Re: My Thoughts on SRT-10 Coupe
Guten Tag Herr Fang! Do you have "germen" issues? I read your rant three times trying to decide what you are really hosed about. OK the lesson commences...Write these points down...
No merger is EVER a merger of equals, google HP/Compaq for starters, one side always emerges with the clout. Eaton and Lutz knew exactly what would happen, and I would blame Eaton a lot more for selling out and getting really rich than I would the Germans for agreeing to go along.
I don't think the new coupe is inadequate, from a styling standpoint you really have to stand next to the car, it's stunning, we kept asking for a GTS like coupe, hell we kept yelling for one since 02, and we got just what we asked for.
The Crossfire....Google SRT 6, forget your horsepower concerns.
It does not matter how many Americans are on the board, what matters is that sales are up, profits are up, market share is up, quality is Waaay up with Mercedes technology transfer, which was a major motivator of the deal, and the bottom line is much better.
Market segments....Mercedes and Dodge do NOT share the same segment, the Viper does NOT compete against any Mercedes model, what part of... they want BOTH market segments to shine with their respective cars don't you get?
Regarding that POS McLaren car.....That would have been one nice car, but the price point I heard was upwards of 300k. And would have been the Chrysler halo car, same basic idea as Bob Lutz building that sixteen cylinder Cadillac. Branding and image, just building that concept shows what Chrysler can do as a luxury brand. Has NOTHING to do with Dodge. Different division, different managers, different budgets driving different agendas. Now if DODGE had built it you might say they stole Viper development money from Viper. But Viper development money is supposed to come from Viper sales anyway. A business decision was made to not go ahead with the ME. I think that was the right decision, I think the Firepower will be built and will sell in Corvette like numbers, now this is critical, if they can spread costs of the Viper platform across 25,00 to 30,000 cars they will then have money to throw at a higher end Viper with more performance content. That is exactly how Chevy supported what must be a very expensive upgrade to the Z06, all those regular tupperware containers we see at every light pay for the titanium content in the Z06. There ain't much profit to invest in upgrading the Viper with the proceeds of 2000 cars a year. And each car line must now stand on it's on from a profitability standpoint.
Now if only having 500HP is what is really chapping your buns, look at it this way, it probably costs several millions of dollars just to develop a new intake manifold and or heads. Don't forget all the epa stuff they have to do if they change the motor. And they have said they will be back and be back BIG. I'm happy to have 500HP and **** up to the the Z for a couple of years if they can come back with a smash mouth 600HP+ twin turbo or equivalent, and Chevy is NOT gonna be able to take their motor up much more, nor can they take much more weight out, so in 06 or 07 I'm sure we will be able to put the tupperware back in the cupboard! Heck even if they are faster for two years the score would still be, Viper 15 years, Vette two!
Auf Wiedersehen, mein freund!
