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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    The market keeps shifting away from anything with 2 doors. They are fortunate to sell as many Camaros as they do. Remember not long ago when there was G6, Alero/Grand am, Monte Carlo, Sebring, Solara, Altima, Celica, and Cobalt coupes. They are all dead, and that happened in 10 years.
  2. smk4565
    Production on the 10th generation E-class began last week! Help is on the way and they still beat BMW.
  3. smk4565
    Mini had 4 models that totaled 9 sales. Best stat ever.
  4. smk4565
    Because the Camaro is not a crossover. Seriously though, I think it will do better in warm weather months. A problem with the Camaro is it hard to see out of or get in and out of.
  5. smk4565
    Awesome month by the A7 with 429 sales. Brag that one up some more in the press release.
  6. smk4565
    I think they could make a 2.0T and AWD standard in the Regal for $27k and it will still be a slow seller. People buying a sport sedan aren't shopping for a Buick. They'd be better off just taking the Lacrosse dashboard, putting it in the Regal and setting the suspension to mush mode, and hoping that they can convince Lexus/Toyota buyers to spend $29k on a Regal rather than $39k on an ES350.
  7. smk4565
    Looks nice and glad to see another convertible in the entry-lux segment as most have died. Looks way better than a 4-series, and faster too.
  8. smk4565
    BMW has a lot of variants, if anything gets killed I could see it being the 4 and 6 series sedans, and just leaving those as 2 doors. Crossovers do so well, I bet they keep the X4 and X6. The BMW Z4 is probably the one in jeopardy since convertibles don't sell well. But they have nothing else like it, so I could see them keeping it. The electric cars from both brands are niche, but the law says they have to build an electric car, so those won't go away. Mercedes niche product is the CLS, but seeing as how everyone copies it, and it is basically an E-class plus $10,000, that is a keeper. Same goes for the GLE coupe, the interior is identical to the GLE, but it costs $10,000 more because the back window is sloped. The G-wagen is a niche car that they were going ti kill in 2005 but the fans want it, so they kept it. And the SL is low volume, but they won't ever kill the SL. I could see the GLC coupe being a weak seller and them dumping that. But I think they will continue with sedan, coupe, convertible of the C, E , S classes.
  9. smk4565
    When you look at Tesla or electric cars in general, price and range are the drawbacks. But look at an EV1 of 15 years ago to where Tesla is now. Give it another 10-15 years for the technology to develop and I'd imagine Tesla will have cars out performing gas powered cars for the same cost. Tesla for now can sell the fastest sedan and fastest SUV in the world and that lets them charge the high prices. The problem with electrics like the Leaf or Bolt, is you get an average performing small car for $40,000. The value equation on that sucks. 10-15 years from now if the Bolt costs the same as a gas powered Cruze, you'll see the electric cars sell.
  10. smk4565
    Or any kind of appeal.
  11. smk4565
    Mercedes just has more top end cars than BMW. We can speculate on what BMW might build, but when you look at the current line ups, they have nothing to compete with the GLS, G-wagen, AMG GT, or SL. And the 7-series is getting pummeled by the S-class, even with the new M760i V12 is it outgunned by the S65, and the S65 is supposed to get a power bump when they get all wheel drive on it and I assume reinforce the transmission. And you have to consider that Mercedes made the SLR and SLS in the past, no reason that they wouldn't go back into the $200k super car market again, BMW has never been up there. Mercedes could build a Ferrari La Ferrari competitor, they have the ability as their Formula 1 car is better than Ferrari's, but they have said they will not do a hyper car because it would be a money loser.
  12. smk4565
    When you look at the M cars, most of them are in the 2, 3, 4 series line. I still don't see them putting a straight six in an M5 or M^, still need a V8 there. But when you compare the M line to AMG, you realize how many fewer M cars there are, and how many fewer at the high end. They don't have any full size M products, or pure sports car or SL roadster competitor.
  13. smk4565
    The I6 engine is fantastic but a 335 or 535, or 340/740, etc has a straight six. If I were going to spend $90k on an M5 or $150k on an M7 or M760 as it were, I would want V8 and V12 power. Or if they do an M8, it better be a V12 coupe. The M5 is like 4,400 lbs, I wouldn't want a six cylinder in that. The exception would be if the M cars got lighter than the base model. If an M5 had a carbon fiber body so that it weighed as much as a 528i, then a 450 HP straight six might work. But I don't see them making an M5 that weighs what the E39 weighed.
  14. smk4565
    I'd bet 100 dollars to a donut that if they made a Crossover Coupe based on E2XX or D2xX that it would outsell the Regal 2 to 1 or more. I can't see the Regal moving any worthwhile volume to even continue with the product. People spending $30-35k will just buy a crossover, and car enthusiasts like myself that hate crossovers wouldn't buy a Buick.
  15. smk4565
    BMW M division should focus more on V8 and V12 power. The straight six is a great engine, and a very smooth and balanced engine, but it still a six cylinder. That is great for standard BMWs, but in an M car there should be more.
  16. smk4565
    C450 renamed. I believe there will be an E43 as well.
  17. smk4565
    Who's to say that GMC won't put another crossover above the Acadia, and under Yukon. I could see having 8 crossovers at a Buick-GMC dealership, is that is basically all that sells, cars sales are in the tank.
  18. smk4565
    Well I was thinking maybe GMC would add a compact crossover below Terrain, maybe slightly bigger than a Trax, but something to compete with Jeep Renegade. Crossovers are king right now, but you don't need 3 versions of a Trax.
  19. smk4565
    A 2nd thing on these Tesla owners. Does anything think they are driving from St. Louis to Chicago for example, they'll buy a plane ticket. These are for the most part people making a few hundred grand a year, or wealthy retirees, etc. They aren't traveling sales people pounding the pavement.
  20. smk4565
    There is electricity in just about every building in the USA. Granted a 110 volt outlet would take forever to charge a Tesla, but it isn't like you can't find electricity. Secondly, a lot of Tesla drivers are in urban areas and not driving 250 miles or more in a day, I never drive 250 miles in a day, so the range of a Tesla wouldn't both me for example. Charging the car in my garage and not having to go to gas stations I find appealing. If the free towing is to combat range anxiety, what nimrod can't read a battery % life gauge? It is like having smart phone, how often does your phone ever hit 10% or go dead totally. People just plug in their phone when it gets low. The Tesla is the same thing.
  21. smk4565
    The current Sprint cup series cars make 725 hp, they lowered it from around 850. I read one of the Waltrips said that 204 mph is the about the max speed for a stock car to stay on the ground with the air flaps they have on them. Elliot's all time record speed is 228 mph, but today's cars are slower. I think they can still hit 200 mph with 450 hp because a lot of that is based off the draft, in a group you don't have as much air so the cars use that draft to add speed and maintain it. Plus gearing comes into play, on Talladega or Daytona they are mostly running a constant speed or in the 175-200 mph window. A Corvette can hit 180 mph or so with 450 hp and it isn't made for a race track. An AMG GT has a top speed of 190 mph with 500 hp. So with racing in mind and the drafting I think 200 mph is doable on 450 hp. The acceleration is lessened, but they don't need acceleration at Daytona. A Veyron has a 268 mph top speed though, in a straight line it would destroy any race car, F1, Indy, LeMans, NASCAR doesn't matter. The Veyron isn't good in corners, but on a track like Talledega or Daytona where corning ability is not really needed, I think the Veyron could compete with a Nascar. Not an Indy cary though as they would hold their speed in the turns better. What we need is someone to lap a Veyron around Indy speedway, Daytona or Talledega so see how fast it is.
  22. smk4565
    Downsizing isn't a bad thing. In fact I think it is a good idea for some models, as most of these cars get bigger and bigger. Size creep keeps making sedans like the Malibu, Camry, and Fusion bigger, then you don't need an Avalon, Taurus or Impala anymore. And you have phased out your top end model. Why not do it in reverse and phase out your lowest end nameplate? In the Acadia's case, they made it the size of the Highlander and Pilot, that is an incredibly smart move. The Envision is actually a small crossover, Nissan Rouge, Honda CRV or Lincoln MKC size. I expect the Terrain and Equinox will drop to that size as well, which allows Chevy the room to add a new crossover. So Chevy would have Trax, Equinox, new cuv, Traverse. Buick would have just 2 CUVs, but Buick 3, so that gives them 5 int hat dealership.
  23. smk4565
    Right now Mercedes is the only game in town when it comes to full size coupes and convertibles, even the SL is the last of its breed for luxury roadsters. The Lexus LF-LC coupe is more like an E-class coupe in size, Audi, Jaguar, Infiniti and Cadillac have nothing in the full size coupe/convertible space. F-type the only roadster offering from that group.
  24. smk4565
    The performance is AMG level, or at least AMG level of 5 or so years ago. But I am still not really a fan of having the V6 powered "AMG 43" cars. I'd rather see all the V6 (soon to be inline six) Benzes with a 400 moniker, V8s 500, V12 600. I think it would make more sense. I do like the looks of the coupe though, I think this styling language will look better on an E-class coupe.
  25. smk4565
    The 8-series better be a 2 door, and not another 4-door coupe thing or some odd body style, but a real 2 door coupe. I would actually style it more like the 90s 8-series. The 90s 850ci looks better than anything in their current line up. I guess they better add a drop top version too, because:
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