Link: http://theborgerspeaks.blogspot.com/

So you did end up at BMW...

So you did end up at BMW...

Not end up at BMW, but chose to go to BMW, but only after I lost my faith in GM with the closing of Pontiac and suspected closure of Holden. For me to lose faith in GM, says volumes. I will never drive a Buick, it has old man stigma about it and always will, no matter how many decontented Opels GM throws at Buick. We all know what brand should have died in North America, and that brand was Buick, not Pontiac ...

I thought you had it in for Holden for ages?

I seem to recall you had a vandetta against both Pontiac and Holden, and that you hated the fact that the Commedore was badged as aPontiac (despite being the best thing ever given to Pontiac).

I thought you had it in for Holden for ages?

You mistake what I was telling you was going to happen with what I thought personally. The 2004 - 2006 GTO was the wrong car at the wrong time, that bodystyle was already 10 years old when it was shipped to the USA as a Pontiac, it was already made into the Cadillac Catera, and an Opel in Germany. It was at the end of its life when it came to the USA again as a Pontiac. A rebadged product at the end of its lifecycle did no favors for keeping Pontiac alive.

I think you need to talk to Camino, he can vouch that I was a Holden supporter covertly under Carl-Peter and overtly after Carl-Peter was ousted ...

I'd still love to hear the whole story someday.

Well, it's time to wipe the dust off of that old emoticon.

Not end up at BMW, but chose to go to BMW, but only after I lost my faith in GM with the closing of Pontiac and suspected closure of Holden. For me to lose faith in GM, says volumes. I will never drive a Buick, it has old man stigma about it and always will, no matter how many decontented Opels GM throws at Buick. We all know what brand should have died in North America, and that brand was Buick, not Pontiac ...

I know... You wanted RWD Pontiacs done the right way. Do your best so that BMW does not lose focus; it's the major risk the company is facing apart from a global economic meltdown.

^ Yes, BMW will cease existence soon, if the status quo stays.

^ Yes, BMW will cease existence soon, if the status quo stays.

No, as it is a very solid company in many ways (financial; management) but needs to make an effort in retaining focus

^ Yes, BMW will cease existence soon, if the status quo stays.

No, as it is a very solid company in many ways (financial; management) but needs to make an effort in retaining focus

I disagree somewhat. Financials NOW may be strong, but future of BMW is not.

BMW has excellent pricing power, and is investin heavily in oth electric vehicles and smaller turbocharged gasoline and diesel powerplants. It's going where it is supposed to go. The only misstep (if that even amouts to a misstep is to be seen) they took was to decide to brand their non-MINI FWD cars as BMWs...

^ And that wave hasn't even crested yet. It's damage & results are as yet unknown.

If they exist at all... Isettas once wore BMW badges, so doing something outside the fun-to-drive RWD cars isn't nothing the brand hasn't done before... I still think it's a very well managed company

Well, the i3 is going to be FWD, not sure about i8... I've read the next 1-series hatchbacks w/ be FWD and that the 2dr coupe and convertible will be RWD and badged as a 2-series. So it's just the low end entry models that will be FWD....doubt if any of the serious models will go FWD.

BMW has excellent pricing power, and is investin heavily in oth electric vehicles and smaller turbocharged gasoline and diesel powerplants. It's going where it is supposed to go. The only misstep (if that even amouts to a misstep is to be seen) they took was to decide to brand their non-MINI FWD cars as BMWs...

Again, I am not denying the present. Future is what I am worried about BMW. BMW lacks a volume brand to subsidize its investment and give economy of scale. BMW is currently avoiding it by filling niches and raising pricing. Somewhere down the lane, people will not pay $60k+ for a tarted up Civic sized non M3 vehicle.

Porsche was perceived as a successful manufacturer rolling in cash and its management a visionary until its takeover of VW and you know the rest.