Quote:
Originally Posted by Nkc
IMO, stage 1 of the ESS is basically the same as 35is. Once you try stage 2, I don't see how anyone would set it back to stage 1.
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I think there's good evidence that Stage 1 is quite a bump in performance over the 35is stock program. Also, the characteristic timed boost of the 35is is not found in the Stage 1 program.
My wife, for example, would never even TRY Stage 2, let alone go back to Stage 1. That said, she WOULD approve a modest investment (say $499) to bring her fully loaded 35i up from stock to the exact same performance level as her friend's 35is. And, the economics are pretty compelling; try configuring a 2014 35i and a 35is to the same option mix using the BMWUSA Build Your Own configurator and note the list price difference (approx. $5,300). See the opportunity for marketing a $499 package that equalizes the two?
Finally, those customers (probably still the majority) who wanted the full package could either pay to upgrade from the Stock and "sHADOW" 2 map package to add Stage 1 and Stage 2 (there's room for 10 maps, I think) or could simply buy the pricier full 4 map package up front (Stock, sHADOW, Stage 1, Stage 2). Think of it as the "couples" tuner package, 1 for her, and 2 for him. Sounds about right to me...