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      09-18-2011, 06:38 AM   #32
GreyCoupe
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Drives: 15 650i Coupe
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: North Carolina

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deadlyrhythm,

Your question is at the heart of a lot of discussion about the Gran Coupe. Some think that it ought not be called a 6 because it is not a two-door coupe. Because of that, I for one do not think it belongs in 6 series..."6 series sedan" does not flow smoothly off the tongue.

That said, and it may be true, that this anomaly cannot be understood without being party to what BMW is planning in terms of managing and growing its other series families over coming years, and adding new ones, to your point, 2, 4 and 8.

In my view, the Gran "Coupe" is everything that the 5 series should be. My bet is the differentiator will be price. Recent 6 series have been successful carving out a big coupe niche and being profitable there. As to those who see the 6GC competing with the MB CLS, I think pricing will prevent that. As the 6GC will very likely be priced similarly to the existing 6 series, this will bring it in well over the CLS, but under the MB S cars.

And that is the niche that BMW seeks with the 6 and expanding the 6GC into this space. And if it can pull it off, it will be a marketing coup, while still not a coupe... /:-).

If this works for BMW and I think it will, it will be brilliant. They have effectively created a new "shelf" in terms of pricing and positioning...with very little competition. Establishing this was the mission of E63/64, and it accomplished it.

This leaves 7 pricing to float upward with S, and widens the "shelf space" it has captured in the 6 price range. More car [and money] than 5 or E, but less than 7 or S, without lots of Audi and other competition.

And if they elect to, this slots the 8 to go after SL/CL buyers at some point, and the possibility of 2 and 4 to slot between MB B and C, and C and E respectively.

Finally, one can no longer look at these series or classe families without considering what kind of plan is needed for slotting the non gas, non diesel cars. For BMW we are seeing the beginnings of this with the i8.

Anyway, I think the 6 series brand management in terms of carving out a niche where there is no obvious competition to be brilliant, and to "shirt-tail" sedan into the mix will likely be profitable. It's a puzzle that doesn't make much sense until we can see the other pieces, now hidden.
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Enjoyed some fun cars over the years: 1966 Corvette Convertible, 240Z, E24 L6, 300CE-24, 2004 645 Ci, 550SL, A6s, 535xi, E300/Bluetec/420, Grand Cherokee Overland, 2012 650i Coupe, 12 CL550, 13 SL550, 15 650i Coupe
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