a rose is a rose . . . (not WOB)

[Adrian North <anorth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think the 'Coupe' designation is more a marketing thing than anything
- - it gives a more 'sporty' impression. To me, the M3 'Coupe' is a 2-door
saloon (sedan!).
In my eyes, a coupe is a sleek machine with two front seat that hold
normal people, and the back seats for the occasional passenger. I don't
know what the newer threes are like, but my 2 door saloon (That's what
the Registration document says) doesn't really have a lot of rear space.
But I'd not call it a coupe because it's a sleek as a brick!
Unfortunately, my  insurance company tried to say it was a 'coupe', and
added a premium hike. When I got the document, I noticed 'coupe', phoned
them and told them it was a 2-door saloon, and guess what - my premium
dropped. Only by five quid, but that's 2 or 3 more pints of beer! :-)
I'll give another example - The Peugot 406 Coupe is a REALLY pretty car
(FAR Nicer looking than any current BMW (Except the Z07), in my
opinion!) It's sleek, has two doors etc. There is also a 406
saloon/sedan with 2 doors, so it's not the 2-door thing that decides.
The Ford Cougar is a Coupe, but the Mondeo 2-door isn't. The Puma is a
coupe (well!?) but the Fiesta is a Hatchback, and the Ka is, erm, yes
well! :-) On BMWs, the 8-series and 6 series could pass as Large
coupe's. The Z3/M-Coupe passes as an ugly pile of dog turd! I'd say it's
more estate than Coupe! :-)

In short, 'Coupe' is getting used like Gti/Sri etc was used in the late
80's/early 90's as a marketing tool to try and give a more sporty image.
Does the M3 REALLY need the boost to it's sporty image?

Adrian
Basingstoke, UK