[Shotimes] RE: OT Consumer Reports (was Tires)

[Ron Porter]

No, Don, it is not "obvious"........

BTW (in case you hadn't noticed), BWTM on the back page of AutoWeek is
always a JOKE!!

And yes, I read every issue of AutoWeek quite closely.

None of the current publications have had issues with the new 5-series, from
what I've seen, and it is a damn good looking car, IMHO.

Continuing a discussion about the 7-Series is "piling on", IMHO. Yeah, the
styling comments were made, as well as the comments on the mouse-type
control. 

That was two years ago. 

I don't hear it now.

I STILL don't agree with your assessment of the Bangle interview. I can go
dig out the sales numbers for the new 745I versus the old model, but I don't
believe that they are ANY lower. Wanna talk ugly....that resulted in lower
sales???.....let's talk Gen 3 Taurus. It was the "Aztek" of the day.

In case I'm not clear....the new 5-Seies is a great-looking car, and many
folks, including car mags, have agreed. Take off YOUR rose-colored glasses.
Yes, US cars have gotten better, but they have no choice....they couldn't
have gotten any worse. Imports are STILL superior overall in virtually every
respect, and the US car-buying public realizes it. The US mfrs would do
better if the US car buyers stayed stupid and put up with the crap they
produce, but it ain't happening. 

EVERYONE that I know who lives on either coast has mentioned how many US
cars are on the road in the middle of the country (MI, OH, IN,IL, etc). It
is NOT the case on the coasts. US car mfrs are still in deep shit unless
they get a LOT better at what they do.

Again, what you or I like in styling doesn't matter....sales talk. 

They could put the new V10 500 HP M5 engine in the CTS, sell it for 1/2 the
price of an M5, and I STILL wouldn't buy one of those ugly SOBs!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Donald Mallinson [mailto:dmall@mwonline.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 10:23 AM
To: 'V8 SHO'
Subject: Re: OT Consumer Reports (was Tires)


It was in the BWTM page in Autoweek where they had a "body 
double" of the new 5 series with those weird and ugly wing 
style headlights and a picture of Dame Edna and her famous 
and equally ugly glasses.

You must not read Autoweek very close?  Every magazine 
mentioned the wierd styling.  If GM had brought out 
something that looked exactly like it they would have shut 
down the offices so they could laugh at it!  With BMW they 
mention it, but don't harp on it.  Just to even hint at 
something they don't like about the BMW is amazing.

Same with the odd control stick thing on the 7 series. 
Complication for its own sake.

Yep, the Dame Edna comment was there. no doubt whatsoever, 
and so were comments in other magazines about the odd styling.

IMO Bangle has tossed away decades of wonderful styling in 
the name of "new and different"  When BMW didn't need any 
such thing.  IN the interview he IS defensive.  Why else 
would he have to explain why he thinks BMW needs a new 
styling direction (not an exact quote, but the meaning of 
his comment) and that people will get used to it eventually.

Take off the Rose colored (or BMW colored) glasses and it is 
obvious!

Don Mallinson

Ron Porter wrote:
> "All Over" the 5-Series? Name one. I get AutoWeek, C&D, R&T. Same with the
> Dame Edna comment.
> 
> Again, doesn't matter what you or I like, look at sales. I see more new
> 7-series around than I did before, and I believe that sales have been
fine.
> Myself and other like the new 5-series, bur sales will tell.
> 
> If you are talking about the brief Bangle interview at the bottom of Page
4
> of the October 13th AutoWeek, they must have put in a different interview
in
> your copy, because I don't  see the defensiveness. Possibly on the one
> question on the facelift of the 7-series, but not in the rest.
> 
> Ron Porter