Thousands of BMW 8-Series models are sitting on dealership lots across the United States and according to select dealers, there are a few reasons for it.
BMW revived the 8-Series name back in 2018 and currently sells it in Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe guises in the United States. It’s positioned as the brand’s halo model, particularly in M8 guise, yet dealerships tell Auto News that it hasn’t received adequate marketing support from the car manufacturer.
There were more than 2,000 brand new 8-Series models sitting on or heading to U.S. dealership lots as of early March and of these, roughly 700 are considered ‘Priority 5’ vehicles that dealers are looking to offload to other retailers.
“It’s very concerning and alarming that on a halo — brand-new vehicle — roughly a third of the total available on-ground inventory is being put in a Priority 5 status,” an unnamed BMW dealer said. “Basically, dealers are saying, ‘I don’t want this, I can’t sell it, somebody please take it from me.’ ”
It’s not just a lack of marketing that’s reportedly to blame for lackluster sales of the 8-Series.
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U.S. buyers have no less than 15 configurations to choose from when shopping for an 8-Series and according to one dealer, this is far too many.
“If there’s 10 customers and you’re offering them 15 choices, there’s going to be a lot of cars sitting around. But if there’s 10 customers and you offer them two choices, you’re going to sell every one and make some money.”
Speaking about BMW’s marketing campaign for the 8-Series, BMW spokesman Phil Dilanni said the company takes a “targeted approach” when marketing to high net-worth customers. He added that BMW had been planning a national multimedia marketing campaign for the 8-Series (set to launch next month), but said it has been postponed due to the coronavirus.
