The BMW Dilemma
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- Опубліковано 6 січ 2025
- Let's have a look at the BMW dilemma of the last years.
This is a story of brave decisions of the past and how it can split a company.
We will have a look of how the "i project" started.
How did it develop over the years?
What was the impact on the whole BMW group?
Where does BMW stand today?
And what is their future strategy?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
#BMW #iproject
I've never understood why the i3 was a failure with consistently bad reviews. Now it all makes sense. Thanks. Good video.
Loved the i3, so sad they cancelled it. It was a masterpiece in interior ergonomics and comfort. It felt like a small cozy house inside.
The A2 is an amazing car. My parents bought one new and still have it.
Back when thy bought it I did not like it and wanted an rs4, but I see now how good this car actually is. It was made with one engine and drivetrain configuration in mind, which means it does not have a bunch of uneccessary copromises. The Boot for example is incredibly deep and you can actually pack a lot of stuff in it, because the car was never intended to have 4 wheel drive. And it is actually a semi modern car that is light.
It is tragic, that people would rather buy Suvs then this sensible car.
And also from a mechanic‘s point of view it’s really nice to work on an A2
Very good video, I love you analysis on company strategies in selling products. But to be honest your expertise on aerodynamic and race car analysis (especially the new race cars or the ground breaking cars from the past) still take the cake for me!
Either way thank you for doing UA-cam!
I worked at BMW at the time of the i3 and i8 production release and can tell you that the managers pushing the projects were egomaniacs with their head completely up their own ass about how great BMW was based on “brand strength” and “reputation” and not the quality of the products. I checked in with an old coworker years later and they said there had been nearly 100% turnover in 4-5 years. Hopefully that’s for the better but I’d never buy a bimmer because of my experience there.
Cool story bro
Sir it’s innovation.
Very informative. It is making me understand BMW a little bit more now. One of the Steve Job's lessons is that a topmanagement of marketeers has a focus on sales and shareholder value, but will not help developing excellent products and necessary technologies to create a fanbase and a sustainable product line... Maybe you can tell a bit more about that?
I experienced a lot of that in car industry...
Whoa I never realized Audi A2 with its aluminum unibody could weight so little! It does seriously challenge i3's idea of hybrid aluminum+carbon fiber
I was looking forward to an i4 as a replacement for my 2015 M4. But after seeing what they released, my interest in BMW has totally deflated. The car brings together nothing that I want - an ugly snout, bland sides and back that could come from anyone, and upright almost SUV styling. So, after a 328i and an M4, I’m returning to Audi. The E Tron GT, while stretching what I can afford, is beautiful and innovative in ways the BMW seems to purposely be avoiding, Last March, BMW asked the question: “OK Boomer. And what’s your reason for not changing?” For me, the answer is that I don’t have a reason anymore, and I’m going to be changing - to Audi. I don’t think that’s what they intended by their insulting tweet, but it’s certainly apt given the mess BMW now appears to be in.
why is it neccessary to buy a new car all the time?
Why not Taycan?
Your videos are always worth watching at any time
Thanks! Glad you enjoy it!
Very informative! Now I understand what is happening with BMW. Thank you!
Very good video. I like it very much. Very informative.
I can only confirm that the reason why I liked BMW is now that I switched to Merc
both bad cars compared to anything japanese
@@veryrare7647 not really
Era for era they didn't compete that much, each had its section of the market, and the little overlap they had would be solved by who was physically closest.
Arguing over if one is better than the other is a fool's game, each excels in its own way, and all of them are going downhill with the modern changes in the market.
As a bmw fan and an e36 owner. I hate the new idea sometimes but as a tech guy, I do think their evs are fire
why has youtube waited 2 years to show me this excellent video?
Thanks!
Great video! I would like to know your opinion about BMWs 6 cylinder engines. I was the proud owner of a Alfa 156 2.5 and a BMW 325 (e46). Both are 6 cylinder engines, with same displacement and same horses. The BMW engine is always praised as a technological marvel, while the Alfa engine is considered to look pretty but nothing more. My observation was pretty much the opposite. The Alfa engine had a lower fuel consumption, while at the same time delivered more agility. And it was way more reliable, but that might be just pure luck. What's your take on these engines?
BMW's product is really not matching the reputation that the brand carries. I have owned the Audi A4 B8, Audi Q5 (1st gen), BMW E92, and now Audi A5 B9. Having worked on all these cars, I can say BMW uses cheaply designed parts that wears out faster. Their suspension components have smaller cross-sections and they used more cast iron parts (cheaper materials) than cast Aluminum parts. Overall, BMW just don't last as long as today's Audi. The VAG group lost a lot of money from the dieselgate scandal so I expected their product to suffer in quality. That's not the case at least with my A5.
I am a bit of a bmw fan boy. So you kinda just want them to just make a good electric sports car. But with more dials and less screens
Never knew the i3 had so many strange compromises in its design.
Theres a lot of lessons to be learned here
Very good and informative video. Really interesting with this insight into the development. Didnt know the i series had such little support in the company. I have also wondered about the choice of using the same platform on all drivetrains on future models. While I`m not completely aboard this EV hype myself, it seems most other companies have a different strategy going forward. If I was in the market for a new EV car, as an BMW enthusiast and engineer, I would go for a car designed purely for an electric drivetrain and not a compromised design. Brand loyalty only goes so far.
Idk why they would even want a mixed platform. Hyundai did this with their older EVs, and i think they had a lot of issues, so i dont think BMW will get it to work. I like EVs because they are can get very impressive performance for very little money, but the BMW approach is just wrong.
Fun fact:
While Audi started designing the etron SUV as EV only, while developing it they were unsure if EV only is the right strategy and decided develop it for electric, hybrid and hydrogen. A year later they decided that it's nonsense and made it EV only again but the development process was already too far and some things could not be recovered. That's the reason why the etron has air intakes above the licence plate, a radiator package in a vertical position and a forward transmission tunnel (for ICE). The car we know today could have been more efficient.
CLAR is not a platform, its a unibody strategy, the platform underneath is actually quite flexible, the costsaving is in using the same bodies for ice ev and Hybrid, because ice requires the most space it must be an ICE body.
wow, i didn't realise that the I3 was using cast parts as well !!!
I actually like the idea of a smaller battery EV and range extender. I could do all of my regular journeys on electric and use the 'RE for longer journeys and emergencies. I'm not a fan of the i3 styling though, and I avoid BMW as they tend to be expensive to repair (My brother has owned several).
I really don't like the big grilles, a lot of new cars have gone that way, too ugly!
I have an early Elise for fun but wanted an EV for daily driving I test drove the i3 it was great fun but slightly choppy ride was disliked by rear passengers. Second hand Holden Volt was a much better price and ride. I liked the I3 and I8 sterling but they’ve lost the plot with the big grills. Hyundai and Kia making better looking cars some of which could pass for BMW with a badge swap.
“And making the Kidneys larger does not help” o(╥﹏╥)o
E92 owner and exE36 owner. Next one won't be a newer Bimmer.
Yep, I said this in about 2010 or so, every BMW that I think would be nice to actually own had already been made (by '09 or around that era). Unfortunately I'm selling my E36 M3 soon (financial reasons, I'd love to keep it forever)
I remember those two cars coming out and not knowing what to make of them. What an unfortunate mess.
I like my i3
BMW management is really a mess
The i8 looks good though
A bit short on facts here- The Audi A2 was a great little car -agreed - but it was all aluminium and was canned because of the high production costs. The i3 had 3 major upgrades and the Range Extender is not really necessary with the later battery that was fitted to give range of 200 miles. BMW have launched lots of hybrid cars and a number of pure electric vehicles. Sorry you cannot buy 2 series active tourer hybrids in the USA as this BMW is the perfect replacement for the i3.
This now make it clear why the design went bonkers.
I used to be a huge fan of this brand but their biggest shareholder ruined them for political reasons with the i project. The best thing BMW can do (and is doing) is solely develop their cars just for the chinese car market which out of all globally is the most stable one.
The reason why bmw is not good now is because of bad share holders that wanted to look like their parents by putting the company in the trash?
Good explanation,now I like bmw if they didn’t had those share holders
I am a BMW specialist and I left them the day they released the giant kidney grill models. Have not looked back and won't buy any of those ugly cars.
DeAr BMW if you want to shape your future look at your past
The guy just posted this 2 years ago when the shitstorm about the kidneys wasen't there yet
Could see that coming :)
@@BSport320 Ye, i mean i like it on the 7 series cause it is a big impressive car and maybe on a m3 causse its a nasty car. But the new 1 and 2 series... idk, and it looks so sstupid. Anyway thx for the video.
BMW should go bankrupt after the stint they pulled with the subscription seat heater!!
BMW is designing bricks with big grills, big wheels and big engines. Truly disappointing considering their legacy was an attraction for me for many years. I leased two i3. I drive a Tesla Model Y now..
carbon fibre manufacture is horrendous for the environment
I heard the disposal of composites is really bad. Especially, disposal of big items like Windmills. The blades are made out of composites on some (maybe all?) of them and, what are you supposed to do?
Melt them down and recycle them? haha, no... landfill it is, then.
I believe the BMW facility was hydro powered and had other environmentally helpful provisions.
Hey ,build ev they will,buy ev I won't!
I actually bought one, i3s 120ah. It didn't feel like a bmw. Poor quality and didn't drive very well. Pretty dissapointed.
i like your channel, but i don't like ev sorry