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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Hard to compare a turbo V6 to a N/A V8 for fuel economy when they are in different vehicles. There are a lot of variables there. You could probably pick and chose various engines in various cars that will beat others. But why use an N/A V8 when you can turbo it? Still a mystery to me as to why there is no Ecoboost V8.
  2. smk4565
    First off those that say a turbo V6 is better than a V8, would they like the Corvette to lose the LT1 V8 and offer a twin turbo V6 in stead and make the Z06 the only V8 Corvette offered? Second. Who says it has to be an N/A V8 in the Lincoln. Ford makes 1.6 and 2.0 liter turbo 4's. Why couldn't they make a 3.2 or 4.0 ecoboost V8?
  3. smk4565
    I wonder how long the Savana and Express will last anyway. They are like 20 year old designs and the Euro-style vans are taking over. The Promaster is a bad vehicle luckily. But I wonder if GM could allocate that whole factory to pick ups, and build a new van off a new platform some place else.
  4. smk4565
    You can't be a luxury brand without rear wheel drive and a V8. It is that simple. (Tesla is rear drive and has 500-700 hp, electricity is the exception) I never said Lincoln had to offer a V8 cheap. Charge $85k for it for a rear drive V8 Lincoln for all I care, at least they would have an interesting product. I originally said the Continental being a front drive chassis car, even with a turbo v6 and all wheel drive will have to be priced cheap to sell. You can put as nice an interior as you want in these Lincolns, they still drive like Fords. Acura is in the same situation, that is why Lincoln and Acura struggle selling sedans over $45k. RLX and MKS sales are proof of that. I think this idea of the V8 is so expensive is ridiculous. Ford and Chevy can put V8s into Camaros and Mustangs for $35,000. Chrysler/Dodge do it also with their sedans. So in Cadillac's case, they could put a V8 in more cars, they choose not to. In Lincoln's case, they don't have the platform for it. Without a real platform Lincoln will never be anything. Trying to make front drive Lincolns compete with real luxury cars would be like building the Mustang on a Fusion platform, and putting a twin turbo V6 in with torque vectoring awd. You could still get 400 hp in the car and put it on the ground, but a fwd chassis Mustang is not going to compete with a rear drive Camaro. Just like these Lincolns won't compete with Cadillac, Lexus, the Germans, Jaguar, etc.
  5. smk4565
    I also originally said most luxury cars "offer" a V8, at the mid-size level. The mid size Infiniti is Q70, that has a V8, Lexus GS-F, the AMG, M, Audi S models, Jaguar XF-R, Hyundai Genesis, and CTS-V as well. Acura, Lincoln and Volvo do not, look at their status. And I am all for the turbo V6 argument to replace the V8, or turbo 4 to replace a V6. But then why is there no turbo V6 in a Silverado or Tahoe, GM still puts V8s in those.
  6. smk4565
    Cadillac offers a V8 in the mid-size CTS-V for the low 90s. MB only offers a V8 in the mid size E-Class when you fork over $100K for the privilege. Not sure what you are trying to prove here based on that simple fact. Unless you get an E550 coupe or convertible which are $60-65k with a V8. I am not saying the V8 cars are value, but that other luxury makers offer them. Luxury brands are supposed to offer the best and supposed to offer excess. CT6 has no V8 when that the common engine for the large sedan segment. A turbo V6 is plenty for most, but I still think luxury and sports cars need that aspirational product too. You don't see a turbo 4 or turbo v6 in a Corvette, even though it would make for adequate performance, because they know buyers want the most power they can get and will pay a premium for it. I mentioned the V8 about the Continental. The MKZ is bigger than an E-class or 5-series, the same length as an Infiniti Q70. The Continental will be as big as an LS460, K900, Genesis/Equus/G90 and those are V8 cars. Oncblu is 100% right about the primary Focus. You know it is coming eventually. A Lincoln Explorer would have higher margins so they'll do that first.
  7. smk4565
    Most luxury cars offer a V8, even at the mid-size range, especially at the full size. It is Lincoln and Cadillac that for some reason don't want to. It will be interesting to see the final product and pricing for the Continental. And speaking of core segments, where is the small Lincoln luxury car? The MKZ is 194 inches long, that is bigger than a 5-series, and a lot of people complain the 5-series is too big and bloated now.
  8. smk4565
    If the Continental was a real luxury car, they'd have the 5.0 liter V8 or the 5.2 liter flat plane crank V8 in there.
  9. smk4565
    I don't think there will ever be a turbocharged LaCrosse, nor should there be. 300 hp is plenty for a front drive vehicle, even if you do route it through an AWD system. And for the demographic of that car, 300 hp is plenty. People that want a 400 hp performance car will go to CTS or an Import. This is Lincoln's problem though, they don't have the ride/handling of other cars because of the chassis, they can't put huge power in because of the chassis. So all Lincoln has is interior to sell on. And I doubt the Continental will be an S-class or A8 level interior. Probably won't even be Mercedes C-class level. Which you can get a C450 that does 0-60 in 4.5 seconds and has the AMG 33/67 split and system for $50k, and $60k optioned up.
  10. smk4565
    I mean a 300 hp engine on Continental. A 300 hp Continental could sell for around $44,000. A 400 hp twin turbo V6 Black label for $49,995. That's how I'd price them. Because it is basically just a fancier Buick LaCrosse.
  11. smk4565
    Watch them nickel and dime the Continental to keep the price competitive, then they'll offer $5,000 cash back on it and fleet sale it to blow through inventory and not rebuild the brand and not make money anyway. No one has been successful selling a front wheel sedan over $50k. This is why XTS, Acura RLX and Volvo S80/S90 have been high $40s with awd. I don't think anyone is paying over $50k for a Continental.
  12. smk4565
    I originally thought there should be a 300 HP base engine at $45k and options,but I think everything should be standard for $49,995. Every available option from an MKX or Navigator should be standard on Continental. So the fully loaded price would also be $49,995.
  13. smk4565
    I wonder if they will sell a clock with 4 diamonds for $80,000 for the less fortunate.
  14. smk4565
    I picked the Escalade and Navigator as examples. But let's say they use the Continental concept interior and 400 HP v6 base, I think $49,995 needs to be the price with destination charge. Lincoln needs a splash. They are using a front drive platform so already they are behind all the other luxury cars in ride and handling. They need to produce the best American car interior ever with ridiculously aggressive pricing.
  15. smk4565
    I would agree with Drew's point that Zeta wasn't worth bench marking and that the bench marking process would have been 3 years ago. Ford in 2012 wouldn't have known what the 2016 Camaro would be. I'd also add this. If Ford in their mind felt the Mustang was the best car in the segment, why would they benchmark someone else? I am not saying I think the Mustang is the best car, but if Ford thought it was, they are going to benchmark themselves. For Example, you don't hear BMW saying we benchmarked the IS350 or G37 when designing a 3-series. The 3-Series is the gold standard, they can only advance their own design, and would not benchmark a lesser product.
  16. smk4565
    Lexus spent $1 billion in 1980s money to develop the LS, and they sold it at half the price of an S-class. It wasn't as good as an S-class, but it was close and far better than what Cadillac or Lincoln had in 1991. I am sure Lexus was losing money on every LS sold but they built the brand on it and look how by 2000 they had dethroned Cadillac and Lincoln. Lincoln is in bad shape, even if they lose $10,000 on every Continental and sell 40,000 a year it is $400,000,000 loss. That could be the cost of jump starting the Lincoln brand and making it relevant again. $100 million per quarter won't sink Ford, and they will spend billions in product development and advertising anyway. Cadillac isn't knocking on death's door. Cadillac also has far superior product to Lincoln. So Cadillac can undercut Lexus and the Germans slightly in price and try to compete that way to make up for image.
  17. smk4565
    Breitling needs to hire another clock maker. 4 people a year that buy that clock will want one in their Mulsanne as well. Mercedes needs a Maybach GLS with a V12 asap so we can have a comparison test.
  18. smk4565
    For a company in bankruptcy, or coming out of it, wouldn't you want to get the highest profit margin vehicles to market first? Yet look at the products they did in 2011-2013, like Regal, Volt, Impala, Malibu, Cruze, Verano. Those should have taken a back seat to pumping products into Cadillac. Let's use VW as an example. If they filed Bankruptcy in 2009, they could have put a 5 year freeze on VW product launches had Jetta and Passat sales drop to zero and it wouldn't matter because the luxury brands would make the money and save the company.
  19. smk4565
    BMW, Audi and Cadillac are all around $52k ATP. That isn't Cadillac's problem. The problem is having one crossover and crossovers didn't becomenhot last year. GM more than anyone relies on trucks and SUVs, you'd think they would have had more Cadillac product in the works. This sort of ties in with lacknof coupes for a while, XLR being the only convertible in the past 20 years, etc. Cadillac doesn't have the product they need. And that is mind boggling. VW makes 80% of its profit on luxury brands that are less than 20% of their total volume.
  20. smk4565
    If I were Lincoln I would make sure the Continaltal was nicer (more luxurious) than a Navigator (nicer than an Escalde even) and price it around $45,000. I would want to sell the crap out of it because people buy what other people buy. The Lexus RX sells because it is popular. Suzy Mcmansion bought one, therefore Suzy SoccerMom must buy one. If they can make the Continental a hot car they can revive the brand. I would make customers realize for the price of an RX350 you can get a flagship sedan and make it too good an offer to pass up. And I would be happy to lose money on every car sold to rebuild the brand.
  21. smk4565
    I agree with Drew. The Town Car was well past its prime, but they should have had the Continental ready to go 5 years ago when the cancelled the Town Car. You can get a 400 HP all wheel drive car from Lexus, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar, BMW, Infiniti, Cadillac, etc. Basically Acura and Lincoln are just 5-10 years late. Hybrids and diesels have been around too. Lincoln isn't doing anything the other guys didn't do 5-10 years ago.
  22. smk4565
    What if you could have the highest ATP, highest sales volume and highest total profit. You' cover all 3 points and be a star for sure.
  23. smk4565
    The biggest fuel savings in fact comes from the internal combustion engine. 10-15 years ago the average sedan had a 3+ liter V6, now most are coming with 1.6 liter turbo 4's making the same horsepower, but getting 10 mpg more. Ford is making 2.7 liter V6 F150's and it sells better than ever with better fuel economy than ever. As more small displacement turbos and 8-10 speed transmissions get in cars, that will push fuel economy up without adding all that much cost to a car. Batteries will make cars cost more, until that price drops, plug-ins and electrics will be slow sellers. This is also why a gas guzzler tax makes more sense than CAFE. If there as a $3,000 gas guzzler tax on every pickup getting below 22 mpg city/highway combined, don't you think the big 3 would put a hybrid system on all of them to beat that $3,000 tax? I think gas guzzler tax should be universal, if a Bentley has a $3,000 gas guzzler tax, same should apply to a Toyota Tundra V8 getting the same mileage. Make the gas guzzler tax the same on all vehicles, and you'll see massive fuel economy gains. And competition will keep price down, all these car makers compete on price.
  24. smk4565
    How do we know Cadillac profits are up? Do we think the CTS is making more gross profit on 1,400 sales a month than it was on 3,800? They have been putting $6-7,000 incentives on the SRX this year, that is why the sales numbers have been good in addition to it being their only crossover in the show room. GM doesn't break the brand profit numbers out, so we don't really know if Cadillac is making money or losing it. GM's entire company turns less profit than BMW or Mercedes, if Cadillac is a profit machine on the level of the Germans, are we to believe that Chevy and Buick are losing money?
  25. smk4565
    Cadillac should use Alpha and Omega for crossovers, but they probably will go the cheaper route and just build them off the Chevy and Buicks. So we get that Chevy is the main stream. But then Buick and GMC are both supposed to be premium or entry lux crossovers, and Cadillac a luxury version? How do those not all over lap if they all have the same chassis and engines. And where are the V-series crossovers? Cadillac has aspirations of having higher performance than the Germans, yet they have 2 performance products (ATS and CTS). Shouldn't there be a 575 hp XT5 to compete with the GLE63 and X5M? A 465 hp XT3-V to compete with the coming GLC63, An Escalade-V? etc.
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