Found this and something interesting is the reported length of this car at 157 inches. 7 inches longer than the current F56 and 4 inches shorter than the current Paceman. I have not seen the dimensions of the new 2024 3 door hatch to get some idea of how much shorter it is than the current model. Apparently this car will be assembled in China so it will suffer under the same tariff penalty as the new smaller CooperSE.

https://insideevs.com/news/623239/20...esting-begins/

Thought this was interesting too:

https://www.motortrend.com/news/bmw-...ership-markup/

 

An antiquated system of laws pretty much make direct sales nearly impossible in this country.
Ask Elon about it!!

 

You are absolutely correct. Each state has franchise laws that protect car dealerships.and ban direct from manufacturer sales. The Car Dealership Association has powerful lobbies in each to keep these bans in place. Some small inroads have been made, but these are few and far between and are generally tied up in courts for years. I fully understand the dealers wanting to protect their businesses, however these insane "over-sticker" mark-ups really weaken their arguments. I know GM tried to impose a "no higher than MSRP" on any new car sales, but they folded after push back by the dealers..