Quote:
Originally Posted by Q4P
Disagree with almost everything there... Audi needed to make an R8 to prove a point?, Mercedes needed the SLS to prove a point after having tons of awesome AMG models?, Porsche needed to build a Carrera GT to prove a point? The only case where I can see this being true is Lexus which was always branded as a softer more mature car but that company certainly proved itself by creating a super car that ran a 7:14 at the 'ring. The point is; a company that has proper management and a proper philosophy doesn't care and can still make a lot of money to offset the production of a super car, BMW no longer feels they need to do that. I don't think anyone is saying they need to do that but they certainly could and should as almost every single competitor of theirs has.
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Audi, yes. They make great cars, but in the handling department they didn't get it right until their current generation (always plowing through corners etc). Even if they put up the same numbers the M cars were always more 'fun'
MB, absolutely. There is no question that they build fantastic engines, but the super sedans that they build have numb steering and feel generally disconnected (I have not driven the latest C-amg to be fair). It seems like MB lost track of who there are for a little while, (Maybach, SLR)
Porsche, the C-GT was not without precedent, and IMO not a huge departure (meaning, Porsche makes performance cars, they also have a history of releasing 'special' cars from time to time, 959, RS cars etc).