BMW drops "Ultimate Driving Machine"

[Kooper]

What the heck is the world coming to?

BMW has officially dropped it's "Ultimate Driving Machine" slogan for... wait for it... "Company of Ideas". Big woop.

I don't know if this is BMW's attempt at winning German patriotic hearts over, since Germany's slogan during World Cup 2006 was "Country of Ideas", whatever the rationale behind their decision, it's just wrong!

Let me explain this slowly and to-the-point to BMW: BMW is an engineering-driven company. Engineer outstanding products and the money will continue to roll in. Focus your company on capital, and the well will dry up. We love BMW because its cars are made by carnuts, not beancounters.

Someone get me a brown paper back before I pop a vein!

[blingbling]

Well too bad slogans don't mean crap.

Here in Canada it is something like "ultimate driving experience", but the cars are still the same. Relax.

[scottie300z]

i dont like the new slogan either, but i dont see what it has to do w/ bean counters any more (or less) than the other slogan. Why cant carnuts have good ideas about cars?

And really now that i think of it, what the commercial is saying is that the company doesnt smite ideas in favor of the bean counters, which is what they are hinting that other companies do.

[Kooper]

OK, breathing has returned to normal...

Maybe I'm over-reacting, but ultimate Driving Machine is as much a part of BMW as the kidney-grille, in my eyes at least. This must surely count as sacrilage!

(**Runs off to buy some relaxent**)

[scottie300z]

it may not be gone completely, actually if i remember correctly they actually say it in one of the new commercials, something like "when your a company that builds the ultimate driving machine" then something about ideas. atleast something similar to that.

so it could always come back as a primary slogan at anytime or a minor one.

[TS020]

Does it matter what slogan BMW has? As long as their selling their new generation of ugly cars, I'm sure they're happy.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Does it matter what slogan BMW has? As long as their selling their new generation of ugly cars, I'm sure they're happy.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Kooper]

I guess you're right. To me though, a slogan depicts what a company stands for and does. It's like the core of what it's about.

Ideas are great, sure, but not all ideas are great. Putting great ideas to good use in order to create ultimate driving machines... now that my fellow UCPers makes a whole lot more sense!

As Autoblog puts it, "Company of Ideas" are more General Electric than BMW.

Audi has a tagline "Vorsprung durch Technic" and by golly, that's what they do. Audi's Quattro GmbH (S and RS) has a tagline about something along the lines of "Sporting Equipment" or something, and that's what they do.

I'm starting to get the feeling Audi is out-BMW-ing BMW!

[TS020]

Ideas are great, sure, but not all ideas are great. Putting great ideas to good use in order to create ultimate driving machines... now that my fellow UCPers makes a whole lot more sense!

Yes, it makes complete sense.

[Kooper]

Yes, it makes complete sense.

Do I smell a whiff of sarcasm there, eh TS020?


The point is BMW had a prefectly good slogan that delivered the goods for 30 odd years. To replace it with something as forgetful as "Company of Ideas" just seems like a tragic and completely unnecessary error...

Oh well, back to discussing cars.

[scottie300z]

I guess you're right. To me though, a slogan depicts what a company stands for and does. It's like the core of what it's about.

Ideas are great, sure, but not all ideas are great. Putting great ideas to good use in order to create ultimate driving machines... now that my fellow UCPers makes a whole lot more sense!

i agree, and i think they were going for the putting great ideas to good use in order to create the ultimate driving machine, but they dont do it that well. They waste too much time w/ the talking ceos in the commercial than giving the car and the ideas that make it, any good amount of face time.

Maybe they could show a ceo being anti-idea and then have the anouncer say "if bmw thought this way, you'd say bye bye to xx number more of cabin room." while showing the interior. then show another ceo and another part of the car. and so on and so forth w/ aspects ranging from comfort to performance, all of which together make up an ultimate driving car. And could even close it w/ something similar to "the birth of ideas gives birth to the ultimate driving machine" or something like that.

[TS020]

Do I smell a whiff of sarcasm there, eh TS020?


The point is BMW had a prefectly good slogan that delivered the goods for 30 odd years. To replace it with something as forgetful as "Company of Ideas" just seems like a tragic and completely unnecessary error...

Oh well, back to discussing cars.

This is a sarcasm free zone, I'm afraid I'll have to fine you. (j/k)

Back to the slogan matters, I do think that BMW had it going on with "The Ultimate Driving Machine" thing, but with the ugliness that they've been kicing out for the past 3 years, that slogan just doesn't fit.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

This is a sarcasm free zone, I'm afraid I'll have to fine you. (j/k)

Back to the slogan matters, I do think that BMW had it going on with "The Ultimate Driving Machine" thing, but with the ugliness that they've been kicing out for the past 3 years, that slogan just doesn't fit.

The ugliness doesn't make a difference to how the car drives.

They've just released the Z4M Coupé, probably one of their best driver's cars (or so say the press...)

However, I don't like the overly techy stance they've taken with the new M5 & M6. It's just confusing.

Boo. Bring back the E39 and E46!

[TS020]

However, I don't like the overly techy stance they've taken with the new M5 & M6. It's just confusing.

Boo. Bring back the E39 and E46!

Don't forget the 7-Series and that damned I-drive.

[kko]

But you forget that not every BWM is a performance model, or even sporty at all, the bulk of what they sell arent even close to the Ultimate Driving machine and just fat ugly luxury cars (imo) and this new slogan is more accurate. Plus i never even notived slogans until you brought it up...no one cares about them.