smk4565
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Everything posted by smk4565
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Cadillac priced the XT5 like the GLC, so if there are 2 products below XT5, looks like Cadillac will have a GLA competitor and sub-GLA competitor. The GLA may not be a very high bar, but I doubt Cadillac will do any better with a Trax based crossover or Cruze based crossover which I'd imagine will be their XT1 and XT3 respectively. The CLA and GLA are weak by Mercedes standards, but the worst Mercedes is still better than most of what anyone else does.
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Ford GT is an exotic, the rest of their line up now and through history is not.
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Tall mountain to climb here. I think they'd do well by offering a 10 year warranty on Cadillacs in Europe. In addition to dealerships they need to give people a reason to look at their cars. It helped Hyundai and Kia here, although I'd go a step farther and do 10 year bumper to bumper warranty for Cadillac Europe. On 1,000 or 2,000 cars a year it isn't going to cost much anyway. Two crossovers below the $39,000 XT5. I hope all those GLA bashers are ready for a $30k Cadillac SUV with a 1.6 liter engine.
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Bentley News: Bentley Mulsanne To Swap V8 for Electric Power?
smk4565 replied to William Maley's topic in Bentley
This would probably be 2020 or after offering, by that point battery range will improve, price will fall. It makes sense since the Mulsanne is already huge and heavy, weight and price are not a worry. If they can pack 800 lb-ft of electric torque and silent operation, I think most Mulsanne buyers will like that. And range isn't even that big a deal, how many miles will they ever go in one, probably half of Mulsanne owners have a privet jet. -
Mustang is not expensive nor dies it have power and performance in the top 5% of car models. Corvette Z06 performance level I'd say is enough to get to that level, but the Corvette isn't rare. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Koenegsegg, Paganism, McLaren, I'd call exotics. They are on another level of performance and rare.
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Audi News: Rumorpile: Audi's Latest V8 Could Be Its Last
smk4565 replied to William Maley's topic in Volkswagen
Sad that the V8 will die in most places, even the V6 could die in a lot of applications by 2025. Audi/Porsche/Bentley/Lambo though I would think would have use for a V8, that is weak on their part to give up on it. Most business for Mercedes though. I think the V8 will still have a place for high end sports cars, like $100k+ territory, even though I think electric will get more and more popular and engine downsizing will continue. -
Just out of curiosity... what do you consider an "exotic"? I had this discussion with my friends awhile back and it seems everybody has a different perspective of the phrase "exotic car". I would consider exotic a combination of rare, expensive, powerful, bold/unique styling, and capability or performance beyond 95% of other cars. Or some combination of those traits. I think an exotic has to stand out looks wise, but also be in that top 5% of performance.
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The Range Rover is a legit off roader for sure, one of the best out there. The real Range Rover, as I call it, that starts at $85k sold 1,044 units last month. The Range Rover Sport that starts at $64k sold 1,500, and that isn't a true off roader, and the $41k Range Rover Evoque isn't even a Range Rover. So if we look at the real Range Rover it outsells the G-wagen by 3 to 1, but starts $35,000 cheaper too. I think the GLS can hold its own off road, they do sell an off road package for it. It is no Range Rover, but it could mop the floor with a Lexus RX or Acura MDX or any of those car based crossovers.
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It is low volume for sure, but so are Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Audi R8s, Acura NSX, Lamborghinis, etc. The G-glass is an exotic car in the SUV world. There are several V12 sports cars out there, mid-engine supercars, etc. But until the Bentley Bentayga hit the market, get G-class was the only exotic SUV out there. That's what makes it special, and the Bentley can't go off road, there is still nothing like a G-class. As far as the Ranger Rover goes, the better comparison is probably to the GLS, even though the GLS is a little bigger, they line up more on price, features, etc.
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First off, G-wagen buyers could care less about depreciation. The NBAer that makes $18 million a year doesn't care, Kim Kardashian doesn't care, Sylvester Stallone doesn't care, etc. It could get 4 mpg and they wouldn't care. The fact that it is expensive is what makes it appealing. Car and Driver just had an article on depreciation after 3 years, industry average is to retain 53% of value. The G-class is in most cases going to be above that. I just did a search on Auto trader for G550 within 100 miles of Pittsburgh. There aren't many, but a 2014 is $89,900, a 2012 is $79,900 and there are a pair of 2003's for $35,000. That is a 13 year old truck still selling for $35,000. Using the 2012 model, it is still worth 67% of what it was new after 4 years. For fun, the top 6 in resale value are Toyota FJ Cruiser (98%), Toyota Tacoma (77%), Jeep Wrangler (76%), Toyota 4Runner (75%), Honda Ridgeline (74%) Range Rover (72%). A pair of Subarus, the Avalanche and Tundra round out the top 10. The 10 worst in resale are Smart ForTwo, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Suzuki Kizashi, Chevy Impala, Suzuki SX4, Chevy Caprice, Fiat 500, Lincoln MKS, Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta. For large SUV, the GMC Yukon was the worst, Toyota Sequoia was best, for luxury SUV, Lincoln Navigator was worst, Range Rover best.
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All I know is I want a boat with a garage door. The genius to the G-wagen is that once the V12 went on sale and Schwarzenegger buys one, then a guy like Stallone looks inferior in his G63, so then he has to go buy a G65. Kim and Kanye will need one too.
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They should build it. It is good to build something crazy and push the limits of engineering.
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The G-wagon sells great for a $145,000 vehicle. Look at BMW i8 or Audi R8 sales. Or Bentley Continental sales. Norhing in this price range is high volume and they do have global sales, they are probably selling over 10,000 globally, and these have to have $20,000+ margins.
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The G-wagen is getting a new chassis next year. This will be the first major update since 1979. And really that is probably more for compliance reasons and keeping parts similar to other models that are newer. Demand is huge for the G-wagen and sales are increasing. No reason to change what is successful.
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I don't see a 4 or 6 cylinder in the Escalade. Or a 2.0T in the Corvette. Because buyers of those cars want a V8. The current G-wagon is so heavy, a V6 isn't enough. There is a turbo V6 diesel in Europe, but the current weight is around 5800 lbs or something, if they take 440 pounds out then the turbo 6 becomes a more viable option. However that would have a low take rate still, the people buying a G-wagon want a V8, or V12 even. They also aren't bilking customers, they are giving the customers what they want. The people buying G-wagons want a 560 hp V8 retro off road tank. The G is unique vehicle with no rival really, that is why people pay top dollar for it, and sales keep climbing. That is why it sells. The more outdated it is, the better it sells.
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No concept, straight to production. It will probably look exactly the same, but the new chassis cuts 440 lbs and lets them put in the new engines and transmissions. For those who want a cheaper, more fuel efficient SUV and integrated turn signals, they also have the 2018 GLE coming.
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I would agree that people don't want it to change. The customers buying the G-wagen like it the way it is. I also don't think they need a lower priced model, the V8 is the entry level model, the AMG versions are 60% of sales, so you have an AMG V8 and a V12 as 2 step ups from the V8. Rumor is they will add an inline six turbo with 360 hp, maybe that comes in around $110,000 base. But like ccap said, a GLE is the roughly the same size a a G-wagen and gets better mileage and isn't a tank. So Mercedes is already giving customers the option of softer SUV with better mileage. Here are the spy photos for the new G-wagen, doesn't look like much is changing.
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The G wagon sells well for its segment, in fact it is pretty much alone in its segment. If a car like the ATS sells 1500 compared to 4,000 Lexus IS, 3000 Infiniti Q50, 13,000 3/4 series, 6,000 C-class, etc. Then the ATS is struggling in its segment. G-wagon isn't struggling, for its price point it sells well. There is also a new G-wagon coming next year.
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Name one Cadillac that sells in such low numbers, and is still for sale today, over the course of the last twenty years? Example of what I'm talking about? When the ELR sold jack squat, Cadillac killed it after barely a year. The G wagon has sold in paltry numbers for years so show us a Cadillac that was sold for that long in such low numbers.And in sorry but if I'm Mercedes Benz, selling 3000 of a vehicle that has had basically the same form factor and look since 1972 isn't exactly in line with what they have done with everything else they have ever made. It is clear that this exists purely to bilk a clueless customer by selling on some mysterious prestige. Name one Cadillac with an average transaction price of $145,000.
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So when Cadillac has low sales numbers, it is a good thing because they are keeping their cars exclusive. When Mercedes has a vehicle with low sales it is bad. For someone who always criticizes Mercedes for chasing volume, odd that you want to criticize them for also not chasing volume. They did just put a new for 2016 4.0 liter V8 in the G-wagen. Rumor is next year they are going to do an overhaul on the G-class, use aluminum to cut 400 lbs, and add a 360 hp inline six engine and 9-speed automatic. There will be updates, but they don't want to mess with a winning formula. No reason to fix a vehicle that gets more and more popular over time.
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No one would buy a V6 G-wagen here, there is a diesel version in Europe. The G550 only has a 40% take rate, 60% of G wagens are AMG. The people buying it want the bigger engine. Mercedes sells a GLE with 4 and 6 cylinder and hybrid versions for people that want a mid size SUV that isn't crazy thirsty. The fans don't want them to change the G-wagen, it sells because they haven't changed the look since 1979. The Jeep Wrangler has looked the same since 1943, and it is FCA's most iconic vehicle.
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Lincoln News: Lincoln Offers Free Pickup and Delivery For Service
smk4565 replied to William Maley's topic in Lincoln
Only product can save Lincoln. Black Label concierge services, and pick up and drop off service aren't going to do it. Gotta have the product. Look at Cadillac, they actually have 2 rear drive light weight chassis that are world class, and they are still struggling. Imagine where Cadillac would be if the ATS was based on the Cruze, the CTS was based on the Malibu, and XTS was their flagship. And there was no V-series, no Cadillac with over 400 hp, no coupes, etc. -
Well the S-class is the #1 selling car over $95,000, and by a wide margin. But a G-wagen starts at $115,000 and 2/3 of them sold are AMG models that are $140,000. When you compare a G-wagen to BMW i8, Audi R8, or Bentley sales, the G-wagen sales look pretty good. And G-wagen sales are up this year, and they were up in 2015 over 2014. The sales keep rising, and this for a vehicle that Mercedes was going to end production on in 2006. But the fans wanted them to keep making, and they listened to their fan base. G-wagen sales were up 17% in 2015, and are up 23.8% this year.
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Lincoln News: Lincoln Offers Free Pickup and Delivery For Service
smk4565 replied to William Maley's topic in Lincoln
Do they service Corvette Z06's at the same place they service $14,000 Sparks and City Express commercial vans? I don't really care what else is serviced where my car is serviced. My original post here was about how Ford probably wants to keep the Lincoln owners separate make it seem like Lincoln is different than Ford. Because in reality those Lincolns have a lot of Ford parts and Ford trim pieces and drive like Fords. If Ford wants to help Lincoln they need to get Lincoln it's own chassis and own bodies. -
Good post. I'd go beyond Cadillac and throw in Lexus, Infiniti, Lincoln, and Acura. None of them have really jumped into that $100k territory to challenge Mercedes, or the Italian supercars, or Porsche or the Bentley and Rolls Royces of the world. And every car company wants to maximize profits, that is why they exist.
