oldshurst442

https://youtu.be/5UwOBKSHl-c?t=3m51s There are countless low-profile tires that will make even a RWD car a beast in the snow. I drove my RWD 335i all winter long last year with 18"s in 8+ inches of snow. Try driving a lifted truck with with some MT's on it in the snow, and get back to me on whether or not it's the aspect ratio of the tires that gives a car winter traction. Lol. Oh, and Olds- the X6 has no job. It's a cash grab. Nothing more. The argument is not about what quality and type of low profile tire....the argument is about the X5s low profile rubber... And even then...high profile, thick snow tread and skinny tires are the best for snow... I had the lowish profile 16 inch all season Goodyear RS-As on my 1999 Olds Alero...225/50/16s....stock tires from the factory...and I did great in snow with the Alero...FWD is all that I need...so...I also had crappy Canadian Tire 14 or 15 inch summer tires on my uncle's full sized Chevy Van...and I managed...and as a rookie driver...that is not the issue... The X6 as a money grab...I dont have an issue with that...BMW is a business....they need to make the dough...and it sells....no issues with me on that...Ultimate Driving machine slogans...and them peddling that crap as Sports Activity Vehicles...is what I have issues with...and fanboys having double standards...you Frisky...are less bad than some others I know...which is all good...because at least we could have decent dialogue and we have fun talking together....that is what counts with me and you.

Lol, since when do low-profile tires keep a vehicle from performing well in the snow?? My Audi A4, and both my and my friend's E90's must not have gotten that message. This might come as a shocker to you- but YOU don't get to define what makes a sport utility good. Not everyone is trying to traverse the Rubicon on a daily basis. There's a reason why the Exploder and Pathfinder are now unibody crossovers. Again, the X5 did what it was intended to do extremely well, and single handedly created a segment that has been a huge success. The X6 is an abomination. You are laughing at the low profile tire thing in snow? That is funny as I am laughing at you with that comment... No...I dont get to define what an SUV is...BMW marketing geniuses actually did that...and that is for BMW SUVs or SAVs to be relegated only as soccer mom and yuppie mobiles... You dont have an argument from me in saying the X5 does what it does best...and that indeed created a new segment...but that is being a poseur mobile...Im glad you agree with me on that...because a Jeep Wrangler it aint...hell...it aint even a Jeep Wagoneer of the 1970s...its an X5...a poseur mobile... The X6 is great on what it does...its also a great poseur mobile...and that too...created a new niche...its a fantastic vehicle for what it is...a poseur mobile...and there is nothing wrong with that....M-B is chasing it down...in fact...I hope GMC and Cadillac make a X6 competitor...

Wrong - Above 275hp, you need Hi-Per strut.. maybe. And that argument negates the entire Audi lineup if it were true. The XTS V-Sport is very nearly track ready and it is FWD based. The SRX sux so bad that it outsells its competitors, the GLK, X3, and Q5, regularly.... even at the tail end of its production run. Audi's CUV's are not FWD, nor is their AWD system FWD-based. This is a fallacy that needs to die. Their AWD systems are dedicated AWD systems and designed as such. Hence their engines being longitudinally mounted. The XTS is not most certainly not track ready. Maybe slightly curvy back road ready. Sales are not indicative to whether or not something sucks. We all know this. It's a tired argument. In the same vein, McDonald's must have the best burgers in the world..... The sales argument HAS to be involved sometimes...the BMW 3 Series became a smashing hit...because...well...it must have bben the best at something...mediocrity usually fails in the market place... THAT argument is tiring...the Mcdonald's analogy...because from a business stand point...McDonald's still outsells its competitors...because EVERYBODY on this planet and Mars, knows what a Big Mac is all about... it aint the best in your eyes...but McDonald's has served BILLIONS after all, they must be doing something right... Like a Camry...its not the best you say? Well...tell that to the Toyota accountants...and see how long it takes them to laugh in your face...its the best at something...and to Toyota...that is all that counts... Here's the thing, though. The 3 Series was the indisputable champ for a long time. As was the Camry. That's how they got to where they are now. You could argue that they're no longer the best, and you could be right. It doesn't matter, because at one point they were, and that's why they still SELL the best. Are they bad? No. But nobody really makes bad cars anymore. McDonald's sales the most hamburgers because they're everywhere, they're cheap, and they're familiar. It's not hard to deduce. But does that mean they're better than the place down the street with the Kobe beef on brioche with garlic aioli? Of course not. Doing something right and doing something the best are not the same thing. I can't believe I need to type that out to get my point across. Burger King...it has failed in Quebec... Kobe beef and garlic aioli? Yeah...that would be BMW speak... Its hamburger meat people...poor man's food... Just as with entry level luxury we have the...gourmet burger... Mustard and ketchup with fried onions on a live fire with a touch of garlic, salt and pepper with my burger please... A Whopper comes close to that. So does a Quarter Pounder with cheese. You could keep you gourmet burger and your Bimmer. Ill keep my Big Mac and my American blue collar Muscle Car...OK...Im a little bit of a hypocrite on that as I LOVE an OLDSMOBILE 442...not so blue collar that 442 is...

7. I aint bashing BMW nor praising Cadillac for the money factor...I am not even bashing BMW for the existence of SUVs and FWD little CUVs...what I am bashing is fanboys that find excuses...a X1 is a Pontiac Vibe replacement...its funny that you give that a pass...yet bash cadillac on a 5 year old SUV that was made in haste to sell in this market because Lexus cleans up...all Cadillac did was follow Lexus' lead...and it paid off...nig time...yet you fail to see this..and just plainly say...the SRX sucks...and THAT is what Im bashing...THAT point of view you have... 8. No..the X5 was not great...what was great was the marketing behind it...Sports ACTIVITY Vehicle... The Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition was THE lux SUV to get at that point in time...Im sure a muscle car bound SRT style Grand Cherokke would have existed without the "help" of BMW...why? Syclone and Typhoon...454 Chevy Pick-up...Dodge Ram Indianapolis 500 Edition, Ford Lightning...all American Muscle Trucks...and the SRT Grand Cherokee follows THAT lead....not BMW's lead...sorry...its more like BMW emulated the Typhoon with "better" handling other than the other way around...\And with all that said and done....a Grand Cherokee is still on top of that SUV hill...even after BMW has "invented" another niche with an X6... 7)Again, I'm not giving anyone a pass for anything. I don't care if the SRX or the X1 are FWD, AWD, RWD. They can fly for all I care. I'm not in the market for such a vehicle. It makes no difference to me. Would the X1 be better if it were RWD based? Absolutely. Does that mean it sucks that it's not? Maybe, maybe not. Probably not by default, but it almost certainly isn't going to be as entertaining as the outgoing model. And it definitely won't perform as well, seeing as in how it's lacking a 6 cyl model. You're consistently trying to attack a stance I don't have. Again, I don't care if it's FWD or not. I'm not bashing it or excusing it either way. 8)The X5 did exactly what it was intended to do, and it did it very, very well. Most SUV buyers don't go on treks across the Gobi. They might use AWD/4WD to make it to the cabin when it snows, and that's about it. BMW capitalized on this and offered something nobody else was doing. It was a sporty/luxury SUV. That's nowhere near the same thing as the Syclone and 454 SS. Nor is the GC SRT-8. And the first gen X5 drove very well. BMW X5 owners only go to the mall...When it snowed...the X5 was a joke...with those very low profile 18 or was it 19 inchers?...meant for summer hot lapping...yeah...I know...change to winters...*SIGH*....That X5 was meant as a Sports ACTIVITY Vehicle...not a snow bound SUV...like a...full sized Blazer... So...explain to me why in the world would a SAV need low profiles...to make it to the cabin...or in snow hell Montreal? Frisky...the X5 and now the X6 does what it does best...its a poseur vehicle...and there is nothing wrong with that...just dont try to overvalue it... It sucks as a SUV...because the X5 does not accomplish what SUVs are supposed to accomplish. its not much of an SUV...it wont tow...it wont off road... It sucks as an Ultimate Driving Machine...because its too heavy and high...sure...it handles better than my dad's old 1986 Celebrity...but If I want a track car...I aint buying an X5... Its great for soccer moms to snub their neighbors with. Which is fine...but that is all that its great at...because hauling families...there are vehicles that are meant for that that do a better job...a Ford Flex comes to mind...a X5 is great as a poseur vehicle...its comfortable and it rides great for those that like to pose in it...

After arguing about an 8 Series Bimmer in another thread....this piece of news just drives the message home... Porsche always finds a way to expand the 911 world and somehow meets and exceeds the business case made for each and every one of them...that is how its done...Porsche learned from their 928 flop and since then...has not slipped up. I respect Porsche immensely for this.

Wrong - Above 275hp, you need Hi-Per strut.. maybe. And that argument negates the entire Audi lineup if it were true. The XTS V-Sport is very nearly track ready and it is FWD based. The SRX sux so bad that it outsells its competitors, the GLK, X3, and Q5, regularly.... even at the tail end of its production run. Put an XTS V-sport on a track against a CTS V-sport and who wins? The SRX is bigger than those 3 Germans, and I think the Lexus RX and SRX both benefit from a lot of people liking Toyota or Chevy crossovers (or fwd crossovers in general) and it is a logical move up. But with the Q3, GLA, and X1 in place it allows the GLC, X3, Q5 to grow a little, add more content, more power etc. The Germans over time have a way of wearing down the market and winning people over. That is called great marketing... Where I come from...its brainwashing... Dont worry...Its the way of the Corporate World in 2015...technically this has been happenning since the 1970s or 1980s...and BMW has great marketing strategies...something that GM and Cadillac sorely lack...so...Ill give you that.

I am the only one on the planet to not give a damn about infotainment systems? Am I the only one on the planet that wishes there was NO infotainment systems at all? Just a good 'ol working radio and a USB port so I could use my USB key for my music is all that I require for "high tech".... I dont give a damn about LCD screens...Ive got my eyes looking out the bloody window that tells me where I am going... I already know where the closest gas station is to my home...or McDonald's...and if Im visiting a new city...here is my secret...I would prefer to explore the new city by myself and discover the city that way...oh boy...what a concept that is!!!!! Alls I need is a 2 dollar map...no wait...Ive got internet at home...why dont I just google this shyte at home with Google Earth Street View and google what I nned to see in this city I am about to visit...and print that shyte and take it with me...oh...that would be too much trouble... I guess families also like the idea to be connected on the interwebs to keep their kids quiet...I guess..."are we there yet" is too much for them to handle... But...when the kids' eyes are glued watching Shrek or Frozen for the millionth time...the kids dont see what kind of scenery they are missing...its true its true...they could always use Google Earth Street View to see where their daddy was driving on their family vacation...

Wrong - Above 275hp, you need Hi-Per strut.. maybe. And that argument negates the entire Audi lineup if it were true. The XTS V-Sport is very nearly track ready and it is FWD based. The SRX sux so bad that it outsells its competitors, the GLK, X3, and Q5, regularly.... even at the tail end of its production run. Audi's CUV's are not FWD, nor is their AWD system FWD-based. This is a fallacy that needs to die. Their AWD systems are dedicated AWD systems and designed as such. Hence their engines being longitudinally mounted. The XTS is not most certainly not track ready. Maybe slightly curvy back road ready. Sales are not indicative to whether or not something sucks. We all know this. It's a tired argument. In the same vein, McDonald's must have the best burgers in the world..... The sales argument HAS to be involved sometimes...the BMW 3 Series became a smashing hit...because...well...it must have bben the best at something...mediocrity usually fails in the market place... THAT argument is tiring...the Mcdonald's analogy...because from a business stand point...McDonald's still outsells its competitors...because EVERYBODY on this planet and Mars, knows what a Big Mac is all about... it aint the best in your eyes...but McDonald's has served BILLIONS after all, they must be doing something right... Like a Camry...its not the best you say? Well...tell that to the Toyota accountants...and see how long it takes them to laugh in your face...its the best at something...and to Toyota...that is all that counts...

7. I aint bashing BMW nor praising Cadillac for the money factor...I am not even bashing BMW for the existence of SUVs and FWD little CUVs...what I am bashing is fanboys that find excuses...a X1 is a Pontiac Vibe replacement...its funny that you give that a pass...yet bash cadillac on a 5 year old SUV that was made in haste to sell in this market because Lexus cleans up...all Cadillac did was follow Lexus' lead...and it paid off...nig time...yet you fail to see this..and just plainly say...the SRX sucks...and THAT is what Im bashing...THAT point of view you have... 8. No..the X5 was not great...what was great was the marketing behind it...Sports ACTIVITY Vehicle... The Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition was THE lux SUV to get at that point in time...Im sure a muscle car bound SRT style Grand Cherokke would have existed without the "help" of BMW...why? Syclone and Typhoon...454 Chevy Pick-up...Dodge Ram Indianapolis 500 Edition, Ford Lightning...all American Muscle Trucks...and the SRT Grand Cherokee follows THAT lead....not BMW's lead...sorry...its more like BMW emulated the Typhoon with "better" handling other than the other way around...\And with all that said and done....a Grand Cherokee is still on top of that SUV hill...even after BMW has "invented" another niche with an X6...

You want neither. You need to go with an Accord Coupe...because wrong wheel....err FWD drive. Secondly...the sun and the beach are waaaaaay overrated...snow and ice is what you crave...and you know it! Seriously...that is such a personal decision to make. Because the cars in question are so different... Alls I got to say is that it aint a negative if the Miata is for YOUR own driving pleasure and you cant fit more than one friend in the Miata...its too damned bad for your friends....let them hitch rides from some of your other friends...

I see you are trying to justify...XK is gone but replaced...Lexus...it was ugly...Porsche 928...well yeah...hat flopped...only because Porsche was still considered the 911 maker...and the 928 was supposed to replace it...however...the Cayman is a nice compromise between a 924/944/964 and a 928... XLR? Its a small Corvette sized sports car...because IT IS indeed a Corvette...it went away...because GM dropped the ball on it...like BMW did with the 8 Series...not because "one by one they all tumbled". What is laughable though...is that you admitted the failure of the 8 Series and you dont even know it... And THAT was the problem with the 8 Series...what was it? M-B SL sized? Same as that XLR... Or was it a Grand Tourer? Both? Well, that is why it failed...it was neither... Was it a sales success? Frisky brought up a valid point on that...I somehow thought it was a sales dud...oh well..I dont really care for that argument as I ALWAYS loved an 8 Series... Even a fan like yourself seems to be confused...because you mentioned an XLR in a comparison of an 8 Series...

So Dingo, Please reread the story above as this DOES NOT have the I6 but a lowly 4 banger that is transverse and being used to mostly go FWD but on slippage use the AWD system to work. Also if the SRX and Equinox suck so bad, then state facts please, do not just say it sucks unless you want to clarify it by saying some other personal pet peeve with the auto's. Please support and back up your statements with facts not just useless english words. I don't need to reread the story, YOU need to reread my POST. I understand this vehicle no longer will use an I6. I specifically stated 'current X1' in my post- the E84. Which is available with the N55. State facts? Okay. The interior is cheap, they're outdated, they're overpriced, and until the 3.6 got shoved in them, they were powertrain disasters. Hows that? Yeah..but...like you said...the SRX sucks...while the X1 is...well...BMW could do no wrong...right? Looks are subjective...and no...the X1 looks like it could be a Pontiac Vibe replacement...nothing wrong with that...but it aint "the looker" in this category...a Mazda CX-5 looks waaaaay better......but that is my opinion....but when someone makes a blanket statement about the SRX sucking...one may not take someone's opinion about a BMW's look too seriously... Underrated ride is how you want to spin things... Its all good...but the X1 aint exactly all that...especially when one makes a blanket statement about the competitions ride... Like I said...Cadillac has refined its FWD ride since the late 1960s...but we will diss the Caddy and just say the X1 has an underrated ride....yup...seems legit... I did not say the X1 or BMW could do no wrong. Don't put words in my mouth. Looks are subjective, yes. I think it looks great, sue me. I also think the SRX looks pretty good. And I have no issue with it being on a FWD-based platform. That's not my issue with the SRX. It's virtually everything else. And yes, the X1 is underrated. All the people who lament the lack of wagons, but somehow find the F31 too soft, well, the E84 has been around since 2012. Just another case of people not putting their money where their mouth is. Virtually everything else? Like what? Keep in mind this is an older vehilce...2010 on a Theta platform...yeah...based on a SAAB and a Chevy...the REAL Cadillac product SUV is a-coming. The thing is...the SRX sells in big enough numbers to pad Cadillac's bank accounts...No excuses...but the SRX based on the CTS RWD platform was a sales dud...and because it was still Cadillac trying to figure out how to do luxury in the new millennium... Cadillac did not have the smarts to call it a Sports Activity Vehicle... Because the first generation X5 was just fluff... It had a crappy interior...but it handled well...for an SUV? BS on that...BMW made Ultimate Driving Machines...not SUVs to handle better than Uncle Joe's Tahoe....Da Fuq I care if an SUV handles more like a car than it does a truck...but...people bought into that hook, line and center...So...Ill give props to BMW's marketing department...but not because an X5 is a great driving SUV...or an X1 for that matter...

Whatever...

OK...so the SRX sucks...that is more of a tit for tat argument you got going on...but whatever. lets see how BMW will make the X1 handle like an ultimate driving machine. You know...FWD...Because GM knows how to make FWD cars handle...and the Equinox and SRX aint that bad...lets see how BMW paid journalists will spin the negativity that will surround it...because...it is wrong wheel drive after all....and coming from BMW...because while some of us can huff and puff over a FWD Cadillac crossover...Cadillac jumped into the FWD pool with its Flagship Eldorado in the late 1960s...and Cadillac continued to refine FWD performance and handling waaaaay into the 2000s with their cars...so people can smirk all they want about a FWD SRX...it just shows the stupid double standards you German friendly BMW lovers have... Please show me a SINGLE instance in which I have applied double standards to the vehicles/brands in question. I'll wait... You said that the SRX sucks....while saying that the X1's ride is underrated... In what way does an SRX suck? No explanation was made from you. In what way was the X1's ride underrated? No explanation was made by you... My hatred for BMWs is well documented...maybe not in these forums....but at least I ADMIT my hatred towards BMWs in THESE forums...I also have shown reasons why I hate them...in this thread and in the CSL Hommage thread....and to boot....I actually like that Hommage car....while you dont like it... What does all that mean? I dont know...Im just fed up of bickering like old ladies... Frisky, this FWD X1...it sucks....it sucks big time for us enthusiasts...what sucks even more is that BMW has lowered itself to these standards to pay the bills...because BMW was ALWAYS a NICHE car manufacturer...and niche car manufacturers...if they dont produce mainstream cars...they will go bankrupt... And THAT is another reason why I HATE BMW...no...not because BMW is a niche car maker...but because BMW guys...will always find ANY excuses to defend BMW's decisions...and failures...while OVER EVALUATING strong points and successes... I dont hate the X1...I hate fanboys defending it...while putting down a similar offering by a competitor... Hate an SRX...it dont bother me...while this is true for SMK4565 and NOT you...let us not forget that besides Cord, Citroen and Oldsmobile and a nd maybe 1 or 2 more......not too many other car makers had the guts to pull off FWD before the 1970s and 1980s...and Cadillac did that with their flagship Eldorado....that would be mojo and a half right there...yet...in the 1990s and 2000s...we laughed at the STS and its platform mate...yeah...Eldorado...same lineage...that they were FWD...and we smirk that an SRX also went FWD....yet...we dont bat an eyelash for BMW...going down the FWD road...you know...ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINES!!! And...we dont bat an eyelash for a NICHE maker of Ultimate Driving Machines producing big, heavy, clunky and clumsy SUVs...sorry...SAVs because Sports Activity Vehicles rings better for that niche market they are in... Oh...and big, heavy, clumsy and clunky is not only relegated to the SAVs...the 8 Series fits that bill quite nicely....and same goes for that E63/64 6 Series...which now has evolved from a 2 door coupe...into a 4 door coupe...and I hear the last gen 5 Series aint that hot either...because BMW has a history of confusion of what its cars are to be...including the M1 that you are soooo fond of...which is cool...because I like underwhelming vehicles too...at least I can admit to them being underwhelming...but not BMW fanboys...they will defend them tooth and nail...which is all good...but dont try to make me drink from that BMW kool-aid...'cause I aint buying... If...BMW fanboys were more realistic in their view of BMW...Id be drinking from the BMW koo-aid myself... Remember...I LOVE me some E31 8 Series, E24 M 635CSi 6 Series, E34 M5s and E34 V8 5 Series, and that famous M5 E39, E36 M3s and E37 1Ms...

So Dingo, Please reread the story above as this DOES NOT have the I6 but a lowly 4 banger that is transverse and being used to mostly go FWD but on slippage use the AWD system to work. Also if the SRX and Equinox suck so bad, then state facts please, do not just say it sucks unless you want to clarify it by saying some other personal pet peeve with the auto's. Please support and back up your statements with facts not just useless english words. I don't need to reread the story, YOU need to reread my POST. I understand this vehicle no longer will use an I6. I specifically stated 'current X1' in my post- the E84. Which is available with the N55. State facts? Okay. The interior is cheap, they're outdated, they're overpriced, and until the 3.6 got shoved in them, they were powertrain disasters. Hows that? Yeah..but...like you said...the SRX sucks...while the X1 is...well...BMW could do no wrong...right? Looks are subjective...and no...the X1 looks like it could be a Pontiac Vibe replacement...nothing wrong with that...but it aint "the looker" in this category...a Mazda CX-5 looks waaaaay better......but that is my opinion....but when someone makes a blanket statement about the SRX sucking...one may not take someone's opinion about a BMW's look too seriously... Underrated ride is how you want to spin things... Its all good...but the X1 aint exactly all that...especially when one makes a blanket statement about the competitions ride... Like I said...Cadillac has refined its FWD ride since the late 1960s...but we will diss the Caddy and just say the X1 has an underrated ride....yup...seems legit...

While it wasn't a blistering success, the 8 Series was not a failure. It was exactly what it was supposed to be- a GT Coupe with more emphasis on luxury than sport. It was no more a failure than the 928. And the M1 a failure?? Lol, please. I know you don't like BMW, but come on, get real. Yeah...the 850 WAS a failure...in the sales department...and the image that BMW wanted to pass on...it wasnt a ultimate driving machine...nor was it a luxury car in the minds of the consumer...Mercedes held on to that title...The 500 SL...was engineered like no other...and it stayed that way in the minds of the consumer...while BMW was trying to make something that would stick...in the minds of the consumer...hence the Bond cars...with the Z3, Z8 and the 750... The M1... http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-m1-trilogy-the-history-of-the-m1-feature from the link: "The M1 finally took to the racetrack in 1979, but failure dogged it from the first. The Procar series brought mixed reviews, providing a show of brilliance but also evidence of early engine problems. The Group 4 entries at the Watkins Glen and Le Mans endurance races failed. Furthermore no turbo was ready for the M1’s M88 engine, because all work had been focused on McLaren’s turbocharged four-cylinder for the 320i. So even when Neerpasch commissioned a special Group 5 M1 from March later in 1979, the wildly illegal car that resulted was underpowered. A similar version raced by Jim Busby in America ultimately suffered the indignity of being fitted with a Chevrolet small-block V-8." The bold part is the real funny part... Im sorry guys...but BMW is NOT the car company you guys imagine it is...BMW's marketing division is responsible for BMW's "greatness" ... Again, the 8 Series was not a failure. It was produced for 10 years, with over 30,000 built. It met it's demise like so many other cars of that era, 928 included. Also, your comparison to the SL is rather moot, as it was not intended to be a direct competitor. Hell, you're comparing a car that is exclusively a roadster to one that is exclusively hard top. A more apt comparison is the Mercedes SEC- S Class Coupe- which only sold 2/3 the numbers the 8 Series did over it's production run. As for the M1, maybe you should read the second and third parts to the very article you referenced. The road car was sublime. It outperformed virtually every other sports car of it's era, and changed the automotive landscape forever by getting the M Division up and going. The only thing you have to stand on is the car's lack of success in Group 4 guise. The car would later find success in IMSA, however, winning several races leading to winning the 1981 GTO category. This before it was used in various other smaller series throughout the 80's to decent success. BMW has the second most motorsports wins behind Porsche. And the M1 was a game changer that doesn't get the recognition it deserves. BMW is wholly the car company I imagine them to be. Not perfect, but FAR better than you and many others give them credit for. The article does not say that at all, Frisky... "The project’s failure had become complete by 1980. The budget of BMW Motorsports had been slashed nearly 75 percent. The Procar contract was sold to England’s BS Fabrications. Under attack internally for diverting engineering effort from street cars, and yet anxious to develop the turbo four-cylinder for Formula 1, Neerpasch left BMW Motorsports. Everyone understood that the M1 had failed as a race car because its development proved too costly and could not keep pace with changes in racing regulations—two important failures in silhouette racing, as any IMSA or NASCAR competitor will attest. The production of the M1 halted in December 1980 at 430 cars—35 to 40 of which were race cars. Since family sedans had saved BMW from bankruptcy in the early Sixties—not exotics like the 507 sports car—BMW saw little reason to perpetuate the M1 in the face of what it saw as a declining market for exotics." The rest of the article is just wax poetic by Csaba...spinning...in a dream world...and the irony with all of that... from the article that Csaba himself wrote...is that...Ferarri with the F-40, BB512, Testarossa, and Lamborghini with the Countach 5000 (you know...the exotic car that was on young lad's wall in poster form...you know...a Countach was actually a 1970s car...) and El Diablo and Porsche with the 959..., they did not seem to lack any exotic car sales...oh...let us not forget that Acura...less than a decade...got the NSX done up all right and good... The 8 Series WAS a failure...The....like I said...marketing geniuses wanted to strike up interest with the folk to try to lift BMW into the world of luxury because 8 Series was a failure...hence product placement Bond cars...yo know...James Bond...English Diplomacy and Intrigue...driving around in Aston Mart...errrr...BMWs...

OK...so the SRX sucks...that is more of a tit for tat argument you got going on...but whatever. lets see how BMW will make the X1 handle like an ultimate driving machine. You know...FWD...Because GM knows how to make FWD cars handle...and the Equinox and SRX aint that bad...lets see how BMW paid journalists will spin the negativity that will surround it...because...it is wrong wheel drive after all....and coming from BMW...because while some of us can huff and puff over a FWD Cadillac crossover...Cadillac jumped into the FWD pool with its Flagship Eldorado in the late 1960s...and Cadillac continued to refine FWD performance and handling waaaaay into the 2000s with their cars...so people can smirk all they want about a FWD SRX...it just shows the stupid double standards you German friendly BMW lovers have...

While it wasn't a blistering success, the 8 Series was not a failure. It was exactly what it was supposed to be- a GT Coupe with more emphasis on luxury than sport. It was no more a failure than the 928. And the M1 a failure?? Lol, please. I know you don't like BMW, but come on, get real. Yeah...the 850 WAS a failure...in the sales department...and the image that BMW wanted to pass on...it wasnt a ultimate driving machine...nor was it a luxury car in the minds of the consumer...Mercedes held on to that title...The 500 SL...was engineered like no other...and it stayed that way in the minds of the consumer...while BMW was trying to make something that would stick...in the minds of the consumer...hence the Bond cars...with the Z3, Z8 and the 750... The M1... http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-m1-trilogy-the-history-of-the-m1-feature from the link: "The M1 finally took to the racetrack in 1979, but failure dogged it from the first. The Procar series brought mixed reviews, providing a show of brilliance but also evidence of early engine problems. The Group 4 entries at the Watkins Glen and Le Mans endurance races failed. Furthermore no turbo was ready for the M1’s M88 engine, because all work had been focused on McLaren’s turbocharged four-cylinder for the 320i. So even when Neerpasch commissioned a special Group 5 M1 from March later in 1979, the wildly illegal car that resulted was underpowered. A similar version raced by Jim Busby in America ultimately suffered the indignity of being fitted with a Chevrolet small-block V-8." The bold part is the real funny part... Im sorry guys...but BMW is NOT the car company you guys imagine it is...BMW's marketing division is responsible for BMW's "greatness" ...

The M1 was a failure. Both in sales and in engineering. To boot, It was uglier than this homage car. The 850 was also a failure. Not in the looks department...with me...because looks are subjective...but in terms of sales and image....it failed to elevate BMW into the luxury car status.. both cars failed actually. The 850 did not know what it wanted to be. BMW engineers did not know whether the 850 was a personal coupe or a GT grand tourer sports car like a Porsche 928...They wanted to compete with a Big Benz SL coupe but also wanted it to be a sports car like a Porsche 928....pure fail... The 850 reminds me of the modern 6 series BMW....big and clumsy. Now...its a 4 door coupe...go figure...

I never said that Cadillac were soooo good in the 1980s....but...since you want to be a dummy regarding that...and since you want to give BMW and the Germans a pass for building crap....and you cant forgive the mere 20 years that Cadillac built crap over their 110 year history...something that BMW has not touched yet....because BMW has built crap MORE than 20 years... let us visit memory lane with a history of crappy BMWs... 1930s. Let us not forget that Cadillac at this time was in Rolls Royce Territory and Mercedes-Benz territory with Duesenbergs...remember V16s... Then War....motorcycles and airplane engines... From the 1950s... 1960s... the 1970s... Cadillac NEVER went that low even with 20 years worth of Allantes and Cimarrons and funky assed 1980s Sevilles with 8-6-4 technology at their mercy...because 8-6-4 technology is something that works today...with the help of computers...something that Cadillac engineers did not have access to in the 1980s...BMWs luxury image is only now passing the total of crappy years that Cadillac had....but somehow....you want to dismiss the 90 years worth of excellence that Cadillac has under their belt...and want to dismiss the 50 years worth of crap that BMW shoved our way....like I said...dumb double standards you have...

No...it made the X5 into a Sports ACTIVITY vehicle to brainwash the likes of you.... and then it made the X1 into a front driver to further brainwash the likes of you... So...you tell me how a BMW 325's name is logical...when its engine displacement is 3.0 liters....because I swear in the 1980s...a 318 Bimmer was named 318...because the engine size was 1.8 liters... the rest of your post is laughable...double standard idiocy... Oh...in Europe...a 3 Series Bimmer was an econobox...I dont care if you dont believe me...Ive actually been to Greece...drove those 3 Series econoboxes...in the 1980s and 1990s...and...BMW...to brainwash the fools like you in North America...they brought this lovely guy over and called it entry level luxury... Crappier than a Chevrolet Cavalier form the 1980s....which reminds me...Cadillac did that in the 1980s...and called it a Cimarron...yet BMW did not learn that lesson...20 years later....the thing is...BMW played its cards right...and brainwashed many light headed Americans with their Sports ACTIVITY BS that people like you...welll...they have dumb double standards...

Well. With this Bimmer...it looks like BMW is on par with Pontiac... Here...FWD based AWD...and in the 1980s...who woulda thunk that? (Back when BMWs were Ultimate Driving Machines...) Oh...a small crossover FWD/AWD Pontiac from this millennium...and the X1 looks like it could be the next generation Vibe... So...you understand BMW going that direction...but you dont understand why Cadillac went that direction...when BMWs were tooting their own horn by saying they are... Gotcha... I aint gonna waste anymore time with that as I understand you have double standards...

By you saying "finally" leads me to conclude...beggars cant be choosers. Therefore turn that frown upside down...and Ill give you a thumbs up if you decide to "go for it"

Maybe I need to go make an account..... Maybe not... I dont want you to see what kind of monster I can be. Dont worry, if you do ever see how I can become when trolls troll if you ever visit the MT forums, I will never post this way here. The ignore feature works like a charm. Plus...it seems you folk do a fine job in quelling potential damage. Something that MT mods failed to do properly.

Nothing about how it must automatically must suck because the engine is mounted transversely?Does this mean you'll finally being to accept the SRX, which has been ahead of all of the Germans in sales (sometimes even in combined terms) for most of its model run? I dont know you guys long enough...but if smk4565 has had issues with the Cadillac SRX being FWD and he is willing to give the BMW X1 a pass, well, that is too funny...smk4565 sounds like he is soooo much like my snobby Euro Friendly, BMW lovin' close friends of mine...I hate BMW since the late 1980s because of them...