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Originally Posted by Germanauto
Very strong points by Doug here. BMW used to be the industry trend-setter and was always a step ahead of all its competitors. Whether it was in styling, driving dynamics, technology, and overall brand image/coolness factor.
BMW had already started watering down their driving dynamics and going full crossover before the Tesla Model S came along in 2012. At the time it was the right decision for the short-term as this was the industry trend and led to sales growth. Their softed and floatier cars attracted new customers. However Tesla became the industry trend-setter that younger people started aspiring to own.
Now BMW is left with a severely diluted product portfolio and a lost brand image. Their cars are objectively very good but are attempting to be everything to everybody. BMW is just another luxury car that everybody and their mother has parked on their driveway. BMW is as the old saying goes, "sell outs."
BMW has seen it's heydey come and go; just as many retailers, sports franchises, movie franchises, etc. have done. They can still continue to succeed, but will always be measured against their vast success during their "golden age" during the 90s and 00s.
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BMW's portfolio looks pretty strong to me and their software is pretty good as well. Alfa Romeo has cars with great driving dynamics and amazing styling. However, no one is buying them. Looks like BMW is just following the market trends. The X series is outselling Porsche, Audi and Mercedes by quite a bit.