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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Huge month for the E-class, that is incredible for a car of $50k+ to sell that many.
  2. smk4565
    The ATS is eating away at the CTS, although maybe the XTS is as well, as the CTS does get some of the older "traditional" Cadillac buyers due to lack of other options in the showroom. Although the ATS-CTS-XTS is selling better than what the CTS-DTS-STS did last year. The Regal seems to be dying quickly, the Verano is a much better value and the sales numbers show it. The Lacrosse down I wonder if is in part to people spending more on an XTS, or if the new Camry/Avalon/ES350 trifecta is out now and hurting Buick, probably the latter. Chevy is pretty much what you'd expect, I'm assuming the Malibu sales are the 2013, that thing is still a dud in the mid-size segment. Wouldn't surprise me if 40% or more of Malibu sales are fleet, that car is embarrassing. You'd think being the main sedan of GM competing is the biggest, most competitive segment that they would do more.
  3. smk4565
    No one buys the A8 now... dunno what the future S-class has to do with that. True, it has never been able to break through against the S-class and 7-series. But if their new A8 can't sell against a 7 year old S-class, I imagine a rough year is in store when the new S-class goes on sale.
  4. smk4565
    Anything with a front bench seat or manual crank windows should not sell for over $3,000, and this truck has both.
  5. smk4565
    Odd since they were thinking of making an R10 super car based on the Le Mans race car with a 700 hp TDI engine. But perhaps they know the new S-class goes on sale next year and no one will be buying the A8.
  6. smk4565
    If it wasn't for the China market, Buick would be as dead as Pontiac, Saturn, Oldsmobile, etc. Yes, too bad China saved them.
  7. smk4565
    What makes this very possible is the Firebird is gone and they are going to move Camaro to Alpha. So basically you take the Camaro which will probably have turbo 4, V6 (maybe turbo) and LT1 V8 and that is your basis for Buick. They can change a few body panels and front and rear facias to get the exterior styling to work, then give the Grand National an interior more like the other Buicks. I think it wouldn't be hard to do. If the Camaro (not counting a ZL1) sits in the $25-40k range, I assume the Buick would have to be at least $30k, if not $35-45k, since a Regal is about $30k and a Grand National has to be more than a Regal. So then you have a $35-45k, 350 hp V6 turbo coupe which is going to look better than the ATS. GNX could easily step on the ATS's toes, and if you price the GNX at $50k or more, you sort of price it out of the market, and a Regal GS is $40k, so a GNX could easily be over $50k and into Corvette or mid-level Cadillac territory.
  8. smk4565
    No surprise as the ATS is a better car. It looks better proportioned on the road, (although I still don't love the front end) and the ATS is going to give better handing, ride, fuel economy, same interior, same price. The ATS is basically doing what the CTS did to the STS in 2008. Now the question will be, can the CTS go head on with the 5-series and E-class and sell cars? Cars like the STS and Lexus GS before it have failed, the new CTS will have it's work cut out for it, and it is going to make the XTS pointless I think, but we shall see.
  9. smk4565
    I think the 2025 and even the 2050 G-class will look the same as the current model. It almost has to be the internal joke at Mercedes to see how long they can charge people $125,000 for an SUV that is shorter in length than the M-class and with a design from the 1970s.
  10. smk4565
    I can see adding the color back, but I wouldn't change the logo from the tri-shield. Changing logos confuses people and costs marketing dollars explaining why you did it.
  11. smk4565
    The ELR I assume is going to be a 2+2 coupe, but look at all the 2 and 4 seat coupes that cost in the $50-60,000 range: Next Gen CTS and potential future ATS coupe Chevy Corvette Chevy Camaro ZL1 BMW Z4 BMW 335i/M3 Mercedes E-Class Coupe Mercedes SLK Porsche Boxtser/Cayman Audi A5/S5 The 2 Chevys aren't luxury cars, but the rest are, and the ELR built on the Delta platform and loaded with batteries isn't going to have the sportiness of any of the cars on that list. "Sporty" is a relative term, a Fusion or Optima may feel "sporty" compared to a Camry but in the luxury coupe class the standard is way higher. This ELR is going to have to sell almost only on Eco impact and electric range, which is going to be almost impossible. This car is a waste of money that could be spend on RWD Cadillacs.
  12. smk4565
    The Escalade had a head start, but with 4wd it isn't that hard to get crazy 0-60 times if you throw enough power at it. The GT-R got quicker in 2012 though, the 0-60 time now is 2.7 or 2.9 seconds. I assume Hennessy made the video to make a point and I get it, but what happens when that Escalade hits a corner?
  13. smk4565
    Gotta admit, if they get 90 mpg without a plug in system that is pretty amazing.
  14. smk4565
    This is a good move because the Quattro cars and 911 Turbo AWD, etc launch so much better than a RWD car can. Imagine the V12 hooked to AWD with launch control, instead of spinning tire it will slingshot the car to 60 or 100 mph in no time. But I'm glad RWD is staying, as there is more to a car than launching it off the line and I'd prefer the rwd.
  15. smk4565
    What is going to make the ELR sporty? Compared to say an ATS 3.6 with Magnaride that costs possibly $10-20,000 less. The ELR will probably be the least sporty coupe over $45k on the market. If the interior is Audi A8 level to offset the lack of performance maybe they have something, but most people looking to spend $60k (or whatever this will be) on a coupe are looking for a sports car or grand tourer.
  16. smk4565
    Hooray for more diesels. 36 mpg highway for the A8's class is incredible. I don't like Audis but this will prompt others to offer more diesels.
  17. smk4565
    That is terrible. The current design is good, otherwise it wouldn't have lasted 35 years, so why change it.
  18. smk4565
    They need to calm it down on weird segment combinations, and keep the focus on the core models. Sadly though people will buy the X4, because Americans like pointless SUVs. Maybe BMW should spend more time on putting hydraulic steering back into cars rather than making 4-door coupe SUVs.
  19. smk4565
    Why do they have to "risk" money on an ATS or any Cadillac? People aren't risking money on a 3-series, they know what they are getting and they line up to buy them. Plus, the people that would be in the market for the LTS aren't looking at an ATS or 3-series type of car. The types that spend $100k on a big executive sedan aren't looking for nimble handling, they want an isolation chamber to be chauffeured around in. So I don't see the harm in launching both at the same time, they aren't going after the same market. And you don't prove yourself in the entry level, you prove yourself in the big leagues.
  20. smk4565
    Gotta do what you gotta do, but I also wonder why not ZF? Perhaps a bigger question is how isn't their own ready yet when others had them years ago, but they can't let Cadillac go out there with 6-speeds when Hyundai, Chrysler, Jaguar, BMW and Audi have 8, and Mercedes is bringing 9 soon.
  21. smk4565
    Daimler-Benz invented the car, so I guess their image was built from the beginning. But the SL roadsters and S-class and 600 Grosser of the 60's, 70's and even 80's is what cemented the reputation. Cadillac has been around over 100 years too, this isn't some new upstart, either step up or be Lincoln and Acura and wait to die.
  22. smk4565
    I think it's basically because GM doesn't want to do it; there appears to be no long-term drive except to cater to the ATS/CTS/Escalade crowd... It's a management option to go the way they've gone at it for the last 10 years, but an option without any major opportunity for the Cadillac brand to really restablish itself as a world-class reference. The fact is till they get the ATS and CTS best in class why would anyone pony up big money on a LTS? BMW was built pretty much from the 3 series up. They earned a rep on the lower priced cars and then expeanded it and moved the customers up that could afford it. Today Cadillac has the ATS almost there with only a need for some better engines. The new CTS also should prove to be class leading or right at that point. Once the public gets a good feel for these cars the LTS will be ready to be set upon the market. People will risk $40K on an ATS to see how they like it but few will risk $70-100K on a LTS only to find it not of their liking. Please them with the ATS and CTS beyond the others in the market and they will be willing to take the plung on the LTS. The key though is it much not just be a expensive and more expensive Super Sport sedan. BMW took that approach, maybe Audi is to a degree even though the A8 has been around a long time. But Lexus and Mercedes mostly went the other way, top-down. At least Mercedes built the reputation off their top end cars. The thing is luxury cars need image to sell, Infiniti made a really good G37 and M37 and where are they? No flagship, no credibility. The Mercedes C-class is a hot seller because of the work the S-class did over the past 40 years. I agree you need to get the ATS and CTS right first, but really quickly after they need a legit flagship car or halo product, and not another XLR or Allante, but something that gets global respect.
  23. smk4565
    I think ultimate power is not the goal here anyway, the Lexus LS has sold well over the years (usually 2nd or 3rd in the class) and it never was a performance car. And the V12 BMW and Mercedes are selling in tiny numbers, in most cases you have to order it from the factory since they aren't even in dealer stock. I think engine choice is key, the Cadillac flagship needs at least 4 engine options, diesel V6, turbo gas V6, gas V8 (maybe 2 levels of power) and a hybrid or plug-in green option. Mercedes already has a 40+ mpg S-class for Europe and China, and a plug-in S-class is coming, so they can market to the environmental crowd and the performance crowd.
  24. smk4565
    The S-class is as quiet as the Volt at 70 mph and beats it at 50 mph. With either the diesel or the V8 it is 66 dba at 70 mph, and perhaps the next year's model beats that since Lexus and Rolls are lower. So they have the quiet the engine down a lot, then the S-class gets 25 mpg highway, the CTS-V gets 19 mpg, so they need to find another 6 mpg there. Not to mention the S-class is getting a 9-speed transmission next year so fuel economy will likely go up. And Cadillac does not have a V12 (or W12) like Audi, BMW and Mercedes have. It is hard to beat the S-class, Lexus has spend billions over 20 years and all they have is a car that even priced $30k cheaper sells half as many. The S600 does NOT get 25mpg highway, it gets 12/19 and has a 50hp on the CTS-V. The only gasoline S-class to get 25mpg highway is the V6 Hybrid which is not a proper comparison to the CTS-V engine. The Cadillac XTS V6 already does 28mpg highway with more power than the S400 Hybrid and without any of the Hybrid stuff. So as far as engines are concerned, Cadillac seems to be more than safe. I see you've taken your troll pills this morning. The S550 V8 with 429 hp and 516 lb-ft gets 25 mpg highway. The S63 AMG gets 15/23 mpg and has 563 hp and 664 lb-ft, so that is a better engine to compare to the CTS-V, except for the torque difference. I have no doubt that GM can crank a ton of horsepower from an engine, but can they do it efficiently and quietly. The Corvette gets good mileage because it is 3300 lbs, GM has to figure it out how to translate that to a 4500 lb sedan. Plus a lot of this is irrelevant as the S-class is getting redone next year. The current car is entering it's 7th model year and it is still outselling much newer cars from BMW, Jaguar, and Audi. I hope Cadillac does enter this segment, but they have to do it right, and "old GM" thinking won't work. The XLR was supposed to challenge the Mercedes SL and the XLR bombed, they can't repeat those mistakes of cutting corners on powertrain, interior, etc.
  25. smk4565
    Wow! How exciting, I think I will go buy one.
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