4 Series Concept

[Peter-E36]

Sad times...

......I think I’m old enough for a Mercedes......

Come to the dark side.... it’s very wafty

[dergside]

I’m correcting myself here. This year a good run on one day would probably be enough to cover all there is to see. It’s a bit disappointing I have to say. A lot fewer cars than usual and a lot more software vendors among the trade exhibitors. Quite a few brands haven’t bothered showing up and most have relatively smaller displays and models represented.

[CitizenKane]

So at the moment there seems to be common trends of declining financial performance of car manufacturers, greater importance being attached to climate issues by most sections of society and consequently a rapidly increasing sentiment against the combustion engine, and maybe (going by some people's experience of the Frankfurt motor show) a sense of people just being less interested in cars in general than they used to be. And to top it all off, BMW's designers appear to have all lost their minds.

Not a great time to be a car enthusiast really is it.

[Enda]

I’m correcting myself here. This year a good run on one day would probably be enough to cover all there is to see. It’s a bit disappointing I have to say. A lot fewer cars than usual and a lot more software vendors among the trade exhibitors. Quite a few brands haven’t bothered showing up and most have relatively smaller displays and models represented.

I’d agree with that, I was gone by 4. I made the mistake of going to the VW/Audi/Porsche hall first and everything was down hill from there! Loved the Honda E. It’s a cool little car.

[Moe]

So at the moment there seems to be common trends of declining financial performance of car manufacturers, greater importance being attached to climate issues by most sections of society and consequently a rapidly increasing sentiment against the combustion engine, and maybe (going by some people's experience of the Frankfurt motor show) a sense of people just being less interested in cars in general than they used to be. And to top it all off, BMW's designers appear to have all lost their minds.

Not a great time to be a car enthusiast really is it.

I think that you are right, EV's are gaining a lot of momentum and once you get into the EV mindset a lot of ICE cars start to seem a bit stupid, and the Germans are scrambling to catch up.

[dergside]

I watched a bit of a slide show on one trade stand that quoted some research that said the market will be 40/30/30% divided between full EV/hybrid of any kind/ICE. That suggests that there will still be quite a proportion of ICE in to the future.

What would worry me is that the investment in technology, battery, platform for ICE engined cars will diminish significantly. As the electric/hybrid tech develops and comes to market it probably means we are within 3-4 years of peak ICE technology development.

The cost of development of the electric platforms mean development sharing between manufacturers which probably means less diversity and probably a further round of consolidation in vendors, if not brands.

[Peter-E36]

I don't remember a time when things weren't getting worse for car enthusiasts to be honest.

It's been a consistent downward trend for a long time.

It's pretty depressing. Part of the fun of performance cars (to me) is that they're supposed to be "dangerous", impractical, not everyone should be able to drive them, or own them, you should be making some sort of sacrifice to have one which in itself sets you apart from the average joe in their HIDEOUS Nissan Tida.

Soon, the electric "Nissan Tidas" of the world will be as quick or quicker than performance ICE cars. The diesel phenomenon already bridged quite a bit of the gap between "normal car" and "performance car". At least in a straight line.

Soon ICE sports cars will be considered irrelevant by 99.9% of people - even Mo is already converted The 0.1% can go on about the driving experience and the noise (which is already being taken away by WLTP if nothing else) as much as we want but it'll be pi$$ing in the wind.

Not to mention how "anti-social" it's becoming to own or drive a sports car or big engined car, motor tax, brexit which will soon deprive us of UK cars unless you're willing to pay through the nose. It's the perfect storm.

I think I'm nearly ready to throw in the towel...

[dergside]

.... I think I'm nearly ready to throw in the towel...

I thought you already had, when you bought a Merc!


I know, I know, it’s only a few posts back when I was threatening to do that myself.....!

[Peter-E36]

I thought you already had, when you bought a Merc!


I know, I know, it’s only a few posts back when I was threatening to do that myself.....!

That's exactly what happened

Now it's a matter of getting the house purchase out of the way - because that's all it is, an obstacle - and then I can continue my struggle against the status quo with expensive to tax anti social things.