motorchrome

I read this morning on Autoblog that BMW is dropping what has to be one of the most storied and appropriate taglines ever created for a automobile brand: "BMW. The Ultimate Driving Machine". In its place, we now will be looking to buy our 3ers from "A Company of Ideas". A company of ideas? Duh! As if BMW had to ever make a statement to ensure anyone that they had original thoughts. This has to rank up there with 'The Caddy that Ziggs" or maybe the Edsel. Kenmore is a "Company of Ideas" too - they make an awesome convection oven. What I am more afraid of is that is signaling a changing wind at BMW. I can get past some of the strange Chris Bangle designs, overlook the foray into SUVs, and even secretly like the iDrive. The one thing, though, that I depend on like my alarm clock is that BMW is the go-to guy for the benchmark in sporty driving dynamics. Benchmark sport sedans sounds like only a coincidence for a company with moto like "A Company of Ideas".

This morning I wrote BMW USA a letter. I am sure I will get some type of automated response thanking me for my interest and telling me to have a Teutonic day. Part of me still holds hope that they will tell me that this is all a strange joke - like some Sprockets skit gone awry.

"To whom it may concern:

I just read the rumor this morning that BMW will abandon one of the longest lived and most appropriate tagline in the history of automobiles - "The Ultimate Driving Machine". As a BMW owner, I must say that I am truly disappointed in the company. The new "Company of Ideas" could just as well be selling me a washing machine or maybe an electric belt sander. The willingness to abandon something that was a direct statement about the intent and soul of the cars you sell tells me that perhaps your focus has changed. This is a true shame and I hope I fear that this is the mouth of a dark path that will send me looking somewhere else for my "Ultimate Driving Machine". "