"Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa" (bularmy)
10/03/2014 at 16:26 • Filed to: BMW 3-Series
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"Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa" (bularmy)
10/03/2014 at 16:26 • Filed to: BMW 3-Series | 3
| 5 |
We live in a world where almost any car company that makes "luxury"(inverted commas, because luxury is such a stretched noun today) tries to do a 3-Series fighter.
Jaguar, Lexus, Cadillac and even in some way Mercedes try to compare its C-Class to the Bavarian powerhouse Almost any of the bigs will claim they have or will make a competitor.
We moan how the 3-Series has become too big/lost its way and maybe a lot of this criticism is rather fair. But we can't deny that, like Land Rover with the Range Rover, the 3-Series continue to offer what it made it famous. In the case of the RR it is offroad capabilty, even if nobody goes offroad in those, the Beemer is the benchamrk when it comes to perfomance sedans, even if it has grown so much in size, made a joke of its naming scheme and killed the thing that it all started it - the coupe(see previous point).
A Range Rover in its unnatural habitat
So a lot of competitors straight up say, that they are making a fighter for the venerable German saloon/sedan. But in my view, they make one big mistake when they do that and it come to the thing we love so much here on Jalopnik, even more than the MX-5(I am a rebel like that) - the manual transmission. Even in manual hating USA you can get a 335i with a manual transmission as a no-cost option. Here in Europe only the 330d and 335d and some xDrive configs don't have it, from 318i to 335i come with with a manual as standart. Everybody says that manuals are dead, but BMW stick with them for their bestseller, maybe just for appeasing those forum trolls(like us) that say the will not buy a car, if it is not offered with a manual. Or maybe they just know better that there are still people that want to row their own gears(and don't spend their free time on the intewerbz) and it is worth to offer such option. Or maybe they are just stupid and detached from the reality.
I love the looks of this American beast, especially in red
So lets look at the main so called fighters, the Cadillac ATS, Lexus IS and the brand new Jaguar XE.
Of those 3 cars two offer manual transmission, but with a catch. Jaguar will offers it only on their diesel selection and Caddy only for the awesome 2.0l 4-cyl turbo engine. Every other option is automatic. And here is the big catch with the 3-Series fighter. Companies want to fight it, but they don't give you one of the most crucial options why you will get the Beemer in the first place - our beloved friend, the one and only best connection between you and the machine - the 6-speed manual.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, do you even shift, bro?!?!?!
A lot of accountants/marketing will tell you:
Nobody will buy it!
It is to expensive to certify, especially in the US!!
Why you will buy inferior product, when you can theoretically blitz the track you will never go to!!!
Zooomg, we know betther than you, what you want!!!!
Sorry every other manufactuer, but if you don't offer that dated, obscure, low-volume animal called the manual transmission, you will never be a real competitor to the 3-Series. You can try to be at you best when it comes to handling, luxury or overal experince, but they have you beat when it comes to this niche segment that represent the true automitive aficionado, because in my oppionin this is what makes BMW great. The one that moans about everything, the one that most of the time don't put the money where their mouth is, but when it does it is is going the get that specific BMW, just because of that option, or OK maybe just because of the badge, but f**k that shit.
Sooo, long live the manual and its BMW 3-Series overlords!
n54 & s38
> Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/03/2014 at 16:29 |
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Yup. One of the deciding factors for me in buying my 335xi was that it was a color I liked (Crimson Red), had the sport package and, most importantly, was a MANUAL!
Skater Dad
> Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/03/2014 at 16:32 |
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Well put! It was incredibly frustrating trying to find a 3-series-style car that came with a manual (without the BMW price tag). I ended up buying in a different segment because of it.
Even the 1-series has little competition with a manual. Heck around here (Iowa), it's hard to find any BMWs with manuals.
Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
> Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/03/2014 at 16:47 |
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A Range Rover in its natural habitat.
Too many M's
> Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/03/2014 at 16:52 |
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The car version is Bimmer.....motorcycles are Beemers.... ;)
But yes, three pedals are what make me continue to return to the Roundel. I certainly appreciate many offerings from other brands, but without a reasonable selection of row-my-own options I will have to go with a brand that fulfills my driving needs.
oldirtybootz
> Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/03/2014 at 16:57 |
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Meh. I'll take an ATS or XE anyway.