car and puts it in an entirely higher class, which is a shame because the new bimmer would be a good addition to the mid entry level group.