smk4565
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Everything posted by smk4565
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Real Measure of Success: Cadillac ATPs Up 15% for June 2015
smk4565 replied to Cmicasa the Great's topic in Cadillac
I think $75k for a Yukon Denali is nuts, just like I think nearing $100k on an Escalade is nuts, but people will pay it, so more power to GM for getting it. Obviously Escalade sales are up, so people are willing to pay the price for it. -
Real Measure of Success: Cadillac ATPs Up 15% for June 2015
smk4565 replied to Cmicasa the Great's topic in Cadillac
I agree. I wonder what the ATP is on vehicles other than Escalade and if those are up. Escalade sales rose a lot in 2014 and so far this year, and it is the most expensive vehicle. Increase Escalade sales by 50% at an ATP of $80,000 that is going to pull the brand numbers up. If Cadillac stopped selling ATS, they could get ATP up even higher, but that isn't what is good for business. At some point they still need volume. -
The CTS is replacing the STS of 5-10 years ago, they never had a coupe there before. Audi A6 and Lexus GS don't have a coupe, the 5-series has the GT, but I imagine 95% of 5-series are sedans. I don't think a coupe magically boosts sales 30% in that segment.
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Imagine if the Supra is like $35-40k on a BMW chassis and BMW suspension, a Lexus 8-speed, with a twin turbo V6 making near 400 hp. It will run circles around the RC-F.
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BMW News: BMW M Exec: Not So Bright Future For Manuals, Horsepower Limit
smk4565 replied to William Maley's topic in BMW
Automatics are faster shifting, smoother shifted and get better economy than a manual. The computer is just too good compared to what a human can do. I'll throw this out there as a reason it isn't all about power. Look at a Mazda Miata, if they put a 300 hp V6 in it, they chassis would be stronger, engine heavier, transmission heavier, bigger wheels, brakes, etc. It would weigh 3250 lbs, not 2250 lbs, and then it wouldn't be a Miata anymore. The best BMW is the E39 M5, that had 400 hp, but it was 3900 lbs. Now these M cars are getting so heavy. If BMW can put carbon fiber into mass production and make an M5 that is 3600 lbs, 500 hp is plenty, it will smoke what they are building now. I guess to sum up, BMW doesn't really have a horsepower problem, they have a weight problem. -
2017 Buick LaCrosse Exterior Completely Uncovered
smk4565 replied to vonVeezelsnider's topic in Buick
I like that interior a lot more than the current car. Looks a lot more organized and simpler. Reminds me a bit of a Genesis or Equus with the big screen and the wood. But there could always be Chinese market differences to ours. -
I'd like to see them do a new I-6 and maybe turbo it for a Supra. I think they are working on that with BMW. Toyota is for sure developing a sports car with BMW, I can't imagine they call it anything other than Supra. As far as this hideous looking SC goes, it is just as ugly as the early 2000s Lexus SC. S-class coupe is way nicer.
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BMW News: BMW M Exec: Not So Bright Future For Manuals, Horsepower Limit
smk4565 replied to William Maley's topic in BMW
Usually as horsepower goes up in a car, weight goes up also. Because they have to stiffen the chassis, bigger suspension, bigger brakes, etc. And at some point you hit a limit of how much power you can put in a sedan and use it. There are 500 hp cars that beat the Charger Hellcat 0-60 and a lot of cars that beat it in the corners. Mercedes has had a 600 hp car over 10 years. Audi doesn't need a 600 hp car because they have Lamborghini and Bugatti to take care of that crowd. -
I was just surprised that the 5-series took a 63% decline, especially in a month when the E-class was also down. If this was a year from now and the new E-class was out against a dated 5-series I might not be so surprised. I am not surprised that crossover sales are up, but they sold 7,500 X5's. That is a huge number, that vehicle averages like 3-4,000 a month. The X5 outsold the 3-series and nearly tripled the X3. Pretty good month for BMW when their number 1 seller has a base price of $53k, most probably sold around $60k with options. And I don't even like BMW, I am glad 5/6 series sales are in the tank. I'd say it is more sales for Mercedes, but BMW still sold 32,000 units. I'd love to see the 5-series, A6, CTS and GS all selling less than 1,500 a month with the E-class selling 6,000+ a month. Maybe the new E-class can crush the 5-series the way the S-class crushes the 7-series.
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Why does it really matter if it is an activity vehicle or a utility vehicle? You can do activities in an X5, I wouldn't say it is false advertising. The X5 M and X6 M probably are the fastest best handling crossovers, maybe the Cayenne Turbo S is. Every company builds crossovers, I think BMW just wants to state how their crossovers have better performance than other people's. Doesn't mean the X5 is better performing than an M3. But when you have Acura, Lexus, Cadillac, Lincoln all selling front drive V6 crossovers, I can see why BMW wants to brag about rwd and 550 hp, because the other guys (other than Mercedes) can't do what they do.
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That they are, but the 6-series has a higher base price than a 7-series for some odd reason. I think the 6-series has crap sales volume because they don't know what it is supposed to be. If it was priced like an E-class coupe they might get some sales. What BMW does with the 6-series is dumb, and that "gran coupe" looks like a 4 door sedan, doesn't even look like a coupe. A CTS Coupe around $50k could get some sales, but I think an ATS coupe would always outsell a CTS coupe.
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To Oldshurst442, I guess Chevy should stop producing SUVs and pickups because they are hurting the image of the Corvette. Crossovers don't hurt BMW's image, it has made them more popular with a larger segment of prospective buyers. And clearly you can't build a sport car and a truck. How could Mercedes sell a Sprinter at the same dealer as an S-class? Maybe the same way Chevy sells Corvette Z06s at the same dealership that sells Express work vans. All these brands build multiple products. The X5/X6 are only one model year newer than the 5-series, as they are built on a 5-series chassis. And that has how it has been for years, and will continue to be I'd imagine. And I don't understand how a 5,000 lb SAV out handles a 4,000 lb sedan on the same chassis. last I checked and M5 can beat an X5 M around the Nurburgring.
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Maybe I should have said, outside of the Escalade, Cadillac can't get German money. The XT5 is their mid-size crossver, most companies price their crossover higher than a sedan of similar size. If a CTS (or CT5) is $45k base, then an XT5 should be $49k base. This allows you to sell a $37k XT3 and maybe slot in an XT6 around $60k before you get to the XT8, errr Escalade. But because they'll never get $49k base for an XT5, they'll price it at like $39k, so the XT3 then has to be about $32k, and now Cadillac is stepping on GMC Denalis and Buick. The BMW X5 starts at $53k, I am guessing the XT5 starts no where near that. Here is where Cadillac is not on par, and it is in vehicle selection and high end vehicles. Mercedes has 16 models with base price above $100,000. BMW (not counting Alpina) and Audi each have 5 vehicles over $100,000. Cadillac has nothing in the $100-200,000 range.
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I don't get why a 5/6 series would have worse ride and handling than an X5 or X6. BMW SUVs are build on their car platforms, so you are just adding weight and height. Saying the X5 handles better than a 535i is like saying the X3 handles better than a 335i. And as far as styling goes, they basically look the same, the 5-series front end isn't too different from an X5. I was just surprised that their sedan sales crashed and burned, but the crossovers are on fire. Mercedes is still a car maker, the C-class outsells the GLK by a lot, the E-class outsells the ML. The ML and GL are not built on a car platform but a crossover platform just for those two vehicles. The C-class, GLC and 2017 E-class are on the MRA platform. I think Mercedes still makes cars that sell, BMW has 3/4-series which always sells like hotcakes, but further up the line things don't look so good. The 6-series is way overpriced too. If costs as much as a 7-series which makes no sense. If it is supposed to be liek a 5-series coupe, then a 635i should be like $57,000. They price a 635i above an M4, gee I wonder why the 6-series doesn't sell.
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XT5 is probably bigger than a BMW X5. It is just that Cadillac can't get German money so they have to sell a mid-size SUV for $35k, thus no room for a compact SUV below it. There should be an Alpha based crossover the size of the ATS for $37k (2.0T base engine) which would make it $750 more than the ATS 2.0T sedan. The XT5 should be $46k out of the gate, if it sells great, if not, then it needs to be RWD with some performance credentials. There would still be room for a 3 row crossover at $60k, but then you also risk stealing Escalade sales, because people that want a 3 row Cadilllac now have a cheaper option.
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An ATS coupe was more important, coupes sell in that segment. The CTS isn't an entry level car any more. The 5-series, A6, GS, XF, Q70 don't have a coupe model. BMW has the 6-series but they start it at $76,000. The E-class coupe is the only mid-size coupe right now, although the E-class is the #1 seller in the segment too, despite being the oldest and highest priced. That said I'd be in favor of a CTS coupe and convertible, I just don't think it will add a huge sales boost.
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I actually just read the first pick, and didn't realize they had 2 winners. But considering the Cadillac only had a pick because it was $10,000 cheaper isn't saying a lot. They could have compared the Cimarron to the Cavalier and said the Cavalier was half the price therefor a better sports/luxury car than the Cimarron. The 190E spawned the Cosworth, that was a great late 80s sports sedan. The Cimarron was just rebadged GM garbage.
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Of course $200,000 V12 Mercedes are going to depreciate. They are priced at double the V8 model to begin with and who wants a 10 year old V12 car? The operating and repair costs are staggering and an S65 or SL65 isn't really a collectable like a Ferrari. If you want resale on a Mercedes get one with a diesel engine.
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The CTS is already priced below the E-class, 5-series, A6, XF, GS and Q70. They are undercutting the entire segment, they don't have a price problem, they have an advertising problem for sure, maybe a powertrain or interior design problem. More body styles helps, but I don't think a coupe will solve their problems.
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Mercedes sold 1.65 million cars last year, so I guess not too many people are worried about depreciation or running costs. On fuel costs though, the CTS-V has a gas guzzler tax, the E63 does not.
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Maybe Benz buyers have lots of money and don't care.
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Right, Mercedes cost more than Cadillacs, so the depreciation as a percentage is not as bad. And just the nature of the car, S-classes and AMG Mercedes are going to lose value because people are going to worry about running costs. Where as something like a 3-series will hold value because it is a more popular car on the resale market.
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I actually think the next E-class looks to have a body more similar of the W211 model. Looks like they are going with rounded off ends, no sharp creases on the sides. I wish they'd split the headlights again so it doesn't look like a C-class.
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The Cimarron was a Cavalier with a 90 hp engine before they got the V6 in there. Popular Mechanics got this one right, the 190E was the best of that bunch.
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Why have just one V8 though, when you can have two V8s!
