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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    I don't get the point of this car, I guess maybe they sell them in Asia, but for this market it really makes no sense. People aren't going to pay $70k for a Kia as shown by the sales, and Hyundai and Kia both just keep copying German car styling, but people that want to buy something that looks like a German car, will just buy a German car, not some knockoff. If anything Kia should make the K900 look radical as can be, like a concept car from 2030. At least it would stand out, this just blends in and gets forgotten.
  2. smk4565
    These subscription plans don't work, because you are paying way more than a lease price to basically lease a car that comes with a warranty anyway. A subscription service only works for autonomous cars in which case you don't actually own the car, it comes to pick you up when you need a ride. Then in effect 4 or 5 people could be sharing one S-class and each person pays $400 a month for rides in it, then it makes sense to buy a subscription service.
  3. smk4565
    There probably won't even be a 4-cylinder in 20250.
  4. smk4565
    12 and 10 cylinder will be the first to go, V8 sales are shrinking by the year. I think V8s will hold on until the day the gas engine dies.
  5. smk4565
    The Continental name wasn't the problem, the lackluster car built on a Fusion chassis was.
  6. smk4565
    The E-class isn't a racer either, you could put an E53 into the grand tourer category too. And it does 0-60 .5 seconds faster than the LC500. The E53 makes 429 hp and 384 lb-ft with the gas engine, the electric motor adds 21 hp and 184 lb-ft, not sure what the combined output is.
  7. smk4565
    E53 will be on sale shortly and could technically qualify as a hybrid since it has an electric motor on bored but I wouldn’t call it one. The Lexus V8 is from yesteryear with no torque, the E53 is a faster car but AMG has more 500 hp V8 models than any other brand if that is your desire.
  8. smk4565
    The Cadillacs have lower quality interiors with cheaper materials than this car. Cadillac doesn't have a car with this level of luxury, maybe you can argue a CT6 platinum is in the ballpark but then that is a $90k car and not a coupe. I do think if Cadillac put the effort out, they could make an Eldorado off the Omega chassis to beat this car. But then the elephant in the room is still the S-class coupe and the 8-series is coming back. So you have to beat those guys too, although if Cadillac did an Eldorado I would size and price is against an E-class coupe because there is more volume in that size and price segment.
  9. smk4565
    Here is the huge problem with this car, Lexus wants you to think it is an S-class coupe competitor, but cheaper therefor a good value. Problem is the LC500 is the roughly the size as an E-class coupe (the LC is 3 inches shorter and lower, but 3 inches wider). The E53 coupe is faster and a better performer than the LC500, has all the same luxury features and one can argue styling or which interior is better, but that is mostly subjective. So really you have the Lexus version of the E53 coupe with less performance for more money. The S-class coupe is over a foot longer than this car, way better equipped, and way more powerful and much faster. And the reason the Lexus LS sedan doesn't sell now is because it looks too radical for the 80 year olds that buy it, and again, no optional engines, weak performance, low rent, dated, clutster-bleep ergonomics interior. If they want to challenge the S-class they better step their game up. Not surprising because the Civic Type R is pretty quick on a track, especially any tight tracks without big straight aways, and Lexus couldn't find performance if they walked into the Ferrari factory in Marenello.
  10. smk4565
    The pricing on the Continental is terrible, I just went to their website, the Black Label 2.7L is $70k and there are some options you can add to that. This car is easily $15,000 overpriced for what it is. Probably what Lincoln should do to salvage some of this, is put this car's body, powertrain, interior, and features, etc and shorten overall length by 10 inches and make it the new MKZ, and cut the base price to $37,950 and make the Black Label $49,950 with the 400 hp V6.
  11. smk4565
    Not surprised by this, but what terrible product planning by Ford, and it shows how the car was underdeveloped in the first place. The Continental has zero when it comes to performance, and it doesn't have more luxury, more features or better build quality than anything else that price point, so it has nothing to win on. Plus full size sedan isn't really a growing segment, really a Lincoln the size of the MKZ should be the $50,000 Lincoln and a car smaller than that should be the $35,000 Lincoln. This goes to the overall poor execution of the Lincoln brand. All of their product is a dressed up Ford and people aren't going to pay luxury money for Escape or Fusion under pinnings. Even the new Navigator which they tout as a success gets outsold by an aging Escalade and the really aging GLS. When the BMW X7 hits, the Audi Q8, the new GLS, Navigator sales will drop under 1,000 per month in 2019 and then they'll wait until 2024 to update it, if Lincoln is still around then.
  12. smk4565
    Mercedes isn’t shy about badges, I think they almost overdo it with all the Bi-turbo and 4matic+ badges all over the place.
  13. smk4565
    I think most brand don't write the name out on the back of the car, it is pretty common just to have a badge and the model name/number. But you do wonder if GM is doing it to save $2 per car on a badge, because I wouldn't be surprised if that was a factor. But like was said earlier, they don't write Chevrolet on the trunk of the Malibu.
  14. smk4565
    They have probably averaged between 5 and 9 million per year the past 30 years or so. With 100+ years of history and a 5 million average you get to 500 million so that is reasonable.
  15. smk4565
    The Post Office doesn't need full size delivery trucks. The Bolt may be too small, but an EV that is like the size of a Transit Connect should do well, it would have even more cargo room than a gas van of that size.
  16. smk4565
    Ian Callum sure does talk a lot about the S-class, for a guy that says they don't compete with the S-class. I don't get how you make the XJ larger, and make it sportier? Making something bigger, doesn't make it sporty, it does the opposite. They do need to maximize interior room better given the size of the current car, the interior is too small. I think a S63 can out perform an XJR575 right now, and the AMG GT 4-door can for sure can beat anything Jaguar makes. Mercedes already makes what Jag aspires to. I think making the XJ electric only could be the way to go.
  17. smk4565
    Yes they could. If they build that image of building commercial grade trucks they could do both. Volvo builds trucks too. Tesla will also.
  18. smk4565
    Maybe, but the current postal truck is only 175 inches long, it is taller than a Bolt though. Perhaps GM could rebody the Bolt, or if had been a crossover in the first place, they could have had a vehicle that worked. But I know the post office is already pretty deep in the process to replace the current Iron Duke 4-cylinder powered truck.
  19. smk4565
    They should be pitching some version of this to the Post Office for the new delivery vehicle. I was thinking a Transit Connect would be good since it comes in right hand drive and has the cargo space. But the Bolt could be even better because I doubt any postal route is over 100 miles, let alone 200, and the vehicles can charge at night.
  20. smk4565
    Makes sense I am sure the margins are good on them but margins are good on any vehicle that is $150k. Mercedes has an F1 car they can pull electric motors off of, I don’t know how much development they need other than mostly the battery packs which I imagine will consume most of the money.
  21. smk4565
    They could add an electric assist of some sort if people wanted more pulling power or torque. Diesel-electric hybrids work quite well for that sort of thing.
  22. smk4565
    This isn't a bad price, they undercut Tesla and I think the interior is pretty nice on this car. I think it is still a bit pricey given what other performance SUVs are out there for $70,000, had the Jag been priced at $65k I think it would be a lot more successful. With the tax rebate for a couple years it makes it competitive with the $60k range gas SUVs though.
  23. smk4565
    $295,000 for a Range Rover? You could just get a 4 door Range Rover Autobiography for $142,000 and save $150,000 and get the same thing with a back seat you can use.
  24. smk4565
    This isn’t an AMG version of an existing product, this is a new product. It is a 4 door version of the GT sports car, although this doesn’t use the GT coupe/roadster chassis since it is too short, this is amodified E-class platform with AMG GT steering, suspension, engine, etc.
  25. smk4565
    The A-class is new body, new inside, some carry over on engine, the G-wagen is all new, the CLS is you want to call it a modified E-class, sure, it is a variant on existing product, but the GT sedan is a new entrant. No other luxury brand has put out this much in the past year. And this thing does 195 mph and probably is not the fastest version they are making. This is just the starting point.
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