I’ve listened to a number of podcasts recently that discussed the current state of the performance car industry, and in particular the direction that the BMW M division has headed towards over the past ten years. “There were only two really memorable M cars in the last decade” was one of the soundbites.
Are memorable and improved mutually exclusive terms in today’s automotive climate?
Each iteration of M is faster than the previous, with better figures in each of the categories that matter from an objective point of view. There’s more power, higher numbers for torque, the 0-60 times are reduced, the car can pull more lateral Gs on the skidpan than before and still provides better fuel economy.
Yet, the sentiment for BMW M in its current state is mirrored across the slate of manufacturers globally. Chris Harris moans on the regular that he isn’t interested in the new hypercars he gets to drive on Top Gear, and his habit of purchasing older vehicles shows it. In JDM, owners have been driving and modifying the same vehicles as they did twenty years ago, and if you reached out to your average enthusiast, chances are their weekender is not a modern appliance. Surely there’s something to be said about what drivers are saying and doing?
It’s easy to discuss the impact of direct injection, increasing safety standards and the need to be efficient and eco-friendly as reasons for the dilution of “raw” driving experiences. The consensus is that changing approaches are inevitable, we’ll just have to live with it as it progresses.
However, you can use the Miata as the perfect rebuttal. Its philosophy hasn’t changed, but it has been significantly updated with newer technology and safety features to align itself with the rigours of modern standards. Jump from an NA into the new ND, the DNA is evident and clear to see.
You also have the much-maligned yet positively received ZN6 (GT86/BRZ) platform as a counterargument. It’s “underpowered” and doesn’t have an overwhelming number of features for a modern vehicle, but it’s as common as a Corolla on Australian roads, eight years post-release.
Is all the new technology and world standards really the problem then? Or is it the manner in which so many modern manufacturers implement it that is causing the disconnect between the driving enthusiast and the current generation of products?
Competition and progress are natural human traits. In business the primary indicator of success is increasing profit. Post-GFC, return on investment is as stringent as ever and motivations need to be clear cut. Vehicles are built to a budget, platform-sharing provides economies of scale and if it ticks all the boxes, customers can’t really complain.
The world is increasingly data-driven. I would know, digital marketing is a game of ROI, everything can be tied to a number, variables can be scrutinised and we are precise as we’ve ever been in business today. Talk to any marketer and they’ll discuss the shift from long-form to short-form content, let’s get to the punch line; worry about the storytelling and branding later…
Driving enthusiasts and automotive journalists are outliers in today’s market. Who has time to build a car catered towards how you feel? It’s so much easier to build a vehicle that is better in statistical categories, and market it to the general population than sell an experience that not everybody would understand.
For your everyday person, competition and progress manifests itself in the acquisition of products that provide more, “how can I get as much as possible?”. Combine this with the advent of consumerism, convenience and access to goods, services and information/entertainment and the growth in buyer power and you have the relative homogenisation of performance vehicles.
Numbers are tangible, the performance and experience is quantifiable through the figures, and for most people that’s all they need. If each vehicle is spec’ed to a particular level, the points of difference outside of performance also need to be easily experienced, what can you see and touch that provides you the instant gratification that this is a vehicle worth purchasing?
The modern automotive market is a by-product of today’s society. Things need to be accessible, all-encompassing, easily analysed and ready for use immediately.
Netflix gives you shows on-demand.
Don’t feel like cooking but it’s too cold outside? Order Uber Eats.
Scroll and follow the accounts you want on Instagram and Facebook, forget about newspapers and magazines.
Skip the ads, listen to all the songs you enjoy with a Spotify subscription.
When put like this, it’s hard to make an argument for vehicles that require more work to feel a sense of power and accomplishment. You can’t measure fulfilment or deep-rooted satisfaction, try putting a number on either of them.
Knowing and understanding are two very different concepts. In any pursuit, a lot more know than understand, and the same applies for performance vehicles.
But when businesses innovate, creating for the betterment of industry, the benefits transcend its immediate aims. It might be a romantic point of view, but sometimes the consumers shouldn’t be the ones determining how businesses should operate. When brands take ownership of their projects and products, customers will naturally gravitate towards it. Culture is formed by leaders, with their messages, principles and attitudes cultivated by those who follow. Those that have an opinion, leave their footprints loud and clear for those that believe in the same.
Leading has a cost though, and in today’s environment its gains and long-term impact may not be worth the immediate sacrifices. It’s a shame, because there’s no doubt that the world would be a better place if such products were envisaged to create deep-seated, fulfilling experience, all without foregoing the convenience of immediate gratification.
