Might Ineos partner with BMW to increase dealerships/service centers?

[PickledHerring]

As someone who's seriously considering the Grenadier but who lives 5 hours drive from the nearest dealer, I'm curious how future access to at least service stations might look.

Total speculation on my part, but given how much of the power train is made by BMW, wouldn't it make sense to partner and use the many more numerous BMW dealerships as a service/sales network?

I'm thinking specifically of the issues of 12k mile services and tire rotations, which currently have to be done by an Ineos dealership, and would mean a multi-day trip each time for me.

I love almost everything about the car, but the distance to go for even basic maintenance gives me pause.

 

[landmannnn]

As someone who's seriously considering the Grenadier but who lives 5 hours drive from the nearest dealer, I'm curious how future access to at least service stations might look.

Total speculation on my part, but given how much of the power train is made by BMW, wouldn't it make sense to partner and use the many more numerous BMW dealerships as a service/sales network?

I'm thinking specifically of the issues of 12k mile services and tire rotations, which currently have to be done by an Ineos dealership, and would mean a multi-day trip each time for me.

I love almost everything about the car, but the distance to go for even basic maintenance gives me pause.

I think you might have misunderstood a couple of things...

Servicing and tyre rotation can be done by anybody. (Although only an Ineos place can do the screen warning update currently)

A BMW dealer would be capable of servicing.

Only the engine is made by BMW, nothing else.

An official tie up is highly unlikely in my opinion.

 

[anand]

As stated above, the engine hardware alone is BMW based; the DME calibration is specific to Ineos, as is everythign else along the path. Other than the fact that the transmission is used by BMW (it is also used by VW, Stellantis, etc.) there are no other drivetrain similarities with BMW.

BMW scan tools cannot read/access Ineos modules beyond what any other generic tool can, and BMW technicians certainly don't know what they're looking at (other than, again, engine hardware).

 

[PickledHerring]

Thanks for the clarifications. I appreciate it.

 

[IslandFalconer]

I beg to differ, anyone who takes a few minutes to start removing plastic will find many many modules all branded by BMW, the DME is also BMW and was tuned by BMW, Ineos doesn’t get the privilege of programming the DME, TCM, BCM. Ineos introduced a security gateway and piggy backed their hardware. You can plug this thing in to ISTA (BMW Software) and see basically the entire vehicle. Ineos went and put the service interval and ADAS and some other internal components on its proprietary ECU that’s piggy backed on top of a BMW X5 base system.

So yes BMW could easily do all the required service work if Ineos would simply release the security gateway and their proprietary piggy back.

Source:I was a BMW Tech, I have the equipment at home. This is basically a BMW that Ineos went and screws with.
They should have done what Toyota did, re jigged the GUI and left what BMW has debugged alone. Now we have two systems that don’t play all that well together and some junior Software designer at Ineos who tried to re invent something that 100’s of millions of dollars and debugging have already been done too. It’s a complete disaster.

 

[Bruce B]

I beg to differ, anyone who takes a few minutes to start removing plastic will find many many modules all branded by BMW, the DME is also BMW and was tuned by BMW, Ineos doesn’t get the privilege of programming the DME, TCM, BCM. Ineos introduced a security gateway and piggy backed their hardware. You can plug this thing in to ISTA (BMW Software) and see basically the entire vehicle. Ineos went and put the service interval and ADAS and some other internal components on its proprietary ECU that’s piggy backed on top of a BMW X5 base system.

So yes BMW could easily do all the required service work if Ineos would simply release the security gateway and their proprietary piggy back.

Source:I was a BMW Tech, I have the equipment at home. This is basically a BMW that Ineos went and screws with.
They should have done what Toyota did, re jigged the GUI and left what BMW has debugged alone. Now we have two systems that don’t play all that well together and some junior Software designer at Ineos who tried to re invent something that 100’s of millions of dollars and debugging have already been done too. It’s a complete disaster.

“Source…” think that everyone understands exactly what you are.
After my own lifetime in the world of European automotive maintenance and repair, after paying many hundreds of thousands of dollars for software licenses, after making a successful living in the business of euro diagnostics…it is easy to see through you. Of course I have more faith in people than you do and I am sure that you are fooling a few people regularly but… most understand exactly what you are doing.
At least any who actually read your constant whining…
I still hope that you end up with the vehicle you hoped for as everyone who purchases a vehicle ultimately wishes.

 

[Toot]

“Source…” think that everyone understands exactly what you are.
After my own lifetime in the world of European automotive maintenance and repair, after paying many hundreds of thousands of dollars for software licenses, after making a successful living in the business of euro diagnostics…it is easy to see through you. Of course I have more faith in people than you do and I am sure that you are fooling a few people regularly but… most understand exactly what you are doing.
At least any who actually read your constant whining…
I still hope that you end up with the vehicle you hoped for as everyone who purchases a vehicle ultimately wishes.

I sense a previous altercation. A bit rude and spicy no?

 

[MileHigh]

Where is the popcorn emoji, , oh there it is.

I’ve always thought the long play/back up plan was for this to become the BMW “G wagon“ if things went sideways. Kind of the interesting thing is that the engine and transmission are the same as what’s in the supra, this is far closer to the old Land Cruisers we had in the US before they took them down market.

The reality is that we would probably end up with some kind of DeLorean type ending, but without the cocaine and craziness.

 

[Bruce B]

A bit rude and spicy no?

Spicy but real if you ask me…
If you have read his previous posts, you’d get it. I wish him well but as a person who has spent a lifetime in this business, I know exactly what I am seeing.

 

[DoubleDoom]

The Head unit is BMW (not the software) and according to an audio specialist firm in our area that has done upgrades on audio for a Grenadier, the wiring looms are BMW.

 

[Bruce B]

The Head unit is BMW (not the software) and according to an audio specialist firm in our area that has done upgrades on audio for a Grenadier, the wiring looms are BMW.

My guess is that the reality is that the parts (head unit…) are better described as the same as used by BMW. Most manufacturers purchase systems from vendors like Bosch and others. If you look deep enough, you will find similarities amongst many auto manufacturers products.