Ford hits another home run

[Captain Mark]

http://www.cardesignnews.com/news/2004/040813ford-gr1/

I want me one of these! Why can't GM introduce styling like this?

 

[gn85]

Please forgive my GM roots but... OMG!

GM just keeps hittin' foul balls. Sad days for GM. Wonder what it'll be like in 20 years when we all talk about the big TWO. Ford and DiamlerChrysler.

 

[Captain Mark]

I agree with your last statement Chris. 2 of the big 3 are on the ball styling wise. GM is sound asleep.

Oh yeah, the new Ford has a 6.4L V10 in the car.

 

[TRBON8R]

I disagree. Yeah that new Ford looks good, but will it make them any money?

GM is the one that is doing it right. GM is making good solid performing cars that will sell in enough volume to pay the bills; witness the CTS V series, the new STS, and the SRX wagon. The new Chevy Cobalt (Cavalier replacement is a good looking little car that should get some of the kids to dump their rice and buy a GM product instead. The Chevy SSR is a cool ride even if it's not that fast, and the C6 Vette is drop dead gorgeous. Pontiac's new G6 looks nice and the Solstice roadster will be every chick's dream car. Now if only GM would get Buick straightened out. From what I have read the Buick division is next on the list to get "fixed". I hope that doesn't mean neutered.

Ford has nothing in their car lineup other than the new Mustang that might make them any money. The rest of their cars are rental car quality garbage.

 

[fitz3820]

True enough,

GM has been making money for the last few years. Ford and DaimlerChrysler are just now coming back.

All of the big 2 1/2 are losing market share...

 

[gn85]

Ben,

I agree with you on some points. There are definately some cars in GMs lineup that are making the grade and indeed are improved in quality and performance.

But I also think there are some that should be real major players that are turning to be duds. Compare the new Mustang and the new GTO.

According to Car & Driver, Oct. 2004,only 3,687 GTOs were sold, in it's first six months. Compared to the new Mustang which sold 73,333, in it's first six months. That's 20 times more. OUCH.

Scenarios like that remind me of "The Price is Right", when the person is standing on the stage trying to guess the price, the whole crowd is yelling the correct price and they still call it wrong and go home a loser.

The SSR. Way overpriced. No market, except for a few people who want a novelty like a Prowler. Could have made that a fun truck that was affordable, an a$$ hauler w/o the slick top, or something that would at least still be a functioning truck. Like the Syclone/Typhoon. It may not have been able to haul very much, nor could it do anything close to off-road with the exception of the shoulder, but at least it could move. Instead, they make an overweight, non-handling, fair performing convertible that many just can't even think of affording.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a die-hard GM fan. I have a new Trailblazer, and that is such a joy to drive (although I wish they made an off-road version). But, some of GMs offerings are CLEARLY missing the mark.

[/rant]

 

[PCS74]

Cadillac is the only GM division doing anything right IMO.


Chris s

 

[tracy]

Originally posted by fitz3820
True enough,

GM has been making money for the last few years. Ford and DaimlerChrysler are just now coming back.

All of the big 2 1/2 are losing market share...

That's not really an accurate statement. Daimler has been profitable for quite some time and was so even before Daimler "merged" with Chrysler. Bob Lutz had thm in the black for quite some time.

Ford sliped into the red around the time of the Explorer/Firestone litigation, which is self explanatory.

GM has waded around in the shallow end of the design pool IMO. Meanwhile Chrysler and Ford have made some memorable designs a reality. With the exception of Cadillac I give GM a thumbs down.

 

[fitz3820]

Originally posted by tracy
That's not really an accurate statement. Daimler has been profitable for quite some time and was so even before Daimler "merged" with Chrysler. Bob Lutz had thm in the black for quite some time.

Check the numbers,look at the annual report. The Chrysler division lost money in 2002 and 2003. DaimlerChrysler's earnings have been dragged down by the U.S. division since Chrysler Corp. merged with Germany's Daimler-Benz in 1998.

Ford isn't any better, they relied on Ford Credit to make a profit in 2003 as their automaking division lost money. Only 3% of Ford's profits in '03 came from making cars.

GM has made money overall and with their automotive division.

It is all a bit of a moot point - Toyota is kicking everyone's butt - their profits are in the Billions!

 

[TRBON8R]

Chris,

Yeah I agree, GM still has a tendency to lay a big 'ole egg with some of their new models. The more I saw of the Buick Lacrosse the more boring and out of date it looked before the first one was even built. I agree with you on the GTO, it sucks as well.

The new Malibu was a disappointment to me. The product planning folks at GM are on drugs if they think the Malibu or Impala are going to get people out of their Accords and Camry's.

However, taken as a whole I still think GM is doing a much better job than Chrysler or Ford. Chrysler's new 300 looks like a Rolls Royce that went on a week long crack bender.

 

[turbofish38]

According to Car & Driver, Oct. 2004,only 3,687 GTOs were sold, in it's first six months. Compared to the new Mustang which sold 73,333, in it's first six months. That's 20 times more. OUCH.


How many of those Mustangs were the base V-6 models?? The Stang also has a price advantage. Compare apples to apples. GM learned it's lessons a long time ago on low volumn,low profit niche vehicles. Ford is learning too. Why aren't they making the T-bird,Maurader and Blackwood any more. To many models leads to buyer confusion and GM learned you cant sell two models in the same catagory i.e. Cavalier and Beretta. By dropping the Beretta and adding to the content of the Cavlier they were able to sell more cars. I agree with you that GM needs to build more cars that apeal to us car guys but lets face reality here, we are just a very small percentage compared to the car buying public as a whole. If you were GM who would you listen to? 99% of your customers who dont know anything about cars or the 1% that think they know everything.

 

[Buick From Hell]

Just my un-scientific opinion, but

People WILL buy ugly plastic freight-train shaped cars & trucks just because Ford DIDN'T build it. The many Aztek's & Avalanche's I see on the road is proof enough for me.

 

[Pronto]

At least the 05 GTO is looking better. Not great but better.

 

[kshef]

that ford is too british for my tastes

 

[VADER]

Personally I think all the Caddys look bad from the front. GM thinks they can just put an LS1 in anything and it will sell. Most of their cars look the same. I feel like all their R&D goes into the Corvette, which has a limited market, but a great all around sportscar.

 

[Captain Mark]

Originally posted by TRBON8R
Chrysler's new 300 looks like a Rolls Royce that went on a week long crack bender.

LOL! I hate to admit it, but I kinda like that car! Looks like the car that the Green Hornet used to drive!

 

[microELVIS]

Originally posted by VADER
Personally I think all the Caddys look bad from the front.

I think the CTS-v front looks great, and that whole car in black looks really great. Any 13 second caddy is ok in my book.

 

[CHARGED]

GM won't make anything like that because they won't make anything that will upstage their baby, CORVETTE.
The Corvette has a huge following of loyalists that buy a new one every few yrs.
If they make a new sports/super car they could attract new buyers,yes, but it could also diminish the loyal people who would be buying the Corvette.
How many of those 150k+ Shelby GR1's do you think you will see on the road? Compare that to the Corvette's you see on the road.

GM just needs to put together a turbo or supercharged engine that can easilly be modified(ie GN) into a decent looking RWD car so we can play with the Cobra's

 

[VADER]

Regarding the Caddys, I just dont like the headlights, and how the Caddys look the same from the front, the grille is okay.

Why dont they make an upscale Corvette, and just call it a GT or something?
GM just seems to forget there are many choices one can make when buying a car, this isnt the 50s-70s.