riviera74

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riviera74 last won the day on July 15

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About riviera74

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  • Birthday 12/02/1974

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    Fort Myers, FL

  1. Ford News: Rumorpile: Ford Could Cut C-Max, Fiesta, & Taurus

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Ford

    Maybe the real issue is that the EV is simply nowhere nearly as compelling from a customer perspective as it is a manufacturing one. Once EVs are cheaper and better than ICE cars, then customers will change their minds. Low costs and low maintenance and low prices change a lot of minds quickly. How do you think Toyota/Lexus and Hyundai/KIA went from zero to mainstream in only 15-20 years, and often less than that?

  2. Chevrolet News:2018 Chevrolet Traverse To Begin At $30,875

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet

    The more I look at that 3.6L DOHC V6, the more I miss the 3800/3900 series V6. Flat torque curve for days and more torque than horsepower. Too bad GM will not derive a V6 from the Vortec V8s they still have since those V6 engines may not do as well from an MPG standpoint as the European-derived 3.6L. I have my doubts a turbo 4cyl will power the Lambdas forward as well since the Lambdas are comparatively heavy.

  3. Rumorpile: Corvette and Camaro RHD Programs Are Go

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Holden/Opel/Vauxhall

    Maybe it was not intended to be a global product initially. Perhaps the next-gen Camaro will be meant for both LHD and RHD.

  4. Jaguar News: 2018 Jaguar XJR575 Adds More Power

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Jaguar

    Wow. The S-Class is that much of a powerhouse in its segment? By that logic, why should Audi, Jaguar and BMW even try?
  5. From a US point of view, it does seem rather strange that Europe would actually OWN pieces of industries in their countries. Then again, Europe is more socialist than the USA ever was. At the same time, each can learn from the other on certain things if both are willing to learn. I have never bought into the idea that governments should actually OWN parts of industries or companies for their own sake. A lot of Europe could seriously privatize their stakes of multiple companies. If you want to know how bad it can get, just look at most countries that own their oil industries and the problems with inflation and worse created by government ownership. (Think Venezuela.) OPEC is the biggest reason oil prices are where they are and where they have been. Without OPEC, oil prices would have been consistently lower since 1973. Ironically, the only reason fuel economy standards and pollution standards truly exist is because of the oil cartel propping up oil prices for so long. I am all for EVs but who will buy them? It is not as if Tesla is setting the world on fire. The Nissan Leaf, two of which I saw yesterday, is not all that popular either.
  6. So Britain and France are banning Gas and Diesel cars by 2040. OK. How are they going to generate enough electricity for the hybrids and EVs that they do want? I know that France is still using nuclear energy; Britain I am not so sure. VW did ruin the diesel party by cheating; then again Piech created that problem in the first place by not accepting NO for an answer. Europe does have an acid rain problem because of all of the pollution generated mostly by factories but also contributed by diesel emissions. Sometimes it is simply better to just say, "here is what we want, you figure out how."

  7. Quick Drive: 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Staff Reviews

    VW drivers switch to a GM car, even a diesel Cruze? Call me when there actual numbers to those conquest sales.

  8. Ford News: Rumorpile: Ford Could Cut C-Max, Fiesta, & Taurus

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Ford

    Once autonomous cars happen, ride sharing and car sharing will soon follow. From a liberty standpoint, this is not good at all. Do millennials and Gen Z care about anything that cannot be used by a smartphone (or themselves)?

  9. Jaguar News: 2018 Jaguar XJR575 Adds More Power

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Jaguar

    MCE stands for mid-cycle enhancement. Instead of an all-new model, the carmaker upgrades a lot of what is there and sometimes even tweaks the exterior and maybe trim prices.
  10. In my experience, I would prefer a large car over a minivan, especially in the 80s. Why? My family bought an 87 Ford Aerostar, and I was required to learn how to drive in that minivan. I never liked that minivan and I have had the occasional issue with them since. As far as I am concerned, I am a little jealous of you guys who drove the old pre-1985 B-bodies since those seemed to be better. When I lived in northern NJ back in the late 90s, there were SO MANY OF THEM, even those from about 1977 and earlier. Back then I had an 84 Cutlass Supreme and there are a few occasions I miss that car (or at least what it offered). What really saddens me is that there are so FEW large cars generally, and even fewer large RWD sedans anymore. Cadillac has the CT6 but needs to resolve the poor sales of the CTS and ATS. The Epsilon FWD cars will almost certainly disappear because of this crossover madness the USA is suffering through. The Chevy SS was too limited in sales and production; the Charger/300 twins require an upgrade; Ford has the Mustang and the trucks (and I do not like trucks!); Lexus has the GS and LS that may not sell like they used to; BMW and MB are the same as they ever were, but they are increasingly crossover-mad; the Jaguar XJ may become endangered; and Hyundai/Kia makes the only semi-affordable RWD large sedans left other than Chrysler. If only Congress simply raised the gas tax in 1975 rather than pursue this CAFE madness, we could have avoided a lot of this mess. Now we are stuck. Help.

  11. Jaguar News: 2018 Jaguar XJR575 Adds More Power

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Jaguar

    IOW, where is the XJ MCE?

  12. Dodge News: Dealers Find A Way Around Dodge's Demon Deterrent

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Dodge

    Tell that to your state legislature. They are the ones who wrote all those agency shop laws that protect dealers from manufacturers.

  13. Lack of Information Has Model 3 Reservation Holders Anxious

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Tesla

    No, Elon Musk needs to sell Tesla to an existing auto concern because Tesla is not delivering anywhere near what he promised.

  14. Ford News: Rumorpile: Ford Could Cut C-Max, Fiesta, & Taurus

    riviera74 replied to William Maley's topic in Ford

    First GM is killing sedans in favor of crossovers, now Ford. When will this crossover madness end?
  15. GM has had an advertising/marketing problem ever since the BK, and it probably goes back as far as the '90s. Cadillac should be getting MORE ad/mktg value than everyone else, but they have not put in the effort. Personally I am not sure whether the CTS or ATS should survive, but they need to choose one and make that the CT4. As for the XT5, Cadillac needs the XT3 and XT7 STAT! A Russian-esque degree of choice for a worthy vehicle in each segment. Yuck. They call that a monopoly. Monopolies of ANY KIND are completely awful for everyone (excluding the monopolist).