Actual E60 features vs. Brochure Features
05-26-2004, 04:38 AM
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The one that comes to ming at the moment is the black hole called Bluetooth. Why is it that there is no mention of it either in the US brochure, or on the US website, but the feature exists,,,,sort of, on certain models, etc.....
Is it that 2004 is the Beta year for the car, and that they are doing a 'rolling introduction' of features, or what?
Is this the same in UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Portugal etc....?????
I realize somethings like wood finish on the rear area central vent and lighter area could be last minute changes, but bluetooth and other things are kind of major elements....
Anyone have any thoughts on it?
Is it that 2004 is the Beta year for the car, and that they are doing a 'rolling introduction' of features, or what?
Is this the same in UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Portugal etc....?????
I realize somethings like wood finish on the rear area central vent and lighter area could be last minute changes, but bluetooth and other things are kind of major elements....
Anyone have any thoughts on it?
05-26-2004, 05:24 AM
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Yea, I bet i know what happened. They planned on coming out with it via software and some hardware. But, they realized they dont know what they're doing. I dont think they want to invest the time and money on bluetooth. They have way to many other problems to focus their time on.
05-26-2004, 07:01 AM
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My Ride: '04 545i/6sp SilverGray/Beige
I think that the Internet is a HUGE problem for BMWNA and all other manufacturers. Information (correct and incorrect) proliferates so much faster than it used to, and the traditional marketing methods just don't work. It takes a long time to layout and print and distribute those awesome brochures that BMW produces that it's almost impossible for them to keep up with what's current. Reprinting brochure-books every week or two would very quickly become cost-prohibitive.
One cannot assume that anything will be available that isn't specifically mentioned in the marketing collateral. If something new comes out, then that's a bonus. My E60 brochure has pics of the door handles in the matte chrome trim, but my 545 has wood handles (as has been the case for quite some time now). My brochure noted that NAV and HUD would have delayed availability starting in the spring of 2004. The only thing that the brochure mentioned as being available right away was the SMG, which wasn't really available until March production. That could have been a supply-chain issue, a software issue, or something else that was out of the marketing group's control.
Bluetooth was never advertised, to me at least, to ever be an option for the E60 in the US. It's only through the Internet that I've been able to find out what the potential availability is. I think sometimes that people just assume that options that are advertised for other markets are automatically destined to be available in the USA, when it's almost never that way; we get such a limited set of options compared to the rest of the world.
What I will say is that it seems like there is a HUGE disconnect between BMWAG and BMWNA and the dealership network. This amazes me since all the dealers are connected, via the TIS and DCS systems, with BMWNA and BMWAG. I think that some dealers (and more specifically, individual CA's and SA's) are more conscientious about staying up to date with the latest data, and some are just plain too lazy to stay knowledgable about their product, despite the information that is available.
Another thing to consider is that we as BMW enthusiasts are very much in the minority when compared to the universe of BMW customers. Most of them are completely ignorant of what we know and just go by what their CA tells them. They live on in ignorant bliss taking the brochures and the website (if they even know about the bmwusa.com site) at face value not expecting anything else. Being an enthusiast is a double-edged sword, to be sure. Being an enthusiast AND an early adopter is like trying to balance on the point of that double edged sword.
Just my opinion,
-MrB
One cannot assume that anything will be available that isn't specifically mentioned in the marketing collateral. If something new comes out, then that's a bonus. My E60 brochure has pics of the door handles in the matte chrome trim, but my 545 has wood handles (as has been the case for quite some time now). My brochure noted that NAV and HUD would have delayed availability starting in the spring of 2004. The only thing that the brochure mentioned as being available right away was the SMG, which wasn't really available until March production. That could have been a supply-chain issue, a software issue, or something else that was out of the marketing group's control.
Bluetooth was never advertised, to me at least, to ever be an option for the E60 in the US. It's only through the Internet that I've been able to find out what the potential availability is. I think sometimes that people just assume that options that are advertised for other markets are automatically destined to be available in the USA, when it's almost never that way; we get such a limited set of options compared to the rest of the world.
What I will say is that it seems like there is a HUGE disconnect between BMWAG and BMWNA and the dealership network. This amazes me since all the dealers are connected, via the TIS and DCS systems, with BMWNA and BMWAG. I think that some dealers (and more specifically, individual CA's and SA's) are more conscientious about staying up to date with the latest data, and some are just plain too lazy to stay knowledgable about their product, despite the information that is available.
Another thing to consider is that we as BMW enthusiasts are very much in the minority when compared to the universe of BMW customers. Most of them are completely ignorant of what we know and just go by what their CA tells them. They live on in ignorant bliss taking the brochures and the website (if they even know about the bmwusa.com site) at face value not expecting anything else. Being an enthusiast is a double-edged sword, to be sure. Being an enthusiast AND an early adopter is like trying to balance on the point of that double edged sword.
Just my opinion,
-MrB
05-26-2004, 08:44 AM
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there are many differences i found compared to the original european release. this has to do with the branding of the cars in different geographical regions, costs and bylaws etc. sometimes they are minor option choices but mostly cosmetic.
while i was in germany the cars are very basic and there are not really packages as extensive as in the us or canada.
there is no 'cold weather option' in hong kong or singapore (never need it).
in germany there are more trim levels and 1 more colour choice for the e60 than in north america (it is some sort of red-copper).
here in canada they don't have the titanium trim, only the two wood finishes. there are no auto folding mirrors, no extensive light package and no first aid kit nor triangle.
there's also no cloth seating, the high power diesel or the wood trim to the rear center console.
due to emissions, our engines here take a minor cut from their european counterparts (~5 hp).
i like to hunt for these easter eggs, they are fun knowledge to learn about your car.
mrb i feel the same, right on!
any more to share? rollee
* one more interesting thing point out, in germany all models up to and including 530i has 16" wheels (225/55/16) as standard, does this mean i can use 16" snows?
while i was in germany the cars are very basic and there are not really packages as extensive as in the us or canada.
there is no 'cold weather option' in hong kong or singapore (never need it).
in germany there are more trim levels and 1 more colour choice for the e60 than in north america (it is some sort of red-copper).
here in canada they don't have the titanium trim, only the two wood finishes. there are no auto folding mirrors, no extensive light package and no first aid kit nor triangle.
there's also no cloth seating, the high power diesel or the wood trim to the rear center console.
due to emissions, our engines here take a minor cut from their european counterparts (~5 hp).
i like to hunt for these easter eggs, they are fun knowledge to learn about your car.
mrb i feel the same, right on!
any more to share? rollee
* one more interesting thing point out, in germany all models up to and including 530i has 16" wheels (225/55/16) as standard, does this mean i can use 16" snows?
05-26-2004, 09:22 AM
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MrB and all, these points are really spot-on and very helpful to factor all this into some logic. Too bad we can't do a web brochure here on E60 Forums that would have inserted all the miscellaneous things that are left unexplained and fold them into BMW's regular brochure for those of us who feel obsessed to know it all.
And maybe also a user manual with all the caveats included, like; this feature works but only if you didn't order that feature (like Nav and Sat), and 'you'll have to remove Assist if you want to use Bluetooth, and if you want Bluetooth, then you'll need to have GSM, and if you.....
Anyway, I guess none of us have time to restructure BMW's user materials, but... just an idea anyway...
And maybe also a user manual with all the caveats included, like; this feature works but only if you didn't order that feature (like Nav and Sat), and 'you'll have to remove Assist if you want to use Bluetooth, and if you want Bluetooth, then you'll need to have GSM, and if you.....
Anyway, I guess none of us have time to restructure BMW's user materials, but... just an idea anyway...
05-26-2004, 09:31 AM
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My Ride: '04 545i/6sp SilverGray/Beige
Sometimes all that's needed is to step back and take a "macro" view of the situation, and then these things become much clearer. There's a definite reason why all auto manufacturers put that disclaimer in their marketing material.
Now I will not disagree that perhaps BMWAG and BMWNA didn't think through some of the technical issues thoroughly enough (like how the BMW Assist system somehow precludes the installation of Bluetooth), but Joe Customer knows nothing about that. Only a very small percentage of owners or potential owners have the slightest clue. As far as BMWNA is concerned, we should not know anything about what's going on, since it's all internal and probably very confidential. We have the benefit of (1) Very helpful BMW Client and Service Advisors who pass on internal BMW bulletins, and (2) The Internet, which allows that information to spread like wildfire.
It also has to do with how the horsepower is calculated. In Europe they use Brake Horsepower (hence all the "bhp" values in the UK car mags), which is a measure of the energy needed to brake the motor to 0rpm. In the US, we use SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Horsepower. I don't know the formulas, but the differences do account for some of the disparity in the values.
Now I will not disagree that perhaps BMWAG and BMWNA didn't think through some of the technical issues thoroughly enough (like how the BMW Assist system somehow precludes the installation of Bluetooth), but Joe Customer knows nothing about that. Only a very small percentage of owners or potential owners have the slightest clue. As far as BMWNA is concerned, we should not know anything about what's going on, since it's all internal and probably very confidential. We have the benefit of (1) Very helpful BMW Client and Service Advisors who pass on internal BMW bulletins, and (2) The Internet, which allows that information to spread like wildfire.
due to emissions, our engines here take a minor cut from their european counterparts (~5 hp).
