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Now that the Audi A4 is officially the car of the cock, if you believe Top Gear, it's safe to be seen behind the wheel of a BMW 3-series again. And that's a huge relief, because there's no saloon out there quite like a 3-series. Don't believe me? When was the last time you drove one? We've all watched as Ford, Vauxhall and Citroen have attempted to breach the castle walls with their Mondeo, Insignia and C5 respectively, and impressive attempts they've all been, as Car of the Year jurors will testify. But drive a 3-series, and you realise that the ramparts are still secure. It's hard to put your finger on quite what it is that BMW does so much better than Audi and Mercedes. Yes, that rear-wheel drive is a delight: accelerate out of a corner and you feel the back wheels tracking the front ones beautifully.
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In November, BMW (BMWG.DE) reported a 25.4-percent drop in group vehicle sales. Rival Mercedes-Benz (DAIGn.DE) said sales at its cars division fell by 25.2 percent. "It is the backbone of our economy," Steinmeier said of the sector. "So we must use state means to create incentives to buy cars," he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. Close to one in five workers in Germany is directly or indirectly employed in the auto sector. Cars and car parts made up a fifth of German exports last year, official data show. Steinmeier is Germany's foreign minister and also the Social Democrats' (SPD) candidate for chancellor in a federal election due next September. The SPD shares power in an awkward coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.
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From 2000 to 2005, parent Phoenix ate its way through BMW's generous dowry and a valuable pile of unsold cars left over from BMW and sold off all the key assets such as land, the (profitable) parts business and the intellectual property rights to key models (in the latter case to Shanghai Auto). It was thought to be losing around £25 million a month went it finally went under in April 2005. Let's not forget as well that management repeatedly said that they were "20 minutes" away from an all-or-nothing deal with Shanghai Auto back in April 2005, despite both the British Government and Shanghai having looked at the books and concluding that the company was running out of cash rather too quickly for comfort. When it was clear that the proposed wide-ranging model collaboration between MG Rover and Shanghai was not going to happen, the latter had back-up plans.
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Especially not with the BMW M5 as its example. The coupe is based on the CTS, but is 2 inches shorter and 2 inches lower than the sedan. The 'Art & Science' styling, that designates GM's luxury division from other brands, also marks the Coupe Concept. GM says that the Coupe only shares the head lights, grille and front fenders with the CTS and that all other parts are unique for the two door model. For instance, the wind screen is flatter for a more aggressive look. In the classic 2+2 interior with Recaro seats, only the instrument panel and the mid console are taken from the CTS. .
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But, if there's one vehicle we see as both ill-timed and ill-conceived it is the Rolls Royce RR4 or "Baby Rolls" being produced by Rolls Royce/BMW. Though the company is going to be saving some money by sharing parts with the current 7-series, the money could be better spent elsewhere. In this economy you do well either by trying to squeeze more money from the über rich customers who can still afford your existing product, a la Maserati, or reach out to the value-minded. With dwindling stock portfolios and plummeting home values, it seems more likely someone will trade down from a 7-series to a 5-series and not up from a 7-series up to a Rolls Royce. Rather than trying to create a larger footprint like Jaguar did with their X-type, BMW should be using its serious luxury brand to make it even more seriously luxurious.
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