????歐洲汽車(chē)業(yè)最激烈的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)已經(jīng)進(jìn)入了一個(gè)新階段,。梅塞德斯-奔馳（Mercedes-Benz）和寶馬（BMW）即將檢驗(yàn)全世界對(duì)高端小型車(chē)的胃口。自從寶馬甩掉路虎（Rover）,，梅塞德斯-奔馳與克萊斯勒（Chrysler）撇清關(guān)系以來(lái),，兩家公司都在極力避免大型車(chē)市場(chǎng)，而把重點(diǎn)放在精品小車(chē)上?，F(xiàn)在隨著追求燃油經(jīng)濟(jì)性的壓力越來(lái)越大，加上可供開(kāi)發(fā)的新細(xì)分市場(chǎng)越來(lái)越少,，奔馳和寶馬現(xiàn)在都在尋找其它的增長(zhǎng)機(jī)會(huì),。.

????考慮到兩家公司各自的歷史、地緣和文化,，兩者之間的沖突不可避免,。梅塞德斯-奔馳的母公司是戴姆勒（Daimler），而戴姆勒的前身成立于1883年,，正是它發(fā)明了世界上第一臺(tái)汽車(chē),，而且戴姆勒也總是不厭其煩地向全世界宣傳這個(gè)豐功偉業(yè)。寶馬成立于1917年,，不過(guò)它直到1928年才進(jìn)軍汽車(chē)業(yè)務(wù),，之前它主要生產(chǎn)飛機(jī)引擎。梅塞德斯-奔馳的老家斯圖加特是一座陰暗的工業(yè)城,，一年到頭難得見(jiàn)到幾次陽(yáng)光,。而寶馬的總部則駐扎在燈紅酒綠的慕尼黑。梅塞德斯-奔馳的格言是戈特利布?戴姆勒的那句經(jīng)典的“要么最好,，要么什么都不是”（The best or nothing）,。寶馬則把自己包裝成“終極駕駛機(jī)器”的生產(chǎn)者——這句廣告語(yǔ)是美國(guó)的一家廣告公司替它想出來(lái)的。

????以大多數(shù)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)看,，寶馬都已經(jīng)超過(guò)了老對(duì)手奔馳,。不過(guò)奔馳正在努力反超。下面我們介紹一下雙方目前的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)情況,。

1.銷(xiāo)量

????強(qiáng)勢(shì)增長(zhǎng)的寶馬【和奧迪（Audi>）】正在步步蠶食梅塞德斯-奔馳在高端市場(chǎng)上的份額,。據(jù)IHS Automotive公司的數(shù)據(jù)，梅塞德斯-奔馳目前控制著21.4%的高端市場(chǎng),，比2001年的25%略有降低,。寶馬曾表示要在2020年前將年銷(xiāo)量提升到200萬(wàn)臺(tái),，不過(guò)由于寶馬目前炙手可熱，所以公司已經(jīng)把這個(gè)目標(biāo)提前到了2016年,。寶馬3系是目前全球最暢銷(xiāo)的豪華車(chē)型,。梅塞德斯-奔馳的首席執(zhí)行官蔡澈曾豪言奔馳的銷(xiāo)量要在2020年前翻一番，同時(shí)超過(guò)寶馬,。不過(guò)分析師們卻對(duì)此持懷疑態(tài)度,。

優(yōu)勢(shì)方：寶馬。

2.運(yùn)營(yíng)效率

????曾經(jīng)有人預(yù)測(cè),，由于寶馬的規(guī)模較小,，因此它的財(cái)務(wù)業(yè)績(jī)注定不會(huì)樂(lè)觀。不過(guò)事實(shí)證明,，寶馬的盈利水平已經(jīng)躋身世界一流之列,。去年寶馬息稅前利潤(rùn)為11.8%，而梅塞德斯-奔馳則只有9%,。而你在奔馳廣告里看到的那些穿著白大褂的工程師們實(shí)際上給奔馳的財(cái)務(wù)業(yè)績(jī)?cè)斐闪瞬恍〉膲毫?。其?shí)奔馳是在雇更多的人造更少的車(chē)。奔馳希望未來(lái)將利潤(rùn)率提升到10%,，但從2012年第一季度來(lái)看,，它的利潤(rùn)只有8.4%。

優(yōu)勢(shì)方：寶馬

????The most intense automotive rivalry in Europe is entering a new phase: Mercedes-Benz and BMW will be testing the world's appetite for small cars with big prices.

????Since BMW dumped Rover and Mercedes shed its relationship with Chrysler, both automakers have shunned high-volume segments of the car business and focused on premium models. Now that pressure is growing for better fuel economy, and there are fewer top-shelf segments to exploit, both are looking for additional growth opportunities.

????Given their disparate histories, geography, and culture, conflict is inevitable. Daimler, Mercedes' parent, is the successor to a company founded in 1883 that invented the automobile and never tires of reminding the world of that fact. BMW got started in 1917 as a maker of aircraft engines and didn't get into making cars until 1928. Stuttgart, home to Mercedes, is a grey factory town where the sun seldom shines, while BMW is rooted to party-happy Munich. Finally, Mercedes, elitist to its core, reveals its true self in its motto "The best or nothing," coined by Gottlieb Daimler. BMW fashions itself as creator of the "ultimate driving machine," a tagline created by an American advertising agency.

????By most measurements, BMW has been outpacing its older rival, but Mercedes is trying to mount a comeback. Here's the current tale of the tape:

1. Sales

????Onrushing BMW (and Audi) is chipping away at Mercedes' share of the premium market. According to IHS Automotive, M-B now commands 21.4%, down from 25% in 2001. BMW used to promise sales of two million vehicles by 2020 but is running so hot that it moved the target date sooner to 2016, and its 3-series is the top-selling luxury car in the world. Mercedes chief Dieter Zetsche has vowed Mercedes will more than double sales by 2020 and pass BMW, but analysts are -- to put it politely -- skeptical.

Advantage: BMW

2. Operating efficiency

????Defying forecasts that its small scale doomed it to substandard financial performance, BMW has been performing at a profitability level among the world's best. Last year's margin (before interest and taxes) was 11.8%, while Mercedes managed only 9%. All those white-coated technicians you see in Mercedes commercials are weighing on the bottom line. The automaker is, in effect, paying more people to make fewer cars. Going forward, Mercedes wants to improve to a 10% margin, but it only managed 8.4% in the first quarter of 2012.

Advantage:BMW