balthazar

Saw a white Ford EXP coupe in very nice shape. Haven't seen one in decades (that I've noticed). The design is still half decent.

Must've been an earlier version- I know I read it was reeeal close to 5000 in one review. Apparently there was some degree of being 'cobbled together' with all sorts of makeshift bracing, or something to that effect. It's amazing how the weight of everything has ballooned so much. Caravan was around 3300lbs when it debuted. Now every minivan is 4200+. We'll never see relatively light weights like that again.

^ I guess that's what pimples do...

^ Aware, but that's not the way they attempted to make it look, nor is it the way most gape-mawed bystanders are going to interpret it.

Rancho Baltho is, sadly and as usual, without spirits tonight. I am getting closer to my unspecified future take-up hobby of drinking, but not yet. Perhaps I am still coasting on my past drinking hobby. Maybe I'll have a brew during the game tomm. Anyway, I take umbrage at the implication that this compact CUV does anything markedly different or 'more funner' than the mean average of the segment. In other words- you can get the same functionality without having to constantly explain to people why you bought something that looks like a college frat prank.

I like black vehicles in general (some cars wear it extremely well), but because I'm not crazed with keeping a vehicle spotless & perfect, black where I like it works great for me even with a few nicks & scratches. I've had 3 black cars so far.

The vehicle could rate an 'A' in everything and the horrific looks would still bring it down to a D-. The headlights are still on the friggin' hood. FAIL. "This is different, and unique. Do you want to assign yourself to it, or not?" Perhaps somewhere, someone has seriously asked the same question WRT leprosy. -- -- -- -- -- Corporate policy forbids japanese vehicles from berthing at Rancho Baltho.

This pig still weigh over 5000 lbs?? Nevermind; doesn't matter.

Take yer time, or..... just forget it.

I don't recall if the converts were named Biarritz, but prior to the Eldo convert's return for '84, the Biarritz ('79-83 at least) was the model with the stainless roof.

SEVEN (non-truck, non-sports) car lines?? Too many: unsustainable without compromise, which is what we get- compromise. Substandard NEW!! is not relevancy.

If a marque were to cut one of 6 model lines, that money could easily flesh out a given mid-size model's bodystyles, and the question of 'HOWMANYCANWESELL??' isn't quite so demanding. You cannot, in this day & age, try to maintain BOTH 12-15-20 model lines AND still look for break-even volume in every line. Things are too expensive, the overall market volume is still way down, and the pie is being cut into too many pieces. In other words, what's working today isn't, and consolidation is in order.

Dismissing every point about past cars is no different than saying 'It's 2011, the self-starter is so last millenium- we need something new.' Clearly ocnblu's point rings true- it is the simple glut of models & platforms too close in size & features that has muddied the market horribly and wrecked the balance sheets of so many manufacturers, yet at the same time, more competition & less variety has resulted in boredom. It is time to consolidate & eliminate the overlap- the answer is not more & more & more platforms with smaller & smaller margins between each, but less, with more variety. It's not 2000 anymore.

For the masses- the name is pretty good. As long as it's not added to the rear deck with everything else- it's really not an issue.

What is Cadillac calling that 'leopard' insert on the door panels- is that a BDE-only trim? Snarky.

There you go. If mazda can get that back up around 50%, they'd fix their sales issue with the 6.

Fleet sales must be off- last I heard the 6 was 60% fleet.

saab does have a rep for changing things for change's sake.

Oh, but 'we've moved well beyond those days!' 3 MoPars in a row there- making your own point? Anyway, I do see your point, it just seems that some of the cross-corporate designs are more copycat today than they used to be.

You don't see the same steering wheel concept (3 spokes, split bottom one) in the pics you posted of the Chrysler, the 2 Dodges, the Chevy, the volvo, the saab & the Mustang ?? That's 7 cars from 5 corporations. How about the downward angling lines of the dash halves: Chrysler, Dodge, Chevy, honda, Cadillac, hindend & saab. Maybe it's just my eye that picks out the lines in design- but there's too much commonality, IMO. I find it, not bad, but disappointing.

It's fine, but my point is: > lil' finger-tug door handles? check. > distinct hood over circular gauges? check. > 'split T' steering wheel? check. > encircled NAV area with 2 vertical vents? check. > horizontal dash lines that curve downward toward the center? check. Will we ever see unique interior design again ??

What about tearing a picture of a politician in half (dismemberment), or tossing it into the ol' wood stove (burning to death)? Are these also 'thinly veiled' examples of 'malice' requiring federal officer intervention? Can we even recycle pictures of politicians (drown & shred the remains)? It's flat nuts. If I knew you and you were shooting a picture of my wife, I would question you, yes. Because in your example, you are both in close proximity to me and you know me. If you lived states away and did not know me personally (and somehow I learned you were doing that), I wouldn't assume you were a potential killer, no.

There is a very real difference between 'pretend' and 'actual'. Will actors portraying assassinations be arrested for 'pretend' crimes? Are rap stars going to be prosecuted for using the 'N-word' as a racial hate crime? Are all video games that portray 'violence' (God- how many turtles has Mario bonked into oblivion?) going to be seized? Thought crime is the very next rung on the ladder. What country is this again??

How many designers are left in the auto industry- 12 ?

I went to Five Guys once- did NOT enjoy it. Very greasy, and tremendously overpriced. Vaguely remember Gino's- but not sure we ever went there. I would have though the segment was already over saturated, but apparently that's impossible. On a burger tangent, I just read what a hideous heart attack one favorite burger is: Chili's Smokehouse Jalepeno. Apparently I cannot eat one, ever again, as I've seen it's numbers.