Quote:
|
Originally Posted by brucec32
I for one would have liked to see a low-content version of the E90 made available (no sunroof, auto wipers, auto up/down windows, etc) for $3,000 less to give those of us who love the driving aspects of the car a chance to own one for under $30K. This is our 3rd car and I'd rather have the extra money available for the other cars. Actually, a 3 series with a good 4 cylinder with a 5 speed manual and priced at $25K would be a fun car.
|
A stripped down sub $30K 3 series will never happen. According to Helmut Panke, chairman of BMW, the BMW brand in the US is perceived to be premium and they will not degrade that brand for any reason. This means they want to keep the premium brand in the US so they can continue to charge as much as humanly possible for the 3 series (and all models).
There will be a sub $30K BMW eventually in the US, but it won’t be a 3 series. Helmut has also been quoted as saying the 1 series is coming to the US once new body styles are released that fit the US market. The current 1 series European hatchback doesn’t fit into the US perception of BMW as a premium brand. We may see a 1 series as early as 2008 in a coupe or convertible form. BMW is being very careful to protect the brand in the US and not make the same mistakes Mercedes made with models such as the hatchback C230 kompressor.
Article mentioning 1 series:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=107803