wich company lost its way? (jalopnik review)

[Kershaw]

the m3 used to a street legal homologation race car.

it is anything but, now a days. it's now equivalent of a porky mercedes sl500. gigantic with a gigantic v8. it's bad ass, but it's not a race car anymore.

[oliver.r]

they are after the dollar, it makes sense, it is all about profits but it leaves people like us hanging out to dry

[bastianshaw]

all started downhill after the e46 m3 and the e39 m5...to me those were the last bmws w a soul

[Northern]

I agree with the fwd and 4 series comments. What the fuck is an m4

[Herr Faust Schinken]

Bmw should never make anything front wheel drive , rear wheel drive is what BMW stands for

[Cabriolet]

the 4 series really made me go " thats it! what the fuck!"

so true.

[oliver.r]

the 4 series really made me go " thats it! what the fuck!"

[Wschnitz]

Id say BMW is starting to annoy me but they are not doing as bad as honda and GM. Honda doesn't have an actual car designer, looks as if the janitor does it, same with GM but GM's problem is more that they overproduce and undersell.

BMW just has to stop making new models, we didnt need a four series, 3 series was fine, we dont even need these suv/hatch/crossover dohickeys. And by golly please do not make a FWD hatch. the 1 series RWD hatch is fine you failures.

[oliver.r]

in my opnion BMW %100 deserves the #1 spot it got on this list.
it has removed its self from its heritage for profit but that is understanable since it is a business after all...
i thought my e46 was soulless but when i drove a f30 it just felt like a camry to me...
toughts?

http://jalopnik.com/5971749/which-car-company-lost-its-way-in-2012?tag=question-of-the-day

This will be the last of these end-of-the-year lists because we're almost out of end-of-the-year, so let's make it a good one. Companies rise and fall for various reasons, though a leading cause in any automaker's descent is their own terrible decision making.
Toyota managed to climb back from the abyss (which, for them, is still selling more cars than almost anyone else) with a more refined product line, an actual sports car, and a realization that beige can kill. Last year they'd have made the list, but this year I'm giving them a break. I don't think Toyota lost its way. I think it found a beacon and is crawling, slowly, through the fog towards a more solid future.
Whose future isn't so bright?
(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of the Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)