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While You Were Sleeping: Chevrolet Sub-Camaro, Toyota/Honda Best Supplier Customers and Aston Martin's Crossover
by
Mark Stevenson
(IC: employee)
Published: May 18th, 2015
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As I fly down to Nashville to drive Nissan’s latest iteration of their 4DSC (“four-door sports car”) – the Maxima – we will have all the articles you expect on a Monday.
Here’s what happened over the weekend.
- Aston Martin likely to shun Mercedes’ platform for DBX crossover (Automotive News)
It seems Aston Martin won’t be leveraging its partnership with Daimler to acquire a platform for their DBX SUV. Instead, the British marque is likely to use a modified version of their own sports car architecture. - Toyota, Honda have best supplier relations in U.S. – study (Reuters)
Maybe General Motors should rethink their One Cost model… - CEO: Nissan will have autonomous driving by 2020 (The Detroit News)
Carlos Ghosn is sticking to his guns with his 2020 autonomous driving prediction. The only holdback, he says, could be legislation. - Chevrolet keeps its pocket rocket plans tucked away (Automotive News)
If you’re hoping for a sports car below Camaro, Reuss says, “On those cars, the price point begins to approach the segment of the next car up. We would spend a lot of money and resources, and what are we really doing?” Not building the Code 130R, apparently.
#AstonMartin
#AutonomousDriving
#Camaro
#Chevrolet
#Code130r
#Dbx
#Honda
#Maxima
#Nissan
#Suppliers
#Toyota
Mark Stevenson
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Published May 18th, 2015 4:59 AM
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Re: sub Camaro Next Cruze needs to have a hatch form, and get the chops to compete with the likes of the FoST/FoRS/Golf R etc. Cruze sells well but nobody talks about it. It's not a car that elicits any passion from anybody, but GM has the tools to make it so. Coupe form can only succeed with a mega legacy (Miata, Cmro, Rustang, Vette, 911, M4 etc), mega performance/$$$ (2 series, Genesis 3.8, Cmero, Rustang, Z- just barely) or some combo of both. Hot hatches are a different kind of fun but they are very close to the same amount of fun with way more practicality. Truthfully cars like the BRZ, 2 series etc should have been sedans.
First GM builds an e46 in a zoot suit. (Ok, that was the e90, but still) The small one looks like a cross between the 1 series and 2 series coupe. You almost want to sneak one in to Dorkfest. (the car club meet for lovers of the Z3 hardtop coupes)..... OK, if you ARE going to copy..... Dedicated sports car at a low price point....no. We will get hopped up versions of pedestrian cars. Cheap to do, great markup on a cheap frame. We will get higher powered versions of lux and near lux. Also cheap to do, be sure to lard up the option packages with one "must have" per package, so they have to buy them all. Thanks Cable TV ! for that advice. A Sportscar in today's day and age is a higher price pointed toy for someone who has at least one other car and space to put it. This cuts the possible buyers way, way down. You can still make money if you can charge a stoopid price, like Porsche or BMW on the Z series. Cheap fast cars are non existent....Camaro and Mustang, years back, were. Today, you are at the same price point as a near lux car. It would be nice to see a non FWD hotted up coupe tossed in there. For others, you can pick up a nice 6 powered 1 series coupe used for 20- 25k.
The company GM needs to copy is Subaru. GM needs to make everything (except Corvette) AWD and bland in styling. Look how Subaru sales have taken off as the cars get more boring to look at. And, as a North American brand - where it snows - shouldnt they be leading in AWD?
New Maxima: Best looking Maxi since 1999. Has become the only car (non-truck) on a Nissan lot Id give two $#!Г§ about, now that the Cube is gone. Id still likely buy something else, but at least they tried and it shows. I see some early 810 styling in the front of the new Maxi, and that's a good thing. Too bad Nissan (evidently) isnt going to produce the IdX. It couldve actually caused me to consider spending money there. I feel the same way about the Kia GT-4 Stinger, although Id like a non-turbo base model. It would be the first time since the truck-based Sportage was replaced that Id seriously consider a Kia. Actually, the Borrego wasnt bad, or at least I liked the idea of it, and, though a little bland, it wasnt bad looking. But, it looks like it (GT-4 Stinger) isnt going to happen, either.