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Author Topic: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)  (Read 158923 times)

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funkmeister

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1050 on: August 23, 2013, 03:55:21 PM »
Quote from: Analixus on August 14, 2013, 05:08:24 AM
This vid makes me proud to be an American.  Yeehaw!!

I grew up in these parts, even tried selling vinyl windows in Derry, NH. I don't miss it enough to move back from Utah but I do have fond memories of taking my dads supercharged Pontiac Bonneville SSEi at insane speeds down the backroads. There are no real backroads out here and there's always somebody on the road so you can't do those crazy teenage driving antics. My kids will have a different upbringing than I did, that's for sure.
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burnspbesq

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1051 on: August 25, 2013, 09:04:19 PM »
Have I mentioned lately how much I hate BMW senior management for refusing to sell the 1 series hatches in the US?
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funkmeister

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1052 on: August 26, 2013, 04:06:37 AM »
Isn't BMW a private company? I think they're owned by some family named Quant or something. Somebody less lazy than I should go check some sources on that for the good of the community.

Anyway, a private company might just have the ability to make better decisions than to do crap that makes 'em go bankrupt every 30 years. So you need to drum up enough support for a hatch 1 series to get 'em to bring it over. It appears that if you want what they make but which they aren't bringing here, then their market research didn't have your prints on it. So... you're in the minderheit. Kinda sucks.
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Anaxilus.

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1053 on: August 26, 2013, 04:44:47 AM »
BMW is private.

Hatches, wagons and shooting brakes do notoriously poorly in sales within the States historically unless you brand has a niche for it like Subaru, Mini and maybe VW.  They're just protecting their $$.  BMW might cannibalize some Mini sales here too.  Global economics aren't ripe for increasing product exposure and portfolios against historical evidence.  For now...
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DaveBSC

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1054 on: August 26, 2013, 11:06:22 AM »
Quote from: funkmeister on August 26, 2013, 04:06:37 AM
Isn't BMW a private company? I think they're owned by some family named Quant or something. Somebody less lazy than I should go check some sources on that for the good of the community.

Sort of. The Quandt family owns about half of BMW, the rest is in public float. The problem is expensive hatchbacks just don't do that well here. Audi A3 sales are a tiny fraction of the A4, and I think the next A3 we get will be the sedan version only. M-B is selling the CLA here but not the A or B classes. It's the same with wagons. The Avants are gone entirely, as is the C-class wagon. Only the 3 and E wagons are left.
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funkmeister

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1055 on: August 27, 2013, 05:42:53 AM »
I rented a Volvo Wagon once and really liked it. Then I checked out with Volvo what it costs and have never been in one since. Euro wagons are for money people. I'm not money people.
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ocswing

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1056 on: August 27, 2013, 06:29:39 PM »
Quote from: DaveBSC on August 26, 2013, 11:06:22 AM
The problem is expensive hatchbacks just don't do that well here. Audi A3 sales are a tiny fraction of the A4, and I think the next A3 we get will be the sedan version only.

As a current-gen A3 owner this makes me very sad. The new A3 sportback looks really freaking good. The sedan looks nice as well, but I am a fan of hatchbacks.
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shipsupt

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1057 on: August 27, 2013, 08:47:16 PM »
Quote from: shipsupt on May 21, 2013, 10:12:21 AM
Quote from: shipsupt on May 15, 2013, 09:39:29 AM
Quote from: shipsupt on May 08, 2013, 05:15:38 PM
Can we add a poll to this thread to take bets on whether Max will buy a car in 2013?  Odds are currently 237:1 that he won't.  ;)

We are now at 230:1... any takers?   :P

224:1 today.  Odds makers are expecting a swing in the opposite direction soon!

126:1 today!
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Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

planx

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1058 on: August 27, 2013, 10:04:04 PM »
http://jalopnik.com/what-happens-when-a-turbo-toyota-gt86-races-a-mclaren-1-1209904249

Even though the McLaren wasn't being driven to it's full potential, love the sound of the race 86. Finally sounds like a Subaru
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burnspbesq

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Re: The New Car Saga (and general auto chat)
« Reply #1059 on: August 27, 2013, 10:23:51 PM »
Quote from: ocswing on August 27, 2013, 06:29:39 PM
Quote from: DaveBSC on August 26, 2013, 11:06:22 AM
The problem is expensive hatchbacks just don't do that well here. Audi A3 sales are a tiny fraction of the A4, and I think the next A3 we get will be the sedan version only.

As a current-gen A3 owner this makes me very sad. The new A3 sportback looks really freaking good. The sedan looks nice as well, but I am a fan of hatchbacks.

+1. I had an A3 Sportback before I got my current Jetta diesel wagon. I was an idiot to get rid of it.
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