US Car's are we about to see a major.....

[Mega]

Mood change?

Ford are still betting on the F150 truck, they plan diesel and down sized Turbo 4 pot engines. Personaly i think they are stuffed, Ford needs only to look to their resent past.

Back in the 70's they had a Gas Guzzer called the LTD, seeing how the market didn't want them any more Ford did a smart thing, and a foolish one.

They carfully down sized the LTD, it shed Kgs and engine size, but kept the same type of styling. They tried till they where Blue in the face to explain to people that it was a "New deal" but to little result.

It looked like a Gas Gulzzer, so it was.......and they went off to buy Jap/Euro cars..............History will repeat its self.............i advice Ford to cut its lossers......talk to Mazda about making cars in the US under contract (thus no A A W) Who having bankupted GM & Ford are now trying to get into Toyota.

Mike

[dbarberic]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

I'm still waiting for the diesel 3 series to be released in the USA.

[Mega]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

Don't worry, its coming VW are going to make a MAJOR push statside for diesels!

Mike

[GRG55]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

Mood change?

Ford are still betting on the F150 truck, they plan diesel and down sized Turbo 4 pot engines. Personaly i think they are stuffed, Ford needs only to look to their resent past.

Back in the 70's they had a Gas Guzzer called the LTD, seeing how the market didn't want them any more Ford did a smart thing, and a foolish one.

They carfully down sized the LTD, it shed Kgs and engine size, but kept the same type of styling. They tried till they where Blue in the face to explain to people that it was a "New deal" but to little result.

It looked like a Gas Gulzzer, so it was.......and they went off to buy Jap/Euro cars..............History will repeat its self.............i advice Ford to cut its lossers......talk to Mazda about making cars in the US under contract (thus no A A W) Who having bankupted GM & Ford are now trying to get into Toyota.

Mike

It's always been pretty difficult to explain to Europeans why the North American market is just different from theirs. The reality is that the Europeans actually don't have a real mass market car industry left either. All they can sell into North America are the premium brands, or the premium products from what used to be the mass market brands like VW.

Got two friends back home my age, both car nuts. One spent nearly $60 grand on a twin-turbo Bimmer of some sort. The other spent considerably less on a new Mustang GT. One is refined & well balanced, perfection on wheels. The other is rough around the edges but from the moment you turn the key, you never forget there's an American V8 under the hood.

Ever dated a flawless woman? One who knew it? They're boring, because they spend all their time worrying about maintaining that appearance. The perfect car works the same way. I wonder how long it will be before, Lexus for example, puts out something that is perhaps a little less perfect and little more exciting to look at and drive?

[jk]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

It's always been pretty difficult to explain to Europeans why the North American market is just different from theirs. The reality is that the Europeans actually don't have a real mass market car industry left either. All they can sell into North America are the premium brands, or the premium products from what used to be the mass market brands like VW.

Got two friends back home my age, both car nuts. One spent nearly $60 grand on a twin-turbo Bimmer of some sort. The other spent considerably less on a new Mustang GT. One is refined & well balanced, perfection on wheels. The other is rough around the edges but from the moment you turn the key, you never forget there's an American V8 under the hood.

Ever dated a flawless woman? One who knew it? They're boring, because they spend all their time worrying about maintaining that appearance. The perfect car works the same way. I wonder how long it will be before, Lexus for example, puts out something that is perhaps a little less perfect and little more exciting to look at and drive?

there will always be a market for the flawless, boring [to you-and me] or not.

[GRG55]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

there will always be a market for the flawless, boring [to you-and me] or not.

Agreed. And I say let the Asians and the Northern Europeans satisfy that market.

In the meantime the Italians can build exciting well-styled performance cars (that cost a fortune), and the Americans should go back to what they do best...build cars with real and unique (but imperfect) personalities that are fun to drive, great to look at, and affordable for lots of people.

A perfect car, that has no quirks of any sort, is perfect only for those that really don't like to drive...

[BiscayneSunrise]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

GRG.

After many years with visceral cars of various sorts, I leased a Lexus LS 430 a couple of years back. HATE IT! As I tell people who ask, the car is perfect ,there is nothing wrong with it BUT there is nothing right with it either. The Lexus drive for perfection is a marketing ploy designed to feed on people's vanity (surprise! cars are marketed to ego) Perfection looks great on TV and magazine covers but give me quirky any day. As for the vaunted Toyota quality; sure the Lexus starts every day and nothing cosmetic has broken but it certainly is no where near as rugged as the German cars. I get the sense that with only 36,000 miles the car, it is on the verge of falling apart. The automative equivalent of a McMansion; overpriced and all show.

The purest driving joy I ever experienced was in an older 911. An engine and a drive train on a chassis, no creature comforts asked and none given. As for everyday driving fun, the old traditional Bimmers, Mercedes and Volvos' win hands down. In recent years, the later European models have, too, suffered the fate of perfection.

Greg

[GRG55]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

GRG.

After many years with visceral cars of various sorts, I leased a Lexus LS 430 a couple of years back. HATE IT! As I tell people who ask, the car is perfect ,there is nothing wrong with it BUT there is nothing right with it either. The Lexus drive for perfection is a marketing ploy designed to feed on people's vanity (surprise! cars are marketed to ego) Perfection looks great on TV and magazine covers but give me quirky any day. As for the vaunted Toyota quality; sure the Lexus starts every day and nothing cosmetic has broken but it certainly is no where near as rugged as the German cars. I get the sense that with only 36,000 miles the car, it is on the verge of falling apart. The automative equivalent of a McMansion; overpriced and all show.

The purest driving joy I ever experienced was in an older 911. An engine and a drive train on a chassis, no creature comforts asked and none given. As for everyday driving fun, the old traditional Bimmers, Mercedes and Volvos' win hands down. In recent years, the later European models have, too, suffered the fate of perfection.

Greg

Greg: I understand that to drive an older 911 near the limits (on a track of course, I am not advocating street racing, heaven forbid :rolleyes that mastering the trailing throttle oversteer was essential. I gather that drivers inexperienced in the Porche would underestimate the amount of opposite steering input needed to keep the back end from beating the front end home as one came off the throttle going into a hard corner.
Now THAT'S personality (and imperfection!) to love.

[c1ue]

Re: US Car's are we about to see a major.....

I'm not a Beemer guy - although the 6 and 7 series are ok.

Audi for me...

The RS8 is your answer, the V10 comes from the Lamborghini Gallardo but probably detuned to 490-500 bhp but the speed and sound are there.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/6070410....i-rs-8-on-fire