Jump to content
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close

smk4565

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    13,685

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    11

 Content Type 

Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    But a 577 hp AMG GT Coupe is faster around the Nurburgring than a 750 hp Corvette ZR1 (C7). Shouldn't the same theory apply that with an extra 173 hp the Corvette should be faster on those straights? And that is apples to apples since both are front engine V8, rear drive coupes. And this is because the Corvette looks good on a spec sheet with a lot of horsepower per dollar and a good 0-60 time, so Corvette fans think it competes with a 911 or Huracan or Ferrari but the Vette doesn't have the chassis/suspension/grip/aero/brakes, etc that those top end cars do. They can put as much power in the C8 as they want, they need to the chassis and grip to use it. I still think they need a car above Corvette to put serious money in it to charge that high price that you can't do with a Chevy. AMG One is going to shatter all the records anyway, so maybe none of it matters. They are going under 6 minutes around the Ring and it s game over for years if not decades.
  2. smk4565
    So why is the C8 slower around a track if it can accelerate faster and stop faster? And the AMG GT is heavier? They can throw another 200 or 300 hp in the C8, I don't think it is getting to Ferrari or Huracan or 911 GT2 times on a track. And the reason I brought up the AMG sedan is because how is Cadillac going to make a sedan faster than a Corvette C8. If GM's best engineering effort was the Vette, how do they get a sedan without mid-engine and with another 1,000 lbs of car, speakers, leather, power rear seats, power trunk, etc to go that fast? So the people that can't make a Malibu are going to make a more high tech pure EV with over the air updates and self driving tech? EV's will be their moon shot, they have to get that right. As is the case with many auto makers.
  3. smk4565
    Let me know when the C8 posts a 6:45 on the Nurburgring. The fast cars on sale now are in the 6:40’s. If the Corvette is going for the elites that is where it needs to be. I would argue that the Corvette should be about value performance like a Porsche 718. You can make a great sports car that is fun to drive and usable as a daily car. Most of these track beasts are not that usable as a daily driver. The Tesla model 3 outsells the Malibu. There is strength in good EV’s. If GM makes good EV’s and beats Toyota to it they have a chance. If they make Bolts or let Toyota and VW get a lead they are screwed. And GM sells more in China than in the USA. That is why they need this, VW is #1 in China and has like 80 EV models coming.
  4. smk4565
    It isn’t just a function of horsepower it is brakes and suspension, it is around 170 corners to get through. I know the Corvette isn’t done. But the C8 and AMG GT63 have the same 0-60 time and the faster car on a track is maybe 1,000 lbs heavier. I know they’ll have a 700 or 800 hp Corvette, that is a given. And they’ll actually have traction this time that the C7 never had. But OldsHurst makes it seem so easy that Cadillac engineers can build a great performing car, I don’t see how Cadillac takes something like a CT6 big sedan and makes it go around a track faster than a C8.
  5. smk4565
    If they can make an Equinox sized EV for $30-35k that performs the same as an Equinox (which should be easy since it only has 185 hp or so), then it won't be so gloomy. If they can put affordable EV's out there that are good, Mary will save the company. If they make an Equinox EV (for lack of a better name) and it is $50k, then it is gloomy.
  6. smk4565
    But the AMG GT63 S is a 4,750 lb sedan. Do we think Cadillac is going to make a full size luxury sedan faster around a track than a C8? That I would actually love GM tell the engineers to do. AMG has a GT73 in the works, they already teased the testing of it running on electric power. By comparison, a GT R coupe can do the Nurburgring in 7:04, Porsche 911 GT2 RS does it in 6:47. It is going to be hard to take 45 seconds off lap time off a C8 to beat the 911. And again I don't think a Corvette should be attempting to go for elite performance, GM needs another sports car (a Cadillac) that is faster than the Corvette.
  7. smk4565
    Maybach is a trim level though.
  8. smk4565
    Maybe but GM changes management every 5 years and Johan was supposed to be the savior of Cadillac and that didn’t happen either. Really what is important here is can GM beat the Tesla Model 3 or whatever Electric RAV4 or CRV come out. That is the meat of the market, are these Chevy EV’s going to heat Toyota or Tesla who have strong reputation and buyer loyalty. Even if they can sell 5,000 super expensive Cadillacs a year that isn’t going to move the needle. And even worldwide I doubt they hit 5,000 sales per year.
  9. smk4565
    I said a Chevy sedan. I know what a C8 costs and I also said for years there should be a sports car above the Corvette. The C8 Stingray is slower around the Nurburgring than an AMG GT 4-door which is like a 4600 lb sedan. You can’t put elite performance in a car for $60-100k. Nor should a Corvette cost more than that, this the reason GM should build something better than a Corvette. It is okay for the Corvette to be the best sports car on market in the $60-100k range and then there be something else. I don’t get the reason why GM fans don’t want GM to build a sports car better than the Corvette. My point on Cadillac is in the past they have not delivered, I don’t know why this time around would be any different.
  10. smk4565
    Escalade does well but it starts at $75k and loaded out is $100k. A $200k start price is 2.5 times higher. Celestique is supposed to start at $200k so with options we could be in the $220-250 range. But bring it on, competition is good for the industry and the consumer. Before the CT6 came out, all the Cadillac fans rejoiced that the S-class killer was here, and then the CT6 had to be price cut down to $55k, never competed with the S-class and after 4-5 years it is gone. Now they want to go 4 times more than the price of a CT6, I don't see how that works. People aren't going to pay Bentley Money for a Cadillac, it makes as much sense as Chevy selling a $130,000 Impala or Kia selling a $125,000 K900.
  11. smk4565
    Are they? The Escalade sells well on name and the fact that GM has strong full size truck buyer pool, from Silverado, Tahoe, Yukon, etc. And credit to them for cornering that market and FCA isn't even there and Ford they really squashed in full size SUV's the past 10 years. Aside from Escalade, North Americans have not shown up for any high priced Cadillacs in the past 30 years. They don't sell in all levels, Mercedes doesn't have sub $20,000 product, just like Toyota/GM don't have $100k+ product. And I am not opposed to them selling in all market levels, the Corvette sits on the same lot as commercial vans and Spark and Sonic sub-compacts and no one cares, and Corvette fans still love it. Because what a Spark or Express van is has zero impact on what a Corvette is. Just like what the A-class is has zero impact on what the G-wagen or S-class are.
  12. smk4565
    They haven't delayed anything. They are selling the EQ C in Europe, they aren't selling it in the USA because they need to sell 100% of the units they build in Europe to try to beat the C02 threshold and avoid a billion or multi billion euro fine. Europe has imposed C02 standards that basically want auto fleets to be Prius level emissions or face fines. That is also why they introduced 4 or 5 plug-in hybrids last month. EQ A, B, S, E all are pretty deep in development. Sure it would be nice to have them now, but they have to get the product right, and plus with cheap gas and a a really good inline six mild hybrid engine and inline 4 hybrids, a lot of buyers are going to choose that over EV.
  13. smk4565
    I don't care about brand ATP's. If Mercedes wants to sell A-classes and Metris ands then good for them, give consumers more choice and put more good product out there. I would hate if it Mercedes was just 2 sedans and 4 SUV's like a lot of luxury brands are. Google search said 6.2 billion which was before their taxes and right off I think. in 2020 I imagine Daimler will be lucky to just turn profit, as long as they stay profitable this year I think they are in great shape when the economy rebounds and EV demand rises.
  14. smk4565
    2.7 billion Euro after the adjustments so like $3 billion. But that doesn't matter as long as they aren't losing money. What matters is they had record high spending on R&D, they didn't budget cut and sacrifice future product like FCA has done the past 10 years and starved their product line. All these companies are about to have a bad 2020, Daimler will have a bad 2020 no doubt they already said they are going to hold R&D the same as it was in 2019 which is super high, but they'll be ready in 2021 and 2022. Anyone pushing hard for the EV change over is going to have rough years because you are spending on ICE and EV at the same time, once the transitions happens, the profits will come back.
  15. smk4565
    I looked up some numbers, the G-wagen alone outsold all Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce globally in 2019. And they sold 71,700 S-class sedans so with coupe/convertible that has to be at least 80,000 and the cheapest V6 rear drive S-class with no options is $94k, which means 99% of them are going to sticker over $100k. Mercedes sold 4200 AMG GT in the US alone, so that number is probably more like 15-20k globally, plus the SL, the AMG 63 cars, the GLS V8's etc. They are easily doing over 200,000 units a year of $100k and up product. That's impressive.
  16. smk4565
    I'd like to see what that Cadillac number is when CT4 and CT5 are on sale, and CT6 is out of dealers. CT4 is $33k, CT5 is $37k, XT4 is $36k, and XT5 is $44k. 4 of their 6 vehicles are under $45k to start, and I know options get added on, but still, half their lineup now starts under $37k. ATP for a brand is also a meaningless metric, Maserati has a great ATP, and it is a borderline dead brand. Jaguar leas that list and they are near dead in the water. ATP per segment is more relevant if you want to compare. Mercedes has 4 models starting under $40k so their brand ATP is pulled down but Mercedes sells more cars over $100k than any one. More than Bentley, BMW, Audi, Lamborghini, Rolls, etc and probably more than those 5 combined if we are being honest.
  17. smk4565
    Daimler had $6.2 billion net profit in 2019. And keep in mind Mercedes-Benz Cars Division alone spent $7.92 Billion in R&D compared to all of GM that spent $6.8 billion or all of Toyota Corp spending $10 billion. GM sells 4 times as many cars as Mercedes does, Toyota sells 5 times as many. Why doesn't Cadillac have a $7 billion R&D budget to compete with Mercedes? GM fans should be outraged. So not worried about Daimler's profits when they are spending heavy for the future, they'll have the electric car arsenal and carpet bomb all segments, while the others play follow the leader like they have with ICE cars the past 30 years. Cost of ownership for a luxury brand is irrelevant due to high leasing and also Acura is what the 7th or 8th best selling luxury brand in the USA and has a very limited global footprint. Buyers don't care about Acura's resale or maintenance costs.
  18. smk4565
    They found a soft spot in the market around $175-$250k that is above where Audi and BMW end and before Rolls and Bentley begin for the most part. And they took that space over. I don't know why there isn't a Maybach G-class which would make way more sense than an AMG G-class. An electric G-wagen is coming though, could be a nice place to do a Maybach version.
  19. smk4565
    Mistake on my part, I meant CT6, the big sedan.
  20. smk4565
    Maybach is doing well, 2019 was a sales record for the Maybach S-class with sales up over 10% despite global S-class sales down 8% being that it is in it's 6 model year. They have expanded to a 2nd model, which being an SUV will do well for sure. Mercedes got Maybach wrong on the first reboot, but this 2nd try they got it right and they are on the rise now.
  21. smk4565
    #2 at GM?
  22. smk4565
    No one will buy a $60,000 Cadillac sedan that is why the XT6 is dead. The CTS at $46k base was too much so the CT5 starts under $40k. I don’t know know where these $200k buyers are coming from, even an Escalade starts around $85k
  23. smk4565
    Cadillac has to be held to some standard, they should be trying to combine Lexus reliability, with Tesla technology and Porsche Performance into a package. They have to beat those benchmark brands in product if they want the sales and profits. Cadillac's president said the Celestique will start over $200k. So that is going after Bentley, no one is going to spend $200k on a Cadillac unless it is was somehow nicer than a Rolls-Royce with Bugatti-like performance and then they'd lose money on every one sold. It is like how VW built the Phaeton to the highest specifications possible but it wasn't going to sell with a VW badge on the front even if it was a better car than the W220 S-class. All that did was motivate Mercedes to make the W221 the best car in the world, and the the Phaeton was gone.
  24. smk4565
    No EV does crazy volume, Model 3 does pretty well though. But Ford is built on the F150, Explorer and Escape, GM on Silverado, Equinox, Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade, Toyota the Corolla, Camry, RAv4, etc. These brands do most of the business on a few core models. EV's are vanity projects that sell 20k units a year for most brands. What someone (other than Tesla) needs is an EV that is one of their big sellers. Whoever can get an EV that is selling 300k units a year is going to gain massive advantage. That is what I'd like to see GM crack the code with the Chevy SUV, can they make an electric SUV that sells in Equinox volume.
  25. smk4565
    Also, Allante was a failure, XLR a failure, STS-V a failure, ELR a failure. CT6 and CTS-V 3rd Gen did okay but got killed off so couldn't have been that good. Those are all cars under $100k, but all Cadillac attempts to go up market. Now they want to go to $200k, more than double the price of those other cars that didn't make it. And really the measuring stick for this is how well will the Equinox sized EV sells. They need an EV in the heart of the market that can do big volumes for this to work. Car companies aren't build on vanity projects, they are built on those 3-4 core products that do crazy volumes.
×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

I've whitelisted
Continue without support

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search