m630 said:
...in this community, yes, most are here for performance reasons, but for the most part, only reasonably weathly individuals can afford an M5, and the fact is that most go to executives who just love to tell people they have an M5,
.... the above post I originally responded to points this out clearly and it has been echoed many times before, so the only reason a person would want the M5 to look completely unlike any other car the BMW puts out would be to exactly say, Im an M5, and nothing looks like me, ie 'status'...
Well, since it was my post you originally responded to, I'll make the leap that your comment about the need for status with the ownership of an M car is directed at me. But no offence taken, I'd be lying if I said that I don't enjoy the status of owning an M car.
But what you wouldn't be able to discern about me from reading my post is that for me, status is not the raison d'etre of owning an M car, merely a by-product. If you actually knew me, you'd know that I am a committed enthusiast of the Roundel marque who has owned 6 BMWs in the last 10 years; that I instruct at BMW Club driving schools in Canada and the U.S. and love driving on a track. You'd also know that I passed up on a E46 M3 so that I can keep the E36 M3 and make it my dedicated track car (and thereby putting status aside by keeping an 'older' M car)
But you did help me make a point though about those who want their cars to look like M cars, that they do it for status FIRST, and not necessarily for the love of driving or for the appreciation of the engineering of an M car. I like the M cars because I like driving M cars.
And lastly, you are absolutely right to remind me that BMW is ultimately an entity whose goal is to increase profits and that's why they choose to widen its offering of M parts on non-M cars. I often forget that, especially when I see their slogan of "The Ultimate Driving Machine" where the word "driving" is featured so prominently and followed by the word "machine", and not just a car. In reality, it would be more accurate to call BMW "The Ultimate Marketing Machine" or "The Ultimate Status Machine" given its corporate goal of profit maximization! cherrsagai