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Suaviloquent

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Everything posted by Suaviloquent

  1. Suaviloquent
    The exterior... same sausage, different lengths. Very underwhelming in terms of style, because we all expected as much. Alright, well the tech is going to be way out there in front of everything else, I am sure. And it's that kind of techno-futurist intangible brownie points that a lot of luxury makes are trying to harness. Case in point: BMW's new bipolar 7 Series. I think they'll sell a whole lot of these just like the last one, and the product overall should not be anything less than very competent, given how this strategy of trickle-down and trickle-up tech is the basis of MB's latest strategy. We've seen the C-Class dominate its class in recent instrumented tests. The product has the potential to be a class leader just like the recent C-class, or already dominant S-Class. Munificent money-maker. Genuine reaction overall: If I ever bought this, I would always think why did I cheapen out and just not get the original version of this (S-Class). Think of it this way. The distinction between the new Mercedes sedans is less of actual distinct model differences and more akin to just an increase/decrease in length of wheelbase and width. And that's something... I feel this very strongly that this is the future of automobiles, already these seeds have been sown in other automakers too. Same sausage, different lengths. But I just didn't expect (bounded rationality) that Mercedes would make it so... this is the only word I can think of, but I'm not even sure if it's even that powerful as I intend it to be - approachable. I think the target buyer for these sedans will turn a blind eye to this scalable product styling. It's efficient for the automaker, and this will surely be a wake-up call to others. I hate to say this, but I respect this car. Everything looks like Mercedes has done this vehicle right - subjective preferences thrown out the window.
  2. Suaviloquent
    Yes, yes to everything Bobo!!! Also - a weird co-incidence where I keep mentioning that GMC is trying to control my life through hidden messages and memes I uncover everyday. For example, Bobo is a Denali Member. Woulda thunk?
  3. Suaviloquent
    'Flips channel to CNN.' 'Sees this interview with Larry King for the first time.' "every boy from age 11 till death will look for (expletive deleted)." "you put a drop on a pin, and then you put the drop in a coke, and then the lady drinks and heeeellllllooooo AMURICA." Wow. No wonder Cosby's in trouble.
  4. Suaviloquent
    If this is one of the few segments that preserves a its tradition of a standard transmission, and if using bold and controversial design elements is something that attracts a lot of attention to the segment. Then I'm all for it. The thing is, like how conventional vehicles are starting to look like the production-near concept cars for years ago.. These kind of cars are starting to admirably convince you they are hot wheels cars. And they are hot wheels. And whenever I think of hot wheels (from my own childhood)... I think of Doritos and Mountain Dew. Anyone with fond memories of any of those three products as a young professional adult today, is the buyer these manufacturers are targeting. I think.
  5. Suaviloquent
    pulley
  6. Suaviloquent
    Salivating at the potential... These are awesome skills to have btw...
  7. Suaviloquent
    The Si has always been cartoony to me... and Tangerine Scream Focus ST is orange juice on wheels. Or I think of orange juice when I see it.
  8. Suaviloquent
    Okay. welp.... (I'm not taking this too seriously, but I won't hold back either, I guess) . . . . Ah I give up. Not much of a rumour person I guess. Never been exposed to active gossiping either. And the conflation of the online presence makes the two incompatible to me. So, the next poster has to make a rumour about Drew, and me as well.
  9. Suaviloquent
    The Made in China thing will be most likely a one and done deal. I fully expect GM to shift production here once they have the ability to upgrade the facilities for it.
  10. Suaviloquent
    Anyone read Orson Scot Card's Ender and Bean Series? I read about halfway like about 7-8 years ago... So now I'm re-reading it. It's masterful, the first one, and the second is supposed to be biblical in the feels. Well, atleast me. Good reads.
  11. Suaviloquent
    A discount Audi A7 would still be reaching high 40's if not low 50's. That is a product that Cadillac could have, but without the discount. Buick needs to effectively delineate what exactly it does better than any comparable Chevy, or mass-market competitor. It needs to be that brand that can capture those who want GM luxury, but don't want Cadillac RWD excellence, and are in some ways attracted to GMC's professional grade, but don't want excessive bling. But it also needs to be open for everyone. I'm sure there will be a time and place, where Buick will get some powerful engine option. I don't think Buicks need to be sporty as much as they really need to be stylish. Excellent design, and yes, like olds said, what the old Passat CC was in many ways.
  12. Suaviloquent
    Bundle your product that you also want to sell with your most successful ones. Alfa dealers should be with Jeep dealers. At first it'll be a true WTF??!!! But then you have Jeep, which is already being positioned as an upmarket brand and is coming up because it retains true off-road prowess where its upmarket and luxury competitors lack to varying degrees. And then you have a brand that you truly want to push to new heights.... you might as well place it together with the one brand that generates the most interest for the entire company. I think emulating the Jaguar & Land Rover Model, with a distinct Jeep and Alfa spin to it... actually makes some hurdles of getting people to the vehicles, as in to step within the dealership very simple.
  13. Suaviloquent
    In all of this discussion we find that the only efficiency tech coming from FCA is diesels and a hybrid minivan. FCA just doesn't sell a lot of small cars that by default are efficient. Maybe the Jeep Renegade will change that, but it's not a 40 mpg+ vehicle. FCA needs more of those too. The Dart's refresh was pushed back... and I will say, the vehicle has not aged that well at all. It just got lost. The 200 is nice in some flavours, but it's only one year old and it's already kind of an obscure choice. Maybe because the refreshes of the Accord, Camry, Mazda 6 and incoming Fusion, and of course the new Malibu just are so much noise that drones out the 200's song.
  14. Suaviloquent
    Well I think Alfa has a great chance in Europe actually, perhaps China as well. Anything expensive and well-made should do well in China. Marketing. Here you need some nice marketing folks to get the product out there. The Alfa engines are designed by the same people who make Ferrari engines... That is worth a lot of intangible cred. Deployed effectively, and with plenty of SUV juice, it can work. But it requires very high excellence of execution. If Sergio went real cray cray, imagine SRT having access to atleast some of the same engines or similar engine tech as Alfa's hand me downs from Ferrari. That would be amazing, not that SRT is lacking in V8s or crazyness to begin with.
  15. Suaviloquent
    It's all a pipe dream. Though I did like the expensive re-jiggering of SHAP... they really did do the about the same level of plant upgrades that happened to Ford's Dearborn truck plant. There's just nothing else that is fantastically new and note-worthy for FCA US LLC. Some refreshes here and there on the old guard, some models killed. Most importantly the newest products were themselves built on a platform that was not so robust to being with. It required some decent re-engineering with a lot of weight added to a compact platform meant for small cars in Europe. This is why the Dart, Cherokee, and 200 are obscenely heavy for their respective classes. You do get some niche equipment that is inherent to each brand...and clear styling delineations for vehicles that do share platforms. But it's not the optimal products that FCA really needs. What they need is what they have still sorely lacked. With gas cheap, Jeep and RAM will continue to take care of themselves. Even if Alfa is fully revived, it still has to prove its worth with good sales and there needs to be a continual pipeline for products for it too. The car brand is lauching with sedans. That itself probably wasn't the best idea. In any event.. I would like Alfa and Jeep to share showrooms. They are both heritage brands. They really are. Top end Jeeps are fully able to compete in many ways against the Germs... why not have cross-marketing to direct the Jeep aficinado who already has a Import-rival utility to get an imported conventional import rival as the fun sedan? Fiat is such as small car maker in the world now.
  16. Suaviloquent
    The new Malibu reviews are out. The car is finally good enough to be a top 5 contender consistently in all metrics. A Buick version on this platform has to differentiate itself quite a lot more than the previous one. This is a good platform though to build body variations. It was the case where a 2008 Insignia was better overall than a 2012 Malibu, and with incentives included, the latest Regal is a great overall car, just missing the demographic that would buy it, that has gone in large part to crossovers. The 2017 Regal, if it comes here, or 2017 Insignia for that matter has to shoot for the moon like the Cadillac CTS did in its current generation. The new Lacrosse is shaping up to be just that but it's an American designed and engineered car sold in the N/A and China. Where areas the Insignia will be from Opel itself, GM's European arm. I expect substantial changes in design philosophy. If it is basically a Euro VW Passat substitute with a Buick skin on it, then it'll be an interesting car. It needs exlusive content though.
  17. Suaviloquent
    This is so confusing. So this strategy is predicated upon the customer not asking the inevitable question, does this vehicle have all-wheel drive? Sure, it's only in the top trim though. Well, I guess normal crossovers do not come with AWD standard either. But X implies all wheels. Well, leave it to Infiniti to do things differently.
  18. Suaviloquent
    Just some random quips - discuss!!! I am amused how Cadillac can get away with cribbing executives of their current luxury rivals...yet when Hyundai's Genesis brand does it; they just get lambasted for it in this forum. Any level of inspiration is wrong. Johan said it himself. If you follow others you always follow. So why copy the alphanumeric naming style that no one wants, at least in America?
  19. Suaviloquent
    Anyone berating on Subaru better realize they are right up there with FCA US LLC or former Chrysler as the automakers with the largest consecutive streak of year-over-year monthly sales gains. Subaru is quietly redefining what it means to be a mass-market player. Their customer loyalty is just like Volvo. The Forester carved up South Africa quite nicely in the hand's of Motortrends St.Antoine. The best part is how some believe their system isn't capable. Nonsense. I always keep saying, GM needs every sale it can get, and every product it makes has to be the Corvette of its class. But that can put Buick in a very tenuous situation.
  20. Suaviloquent
    Alright. I can already predict your commands on the day of vacation. "Minion-bots! Roll-out!!!!" - Drew Dowdell, Timestamp Feb 2016.
  21. Suaviloquent
    I shouldn't stifling a smile, but I am. Well, I think I used my joke quota for the entirety of 2016 with that one.
  22. Suaviloquent
    Did the warranty proc every time it went bad? Even bad free batteries is better than nothing in return. Unless your time is very valuable. Then 20 minutes might as well be thousands of dollars...
  23. Suaviloquent
    What the f****? A lot of companies do this. They patent a potential future. But it's one that's never going to happen. Alright, like very very unlikely. It's nifty and whimsical and just plain stupid at the same time IMO. Unicycle? For peats sake, just get a bicycle and park it there overnight if you can and cruise to victory. Or get a folding bike dammit!!! Those can be easily stashed in the back of any new car. They exist. They existed 70 years ago too. Reserve technologies. Proven, reliable, and used everywhere.
  24. Suaviloquent
    Well ATPs are just a weighted average. When the new crossovers from Cadillac come out... It will most definitely lower the ATPs.
  25. Suaviloquent
    Sorry... whenever the word warranty comes up now... Oh man, a high degradation rate of batteries in a specific location, probably attributable to the ambient temperature and drain/charge cycles endemic to that region. Reasons that the owner of the battery can probably enumerate. Must be n00bs that make the batteries. Or must be a generous warranty that makes the battery look bad. Oh dear heavens, whatever must I do? Which argument makes more sense?!!
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