BMW - Made in China

[jopecasa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_e3tBzoh9E


What do you think?

..........I'll be keeping mine for awhile...........

I have to wait and see BMW's future!

[bmw540san]

As far as the workers and quality control goes, I'd prefer it over South Carolina plant.
I can't see average spoiled American paying close attention to detail as Chinese who's probably trilled to get a good job.
I've lived 1/2 of my life in Europe and the other here in US. It's pretty pathetic the level of complaints I've heard from Americans for 20 years.
It's so bad here, Bush, Obama, they're destroying this Country, blah, blah.
It's fat and lazy Americans (not all) who want $30 an hour but to do very minimum.
Bad is where I came from, 40% unemployment and level of corruption and poverty that can't be understood by most Americans due to their level of ignorance and self pity.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by bmw540san

As far as the workers and quality control goes, I'd prefer it over South Carolina plant.
I can't see average spoiled American paying close attention to detail as Chinese who's probably trilled to get a good job.
I've lived 1/2 of my life in Europe and the other here in US. It's pretty pathetic the level of complaints I've heard from Americans for 20 years.
It's so bad here, Bush, Obama, they're destroying this Country, blah, blah.
It's fat and lazy Americans (not all) who want $30 an hour but to do very minimum.
Bad is where I came from, 40% unemployment and level of corruption and poverty that can't be understood by most Americans due to their level of ignorance and self pity.

Many people complain about products made in China, but they are the first in line at Walmart on Black Friday to buy those 70" flat screen TV.

If Chinese products are so bad why do Apple outsource the production of their Eye Phones to China? When Steve Jobs was still alive, President Obama asked him about bringing back some eye phone production to the States. Steve Jobs replied, "That's not going to happen".

McDonald is already using technology to reduce their staff so those "$15.00 an Hour" teenage jobs will one day be a thing of the past.

[mgboy]

Doesn't look like an issue to me. Clean, efficient, proud with a good attention to detail. I'm not sure why you'd be so hesitant to own a BMW made in China if all the assembly lines look and operate like that video.

[jsoto]

I did not watch or listen to the video, but afaik, the 5's and other LWB for their local market has been made in PRC for quite some time...

[X53Jay4.8is]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Many people complain about products made in China, but they are the first in line at Walmart on Black Friday to buy those 70" flat screen TV.

If Chinese products are so bad why do Apple outsource the production of their Eye Phones to China? When Steve Jobs was still alive, President Obama asked him about bringing back some eye phone production to the States. Steve Jobs replied, "That's not going to happen".

McDonald is already using technology to reduce their staff so those "$15.00 an Hour" teenage jobs will one day be a thing of the past.

Agreed it depends on the engineering of the product and quality in execution that the manufacturer demands that makes the difference. You can have world class manufacturing just about anywhere in the world. Apple is good example. I believe that BMW just cut some cost corners on the BMW X5 E53 as compared to the BMW E39 products. Thats a decision that many OEM manufacturers make. So its BMWs fault for not upholding the quality with its vendors and how the components are engineered.

[X53Jay4.8is]

On another note that factory has a creepy aspect to it. Its the beginning of "The Rise of the Machines". The next chapter in the Terminator series.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by jsoto

...but afaik, the 5's and other LWB for their local market has been made in PRC for quite some time...

+1

[bcredliner]

An evolution of the South Carolina plant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqLekwkLspo
The initial investment is high though once done the quality control is void of human error. Tolerances are reduced far beyond consistent human capabilities. And, over some period of time the payback is stellar.

Chasing the lowest labor rate often had far longer paybacks due to the training difficulties, the cost of start up delays and length of time to achieve consistent quality--lots of scrap. CFOs began questioning the sanity of moves as shipping costs and labor rates started escalating much faster requiring sooner moves to the next option. It still makes sense with some products but the options of where to go that is reasonably safe makes it even harder to justify the next move.

My preference would be to buy from newest plant after the humans get the bugs out.

So far we can turn the power off.

[OrangeFurious]

I've spent a decent amount of time in China for work and I've been impressed by the quality of the people and ouput. Every region has it's strengths and weaknesses and the Chinese labor market isn't perfect, but it's not the nightmare people make it out to be.

Remember that all those cheap Chinese products were built to satisfy a low-ball budget - probably set by an American.