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Thread: The State of The Car

  1. #886
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    Outside Jeep and Ferrari, FCA seems to be stumbling a lot. Alfa, Maser, Chrysler, and Dodge have all had bad news in the past few weeks... What cars has the Fiat brand put out in the past 10 years (other than the 500) that have set the world on fire? These quality issues, insane sales targets, delays, and the (insightful?) ramblings of a charismatic CEO leave me troubled. I guess they are better than the Cerberus/Daimler days, but medium term I see clouds brewing. I say this in spite of reasonably good quarterly results and a seemingly unending month-on-month sales increase streak in the US.

    What will happen to FCA if gas goes back up to north of $80 a barrel?

    Ras, the GT is too old now. I have ranted Maser before, and I gotta say the disappointing thing is when the "old" new QP was fresh alongside the GT, they were legitimately exciting. The "new" new QP, Ghibli, and aging GT are not enough, and customers are voting with their wallets, much as scribes are damning with digital ink.

    EDIT: NSX, they ain't as ugly as Ferraris. The Ghibili is quite sharp; the new QP isn't as pretty as the last one, and the GT has become overwrought with fancy Trofeo appendages and stale with age.

  2. #887
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    Yesterday I wrote a reply that more or less said this, but unfortunately the internets went wrong and I lost it:
    Quote Originally Posted by Kitdy View Post
    Ras, the GT is too old now. I have ranted Maser before, and I gotta say the disappointing thing is when the "old" new QP was fresh alongside the GT, they were legitimately exciting. The "new" new QP, Ghibli, and aging GT are not enough, and customers are voting with their wallets, much as scribes are damning with digital ink.

    EDIT: NSX, they ain't as ugly as Ferraris. The Ghibili is quite sharp; the new QP isn't as pretty as the last one, and the GT has become overwrought with fancy Trofeo appendages and stale with age.
    I would add that the new QP feels a bit flaccid and that the best the GT has is its charismatic engine but that it's a bit too soft for a Maserati.

    Also, one thing is being an exotic Italian car maker, with exotic Italian car maker prices, sales volumes and general idiosyncrasies; a another very different one is trying to compete with the Audi A6 and the Volvo S90. For the latter I'm not sure Maserati can do it successfully...
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  3. #888
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    I was about to opine about how Maserati is hamstrung by having to make do with Ferrari leftovers thereby always being in the shadows and not having enough grunt to really go toe to toe with ze Germans, but then I realised that I can't remember whether they have a version of the TTV8 out of the Cali even. And then I realised that I just don't care about Maserati anymore. They used to be the fun plucky underdogs, but now it's just sad.
    Life's too short to drive bad cars.

  4. #889
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    Speaking of Maserati, did anyone see the Levante SUV?

  5. #890
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kitdy View Post
    Ras, the GT is too old now. I have ranted Maser before, and I gotta say the disappointing thing is when the "old" new QP was fresh alongside the GT, they were legitimately exciting. The "new" new QP, Ghibli, and aging GT are not enough, and customers are voting with their wallets, much as scribes are damning with digital ink.
    It's nice to hear I'm not the only one thoroughly unimpressed. It seems like Maserati is one of those brands you "have" to love if you're European and into cars.

    The GranTurismo is the only one I could get close to, but the rest? I'd rather buy a Jeep Wrangler. I don't like Jeep Wranglers.
    Turning money into memories.

  6. #891
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    Speaking of Maserati, did anyone see the Levante SUV?
    I have.

    Pros: I like the pillared hardtop styling.
    Cons: I hate fake, styled exhausts
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  7. #892
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    I have.

    Pros: I like the pillared hardtop styling.
    Cons: I hate fake, styled exhausts
    Fake how?

  8. #893
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    Quote Originally Posted by Revo View Post
    Fake how?
    Look at how the exhaust tips come from a piece of grey plastic trim.

    It's not looking promising.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  9. #894
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    The plastic trim (is it really plastic?) doesn't necessarily mean that exhaust is non-functional. All the spy shots of the test mule show exhaust setup just like in the leaked pictures.
    Last edited by Revo; 02-19-2016 at 01:49 PM.

  10. #895
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rasmus View Post
    It's nice to hear I'm not the only one thoroughly unimpressed. It seems like Maserati is one of those brands you "have" to love if you're European and into cars.

    The GranTurismo is the only one I could get close to, but the rest? I'd rather buy a Jeep Wrangler. I don't like Jeep Wranglers.
    Alfa's the same to me in many ways. They are not the company people fetshize that made brilliant cars in the 1960s. And how dare one speak out against the perceived and overbrooding car enthusiast groupthink, or have an independent point of view, or so help you god.

  11. #896
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    I've been saying this for years, but I hope Honda really puts its money where its mouth is.

    Honda to make some massive changes - Business Insider

    I hope they make something interesting for Honda and I also hope they don't squander Acura too.

  12. #897
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    By the way, does anyone know what happened to the Morgan car company?

    They make EV 3 wheelers now? And what happened to Charles Morgan? How did he even get forced out?

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RmVxwjyErM"]Morgan EV3 Concept: Electric Mayhem - Carfection - YouTube[/ame]

  13. #898
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    By the way, does anyone know what happened to the Morgan car company?

    They make EV 3 wheelers now? And what happened to Charles Morgan? How did he even get forced out?
    I'm not sure what happened, but that EV is spectacular! It's a hipstermobile for sure, but I can't not be mesmerized by it.

    In American news; the C7 Grand Sport was just announced today; base C7 with the same naturally aspirated LT1, but with the Z06's wider body and tires, and optional carbon ceramic brakes and manual transmission. What's not to like?
    Turning money into memories.

  14. #899
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    I guess this new 'vette won't be suited to European-sized mountain roads then...
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  15. #900
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    I guess this new 'vette won't be suited to European-sized mountain roads then...
    Which part of it? It's shorter than a 911 GT3, and less than 3cm wider. About the same as the F-type too.
    Turning money into memories.

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