BMW considering a whole new brand to market "Green

[m7ammed]

http://www.leftlanenews.com/bmw-contemplates-green-brand.html

BMW is now considering developing a whole new brand to market fuel-efficient vehicles without interfering with the image of its current three brands. According to board member Stefan Krause, BMW has decided against transforming MINI into that role, buying another automaker, or reviving Riley or Triumph.

"We cannot take the blue out of BMW and change it to green," Krause told Automotive News. He said creating a new brand might be the most viable option, since smaller cars with low-displacement engines or hybrid drivetrains might tarnish BMW or MINI's image.
Mr. Krause said the biggest hurdle is assessing just how interested consumers are in super-efficient vehicles. He said most of BMW's current cliental like to "talk about being green" but drive home "in their M6s." While BMW has developed a hybrid for its X6 crossover and next 7-Series, the "green" brand would go far beyond this in terms of efficiency, sacrificing performance and luxury.
Toyota is said to be considering a hybrid brand built around its Prius offerings. The car would reportedly be different from their Toyota counterparts with unique sheetmetal and hybrid powertrains.



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I'm guessing the CAFE standards forcing this , but if it means ///M cars will live on then 👍

 

[TopHat]

Good to hear. 👍 I wonder what they'll call it.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Why not make BMW's green? A green 335i wouldn't make me drive away, I'd take it over any other 335i in a heartbeat...Come on! Green sportscars are hot! BMW M3H, that would be so cool...

 

[Robin]

ECO-BEEMER

 

[Bram Turismo]

Hell yeah!

Seriously, what's so uncool about green cars? At least they don't smoke on cold mornings, nor do they smell...

 

[Omnis]

Bavarian Eco Works?

 

[Philly]

GMW? Grun Motor Werks?

Seriously, what's so uncool about green cars? At least they don't smoke on cold mornings, nor do they smell...

Go to the west coast, get stuck behind a Prius going 5 under in the left lane then we'll talk.

From what it looks like, this will probably end up as a competitor to the H line of Lexus.

 

[Jim Prower]

GMD? Grun Motoren Deutch?

No, wait, GMD was G.M.'s Canadian Locomotive arm...

 

[Zrow]

Wow, you mean that a company is addressing environmental concerns without government intervention, thanks to the free market and demand? Brilliant!

 

[McLaren]

Makes me wonder if the tests of the 7 Series Hydrogen didn't meet their full expectations.

 

[Tornado]

I'm guessing the CAFE standards forcing this , but if it means ///M cars will live on then

BMW ignore CAFE requirements, so I doubt they had that much of an effect on them.
Also, this:

since smaller cars with low-displacement engines or hybrid drivetrains might tarnish BMW or MINI's image.

is hilarious.

 

[Metar]

I expect to purchase an Isetta by the time I actually need my own car.


And various member's attemps at making BMW-esque abbreviations are hilarious. For future faux-Germans, the orignal is Bayerische Motorwerke. So a green version might be Bierbrenner Motorwerke, should they go the ethanol/E85 way.

 

[Eric.]

BMW ignore CAFE requirements, so I doubt they had that much of an effect on them.
Also, this:

is hilarious.

You beat me to it.

 

[Sharky.]

Seriously, what's so uncool about green cars?

Nothing.

I'd so drive a lime-green M6


All this "oh noes, let's make green cars all of a sudden" business is getting a bit out of hand, IMO. Sure, cars these days aren't completely clean but is there really any rush to change?

Instead of wasting time and money on trying to design completely new engines that run on processed cheese or Coca-Cola, why not adapt existing engines for increased efficiency? That way, improved componentry can find its way into older, "dirtier" cars via a retro-fit :|

The PC of the whole "this planet is dying, make clean cars now" situation is a bit OTT, TBH.

My 2 cents.

Stick a solar panel or two on the roof of something, and you're halfway there

 

[niky]

Well... they're already making engines more efficient... if you don't work on engine development, you fall behind the curve. People keep making engines that run harder, make more power and use less fuel... and regulations keep handicapping these engines by mandating ever more restrictive emissions control, while consumer markets further degrade fuel economy and performance by clamoring for "safer" (read: bigger and heavier) cars and more and more luxury.

since smaller cars with low-displacement engines or hybrid drivetrains might tarnish BMW or MINI's image.

Yeah, I found this funny, too... Mini was a perfect way for BMW to go green... but instead of doing the logical thing and keeping Mini to the supermini and small car market, they're expanding it upwards to bigger and bigger models...

A Micro-Mini?

 

[Metar]

Thing is, Mini is the retro-sporty brand. They can't really make a truly-Mini car anymore... Nano'll be next.

Ditch safety - return to slow cars that are inherently safe simply by not-reaching a dangerous speed