Ah, two of my favorite things … BMWs and market research.  Glad to see the two working together in such harmony, as this article discusses:

“The new BMW Z4 has been introduced to compete head-on with the two big biggest sellers in the UK premium roadster market – the Mercedes SLK and the Audi TT Roadster. According to BMW’s own market research one of the key reasons for selecting the Mercedes over the previous BMW Z4 was the added benefit of a folding metal roof. The majority of buyers in this segment also craved a degree more comfort and practicality. The designers and engineers of the new BMW Z4 took these considerations on board so the BMW Z4 should now appeal to a broader church, while at the same time not diluting the range’s previous excellent driving dynamics.”

A great application of research as well as good collaboration between the marketers and engineers.  And definitely a stark contrast to GM’s own use of market research.