All it takes is a bankruptcy and a dream!
I really don't even know where to start with the NY Times' look at Maclaren's "Objects of Design," their 'premium' collection of midrange strollers upholstered in someone else's logo fabric. And this time [sic again, because it's been months] it's BMW.
Which sent me back to read the original post from last fall about BMW's licensing deal with Maclaren, WHICH OH BOY, was that an angry post. So harsh. Still, if missing out on this kind of puffery is the price DT pays for actually reporting news about a baby gear company, so be it.
And anyway, Maclaren's glow is back, and all is well with the world. It's especially sweet to see the trend piece symmetry, where luxury car brands BMW and Aston Martin have paired up with multiply bankrupt Maclaren and once-bankrupt zombie brand Silver Cross, respectively. And this is what the Royals are supposedly going to be driving. Is the entire point for this story right now. The Times was dying to do a Prince George stroller piece and needed a hook. Fine.
I do have to call attention to this line, though:
Informal sidewalk surveys in Brooklyn neighborhoods thick with young parents revealed an abundance of hot brands and models like the Uppababy Vista or the all-terrain Bugaboo Buffalo.Because, what? The Buffalo isn't even out yet in the US. Is it so irresistible that Brooklyn parents have imported "an abundance" of Buffalos on the grey market? That sounds like datapoint shenanigans to me, even for an "informal" survey.
Or what if Maclaren's BMW edition stroller was somehow less popular than a Bugaboo that is not even available yet? Now that'd be harsh.
'Baby BMW' Takes On an Entirely New Meaning [nyt]
Coming to the US in/after Fall 2013: the Bugaboo Buffalo [bugaboo.com]
Previously, and still waiting for the Maclaren BP stroller: The Ultimate Strolling Machine: BMW Licenses Self to Maclaren
If you DO want a Maclaren BMW Buggy, I'd go with black or silver [amazon]
Everything about MacLaren sucks except the strollers which are actually really good.
As for the Buffalo, is there actually buzz about this thing? Seems like an incremental step at best. Don't most existing Bugaboo owners think they already have an all terrain stroller? Most people who actually do all terrain strolling are probably shopping BOB or Mountain Buggy anyway so what's the point? Well, for one, those front wheels have to be a lot cheaper to make than the suspension in the Chameleon. I'm sure they'll be passing that savings on to the customer. How much more capable is the Buffalo than the Chameleon? Who knows? The 1:17 promo video doesn't even show the stroller until the last 0:10. But when retailers are promoting "all terrain sustainability" you have to wonder if anyone knows what this thing is good for. (http://www.pishposhbaby.com/bugaboo-buffalo.html)
Since I hadn't heard about the Buffalo, the passing reference to it in the article struck me as burying the lede--of course that's more interesting than a badge-engineering Maclaren. But seth is right; after a momentary pang of desire (coupled with an immediate realization that unless things go horribly awry I won't need to buy another stroller, probably ever), it looks to me like the Buffalo has nothing on our tried-and-true 2005 Mountain Buggy.
Anyway. There are two types of people that want a BMW branded stroller: 1) People who don't have BMWs but want to own one because of the badge, and 2) People who do own BMWs because of the badge. Neither of those people are folks you want to associate with.