30 August 2009

Shame About The Diesel, USA

Nice 4-dr you can cruise in at 130mph yet get over 40 mp[US]g? Excellent-looking new BMW. Better mileage stats than my Audi A2 (never available in the US), but goes 0-60 in 8s and tops out at 140mph.

9 comments:

JustJoeP said...

I want one.

pyker said...

I wonder if this model will ever make it to the US.

pyker said...

How could anyone buy a Prius who could buy this instead? (and go much faster, better, with higher mileage)

zim said...

BMW has been hitting the chicago market with TV ads for diesels for a couple months now, and they've been touting a couple different models (not sure exactly which).

recently, Audi has done some TV spots touting Clean Diesel.

and VW has done... nothing.

i think BWM and Audi have the right idea here -- what's needed is a PR campaign for diesel. i think, so far, they've erred too much on the side of "look at the efficiency," and haven't done enough, "look at the performance."

JJ said...

I want one, too.

KnuckleSplitter said...

Pyker: "How could anyone buy a Prius who could buy this instead? (and go much faster, better, with higher mileage)"

I was wondering the exact same thing. And there are no environmental problems from battery manufacture and disposal with a plain diesel engine.

A hybrid diesel would really get some good mileage I assume.

pyker said...

The ads should be easy. Go after the prius head on. Make fun of the thing. After trashing it, performance-wise, then point out that the bmw gets better mileage.

Adjust the ad campaigns to local markets. Take a couple young guys from one of the professional sports teams, not the superstars, but likeable up & coming guys, take them to Germany, let them drive on the autobahn at 140 mph, then tell them what the mileage was. Have them race each other on a track in a prius vs. the bmw. Etc.

pyker said...

speaking of bmw, diesel, and diesel hybrids... http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/241018/bmw_vision_concept.html

zim said...

impressive numbers, if not an odd-looking rear end.