TTAC Hot Takes: In the Wake of NAIAS, There's No More Tie

(TTAC Hot Takes are video roundup posts which will occur whenever we can get Michael Accardi into hair and makeup. These posts are a mandate of our VerticalScope overlords, who are fascinated with the new video medium of YouTube. Watch our other videos here.)

This week, Michael summarizes all the best news bits from January 17th through the 24th, and we highlight some Premium Selects from the B&B comments section.

A Video

Premium Selects

Though Lexus hopes to draw in younger buyers with LC 500 product placement, Dal20402 had some lengthy thoughts [excerpted here] about SUV product planning over at the swooping L.

“Lexus knows exactly how to pick up new customers, and that’s by offering crossovers, crossovers, crossovers. Longer crossovers. Smaller crossovers. More seats and fewer seats.”

Last year, I Asked Jack whether I should trade the LS460 for a Lincoln MKT EcoBoost to solve these problems. (Reaction was 50/50.) After a test drive of an example that turned up locally after he ran the question, I decided not to. Refinement was the main reason. The MKT is nice enough, but it feels less like the special LS and more like… a pleasant enough rental car.

And this is a huge blown opportunity for Lexus.

It has all the pieces it needs to make a roomy family vehicle that feels just as special as the LS. But it’s never done so. Instead we get the RX, which is engineered to a much cheaper standard, and, well, an extended RX with a marginal third row. If we want to spend more, we get two BOF trucks, which have their charms but can’t be expected to be refined like cars. The RX has sold like gangbusters. I have to think that a more expensive, larger, much more refined RWD-based crossover would too.

Sirwired drove home an important point about those who are less fortunate financially, when it comes to paying speeding tickets.

Now, imagine you have a full-time hourly-wage job with no paid vacation and you are living paycheck-to-paycheck. How on earth do you navigate the process then?

It’s situations like this that often cause poor people to stay poor. This is no more than a minor nuisance to you, escalating to a major nuisance if you got pulled over for Driving on a Suspended.

If you were poor at the beginning of this process? It’d be a life-destroying nightmare.

Chinese automaker GAC is planning to enter the US market, but Ronnie thinks they might need a name rethink first.

The first thing they have to do is change the company name, or at least the acronym GAC. Would you buy a PUK?

Though Peugeot has an aggressive plan for US market entry, deanst isn’t so sure.

I’m sure they will be quite the powerhouse, building on the raging success of Opel derived vehicles like the various saturns and Buick Regal. I expect dozens of sales.

Hirostates12 didn’t believe “Bea Arthur” was in the Canadian Drug Mart advert.

Pretty sure that’s Bob Lutz in a wig.

Lou_BC wants GM to relax a bit, and not do it when it comes to auto show reveals that are just too soon.

I fully agree with Jack. GM was forced to reveal their new truck. They had ZERO specifications on the new diesel engine. Not even a mention of production date.

GM is guilty of premature ejaculation due to over-stimulation from the competition.

Back to Lexus, DenverMike is not as sure as Toyota that there needs to be a successor to the LFA

No. They want the successor to the Supra. Or AllTrac Turbo Celica. Or 1st gen MR2.

The LAPD isn’t driving its BMW i3 vehicles around, despite having already paid for them. Brn knows why.

They lack the impact rating of a patrol vehicle.

They simply can’t be used as a patrol vehicle. As such, they get used for “miscellaneous” duty, which is the primary reason for the low mileage.

I suspect, some politician tried to play the California green game and forced this upon the PD without proper analysis. That same politician is probably going to rake the Chief over the coals for this report.

More Hot Takes coming soon!

[Image via YouTube]