Suaviloquent
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Everything posted by Suaviloquent
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I think this design works much better on the RX. I would get a Lincoln MKC Black Label/Presidential Edition. And then I'd get something a helluva lot better than Lincoln MKC.
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I don't see how that's a problem for Tesla. That's a problem for anything plug-in. And by those counts it's quite clear that the competition to this is even lamer, because they provide no strategy to address the infrastructure gap. Atleast with the Tesla's cars, Powerwall and Solar city, you can go become net energy neutral, or perhaps even add power back to the grid.
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Full of win, that's Tesla. http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2016/04/03/tesla-model-3-first-ride-yes-tesla-will-sell-a-ton/#4c4160af3893
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The G-Wagon exists because it's so ridiculous. It's all about being ostentatious. Which is also why it is leased... The thing is... brands are built up so they can be whored out. That's how it works. I mean, there is nothing to do about it. I don't understand why there is so much fervor over 10 more AMG models. As I'm told that once a brand is built the next thing to do is usually build a stable of options to keep customers in your fold. Do we not expect more VSport models? Do we not already see more M Sport trim packages? I mean the model designation is of no consequence - it achieves the same end as a standalone AMG Sport package... I seriously do not understand why there's so much angst against this. Every company is doing this. Heck - Ford is whoring out Ford Performance through not really true performance cars like Explorer Sports and Fusion Sports.
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Chevrolet News:What is the Future of the Chevrolet SS?
Suaviloquent replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
The SS is a sweet car. It's a hoot. I would reckon it is the closest to a Camaro sedan - except with exceptional visibility. Also, slealth wealth, and great resale. I would bring back SS. And then I'd bring back something a hell of a lot more Badass than SS. (Holden Commodore donating it's LSA anyone?!!) And if you wanted purity of driving, it's like a Chevy F10 5 Series. I'd get it over a Cadillac VSport by the thinnest of margins too. Alpha is nice, but the SS has some chunky space inside. And the interior is just like any other large full-size sedan - by that I mean near-luxury, great materials. -
Regardless. All luxury brands have piss-poor resale values. And to compare their piss-poor resale is like comparing cockerel sizes. ZERO-SUM GAME IS WHAT I'M SAYING. And I recall lovely gentleman Mr. Frisky saying that Cadillacs, just like the rest of the industry have piss-poor resales... atleast when it comes to wholesale dealer auctions...
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The sad truth is that there are some morons all over who want to see this company fail, and fail it should - the mandate for electric vehicles is law now. No matter what. By 2050. Say bye-bye to your prized Chevy SS's and Challenger Hellcats. The barriers to entry into the automotive market are immense. So in order to build a viable company, Musk sought out to create a whole new kind of company. Building a brand is more important than profits at the outset of a company. You can ask Fisker, you can ask all the failed new auto start-ups how they failed because they could not build awareness which after nurturing can lead to sales. This is the only recent company to get this far. And every day it operates puts another milestone into the books. And it's not a fad. I can surmise how the electric car market thinks like this. via Imgflip Meme Maker
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Why are we comparing coupes to SUVs?
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New facilities as of the biggest auto recovery since the recession. No. Not a single new automotive plant at all by the big three. SHAP got some big investment, but that's about it. And the NUMMI plant was a failed joint venture. Except the structure of the facility, everything else had been liquidated.. But Tesla's totally revamped it, and I'd count it as a smart move. GM deserves no credit - and arguably the NUMMI venture is where GM finally learned how to make competent small cars. Guess who their partner was? And Tesla expects to have full cost recovery 4th quarter 2016. For an all-electric marque, that's incredible. But they make have to undertake more capex because Model 3 has more demand than expected. Interesting problem to have. Tesla understands the market. They have created value. They just need to deliver it now. And then manage expectations.
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The 320i is faster than the ATS 2.5L, and a cheap tune away from destroying the terrible excuse of a base model for the ATS. I don't think people driving an ATS 2.5 at the limit will get out of it and into the BMW and say it's soft. They are just there to get the cheapest premium RWD car. But is there any extra value created for someone buying the base model CT6? You can't get AWD or the advanced safety features. And the interior reflects its price tag - it's no upgrade over the CTS at that price. You're stuck with an artificially low priced entry point for the car. Which answers a question no one asked.
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Almost 300k deposits of intent. $300 million dollars pocketed - but it's restricted cash. But good reserve buffer. Can only recognize as revenue as deliveries commence.
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So you mean to tell me that the CT6 is underpriced because they want to build a CT8 that the CT6 was supposed to be?! The CT6 is the answer to a question no one asked, and the 2.0T model exists the same way that a 320i exists for the BMW 3 Series. Because they're paralyzed by catharsis. Hey, let's build a low volume, high margin brand, yet let's debut a penetration priced, high volume car, and only sell it in markets where we have guaranteed sales. Then let's risk the prestige of our brand, by sourcing part of the models for that car from a place of origin that devalues the entire premise for the brand to exist in the home market of the car. And that customer buying the base model CT6 is better served by a higher trim, loaded XTS that is far more profitable. But I love the CT6 all the same, though I can see behind the viel and say it how it is.
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The thing is that the automakers are no longer just competing against each other for the prized award for best compliance car. No. Right now, Tesla is still growing. Investing in such a capital intensive industry - NPV recovery doesn't happen in a mere 2, 3 years. It takes a good decade against the incumbents. And inept incumbents that aren't fully committed are stupid competitors. Like if the end goal is to make electric vehicles, why develop hybrids? Why waste money to bridge the gap, when you can make quantum leaps - everyone believes the incumbents can do so. The Bolt will cannibalize sales from the Volt. But being able to materialize triple the intention of purchase within a fold of 2-3 days. That's unprecedented. Now Tesla has grabbed all of the market share that somehow GM was going to take. Or Ford was going to. Or Nissan had tried to in the very beginning. Stupid companies. All of them.
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Well, it's because Cadillac has no market presence, and cars like Mercedes S-Class coupe/convertibles and Bentley Continental GTs own that segment. So CT8 will not have amazing, but I'd bet that Cadillac would love to reverse the situation in a heart beat, woudn't they. And Cadillac isn't meant to be high volume, I agree. But their brass doesn't agree, and is largely copying Germans to go toe-to-toe against them in all the niche segments.
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Cadillac wants volume sales. Plain and simple. That's why they're supposedly bringing to market 12 all-new models within the next 5 years to fill all the niches.
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If GM put more effort to make their Bolt desirable, and build their brand they'd have the total production volume of the Bolt sold out. But it's come out as just another compliance car, with derivative styling - such as the Honda Fit front end, Lexus RX rear pillar, so much more. The Bolt has 200 miles of range and nothing else to distinguish itself. While the upcoming Nissan Leaf, an arguably much more well known electric car will push 300 miles of range. And the Model 3 - well, Tesla only needs to turn half of the pre-order deposits into sales to absorb all of the world's electric car sales. All of the world. And of course, their higher priced S and X Models get the wealthy buyers that provide them with excellent automotive margins. And, Tesla has already put a path forward to profitability. But I don't understand the Income and Balance sheet scrutiny. By all means, Tesla has the entire ownership experience locked down as itself and its sister firms offer everything needed to create a product ecosystem. And I don't see any big name automaker invest in America to make new facilities. And it's not like they can't even try. The same state incentives that Tesla took advantage of are easily available for other makes. Again - the other automakers are inept. All of them. The only real competition for Tesla will come from Porsche, and their car is another 4 years away, using today's available technology. I'n not a big fan of electric cars, but the Tesla is the only desirable electric car manufacturer. No one is even remotely close.
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The reason why the poor residuals are benefitting the German makes is that buyout is something the luxury buyer rarely does. Or in the case of a trade-in, they win there as well. People have different ownership styles, and some people want the own the latest and greatest for a fixed time period, not until the car physically breaks down because of age and wear. Ultimately, it's nonsensical to not cater to those buyers - not everyone wants a nice small Chevy or Ford that they can make one lump sum on. And no, wealthy people leasing an S-Class or AMG vehicle is nothing like leasing a CLA. And have you seen these ATS leases? It is irrefutable. Cadillac intends to fully compete against the German makes, their top brass is a pack of Germans, and saying it isn't so is stupid. And Cadillac ATPs, again, is a weighted average. However, the majority of future Cadillac growth will come from models lower in their range. Things such as an XT3 and CT3. The ATPs will take a plunge, maybe not in America - because small Cadillacs are an unproven paradigm, but absolutely over the world.
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Luxury buyers buy excess and also pay for excess at the trade-in. But then again, that's why leasing is king in luxury.
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Would You Rather: Aventador SV vs Ferrari Enzo Edition
Suaviloquent replied to Frisky Dingo's topic in The Lounge
I despise both, but I despise the Enzo somewhat less, for the same intangible, unarticulated reason.... I would bring back Ford GT for $400,000 into this convo. And then I'd bring something a helluva lot worse than Ford GT in this convo.... And I think in terms of performance. I would bring back Huracan - a cheaper car with less power that performs better and looks better. In a Lamborghini you say? How is that possible?! -
(Another ghost sighting) Anyways, I think the S-Class is largely regarded at the superlative in its class. Is it a sales success because of branding or is it because it is actually good. Well the market research says the companies that build their brand succeed - by catering to their buyers needs. The S-Class sells to wealthy people in the majority of the world that do not drive themselves. Which means who the hell cares about the driver's needs at that point? Okay benevolent benefactor. Good point. And I'd say the S-Class AMG vs potential CT6-V is akin to a Challenger Hellcat vs a 5th GEN Camaro ZL1. And there are real reasons to consider the S-Class - superior interior, more powa and more expensive. Actually probably double as expensive. But that's branding. That's what's called earning quality revenue. And I swear to all of you. Cadillac wants a piece of that kind of business. That's what they are building towards. But to get there they first have to build driver's cars combined as luxury cars before making that pinnacle shift. They have cleared that path. But why not just give us what us non-paying non-existent customers want - a production Elmiraj realized as a CT8.... Which I'm sure would make such a huge wave even if they lost money on every single one sold. Consider the loss as the initial capital outflow to build the brand. or re-build in this case. Which changes the formula.... But you get the point.
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I don`t see any issue with milking the cash cow. Every company does this. I bet if GM or Ford were in this situation no one would complain, they`d just say it`s good business, and smart move. Except Mercedes-Pretendz. Get that garbage outta here....
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Chevrolet News:What is the Future of the Chevrolet SS?
Suaviloquent replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
Are you joking? Tesla's RWD drive motor - its entirety is the size of a medium watermelon. The front is the size of the a large melon. And their drive motor includes everything... everything needed, the brushless AC motor components,and the reduction gear for torque multiplicaiton.... And, it is packaged like flat engines.....ev motors do not take up a lot of space. I think the real innovations will be made in charge times, battery charge cycle improvments instead of big range gains first, Like to be honest, a 200 mile range with like a 20 minute, 100% charge time is pretty good at a supercharger for a target standard. You don't need any better, because if you can charge at home in an hour I don't see how people ever see face the issue of range anxiety, given that most motor vehicles spend more time sitting idle at the home or office than actually driving. -
I think the problem with the i8 is that it's just not advanced enough. And like...seriously, Tesla are faster, have more combined range, don't use CF and don't have 3 cylinder engines in a six figure car. Not that this and a Tesla even remotely compete, but seriously Porsche 918, Acura NSX, McLaren P1 actually are the real super/hypercars. The i8 suffers just like the ELR. The era of the personal coupe for just fashion statements is over. Coupes have to deliver blistering performance or incredible value or obscene luxury. And the i8 fails on all of those metrics.
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Chevrolet News:What is the Future of the Chevrolet SS?
Suaviloquent replied to William Maley's topic in Chevrolet
I think EVs are more flexible with the powered wheels. And you can do torque vectoring by just using more motors. like 4 corner power...that's crazy... Maybe 10 years from now an SS replacement comes out, RWD, EV. Why not? Like with EVs....you can get great space efficiency for the overall length of the vehicle and rwd..
