[BMW M Power Mexico]

Originally Posted by GenXer

Is that a Porsche Boxster/Cayman you're driving?

Sharp eye. GT4.

I lease one with a couple of my business partners and I occasionally take it home with me (400km away from Mexico City). It's mostly for track use.

[MmmmmM2]

Originally Posted by BMW M Power Mexico

Sharp eye. GT4.

I lease one with a couple of my business partners and I occasionally take it home with me (400km away from Mexico City). It's mostly for track use.

Must be rough lol

[jmg]

Originally Posted by ynguldyn

For those who say this is done because of cheap labor: watch the video, count the ratio of workers/robots.

LOL people are imagining poor Mexicans with giant sombreros and flip flops half-heartedly glueing on body panels with one hand and eating a taco in the other. The reality is that this is a state of the art facility and that Mexico is full of hard working industrious EDUCATED people just like Germany and the US. And just like Germany and the US, there are lazy, uneducated, and sloppy people as well. Do you think BMW will be hiring street beggars and drug addicts to make their luxury cars?

[Edslittleworld]

These pro-German BMW repiies borderline on crossing the Overton Window on Political Correction. So, I'll just say it outright. I want my German cars/bikes built in Germany by Germans. Austria is close enough as they make my B58 engine.

It's part of the mystique like owning a Swiss made mechanical watch over an Asian electronic watch. Otherwise, I'd own an Apple watch appliance and drive a Kia road appliance. BTW, I'm still mad that the Jeep Wranglers are not the most American made vehicle anymore, but I gave in to globalism on that purchase.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Edslittleworld

These pro-German BMW replies borderline on crossing the Overton Window on Political Correction. So, I'll just say it outright. I want my German cars/bikes built in Germany by Germans. Austria is close enough as they make my B58 engine.
It's part of the mystique like owning a Swiss made mechanical watch over an Asian electronic watch. Otherwise, I'd own an Apple watch appliance and drive a Kia road appliance. BTW, I'm still mad that the Jeep Wranglers are not the most American made vehicle anymore, but I gave in to globalism on that purchase.

Just imagine for a moment that the brakes of your BMW M, Porsche GT, Audi RS or Mercedes AMG were developed by an Italian company of, say, Stezzano or something like that, rather than in Münich, Garching, Zuffenhausen, Weissach, Ingolstadt or Stuttgart.

Would that make you nervous ?

[swagon]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Just imagine for a moment that the brakes of your BMW M, Porsche GT, Audi RS or Mercedes AMG were developed by an Italian company of, say, Stezzano or something like that, rather than in Münich, Garching, Zuffenhausen, Weissach, Ingolstadt or Stuttgart.

Would that make you nervous ?

Attachment 2639091

Italy is still "Western enough" for those people...

What about Bentley seatbelts and Mercedes transmissions from Romania? Aston Martin's carbon fibre supplier used to be in Hungary up until very recently - they had to up their total percentage of local Tier 1 suppliers from 30% to 55% due to Brexit. So they had to find one, way more expensive, in England instead.

Meaning, 55% of parts must come from the UK or the EU. It is lower for BEVs currently and governments are trying to increase localisation of the supply chain to control it more as batteries are estimated to be worth 30% of the whole car and that's just too much money left on the table thousands of miles away.

People don't seem to realise car manufacturers don't actually make the parts they use. That's pretty damn rare in the grand scheme of things. They call several suppliers and say, "hey, I want this & that, can we get anything in this price range?" and the winner, e.g., Bosch goes and produces it wherever it is most suitable.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by swagon

Italy is still "Western enough" for those people...
[...]
People don't seem to realise car manufacturers don't actually make the parts they use. That's pretty damn rare in the grand scheme of things. They call several suppliers and say, "hey, I want this & that, can we get anything in this price range?" and the winner, e.g., Bosch goes and produces it wherever it is most suitable.

But it is true that the BMW employees with the longest service at BMW factories worldwide and clocking most hours, all belong to one German family: KUKA.

[paquet]

Just to chime in on the parts coming from around the world, remember the Takata airbag recall?

Having said that, BMW Quality control / quality assurance outside Germany/Austria does concern me... but I imagine smarter minds than mine at BMW also saw that coming and have figured out a corporate build culture that makes it just as good. Just my guess, I don't know.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by packet

Just to chime in on the parts coming from around the world, remember the Takata airbag recall?

Having said that, BMW Quality control / quality assurance outside Germany/Austria does concern me... but I imagine smarter minds than mine at BMW also saw that coming and have figured out a corporate build culture that makes it just as good. Just my guess, I don't know.

I've owned X5's and the quality was every bit as good as my German built Bimmers.

[WolfGTI]

To everyone moaning about Mexican built BMW's - I guess that the Spartanburg built BMWs are also substandard because they are built by good ol' boys down South????

Get over yourselves with it, if they maintain the appropriate QA and QC controls the cars will be fine.

[Mirrari]

Originally Posted by WolfGTI

To everyone moaning about Mexican built BMW's - I guess that the Spartanburg built BMWs are also substandard because they are built by good ol' boys down South????

Get over yourselves with it, if they maintain the appropriate QA and QC controls the cars will be fine.

If it’s not made in Germany, I want it built here. In fact, I would like all the products that I buy to be made in the US if possible. What’s wrong with that?

[WolfGTI]

Nothing wrong with that at all - however some people have intimated that BMWs built outside of Germany are lesser - All I was pointing out was that is incorrect.

Originally Posted by Mirrari

If it’s not made in Germany, I want it built here. In fact, I would like all the products that I buy to be made in the US if possible. What’s wrong with that?

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by Mirrari

If it’s not made in Germany, I want it built here. In fact, I would like all the products that I buy to be made in the US if possible. What’s wrong with that?

That's not very Commiefornia...I mean California of you. If you're not careful, they will take your membership card away.

[Edslittleworld]

I think we're of two camps here: Globohomo (not the derogatory definition) and Traditionalists. The former wouldn't care if their BMW M2C is made in China by prison labor. The latter still desire the "essence" of a European car...even if BMW builds/outsources parts from Italy or Austria.

I predict that anyone willing to spend over $80K for a BMW is still concerned about a Teutonic origin. Other, they'd just buy a Kia Stinger for a lot less.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by Edslittleworld

I think we're of two camps here: Globohomo (not the derogatory definition) and Traditionalists. The former wouldn't care if their BMW M2C is made in China by prison labor. The latter still desire the "essence" of a European car...even if BMW builds/outsources parts from Italy or Austria.

I predict that anyone willing to spend over $80K for a BMW is still concerned about a Teutonic origin. Other, they'd just buy a Kia Stinger for a lot less.

Hell, even American cars are assembled/ made in Mexico. Not to mention some of Toyotas are assembled in America. It's a global economy kids.

[Edslittleworld]

Originally Posted by TAZ007

Hell, even American cars are assembled/ made in Mexico. Not to mention some of Toyotas are assembled in America. It's a global economy kids.

True, but most "American" cars are under $40K and are deemed by most as disposable road appliances. Buying a discretionary car is an emotional decision and part of it is the mystique. All nationalism aside, I think Porsche made a similarly poor mistake by introducing the 4-banger Boxster/Caymans. Sure, the performance is still there, but the flat-6 sound & mystique are gone. A Corvette is a better car if you just want performance/dollar.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by Edslittleworld

True, but most "American" cars are under $40K and are deemed by most as disposable road appliances. Buying a discretionary car is an emotional decision and part of it is the mystique. All nationalism aside, I think Porsche made a similarly poor mistake by introducing the 4-banger Boxster/Caymans. Sure, the performance is still there, but the flat-6 sound & mystique are gone. A Corvette is a better car if you just want performance/dollar.

I tend to agree. If you want a 6-cylinder porsche, you have to fork over 6 figures while a vette is a mid to high 5 figures and 2 more cylinders.

In the end, we get what we want.

[Tim_M56]

Originally Posted by Edslittleworld

I think we're of two camps here: Globohomo (not the derogatory definition) and Traditionalists. The former wouldn't care if their BMW M2C is made in China by prison labor. The latter still desire the "essence" of a European car...even if BMW builds/outsources parts from Italy or Austria.

I predict that anyone willing to spend over $80K for a BMW is still concerned about a Teutonic origin. Other, they'd just buy a Kia Stinger for a lot less.

Globalhomo is still a real sus word to use. Regardless, don't you think it's a bit of a stretch to compare prison labor to a factory in a local country? I highly doubt the cars coming from the Mexico plant are any different if they were built in Germany, South Carolina, etc.

People that are spending that much on a BMW (///M car most likely) care about having the best car for the money, at least that's what I'd be thinking, origin be damed. Like I want an F-150 Lightning, don't care where it's made since it's damn cool.

[Mirrari]

Originally Posted by TAZ007

That's not very Commiefornia...I mean California of you. If you're not careful, they will take your membership card away.

Haha, they can’t. I’m a comrade hailing from Eastern Europe, and even by true commie standards, people here are nuts.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by TimmyM56

Globalhomo is still a real sus word to use. Regardless, don't you think it's a bit of a stretch to compare prison labor to a factory in a local country? I highly doubt the cars coming from the Mexico plant are any different if they were built in Germany, South Carolina, etc.

People that are spending that much on a BMW (///M car most likely) care about having the best car for the money, at least that's what I'd be thinking, origin be damed. Like I want an F-150 Lightning, don't care where it's made since it's damn cool.

It depends on the company.

VW has been building in China and Mexico for a long time. And other places. I have owned and driven Bratislava and Mexico product, and both are very good.

MB on the other hand is a basket case. They are not a truly global company. They are a Stuttgart company with a few other factories, not particularly well done. Vance, Alabama puts out garbage most days. The new GLB built in Mexico is a wait-and-see story. Nissan engines built for MB are crummy. The GLA, a platform shared with Nissan, is chintzy.

BMW is more globalized than MB, in terms of their successful execution. I rank the Germans on the globalization scale from most to least: VAG, BMW and then MB a far distant third and last place.

The majors like Ford, Toyota and Honda are highly globalized and have been so for decades.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by Ibiza

Plant Spartanburg has known quality issues for years. Multiple BMW AG employees have told me in Germany that all German market SUV's have an other inspection at Plant Dingolfing prior to shipment to local dealership. I wouldn't buy a M Mexican manufacturered.

There is then something wrong with the plant since if you go by quality across brands, there is no indication that cars made in Germany are more reliable. But if it makes one feel better then no harm in buying cars made in a certain country.

[Edslittleworld]

Originally Posted by FCX5

There is then something wrong with the plant since if you go by quality across brands, there is no indication that cars made in Germany are more reliable. But if it makes one feel better then no harm in buying cars made in a certain country.

Nothing personal, but this answer sounds globohomo and traditionalists like me are apparently in the vast minority. Fine. Although my answer may push the Overton Window on political correctness, some of us still like our mechanical watches to Swiss made, our fine shoes to be made in Italy, our optics to be made in Germany/Austria, our audio electronics to be made in Japan, our motorcycle cruisers to be made in America and our German branded cars to be made in Germany. They originally set the standards and in my opinion, still do. Maybe, it's a rage against the global machine...but so be it. Thanks for your understanding!