Jeff wrote: I would ask them if they follow all the suggestions from the forum do they think any GRMs will buy one of their cars new or wait until they are 10 years old?
Seriously, we got sharks with fricken lasers on their heads but we can't get a fricken "+eleventybillion" button?
Honestly, I wouldn't. Though it may be hard to admit, we're about the worst group to be "advising" them on what to build. The reality is that refrigerator-boring cars is what pays the bills, not fringe sports cars that we all say we'll buy, then don't (because most here buy used).
I would talk to the guy, but more to find out an insider's view of the industry, but not try to change their minds...
Kenny_McCormic wrote: Seeing as its a widely established fact that people don't know what the hell they want, and will buy whatever you tell them to buy, why not cater to the enthusiasts?
Amen. I work in a professional setting, I'd say over half the people are making payments on a new-ish vehicle. They don't buy them for any of the reasons marketing people seem to think they do. Fuel economy, comfort, and safety. Nobody gives a crap about the geegaws that are installed, UNLESS THEY DON'T WORK as they should.
Also, why in the hell isn't there a performance version of the Mazda 2? Honda sold kajillions of the Honda Civic Si hatch, Mazda could too. I'd pay $16k for a Mazda 2 with a bit larger/more powerful motor vs $22k for a Fiesta ST.
Where is my flying car. Every month I would read Popular Mechanics while I waited for a haircut and they said by the turn of the century I would have a flying car. Here I am over a decade and unable to break free from gravity's firm grip.
I'll second the two door comment(Focus/Cruze), the merge with Euro standards and more choice/availability across continents.
When will they push back on the stupidity of "mandated" saftey devices that only serve to add wieght and cost - i.e. the gem from a week or two back about back up cameras (cost, in that case) - and use marketing to the consumers to pressure law makers to add back in consumer choice? Lower cost of mfg adds profit and increases sales.
I would thinkg the trends towards more time in between new car purchases is the result of all that mandated cost, and is why margins are thin (the price points for given vehicles have probably been, adjusted for inflation, not terribly elastic...).
The NRA does it with a politically polarizing topic (and to protect the second amendment), and they influcence law makers. I find it hard to believe that Ford/GM/Toyota/etc... (wow, I left Chrysler out of the big 3!) couldn't also achieve the same effect.
More choice for us, less cost/more profit for them.
I worked at GM HQ for a few years (and in Chrysler Marketing) . You don't want to talk to them - its very frustrating. I've seen more car people working at McDonalds then a major Car company Fun fact of the day - Chrysler HQ is designed in a way that if they go out of business it can easily be converted to a mall. Prepare for fail!
In reply to AutoXR:
They should have made it so it could be quickly disassembled and set to China.
WHY ARE NEW KEYS/KEYFOBS SO berkeleyING HUGE!?!?!?
I would yell that. In their face. Uncomfortably close.
Questions for car execs:
When was the last time you spent a few hours enjoying being in a car (driving some windy back-road, a track day, a drive-in movie, drive-in diner, etc)?
When was the last time you spent an afternoon in a dealership talking with your customers?
When was the last time you went to a classic car show and admired the craftsmanship, detail, cohesive design, etc of cars from decades long past? What happened to that, and why have you allowed it to be replaced by the seas of sterile plastics and neutered design elements? Why do even most luxury brands have the obvious look of being totally cost-driven in their appearance and construction?
Nothing. I'm not in the market for any of their products and probably never will be. I'm not particularly interested in anything they made 10 years ago either.
Do you plan to bring your small trucks back to the US and if not, why?
Chromed plastic pieces look like chromed plastic. Please stop it. Just mold them in color or paint them. Chrome is for steel.
What does your company do better than any of your competition?
Why won't you build a full size two door SUV.
What happened to real trucks?? You know, real bumpers, locking hubs, thick sheetmetal??
I would ask them if they would make a FRS sized car but with a 3l or larger displacement engine. Like Nissan, make a BRZ weight car with the same engine as in the 370z.
In order to get a car with decent power RWD and light weight you have to go back to the late 80s and buy some foreign import like a Ford Sierra Cosworth, Skyline GTS-T, 180SX or Silvia, etc and "up the boost" as the saying goes. That or buy a FD RX7 turbo, only under 3000lbs car sold here I can think of in the late 80s or later with appropriate power that isn't from a sports car marque but they are absurdly overpriced.
Really I was excited for the new 240SX that we got, the FRS, but I realized I didn't want a 240sx... a underpowered light weight car. I wanted a modern late-gen Silvia or a FD RX7. Something with >250hp. RX8 even did that job.
Ok... The dinner was a couple of days ago. How did it go?
novaderrik wrote: i got to go for a low speed ride around the St Paul fairgrounds with the head of Corvette development in a brand new Z06 Vette during the Car Craft Nationals back in 2008.. i asked him why the car we were in had no mechanical way to open the doors to get out in the event that the car wound up in the ditch or something and had no power. the doors opened via push button and of course had power windows.. his answer was that they never thought of that... so maybe ask them if they've thought of that yet?
He may have thought of it, but I guarente other have. Trust me a lot of work goes into DFMEA's
Quasi Mofo wrote:Jeff wrote: I would ask them if they follow all the suggestions from the forum do they think any GRMs will buy one of their cars new or wait until they are 10 years old?Seriously, we got sharks with fricken lasers on their heads but we can't get a fricken "+eleventybillion" button?
I know this was meant mainly in jest. But he’s meeting with Mazda, so I would say yes they do somewhat. Look at the support in their management for grassroots racing and beat up old Miata’s.
In general though I wonder what the actual stats are for the average GRM reader? I know from the press pack the average reader is highly educated and over 50% have a household income in excess of $100k. So I bet for every one with a 10 year old DD there are 2-3 readers who do buy new cars. Our household has two toy cars (88 & 93) plus two DD’s (6 YO bought new, 6 months old to be replaced in 6 months). So I bet we, the readers, as a group purchase new cars at a higher than the average population.
fasted58 wrote: Given the less than stellar Volt sales how and why is GM anticipating a surge in next-gen. Volt and the new vehicle sales to justify this investment? Also, many claimed the Volt's high(er) price dissuaded customers, will there be a price drop for these models?
2018 California zero emissions vehicle requirement are coming and not going away this time. Manufacturers have zero choice but to start selling electric cars if they want to sell anything else in Ca. Why do you think Tesla is a success? They sell credits to other companies, the cars don’t make money.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: Seeing as its a widely established fact that people don't know what the hell they want, and will buy whatever you tell them to buy, why not cater to the enthusiasts?
Because as much as people want to believe that, whenever car manufacturers try it, people DON’T buy them.
‘We want a stripped out basic Miata, We want a stripped out basic Miata, We want a stripped out basic Miata, We want a stripped out basic Miata,’ Cried the masses.
Ask and thou shalt receive sayeth Mazda, here is your Club Sport.
‘ooo sorry, we don’t really want that’ whisper the masses.
‘Well berkeley you lot then’ howleth Mazda ‘We’ll have to give this E36 M3 away, berkeleying customers’ grumbleth Mazda.
FWIW I own a 2012 vehicle and SWMBO drives a 2007 vehicle. We are in the market for a high efficiency seven passenger vehicle that is nicely equipped but doesn't cost $45,000.
So I have gone through and read most of this thread. I see two questions that I would ask.
With the new marketing/sales venue of the Internet available, why do the car manufacturers not take advantage of this. It will lower the cost of the vehicle due to the reduction of middle man costs. We see this with other forms of manufacturing direct distribution is not a new thing.
Going along with the size of car keys/keyfobs. What is the advantage of using an fully electric key (like they use with dodge; my caravan especially) because when the battery dies you cannot start or get into the car? Plus the cost to get a new electric key fob is very high? This makes it very pricey to get a second key in the event the original gets lost or the battery dies.
Cheers; Mike Kirby
"True or false, sir: the global overcapacity problem could be fixed, or at the very least helped a lot, if Mitsubishi simply stopped making cars. And, as a follow-up, hasn't the Mitsubishi Group made such a stoppage easier to contemplate by having the automotive company issue new common equity to buy back preferred shares from sister companies in the Group?"
What's your pet project, and what are the chances of it seeing the light of day?
For Mazda: Why is the current 3 a hatchback and no longer a useful wagon?
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