BMW in particular i'm looking at quite closely.

Unlike MB and Audi, BMW are invested in electric tech and have already been for a while with the i3 (both full and hybrid trims) and also the X series hybrid SUVs. So for them battery tech is a "solved problem". They already have a production capacity of 2.5m/yr and likely will keep the same capacity in the gas-electric transition.

> Just make absurdly expensive cars that few people can own and you're halfway there.

Not that the GTR was absurdly expensive, but i don't think that car changed the perception of Nissan much.

Other than the i3, which has a 125 mile range, all of BMWs other vehicles are hybrid rather than true EVs. Yes that’s probably the way the market will go (Toyota offer a hybrid option on nearly every model now), but it’s not really the same as a true EV like Tesla.

Also both Audi and MB have hybrid and full EVs (well VW who own Audi, and share the same platforms).

that was never the goal of the GTR though

it's more of a cost-efficient, tuner friendly car that's loaded with tech, that can take-on pretty much anything, while offering the reliability of a Nissan.

Exactly. That's what people fail to understand about the car market. It is easy to create expensive cars for high income people once you have a few good ideas and capital. Now, going from there to create a mass produced, high quality car, this is the very difficult part that only a few companies were able to accomplish. It is possible that Tesla can get there, but most people just don't understand how difficult that is.

Not only do they have brand demand, when they do enter the same markets as Tesla with their own EV they will have people flocking to them.

far too many people keep hyping numbers of Tesla's preorders or even sales of S & X while completely ignoring they don't even come close to equaling single lines of some other brands who do this year in year out

The problem is a reliable electric motor in notoriously unreliable German cars.