[DMCForum] Re: Top Gear...

["therealdmcvegas" <dmcvegas@xxxxxxx>]

That's a lot of bullshit right there. Cars don't always get canceled 
because people are failing to buy them, just as unpopular cars keep 
getting manufactured, despite no one wanting them. Your SHO is a good 
example of this. Many die-hard people out there like yourself would 
still be buying them if they were still in production.

The bottom line doesn't care if you the consumer like a vehicle or 
not. It all has to do with the tooling and badge engineering costs. 
Not the popularity of a particular model/platform.

For us Americans, our cars are disposable. We cycle them out ever 5-6 
or so years for new ones. So when it comes time to buy a new vehicle, 
we don't normally choose what vehicles we want. We get stuck with the 
lesser of two evils, or whatever the dealer has sitting on the lot. 
Or whatever POS we can get financed for, depending upon the buyer.

Fieros are sporty, popular cars. But they don't fit in with the GM 
mentality. A vehicle has to be able to get badge engineered from one 
platform to the next. Nor could you simply throw in a wood trim 
bezel, and some leather to make a luxury car. Chevy wouldn't stand 
for that, because of the inevitable comparison to the Corvair that 
would have ensued. That is why vehicles like the Fiero get canceled, 
and popular engine choices like the Powertech I-6 have their 
production ceased.

Once upon a time before the Cherokee got canceled (and now brought 
back), the I-6 engine was able to fit in both the Cherokee, and the 
Wrangler. And even the Commanche pick-up truck once upon a time ago. 
It's a great engine, but what else could you shove it into because of 
it's length? So when the time comes to retool, it gets dumped in 
favor of more compact engines that are used on multiple platforms. 
And many Jeep owners (including myself) are not happy about the 
demise of such a rugged, reliable engine. But Jeeps keep selling, so 
it's not a loss of profit motivation from consumer input. It's just 
what's cheaper in the long run, despite customer loyalty in many 
cases. Kinda like the F-body too...

Same thing with the J Body. The J-body was a decent platform that 
spanned several decades. But when it came time to re-tool, they 
decided to drop it. Why? Was it because no one was buying Cavaliers 
and Sunfires? Was there a *safer* design out there? No. GM hemmoraged 
cash on that stupid new platform that they kept using for cars that 
were flops: The Cadillac Catera, Chevy Malibu, Chevy Classic, Chevy 
Impala. So now, they drop the J-Body AND the Cavalier, and introduce 
the Cobalt in it's place, on this new boxy, ugly platform. And why? 
To recoupe their losses on the time and energy spent on developing 
such a failure. It's the same formula used on the Pontiac Aztek. The 
design failed, but they still have to keep cranking out cars to make 
money back on their failing investment. And then the rebadge the 
vehicle once again as a Buick Rendevouz. And remember, it doesn't 
matter how much you dislike a particular car. When it comes time to 
sign, and you're there at the negotiation table, you WILL buy that 
mediocre car. And sadly, that is the sales method that all car 
dealerships go buy. What wins on Sunday, we won't buy on Monday any 
longer. Because the prices are so far out of our reaches now for the 
average impulse buying consumer. That's the missing key to the muscle 
car craze of the 60's, and why cheap ass used Hondas are king of the 
streets now.

As for trucks, unless the is a serious retro design on the interiors, 
I'll never buy a new one again. They keep making them more and more 
like cars, to atrract buyers who are willing to shell out more and 
more cash. And besides, I own a truck. It's a got enough power to 
haul around what I need, but once the DeLorean gets back onto the 
road, I'll never consider one as a daily driver ever again. The 
gearing is all wrong, and I'm hauling around an empty cargo bay 
whever I go. Another reason that 2 seater cars such as the DeLorean, 
and the Fiero are actually sensable cars for many people out there, 
who don't need to haul around dead weight. If people really bought 
what they needed, you'd see allot more micro coupes on the road.

-Robert



--- In DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Marc Levy <malevy_nj@xxxx> wrote:
> Like all of the SUV's on the road??  I think Americans
> get what they want...  They just want the wrong
> things.  :)
> 
> If Pontiac was making money with the Fiero, they would
> have kept making them..
> 
> Meanwhile, Ford had a hit with the 5-speed Yamaha
> powered SHO.. but in 1996 they put a V8 in there that
> was about the same power as the 3.0 V6, and took out
> the standard transmission..  Soon after, they stopped
> making SHO's all together.
> 
> When my 95 SHO dies, I will likely have to look to
> Japan for a replacement (I tend to buy 7-10 year old
> used cars, and drive them till I crash in to
> something).  Even from Japan, The Maxima is the only
> 4-door sports sedan with a standard transmission.
> 
> But, I accept the fact that I am in the minority. 
> Most Americans want big trucks with automatic
> transmissions...  Fools!   :)

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