Some interesting points here. Someone mentioned the elephant in the room (underwhelming BMW's). Now, I've only ever owned M cars. I've tested plenty, have known lots of friends with bimmers. I agree that BMW seems to have gotten a bit away from its roots, and is catering to a larger, much more vanilla audience. Softer, hypermiler, stylish. As an aside, if I think back to the 2002 or E30, I never thought BMW was the prettiest, most stylish car. But I liked them, a lot. They had their own distinctive look. A sort of blend of luxury and spartan usefulness, interior and exterior. Since when did the bimmers look so curvy, wooshy, and pretty (not that I'm complaining about that). But it still speaks to a car more mass marketed. Once upon a time, I test drove a non m-sport or whatever package was available at the time E90 335i (07 I think...) and thought to myself, "wow, this is terrible compared to my (E46) M3", and skipped that whole generation. Now, granted, the E9X M3, which I have driven, was completely different, but I drove it in 2011. The funny thing is, I know a guy at work, who thinks his E93 328i is "The Ultimate Driving Machine". I think if he drove an E46 M3, he'd think its terrible.
In any case, the car magazines seem to be giving BMW mixed and inconsistent reviews. Remember when Car and Driver named the E36 the best handling car, cost no object? BMW of yesteryear have never mixed or inconsistent. Words more like benchmark or standard seemed to be thrown around more. But I don't think its a lack of BMW quality or prowess. It's just that everybody else has caught up a lot, and BMW changed their marketing focus a bit. (Although you could say BMW has lessened the gap between the M3 and the 911, only to have Porsche widen it back a bit). But you can't have your cake and eat it too. Stray from your core values that made you great, and you become more ordinary. Dilution of the brand means less exclusivity.
Or can you have it all? The only way I see that happening is for BMW to continue its trend toward more mainstream luxury, but DONT SCREW UP the enthusiast M cars. Hold to the principle of race car first, luxury car second. I feel BMW took a HUGE risk coming out with an M4. There's so much brand equity in the name M3. That is why I'm confident, hopeful, and praying that the M3 and M4 are very special cars. Not in the realm of mixed or inconsistent. I know the M3/M4 are nit going to be the BEST at anything. But I'm hoping it will be the second best at everything.
Ok I'm gonna try not to trip as I get off my soap box here...
PS I recently test drove an M235, and was pleasantly surprised. I could drive this car
