The car giant started by marrying the daughter of the king

Just after the Spring Festival in 1990, BMW Group made a big move.

As the group's highest-positioned model, Chitu Auto's first model, Panamera, is about to be officially launched.

This time, Chitu Automobile chose to hold its listing ceremony in Shanghai.

In order to make the event more impactful, Chen Chenxing directly arranged for people to hold it near the Bund.

After the various activities ended, twelve Panameras drove directly onto the road and began patrolling the streets.

Although Panamera has already held test rides and test drives before, its appearance has also been reported by the media.

But many people still don't know that there is such a model.

Now, for three consecutive days, there have been twelve Panameras driving on the streets in the busiest areas of Shanghai, and most people in Shanghai have immediately become aware of the Panamera model.

[You stop for the scenery, others stop for you]

Panamera advertisements also appeared simultaneously in various high-end magazines.

Chen Chenxing even came up with a different plan for the first time.

"Mr. Jiang, since many restrictions were lifted last year, the filming of various TV series and movies has increased recently."

"In America, many car companies will work with film companies to incorporate their car models into movies."

"For example, the Aston Martin DB007 in Goldfinger."

"In the film, the Aston Martin DB5 driven by James Bond has become a classic scene."

“This car is equipped with many high-tech equipment, such as ejection seats, machine guns, smoke bombs, etc. These cool features perfectly match the image of Bond’s agent, greatly enhancing the brand image of Aston Martin and making it a world-renowned luxury sports car brand.”

“The Ford Mustang also makes a striking appearance in this film, leaving a deep impression on the audience with its sleek lines and powerful power.”

“It further consolidated the Ford Mustang’s position in the American muscle car market and made it one of the classic models often seen in movies.”

"The other is the Lincoln Continental, which was given enough screen time in the movie to showcase the various configurations of the new model."

"From the spacious rear seat space to the square trunk storage space, to the automatic air conditioning and clock on the dashboard."

“Simple and practical yet understatedly luxurious.”

"This placement allowed the Lincoln Continental to successfully capture a market that Cadillac had never entered, and it became the exclusive model for American presidents for the next 30 years."

“I think Panamera can also look for suitable movies for advertising placement.”

I have to say that Chen Chenxing's point of view is still very advanced.

When seeing Panamera in the movie, the audience will be subconsciously influenced by some of the lines and images in the movie.

This is much more impactful than advertising on TV.

However, there are many car companies that would think of advertising.

But there are not many truly successful cases.

This shows that it is not that easy to choose a box office hit movie that is more suitable for the positioning of the car model.

“Do you have a specific goal?”

Jiang Hui did not discourage Chen Chenxing's enthusiasm.

This is something that BMW Group will definitely do in the future.

But how to start is worth thinking about.

BMW Group cannot let those film and television companies feel that they are big dogs and can slaughter them at will.

But we can't give up this attempt just because we are afraid of being slaughtered.

"I plan to contact some well-known domestic directors first to see what new films they are shooting."

"If there is a suitable one, take action. If not, wait and see."

"We have no plans to make any major changes to the appearance of this car in the next ten years, so there is still plenty of time to promote it."

Although Chen Chenxing thought his idea was good.

But it’s not that radical.

If things don't go well at the beginning, many things will be difficult to handle later.

……

"How about it?"

“Is there anything we can learn from the design style of this car?”

The launch of Panamera this time can be considered a global simultaneous launch to a certain extent.

Dealers in Europe soon started selling the Panamera.

Porsche, which has been paying attention to this model, immediately arranged for someone to purchase one and put it in the design center.

"Baz, the real thing is more shocking than the picture."

“This car will definitely become a classic. It will be very difficult for any four-door coupe to surpass it.”

Lai Ping is a professional in car design and knows very well how classic the Panamera's appearance is.

This kind of car is hard to come by.

There are many design elements above that are worth learning from.

He plans to learn a lot from the design of the next generation 911.

"I didn't expect that there would be such a great designer in China. It's beyond my imagination."

Baz's mood at this moment was rather complicated.

He chose Lai Ping, a Chinese, as Porsche's design director against all odds because he realized how capable he was.

Even though no Chinese has ever served as design director for a world auto giant before.

I didn’t expect that a very talented designer would emerge now.

Also Chinese.

What is even more exaggerated is that it comes from China, a country that is very unfamiliar to everyone and even considered to be very backward.

This is very surprising.

"The designer of this Panamera is called Jiang Hui. He is probably the most powerful person in the world among the younger generation."

"He is responsible for designing all the models of the BMW Group, and each one is very classic."

"For example, the Buick G-series SUV and Chevrolet X-series pickup truck, which often appear on the American sales charts, were actually designed by him."

Lai Ping has some understanding of Jiang Hui.

He even went to the market to test drive various models designed by Jiang Hui to fully experience the characteristics of these cars.

The more you experience, the deeper your feelings become.

Some gaps really cannot be made up by hard work.

Originally, he thought that his design talent was very high, but compared with Jiang Hui, there was obviously still a big gap.

In many fields, the gap between geniuses and ordinary people is greater than the gap between humans and dogs.

"Although this car is very classic, fortunately, Chitu Automobile is a brand-new brand and cannot compete with us."

"Even if the Panamera is not cheap, it is not our competitor."

This is the only way Buzz can comfort himself now. Porsche is a luxury car brand that takes the high-end route.

Although Chitu Automobile also wants to take the high-end route, the gap between them is still quite obvious.

At least in the next ten years, Baz feels that Chitu Auto will not be his competitor.

"Yes, Panamera will not be our competitor, but they have the ambition to move up to the high-end market."

"Over time, it is likely to have a certain impact on our sales, especially in the Chinese market."

"We haven't officially entered the market yet, and consumers don't think our Porsche brand is much more high-end than Chitu's."

"Once more Chinese people accept the impression that Chitu Automobile is a high-end brand, they may become our competitors in China in the future."

Lai Ping has a lot to consider.

Although what he said may sound a bit alarmist, if you think about it seriously, it is entirely possible.

The Chinese automobile market is undergoing very big changes, although the high-end luxury car market is still very small.

But in time, it will surely grow to a point where even Porsche cannot ignore it.

In this case, if Porsche loses the Chinese market, it will definitely be a huge loss for it.

If there were no Chitu Automobile, no matter how the Chinese automobile market developed, Porsche would have the confidence to find its own place after entering the market in the future.

But now, the situation is hard to say.

At least Lai Ping feels that everything is possible.

"According to what you said, do we need to consider setting up a branch in China to import various Porsche models into China for sale?"

Baz is very positive about changing Porsche's current difficult situation.

Porsche today is not as prosperous as it was after 2000, not to mention the glory it had when it acquired Volkswagen.

Although we have passed the most difficult time, we are still a long way from turning the tide.

No wonder Baz had the idea of ​​entering the Chinese market after listening to Lai Ping's words.

"I think we can give it a try. We can then set up a branch in Shanghai or Shenzhen, cooperate with some dealers, and import our models into China for sale."

"While there are no competitors in the Chinese auto market, imports will create a deep impression in everyone's eyes."

Lai Ping expressed his support for Baz's proposal without any hesitation.

He is Chinese, so he is naturally more sensitive to the changes in China.

That magical continent can give birth to such a magical automobile company as the BMW Group, so it is totally worthy of Porsche's attention.

……

"Saito, what do you think of the exterior design of this Panamera model from Chitu Automobile?"

Shoichiro Toyoda was flipping through a magazine with several high-definition pictures of the Panamera.

"President, the design of the Panamera is amazing. I think the new Lexus sedan can refer to some of its design elements."

"This car has the feel of a sports car but also has the appearance of a sedan, so it should be very popular with consumers."

"If the price of the Panamera wasn't a bit higher, I think the sales volume would be very ideal."

As the sales manager of Toyota Motor Corporation, Shoei Saito has a very keen vision.

He could naturally see the difference in a legendary car like the Panamera.

If Lexus models can achieve this level, he thinks sales will definitely increase by several percent.

"I feel the same way. Lexus can learn from this design element. It's very meaningful for reference."

“The car has received relatively high praise from various magazines.”

“I didn’t expect that every model of the BMW Group could bring such an impact to everyone.”

It can be said that Shoichiro Toyoda watched the BMW Group grow and develop.

From being inconspicuous at the beginning to being a giant now.

As long as you are in the Chinese automobile market, it is impossible to avoid the BMW Group.

No matter which car model you have, it is more or less competitive with the BMW Group in China.

This is the real local tyrant.

Even a dragon crossing the river has to be alert to avoid problems.

"Yes, Jiang Hui's design level is still as stable as ever and never disappoints."

“I feel that the exterior design of cars in the next ten years will follow his design elements.”

"To a certain extent, he has set the trend in the development of car appearance."

This evaluation of Saito Shoei can be said to be very high.

To some extent, your competitors are the ones who know you best.

Toyota now regards BMW Group as one of its main competitors.

The pain is not just in off-road vehicles and pickup trucks. Toyota's sales have been affected by Land Rover.

There's money behind all these influences.

"It's a pity that such excellent designers cannot be used by us."

"In the future, we can try to poach some designers from the BMW Group's design director."

"These people have worked under Jiang Hui for a long time, so they should be able to understand some of the design elements to a certain extent."

“It should have no harm to our subsequent car exterior designs.”

Since you can't beat others, you must consider learning from them.

Recruiting some appropriate people is obviously the fastest way.

Although the level of these people recruited is definitely not comparable to Jiang Hui.

But as long as it can improve the design level of your company, it would be great.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

"Although the salary package of BMW Group is relatively high in China, it is still far behind ours."

"As long as we provide them with the opportunity to work for Lai Dongying, I think there will be many designers interested."

At this time, Japan's bubble was burst by misunderstanding.

But it has not yet reached a point where people despair, so everyone’s confidence is very strong.

It’s unlike later generations, where many young people have already laid down.

"We need to act on this matter as soon as possible. We also have a branch in China."

"If necessary, we can also set up a research center there to develop some models specifically for the Chinese market."

It has to be said that Toyota has become the world's largest automobile company, and the level of its helmsman is quite high.

At this time, it is quite bold to consider setting up a research and development center in China.

Of course, there is definitely some stimulation from the BMW Group. (End of this chapter)