A rant about cars...........

[Coops]

Now we all love our own cars and I suspect a good number of you Briskoda members also love cars in general, any brand, any shape etc

 

I love what Jaguar Land Rover are doing at the minute with their brands and models. The XF is fantastic, the F-Type (although beset by production issues) looks the business, the new XE is coming soon, whilst at LR - the new Discovery Sport is on it's way and the RR brand goes from strength to strength. So much so that the RR have recently launched the Range Rover SVR, it's fastest 4x4 and it has just lapped the 'Ring in a tad over 8 minutes. In context, a Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R has just done it in 7min 54s.

 

Impressive stuff eh, but I stumbled across something on Twitter this morning which I actually tend to agree with:

 

[Sparkly]

Like

[fabiamk2SE]

Very good point.

Everybody seems to drive rangerovers slow anyway. So the 8 minutes around the ring is irrelavent imo.

Just under 8 mins in a megane trophy though... Thats the kind of car you see gunning it around. Proper play car.

[Ootohere]

Really they are not Designing, building / producing to satisfy the limited UK market are they, ?

It is one of the worlds smallest markets for Prestige cars that need amazing performance, with the UK having a NSL max of 70 mph.

 

Nearly all cars over £14,000 sold in the UK can exceed the NSL of 60 mph by 100 % anyway. if the driver chooses.

 

Some cars are transport, some transport and enjoyable and some are for Transport, fun , Status or Bragging rights only and never have more than 50% of their performance tried out in the UK.

They only go as fast as the 'normal' cars on the road that some drivers think are holding them up.

Edited 31 July, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[mannyo]

All the high end manufacturers are having to produce dumbed down eco versions of their vehicles to comply with an EU regulation which states that a manufacturer must have a lowish average CO figure across its entire range. A maker of just sports cars will not meet this figure, so they bring out other cars. Aston did it with the rebadged Aygo for example.

[Mr Ree]

Driverless cars they say?

 

Bring it RIGHT on I say, as 95% of the population are totally clueless as to what a modern car is actually capable of, with 99% of those not even fit to be behind the wheel! 

Edited 31 July, 2014 by Mr Ree

[Ootohere]

mannyo,

Aston Martin did it with the Cygnet the Rebadged Toyota iQ 1.3 lt.

 

All these Audi 'Ultra' coming out are rather interesting.

 Fast looking big Audis with 180 ps or so.

 

http://www.carandvannews.co.uk/2014/07/30/ultra-confident-audi-set-to-smash-its-sales-record

Edited 31 July, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[Huskoda]

All the high end manufacturers are having to produce dumbed down eco versions of their vehicles to comply with an EU regulation which states that a manufacturer must have a lowish average CO figure across its entire range. A maker of just sports cars will not meet this figure, so they bring out other cars. Aston did it with the rebadged Aygo for example.

I believe niche manufacturers are excempt anyway (McLaren, Ferrari, Ginetta etc).

 

But yes, I agree, some cars are just WTF.

 

As a point of reference on that time, though, looking at it, the first time anyone lapped it it under 8 minutes was in an F1 car in 1968! Though the configuration was different.

[skinnyman]

Perhaps they are just plain bored of making cars after all these years and are trying to make their work more interesting?

 

Whatever the reasons, I'm a bit of a traditionalist and refuse point blank to own a people carrier again.  I tried it and nearly died of boredom.  Apart from being a bit taller and having infinite places to keep unnecessary crap they don't do anything that a decent hatchback/estate can't do. 

 

We've been bombarded over the years with infomercials that tell us the old way of moving people around is just so yesterday.  We've been led to believe that nowadays people need big sunroofs, places to store a two litre bottle of water and enough headroom to accommodate a Mekon.  I admit that people are fatter than they used to be but my general observations of the masses is that their heads are roughly the same size so the extra headroom is surplus to requirements.  How many adverts show happy kids staring lovingly at mum & dad then looking out in wonderment at the stars or the passing trees?  In reality my three children are generally wanting sweets, the toilet and to gouge each others eyes out.  They don't give a toss if the stars are out or if the dappled sunlight is creating beautiful images on the canopy above them. 

 

Putting people in the boot on extra fold away seats is fine unless you need to put things in there too.  Most seven seat MPVs aren't at all, they are five seat vehicles with either a boot or seven seats.  We have five people, five seats and a good size boot.  That'll do me fine just thanks.  I'm most likely a dinosaur with these views.  Perhaps it's my tin foil helmet I wear all day every day to stop the mind altering brain waves being sent out that has made me immune to the advertising and wittering of the middle classes at all the children's parties telling me I need a people carrier.  Perhaps it's the fact that I very rarely do whet people tell me to do.  Maybe I know my own mind and will continue to fight against the constant battering we receive to be different by buying exactly what they want us to buy and therefore make us all the same.  I don't know but I'm with the OP in his views that the lines are getting blurred and they should just stop it. 

 

My rant over.

[Titanium_Man]

Keep an eye out for a Jag 4x4

[BossFox]

 A maker of just sports cars will not meet this figure, so they bring out other cars. Aston did it with the rebadged Aygo for example.

 

It was a Toyota iQ.

 

edit: as I've just notied someone else pointed out.  Oh well.

 

 

 

On the original point I agree, but it's all about diversity these days.

So many manufacturers making so many models that they seem despetate to fill any niche.

 

And it works.

Look at Skoda, improving the model range with more and more (bland, identically styled) different sized cars.

Sales are up every year.

 

Porsche either already makes more 4x4s than it does sportscars, or it soon willl with the Macan.

They will soon be a 4x4 maker than also makes some sports cars on the side.

More sales = more profit = happy shareholders.

 

 

All they want is profit now, not to uphold their unique identity in 50 years time.

[Girardi]

 

Whatever the reasons, I'm a bit of a traditionalist and refuse point blank to own a people carrier again.  I tried it and nearly died of boredom.  Apart from being a bit taller and having infinite places to keep unnecessary crap they don't do anything that a decent hatchback/estate can't do. 

 

This. Oh god this.

[silver1011]

You only have to go to Germany and see the number of X5's, Q7's and ML's fire past on the autobahns at crazy speeds to understand who RR are aiming for by lapping the Nurburgring.

 

Brand identity by itself doesn't sell cars. Creating cars people want and will buy pleases the shareholders.

[skinnyman]

All they want is profit now, not to uphold their unique identity in 50 years time.

 

You've summed it up nicely there.

 

It reminds me of the film Field of Dreams, 'If you build it...'   The manufacturers are plugging any gap they can think of and fair play to them.  They are in it to make money and as I've concluded after many years of people watching, people on the whole are easily fooled and will buy anything if you sell it to them correctly.  This encapsulates what I'm on about,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brU_Pp-20g0

 

I guess it's similar to what Ifc958 said in the performance car thread that it's more about what suits you & if that makes you happy then it's a good car.  If they are content and proud with their 'hybrid crossover MPV SUV ATV duel fuel sugar free design statement that's individualistic yet not in any way euro boxes' then good on 'em.  As long as someone, somewhere makes something I like I'll be happy.

[Outofthi5world]

Keep an eye out for a Jag 4x4

Isn't that just a Range Rover?

[bealine]

Now we all love our own cars and I suspect a good number of you Briskoda members also love cars in general, any brand, any shape etc

 

I love what Jaguar Land Rover are doing at the minute with their brands and models. The XF is fantastic, the F-Type (although beset by production issues) looks the business, the new XE is coming soon, whilst at LR - the new Discovery Sport is on it's way and the RR brand goes from strength to strength. So much so that the RR have recently launched the Range Rover SVR, it's fastest 4x4 and it has just lapped the 'Ring in a tad over 8 minutes. In context, a Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R has just done it in 7min 54s.

 

Impressive stuff eh, but I stumbled across something on Twitter this morning which I actually tend to agree with:

 

 

 

I agree with you 100%!

[nickguzzi]

When I started college back around the time of the Big Bang, all us eager proto engineers were sitting eagerly awaiting the words of wisdom from the faculty.

Course tutor concluded the exciting day by reminding us that a car is only a box for transporting people about.

Yeah but? No, but! Somewhat different to what we were expecting to hear. But true.

BossFox, on 31 Jul 2014 - 12:32, said:

All they want is profit now, not to uphold their unique identity in 50 years time.

Unfortunately, if there is no quick profit now, the only unique identity will be in some museum.

The auto manufacturers I worked for in the dim and distant are all gone gone gone.

There are still a few more to go.

Cars can fulfil a vital function, in areas like here in Fenland, have a car or stay home.

Cars can be more or less totally frivolous. Toys to keep ourselves amused. You know the ones!

Spend your cash as you will, going to work or go for a blatt. Its your right to choose, not some self-righteous **** head to impose their choice on you.

[Bcc212]

Wow. Stuck in the ages gents. They do it because they can, it's called being human and using imagination and ingenuity.

[Bcc212]

And makes them money

[bealine]

At the same time, these new "bigger is better" designs clog up our British roads.   The roads across some of our beauty spots - Somerset, Devon, Cornwall in general and Dartmoor/ Exmoor in particular, the Yorkshire Dales, the villages of North and West Wales, the Scottish Highlands were never intended for such wide vehicles.   The buses Devon General and Western National used to buy for Dartmoor, were specially made by Eastern Coachworks to negotiate the narrow roads and were, in fact, narrower than the "Range Rover Vogues" you see tear-arsing across the moor now with one occupant!



The present range of cars - Land/Range Rover, Audi Q series, BMW "X" series, Porsche Cayenne etc seems to be purchased by those with a desire to intimidate.   Adeed to the annoyance of seeing one of these tailgating you on the motorway, there is a strong argument for banning them from lane 3 as their slab-ended rear design limits visibility and is a serious safety issue for following cars.   How the manufacturers ever got type approval from the EC beats me - I think some cash must have changed hands!

[tamiyaandy]

I agree with Skinnyman, I'm a dad of 2 children under 5, so me, wifey, kids, pushchair all regularly go on holiday, away at weekends, and surprise surprise we can fit everything in the fabia with no issue, no tight squeeze.

So to all family's of 4 I see in an Smax, scenic, etc,

Enjoy your 40mpg, near £200 a year road tax, can't find a parking space to fit it, eating through front tyres cos it weighs the same as the moon, being bored cos you can't have a laugh on a twisty B-Road.

[sparks03]

I agree with Skinnyman, I'm a dad of 2 children under 5, so me, wifey, kids, pushchair all regularly go on holiday, away at weekends, and surprise surprise we can fit everything in the fabia with no issue, no tight squeeze.

 

 

 

 I totally agree. However I can't get the mrs or our youngest to go away overnight without them taking a ruddy suitcase each with them. 

[tamiyaandy]

I agree sparks, a few times a year the extra space could be handy, but for the other 362 days of the year there doing the daily commute with 1 occupant. Yawn! Lol.

[bealine]

..........if you really need the extra space, there is a Skoda Rapid or Octavia to choose from, or if you're lucky enough to sit on the Board, the Superb is exactly what it says it is!   These cars are  

Not that I'm VAG biased, of course.  

[WeirdKerr]

Why are the german manufacturers hell bent on filling niches that don't exist.... 3 series GT and 4 series GranCoupe are similar cars doing what appears to be the same thing....