Nov. 29, 2006 - Cool Cars

Cool cars do not come around very often, and when they do they are usually not noticed until they are gone.  Sure there are interesting cars that create an immediate lust from car aficionados with even the vox populi chanting its praises but they are not really cool, they’re just fashionable.  I put most every exotic car from Ferrari, Porsche, et al into that category.  Sure many of them are lustfully beautiful and fast as all get out, but they’re all a bit prissy with their high strung (albeit very powerful) little motors and fine honed details.

No, really cool cars are not fine in any way and they fly under the radar with only a small cult following.  They are typically bulldog handsome, have big thumping engines designed to spin extra large tires at will and leave long patches of anti-social rubber behind.  Needless to say they are not tuned at racetracks in Europe or anywhere else for that matter.   

The Dodge Magnum is just such a car, especially in SRT-8 guise.  From its brutal in your face station wagon design to its old school rumbling Hemi V8, the Magnum is the coolest car on the market today.  Thanks to its useful but unloved extended roof line it’s a car that flies in the face of convention, and is tanking in the market because of it.  Now that’s cool.

http://vrperformance.com/mt/

Feb. 19, 2006 - Cost Cutting too Far?

Chrysler has been on a roll of late, introducing cars that people want to buy.  The 300 line has been a phenomenal hit, the trail rated Jeeps continues to do well and the SRT tuned models are the best performance bargains out there.  But things are beginning to slow down, and rather dramatically at that.  Fourth quarter 2005 earnings were down and inventory is way up.  Dealers are beginning to complain that they are being force fed vehicles they can’t sell, even with the industry’s highest average rebates.  The once hot 300 is a little bit cooler, the Magnum and Charger never really got out of the gate, and the Grand Cherokee is losing out to the Pacifica of all things.  Thanks to the draconian cost cutting measures implemented by its savior from the fatherland, Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler still had a profit for the year 2005-- which stands in stark contrast to its cross town rivals-- but for how much longer?   Has Chrysler cut too much from the cost of its cars and consequently made them less appealing in the long run? 

The one thing that Chrysler had going for it the last few years was good product at great prices.  The SRT line of tuned cars is the perfect example of this philosophy of rigid cost controls creating good value, and the just introduced SRT-4 Caliber is its new poster car.  And it may also be the beginning of the end, because eventually customers notice those cost cuts and begin to question them. 

In the case of the SRT-4, a collective gasp was heard when it was announced that the SRT folks plan on harnessing 300 horsepower through nothing but the front wheels of their Caliber.  This may be one of the biggest blunders the carmaker has made since the Zetsche era began, and is a clear indication that cost has become the preeminent consideration at the Chrysler group.  Prices were not yet announced, but my guess is the Dodge SRT-4 Caliber will close in pricing to the outgoing SRT-4 Neon, which itself was already a great performance bargain. 

Knowing what the engineers at SRT are capable of-- don’t forget the fire breathing Viper SRT-10 and Competition Coupe sprang forth from their fertile minds—you just have to think they wanted to use all the available wheels to put the 300 horses down, but somebody said too expensive to build, or too expensive to sell, or both.  It is admirable to offer good value, but in the case of a 300 hp front wheel drive economy car value has to be considered along with sound engineering.  And sound engineering would suggest that the torque steer in this little beast will be a handful, bordering on the uncontrollable. 

The Chrysler group could get away with cost cutting moves like low rent interiors in their mainstream cars because people didn’t expect more considering the prices they were paying, but when that cutting gets in the way of sound engineering, the value equation changes.  Enthusiasts especially will notice this gaffe, and the street credibility so important in the performance market will be lost before the race even begins.  Let’s hope that the astute engineers at SRT can convince the bean counters that value is not just a cheap price, and 300 horsepower coupled to front wheel drive is not an appropriate money saving solution.

Feb. 12, 2006 - Volvo?

Buried deep within the “Way Forward Plan” hoopla is the one success story Ford has.  Volvo is the solitary foreign step child that former CEO, Jac “the knife” Nasser adopted that has actually grown into a productive member of the Ford family by contributing a decent return on investment.  And why not, Volvo has turned from an ultra-conservative Swedish curiosity with a reputation for safety, into a swank full line European car company.  Yet with all the goodness coming out Gothenberg, the enthusiast crowd has yet to take real notice, and that’s a shame.

Thanks to the latest revamping of the top dog S80, complete with a choice of transverse mounted inline six, or V8 engine, front wheel drive or all wheel drive, the complete line from top to bottom is rather good.  My favorite is actually the small V50 wagon.  It is the equal of an Audi A4 in almost every respect, yet less expensive and more unique.  I think the extruded shoulder line that is now the look of Volvo works best on this small wagon.  Details like the bullish nose and elegantly integrated tail lamps that sweep up into the d-pillar make for a satisfyingly sporty look.

Another great Volvo is the XC90 SUV, which also benefits from that same broad shouldered corporate look.  At 4600 lbs, it is quite a lightweight truck (an equivalent BMW X5 comes in at close the 5000 lbs).  Take the relative leanness and couple that to a 311 hp V8 engine and you have an entertaining tow vehicle for your track car (which was once your daily driver but thanks to time, money and many uncompromising modifications became unusable on the street).

Do Volvos have the dynamic capabilities of a BMW?  No they don’t, but from my seat time I’d say they are as good as all those other cars aspiring to become BMW (especially the fwd ones), yet usually less expensive by a considerable margin.  Good looks, good value, and relative scarcity (at least here in the Mid-west): what’s not to like?

Dec. 16, 2005 - Bored with Porsche

I just saw some clear spy shots of the next Porsche 911 Turbo.  As good as the car will be, and as nice as it looks in general, I'm really getting bored with Porsche.  They have really painted themselves into a corner with styling, and the 911 is the best/worst example.  Yes it’s a great looking car, but it has become so predictable that the excitement is really gone.  Ferrari on the other hand, has maintained its "look" but has been able to completely update that look with each generation.  Just look at the evolution of the 308, 355, 360 and now 430.  They all look like Ferraris yet they all have unique styling that has kept them on the cutting edge of design.

And I have to say the huge front and rear overhangs on the 911 are starting to get to me.  Now with all the added grills, flares and lights, the overhangs are even more prominent.

Maybe as the Luddite wing of the Porsche owners club dies off Michael Mauer, Porsche design chief, will be able to break some new ground and not offend anybody.

Dec. 6, 2005 - Pricing Relativity