New BMW ad campaign is ridiculous

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Don't get me wrong - I love BMW's products. Extremely well-made vehicles overall. However I just heard their new ad campaign on the radio where they tout all the techno electronic doohickey stabilization crap in the new 7-series and then (in the same breath) refer to it as "the ultimate driver's car".

Huh?

To me, a "driver's car" is one that DOESN'T have a bunch of electronic stabilization crap in it. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't this seem inherently silly as an ad campaign position? How is a luxury sedan with a bunch of silly computerized stuff in it a "driver's car"?

[Gogar]

The ultimate BAD driver's car?

I don't mind. All those computerized driving aids will keep all those d-bags from hitting my car when they're on the phone and balancing a latte on the dashboard while they're punching addresses into the nav computer.

[tcar]

The ad where the moisture sensor on the windshield turns the wipers on...

and also...

rides the brake pads on the rotors to keep them dry...

BIZARRE.

[widebody911]

Or the de-actuation cylinder on the clutch so you don't let it out to fast, essentially 'riding' the clutch.

[CJFusco]

"Ultimate driver's car" to me calls to mind images of Caterham Sevens and, yes, early longhood 911s

[Chocaholic]

Could it be that the 7-series BMW is not aimed at our demographic?



Rhetorical question.

[Noah930]

Don't blame the ad guy. He's just trying to sell an image (you're deserving of the Ultimate Driving Machine), as much as he is a car (a BMW).

[Steve_in_SB]

Now if they were still trying to sell the "original" Ultimate Driving Machine, that would be a little different. These cars are just plain FUN, and simple.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Don't get me wrong - I love BMW's products. Extremely well-made vehicles overall. However I just heard their new ad campaign on the radio where they tout all the techno electronic doohickey stabilization crap in the new 7-series and then (in the same breath) refer to it as "the ultimate driver's car".

Huh?

To me, a "driver's car" is one that DOESN'T have a bunch of electronic stabilization crap in it. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't this seem inherently silly as an ad campaign position? How is a luxury sedan with a bunch of silly computerized stuff in it a "driver's car"?

Far be it from me to criticize today's Porsches...

[Gogar]

[QUOTE=Steve_in_SB;3838376]Now if they were still trying to sell the "original" Ultimate Driving Machine, that would be a little different. These cars are just plain FUN, and simple.

That's an awesome looking car, Steve.

[legion]

All of the electronic doo-dads are just expensive things to fail IMO.

[Dantilla]

I no longer have any interest in BMWs.

Too many electronic gizmos, and they look goofy.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

A guy I used to work with bought a new 3-series. He mentioned to me that the fuse block in the car had something like 80 fuses. Yes, 80. And that EVERY SINGLE ONE of the slots was in use. No spares.

To me, that's a recipe for disaster. Naturally it wasn't long before he blew out one of the electronic sensor thing-a-ma-bobs and ended up (1) stranded and (2) with his car in the shop for a week. I do like the BMW experience, but I absolutely and completely agree that anything electronic in a car is just an expensive and difficult-to-diagnose failure (translation: expensive) waiting to happen.

Give me my 911 any day. The most complicated and enigmatic circuitry in the car was the radio - and I deleted that.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Jeff, I agree..........until I remember that I like working A/C, cruise control on the highway, not having to lean across the car to roll up the windows and lock the doors, and a car that starts on a cold morning. They are getting carried away with the technology though, especially on the higher dollar cars.

However, I really dig the new 135i. Lightweight (for a new car), great power, manual gearbox, and none of the i-drive stupidity.

[VINMAN]

Just more needless electronic crap to fail on you. The technology is also making people worse drivers, leaving them even more disconnected from the road.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Don't get me wrong - I love BMW's products. Extremely well-made vehicles overall. However I just heard their new ad campaign on the radio where they tout all the techno electronic doohickey stabilization crap in the new 7-series and then (in the same breath) refer to it as "the ultimate driver's car".

Huh?

To me, a "driver's car" is one that DOESN'T have a bunch of electronic stabilization crap in it. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't this seem inherently silly as an ad campaign position? How is a luxury sedan with a bunch of silly computerized stuff in it a "driver's car"?

The experts are saying electronic stability control will save more lives than airbags when it becomes standard equipment on all US autos. ESC appeals to me for 90+% of my driving.

For the "ultimate driving machine" you have to flip the switch to OFF....

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'm not an "expert" but I'd suspect that actually teaching people to pay f*cking attention to what they're doing and know how to handle their vehicles will save a lot more lives than any technology will.

The problem with technology (and this doesn't just apply to cars, I see it in all walks of life) is that it has become a substitute for common sense and mental effort. It should be an augmenter, not a substitute. The extent to which I see zoned-out dip***** drivers cruising along fat, dumb and happy on autopilot out there is unnerving and downright frightening. What ever happened to fundamentals?

[CJFusco]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm not an "expert" but I'd suspect that actually teaching people to pay f*cking attention to what they're doing and know how to handle their vehicles will save a lot more lives than any technology will.

The problem with technology (and this doesn't just apply to cars, I see it in all walks of life) is that it has become a substitute for common sense and mental effort. It should be an augmenter, not a substitute. The extent to which I see zoned-out dip***** drivers cruising along fat, dumb and happy on autopilot out there is unnerving and downright frightening. What ever happened to fundamentals?

+1,000,000

The electronic bells-and-whistles always ring warning bells for me, probably because I know about the current resale values for 928s. In general, people don't want them because of their electrical problems. They were great cars in the 1980s, and their on-board technology was in the top-tier of all the world's automobiles - but the more electronics a car has, the more technology can fail. An investor in 1986 would have NEVER thought that 944s or even 911 Carreras would be more sought-after than the flagship 928, but there we have the Law of Unexpected Consequences.

What you say about technology and ability is dead-on, and a somewhat Taoist outlook (which, to me, is a good thing). The dangerous thing about technology is that if you take 2 steps forward in one direction, you will take 1 step backwards in another. For example, kids are growing up with computers and the internet; they can log on and talk to other kids thousands of miles away. To them, the world is a comparatively small place... but, if they spend all their time chatting online, their interpersonal skills in the "real world" might very well suffer. There's that Law of Unexpected Consequences again.

[Drago]

Originally Posted by tcar

The ad where the moisture sensor on the windshield turns the wipers on...

I had this feature on my 740il and I liked it. Don't get me wrong though, there was a lot of other electronic crap on that car that I didn't like.

[the]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Don't get me wrong - I love BMW's products. Extremely well-made vehicles overall. However I just heard their new ad campaign on the radio where they tout all the techno electronic doohickey stabilization crap in the new 7-series and then (in the same breath) refer to it as "the ultimate driver's car".

Huh?

To me, a "driver's car" is one that DOESN'T have a bunch of electronic stabilization crap in it. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't this seem inherently silly as an ad campaign position? How is a luxury sedan with a bunch of silly computerized stuff in it a "driver's car"?

It's all relative, isn't it?

I'm sure the driving experience in a 7 series is much less isolated than it would be in a Lexus, Cadillac or Mercedes (i.e., its competition). Is the 7 series the ultimate driver's car, compared to an Elise? Of course not. But compared to an LS460, or DeVille, it is.

It's kind of like our politicians. We get what we vote for. High end cars have all the electronic and gadgets because that's what the public wants. Very few people would want to buy a 7 series WITHOUT stability control, 18 airbags, nav, etc. etc.

You can still spec out some nice driving BMWs, though. Like a 5 series with 6 speed manual, sport suspension and a very plain interior (no wood, fake metal or fake CF trim, etc.). But the days of hand cranked windows and no stability control are long gone.