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balthazar

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Everything posted by balthazar

  1. balthazar
    Vega drag car (slicks, front runners, gauges on the cowl, nice paint) idle into highway gas station & pop the hatch to access the fuel cell. 68 Dodge Coronet R/T coupe, grey primer, huge hood bulge, parked at strip mall. '63 Studebaker Lark sedan, champagne color, restored, rolling.
  2. balthazar
    DD : "one of the Ford Panther cars?" Correct- source I saw said a cassette was avail on the 2011 Crown Vic, 1 yr after the lexus SC last had it. WM : Correct on the Budd XR-400 'Mustang'. The 'R' in 'XR' signified 'Rambler', 'XR-400' was swapped to 'Mustang' after AMC walked. DD : "Wrong grille on the challenger?" Can you clarify? - - - - - We're zeroing in on # 5… that leaves #3 unscathed.
  3. balthazar
    • Yes there was a Nash Rambler, then Rambler became it's own brand when Nash & Hudson merged… But technically that's 2 brands and only 2 incarnations. Z-06 got the answer to #2... • The cassette deck was factory installed as an option after the last lexus SC had it. • ocn: incorrect. A Challenger fan should notice something right off…..
  4. balthazar
    IMO, the main defect of Cadillac's (& GM in general) marketing is the scarcity of it.
  5. balthazar
    "Maybe its an option, not as standard equipment like the SC." maybe… "#5: Gas cap on the wrong side" : incorrect.
  6. balthazar
    Z-06 : correct on Question #2. Incorrect for #5. DD & WM : Lexus is incorrect.
  7. balthazar
    ^ Incorrect, and 'Rambler' is a brand; looking for a model name.
  8. balthazar
    The passion is holding GM Car X's criticism up to it's competition, because if when that is done and it's DISMISSED, that criticism becomes suspiciously about bashing rather than a legitimate concern, IMO. It's not about 'liking Lexus' as much as it's sifting thru layers of negativity in search of hard fact. Besides, using the singular metric of sales is only the passion of corporate accountants, not enthusiasts. - - - - - Month-to-month sales rates do not concern me: every brand sees fluctuations. I pay attention to annual, that's about it. Cadillac U.S. sales since the recession/bankruptcy: 2009 : 109,092 2010 : 146,925 2011 : 152,389 2012 : 149,782 2013 : 182,543 2014 : 170,750 175K-200K is right where I'd like to see Cadillac. I would NOT like them to be 250K-350K in the U.S., that's an erosion of exclusivity. I believe it would be a fair guess that I have been a longer & stronger Cadillac enthusiast than most on this board. - - - - - How can price NOT be a factor in consumer shopping??? Why do Cadillac MSRPs get knocked for appealing to the 'value shopper', but Cadillac's lease rates get knocked for NOT doing so? If numbers are a very minor factor, why do we harp on them so? Because they aren't 'very minor'; they're significant. Lease rates & MSRPs need to be comparable because consumers care about this. RE the CLA… MBUSA has reported that 75% of CLA buyers are NEW to a luxury brand. I don't believe these people are so much deciding for a CLA over an ATS as they are ponying up a few more payment bucks, bypassing their cam/cord choice and -like Drew says- claiming they 'got their MB'. But all these cars hover around the median new car MSRP of 34K. Like I said before; if John Q Consumer is going car shopping and has $40K to spend, he is (objectively) looking at a large swath of cars, including higher trim family sedans and entry-level luxury sedans. If I were in that scenario (and I had the time), I would test drive everything in my segment of interest. I DON'T KNOW how many consumers are comparing the CLA & ATS directly, but it's only logical that at least some are because if you could afford one, you could afford the other. Who doesn't like choice? Vipes, I acknowledge some of your basic points. I'm not denying that GM would like to see Cadillac sales higher, everyone connected with the Co. & the dealers would. That's just not MY desire, therefore I call it as I see it. But 'CTS sales slid last month, whaaaa!' when it outsells some of it's competition just isn't an issue for me. If the product is strong (which the CTS obviously is) and it makes a profit, I'm down. Sales charts are for the accountants. Burning rubber/200 MPH is for enthusiasts.
  9. balthazar
    ^ Those are OK, see, because they're not General Motors; they're still struggling, boutique brands just starting out… not a huge monstrous evil corporate conglomerate machine that SHOULD be pumping out 60% of all industry sales if they weren't so (chose any 3 items from our ala carte menu of negative attributes).
  10. balthazar
    ATS price range is $33K - $65K; it's covering a wide price range. Sales are not a concern to me as long as profits are there. If I were spending well above median for a car, I sure would not want to be in a string of the same vehicle during the evening commute. 'Poor sales/ poor pricing' never seems to follow the A6 around (outsold by the CTS last I read, and again; with more variants).
  11. balthazar
    Give this week's Trivia Challenge a go : 1.) What was the last production car available with a cassette deck? 2.) What’s an American nameplate that has appeared 4 separate, non-sequential times in production under the same brand. 3.) What vehicle did this emblem appear on, and what does it signify? 4.) Who knows the story on this Mustang? 5.) What’s wrong in this picture (NOT the text portion) from a Dodge ad? - - - - - Answers to last week's Trivia Tuesday : 4bbl carburetor 1959 Eldorado Brougham 1949 Kaiser Traveller Allstate, 1952-1953 vehicle sold thru Sears, a rebadged Kaiser Henry J 1956 and 1957 Buicks. Fords smallest RPO V8 was 136 CI, or 2.2L View full article
  12. balthazar
    More information about "Trivia Tuesday: March 10, 2015"
    Give this week's Trivia Challenge a go : 1.) What was the last production car available with a cassette deck? 2.) What’s an American nameplate that has appeared 4 separate, non-sequential times in production under the same brand. 3.) What vehicle did this emblem appear on, and what does it signify? 4.) Who knows the story on this Mustang? 5.) What’s wrong in this picture (NOT the text portion) from a Dodge ad? - - - - - Answers to last week's Trivia Tuesday : 4bbl carburetor 1959 Eldorado Brougham 1949 Kaiser Traveller Allstate, 1952-1953 vehicle sold thru Sears, a rebadged Kaiser Henry J 1956 and 1957 Buicks. Fords smallest RPO V8 was 136 CI, or 2.2L
  13. balthazar
    Most consumers shop via price classes, and most have no earthly idea which wheels are driving. CLA and ATS start within $1700 of each other, and both are entry-level models from luxury brands. Strict brand partisans aside, I can't see how you think they AREN'T frequently cross-shopped.
  14. balthazar
    ^ Would be interested to hear your take on there CLA back seat. That car is the exact same length as the ATS but has 9" less total legroom. Haven't yet found a whisper about this in any forum chatter or publication...
  15. balthazar
    Appealing… now get it available on the CREW CAB!
  16. balthazar
    Here's the very real problem. For EX, Lamborghini has been building the same (CONCEPTUALLY) body shell for 40+ years. They broke new stylistic ground when they created a shell with the windshield & the hood in the same plane, but as rare as Lambos are, everyone has seen them ad-infinitum. 1971: 2015: Apparently, there's no where to go from that. Add to it the proliferation of computer access, where anyone with mild talent shares their designs with the world in a click, and there's almost zero uncharted territory left. All that's left is detail-tweaking… unless perhaps we move to levitating pods.
  17. balthazar
    IMO, only children need a scheme that 'makes sense'. When Cadillac was leading the segment, didn't they use 'Series 62' and 'Series 75' alongside 'Eldorado' and 'deVille'? Names will fall into place and a brand that follows inspiration doesn't need to name their entire lineup after numbers (looking at you BMW & audi). If I were asked to approve either 'CT6 and Escalade' OR 'CT6 and XT7' is sure as hell would not be the latter.
  18. balthazar
    CLA has a LOT of quality issues from what I've heard. It is NOT representational of the brand's image, nor is it remotely 'the best or nothing'. It sells to camry & accord shoppers based on the badge. Unfortunately for the geniuses in germany who smell a windfall, it's not the bottom rung of the ladder- more cheapened FWD appliances are coming. MBUSA is sliding down a long, greasy hill. RE Freightliner, mercedes IS the dealer network- just like they are for smart.
  19. balthazar
    I do agree with this, but note you have stood against a name from the past more than once. If it does not matter, why oppose? I still advocate for a heritage name here. As soon as you have semi-widespread debate over a 'name' such as 'CT6', it's time to pick another. Don't give the crowd 'over the fence' anything to distract with, Cadillac needs as much traction as possible out of the gate. A very well executed CT6 will still do well in the market branded 'Fleetwood' or some other cue from the brand's past. If you cannot bring cues from the past into the future, who are you? Ellinghaus & Co. may believe they are 'organizing' the naming scheme 2 Cadillac, but I guarantee you it will be revisited within the decade.
  20. balthazar
    If you are selling cars only above $40K, that demographic can swallow any gas guzzler taxes that non-compliance with CAFE might earn (even tho mercedes sells more sub-18 MPG cars than any other brand). CAFE is a non-issue, and MBUSA can keep it's 'luxury' image intact. No; fielding an increasing catalog of sub-median priced vehicles has nothing to do with CAFE and everything to do with greed and pimping the badge. dfelt is right on with his informal survey; in the U.S., as knowledge and more & more product come out, people are going to relearn what 'MB' stands for. A huge component of a brand's U.S. image is exclusivity and that not many can afford to obtain it. When you sell 100's of 1000's of vehicles and bend over backward to compete with pedestrian brands like Chevrolet & toyota, you dilute that markedly. No other scenario is possible WRT human nature/consumerism.
  21. balthazar
    ^ Shifting sales is where it will pop up first, as larger percentages of sales go to cheaper & newer models. b-class is coming here next, isn't it? Mercedes is a mass market, everything-to-everyone brand, just like Chevrolet. They happen to make a handful of really expensive cars, but they know where their bread is buttered; cheaper appliances.
  22. balthazar
    I don't think anyone walking into a Cadillac dealership will be any more confused with the 'quarter-size-increments' BMW X1, X3, X5 or 1,2,3,4,5, or the 68 different alpha-numeric MB models available. Esp with such gaffes as putting the nose of a $30K econo-appliance onto your flagship coupe. There is mass homogenization running the auto stylistic world these days...
  23. balthazar
    They just haven't evolved much in the last 15 years. Anyway, my idea of a super car is something closer to this :
  24. balthazar
    LIke it was said above- it's a gradual process. It absolutely is happening, tho- those non-production and super rare cars aren't setting the image because no one buys them / sees them. It's the walmart lots peppered with CLAs and c-classes, and cheaper & cheaper mass production models that's unraveling things. Why is anyone buying a cramped CLA when there are other choices in it's price tier?
  25. balthazar
    Agreed on both counts. No doubt most passer-bys won't know if it's a car dealership or a truck rental outlet with a fancy facade. It IS a decent looking building, tho.
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