Fri 12:08 pm ET Ford Motor Co. said on Friday it was expecting 2003 net income of about 70 cents a share, well above analysts' consensus estimates. Gee, it couldn't have anything to do with the fact that they have the Marauder, the Mustang/Mach1/Cobra, SVT Focus or any other exciting vehicle people might actually be willing to spend their hard earned cash on, could it? GM is such a loooooooooser! "She was lookin' kind of dumb With her finger and her thumb In the shape of an "L" on her forehead" Holy crap! Did I just quote Smashmouth?
When will GM figure it out? They used to be a very performance minded company, and when the other companies were building pigs, GM still had something to keep you excited (through the late '70s with a decent looking camaro, through the '80s with the G-bodies, etc). But know I guess they are smokin the industrial strength stuff so who knows what they are thinking. They've got their heads so far up their a$$ they couldn't see daylight with a telescope... so to speak ou: . But, who cares right? As long as I have my GSs I will be happy. :beer
GM figures it just has to be the same old same old, I guess. Trouble is nobody has a long memory or much brand loyalty these days. Real hard to be brand loyal when for the last 25+ years the companies products with only one or teo exceptions have been utterly forgettable and undependable, especially when a Honda dealership is nearby. GM got by on customers that could recall the comapany's glory days years ago, but how many new car buyers care about that, or can even REMEMBER that far back now? Thank God I like old cars, because there's about exactly two new cars in the world I'd buy- new Z06 and an XJ8 convertible. I'd rather have a '67 Miura over any new Lamborghini, and Buick? I liked the last Riviera's looks a lot, but they axed it. Stupid, Stupid. Reatta could have been something if they hadn't made it by committee. Just like the Fiero, GM kills it just when they are getting it right. If they'd kept cost down, gave it a real sports car feeling with lower weight and better handling, and given it a peppier engine, it could have been the Miata. If I could buy any GM in "as new" condition, I'd still get a '70 GS Stage 1 convertible. In my fanatasy world, I'd have the GSX prototype, but I only get to drive that in my dreams.
Cadillac seems to be their only redemption in this area. But, what about the rest of the line? Nuthin. There was a blurb in Car Craps fact or rumor sidebar about GM adding a performance image to the Buick line listed as fact. I won't beleive it till I see it. First they hand Ford all the fleet sales by ditching rear drive Caprices, now they killed the F- bodies. Whats next? or should I say whats left? Its a cryin shame! One would think Roger Smith was still at the helm.
SUV's are floating in GM's minds right now and it doesn't seem to be fading. Cadillac Escalade GMC Yukon, XL, Yukon Denali, XL Chebby Tahoe, etc Chebby Suburban Chebby Trailblazer GM - Hummer, gaining sales with their p*ssy version of the real thing. Buick Rendezvous, and the other one..can't remember name Ford is also in the SUV market, but I don't see them excelling as much in that field with their downsized Expedition and their WAY oversized Excursion. The Explorer is outdated even though it's got new design...it's just an old idea. Just my HMO. Both of these companies are hard to compare except for the fact that they are both American. Different focuses here. Adam
uggh Anyone who would fill their dealer showrooms with Pontiac Aztecs or Chevy Avalanches deserves what they get!ou:
Aztecs and Avalanches need to go bye bye. I thought the Focus was ugly...but these 2 cream puffs take the cake. They are both good concepts, but they need to have al that plastic crap ripped off the sides and...well, I don't know if anything can help these cars/suv things. Adam
Actually guys, the Avalanche is doing quiet well for GM and if you take off the plastic cladding (new option for '03) it looks pretty good. The Aztec is the biggest turd on the road, every time I see one I just think: WHY!!! Believe me guys, the General signs my paycheck every Friday but I'm not afraid to admit that I like Fords approach to car building better. It seems like they always try and strike a sentimental nerve with each car that they design. Just look at the new Mustang concept. It looks almost like a '67. Thats the kind of stuff that car lovers want to see. I will say this though. GM has it right with their trucks. A superior product from top to bottom. Especially the drive train. Best in the world.
The Avalanche is the stupidest ou: vehicle I have ever seen, what is the point, you need to carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood. fold down the seat, OK but what if it is 20 degrees and snowing. GM is focusing too much on SUVs and accually have too meny of the same thing, cavalier/ sunbird/grand am/alero/citra , grand prix/wimpala/aurora. and I won't even get into the ugly suvs. When I was shoping for a new vehicle I couldn't find anything that GM made that I would buy. I purchased a Focus. to me Atleast todays ford have some style unlike GMs. GM also is relying on FWDs dropping all the RWD cars( but the Vette,:moonu: ) where Ford has kept some of the RWDs. look at most of the performance vehicles in europe RWD and they get more snow and bad weather thatn the states does. Tim
How much would it cost to make aftermarket steel fenders to replace those plastic ones on the AVALANCHE............Mabee if we act now we can get it repoped befofe they sell the patterns or dyes as scrap.......... You need to act now, so we can get a solid commitment of how many we could sell !!!
AS far as I'm concerned, when they got rid of affordable performance sedans(I.E. G bodies), they killed themselves. They killed themselves financially, however, when they stopped making the b-bodies(caprice, impala, Delta 88, etc). Before that, EVERY police agency and nearly EVERY taxi service had those cars. Why? They were made better than the Fords, they had better engines that made more power on a flatter curve, they were more reliable, they had a better top speed, etc. Heck, I'm really good friends with a couple of the cops around here, so we took one of their new 4.6L cruisers and my POS 307 Delta 88 to a main highway. At about 110, I was losing him, and at 125, he was gone. They haven't any top speed and they can't get to their top speed. I'll admit, he prolly wasn't driving as hard, but even he said that it was a struggle to keep up.
Yup. They're still trying to come up with something better than a good, old full-size station wagon. I can fold down the seats and place a 4x8 sheet of plywood in my Custom Cruiser and be mighty comfortable in that 20-degree snowstorm. :grin: Driving the wagon around with the back seats folded down is like an enclosed El Camino. :laugh:
