Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: wemay
Article
'Made in Germany' loses more luster as BMW, Audi, M-B expand footprints'
by Elisabeth Behrmann
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140704/OEM01/140709904?template=mobile
From link above:
"...The new Mexican plant follows BMW’s decision to invest $1 billion to raise annual production capacity 50 percent at Spartanburg by 2016 to 450,000 vehicles, including the new full-sized X7 SUV.
When the expansion is complete, more BMWs will roll off the line in South Carolina than from any other facility in the world.
While the “Made in Germany” cachet remains critical to BMW, the focus is shifting more to engineering and design in its home market, with manufacturing carried out elsewhere to reduce import tariffs and currency risks, Milagros Caina-Andree, the carmaker’s head of human resources, said in April.
“We are now an international company with Bavarian roots and many sites abroad where we build vehicles at the same high quality level as in Germany,” she said."
Everyone is looking for the slightest edge... times are different.
The Spartanburg plant (in the USA) manufacturers most of the X-series SUV's, as they are an American/Canadian consumer item.
Just click on the link I posted and see where things are made. It is pretty straight-forward.
Yeah, absolutely a logical play by BMW. Building most of the SUVs in the U.S. Most other models in Germany. That Leipzig facility is very impressive.