Ask Autoblog: What do you want Santa to bring the auto industry for Christmas?
To get in the holiday spirit someone asked me if I could get anything I wanted done in the auto industry what would it be. Such an open-ended question was not easy to answer. But I'll give it a shot by manufacturer:
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GM: Stop making cars that could be really great but are always missing one key ingredient.
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Ford: Stop making one cool car (Mustang) and then one dud (Five Hundred), cool car (Ford GT), dud (Fairlane Concept).
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BMW: Are you done Bangle-fying everything yet?
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Porsche: Please start dropping off your cars at the Autoblog Garage
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Mercedes: How about updating all your vehicles as well as you did the new SLK and CLS.
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VW: Stop playing luxury and come back to Earth
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Audi: Actually theres not much to wish for with you guys, how about an all-new TT though.
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Acura: Another one doing a great job. Lets see a new MDX and 2-door CL in the same great fashion as the new TL and RL.
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Scion: Bigger engines for your xA and xB
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Subaru: More models and get started on the new Imprezza already
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Toyota: Wheres that long awaited Supra?
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Dodge: Just build a Charger coupe to shut up all the people so outraged over the sedan even though its shorter than the original 2-door Charger was.
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Chrysler: Kill the PT Cruiser already and lets see what you can fill the Neon void with.
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Mitsubishi: You seem to be on the right track with your vehicles, now how about some consumer confidence.
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Lexus: Maybe its time for some new models? IS 300 first will do just fine.
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and Mazda: No more Zoom-Zoom for 2005. (everyone saw that coming)
Merry Christmas!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SGV 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
For the domestic auto industry I wish wisdom, good ideas but above all some serious self examination. But not just rethoric self examination, it needs to be done without a trace of the traditional Detroit arrogance if its going to do any good.
GM, get rid of Lutz, it was fine for the troops morale but now that we have seen the fruits of his intervention....No Good.
Ford, Good luck, they pretty much got rid of everybody there. Its a fresh company in need of some good press
Chrysler, keep thinking outside the box and don't relay to much on the 300/Magnum thing. Those two are going to wear out faster than cheap jeans.
Josh, There is one thingy in the way of your wish for GM. It called TOYOTA
David, What is it about the Fairlane concept? Tell us something. That's cruel of you man, writing its dull and we don't even know what it is. Come on its Christmas... Is it a car, SUV, flying saucer? Throw us a bone. . . . Yeah, I know the damn embargo.
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
you had to be fast and see what blue oval posted ;)
but it's not a new interpretation of the original that's for sure. Think they're just running out of F names ;)
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SGV 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I saw an extremely pixelated picture of what appeared to be a boxy thing, like an Element in BON. Then they posted the whole bunch of pictures that they took down later (. . . remember who sent you the link?) there they had another boxy concept but was called Synus... is that the Fairlane?
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Charles 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
For Toyota to fill in the affordable sporty/sports car void with the discontinued Celica and MR-2.
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Jason 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I would like to see a Mini that is slightly bigger so that it can house a V6 and be able to beat a SRT-4, but not necessarily M3 fast. It might allow for a functional backseat in a car with basically the same styling. Even if BMW comes out with an M1, I would rather a fast Mini than an M1.
Oh yeah, and I don't think I will buy another car that doesn't haev the feature that the Scion tC has allowing the seats to be folded down into a bed. That can be really convenient. The auto industry should incorporate that all over the place the way that you can't find vans anymore that only open on the left.
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Bloglog 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Ford Five Hundred a dud?
What are you smoking?
In 3 years the Five Hundred will be considered the best North American car of 2005 and the Chrysler 300 will be recognized as the 2005 version of the PT Cruiser - yesterday's fad and another example of a fundamentally badly designed vehicle.
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Robin Capper 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
FIAT, please survive somehow and dont let GM do to you what they are doing to SAAB.
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Fairlane was more like a Range Rover IMO. Lots of glass SUV.
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Gianni 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Alfa Romeo, please come back to the United States!
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mattS 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
VW: Revamp the dealer network, get new models to the US faster, don't mess up the marketing campaign for the new GTI.
Ford: Bring back the Focus ZX3 SVT! I don't want to have to buy a sedan to get my speed on.
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tony 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
For Chevy to bring back a RWD Monte Carlo and to build an actual station wagon not some dumb ass crossover thing . For DCX to keep pumping out cars like the 300c and magnum - a real tough bold car not like that funky cheap looking ford five hundred and for ford to make the next gen crown vic resemble a 66 galaxy and offer a two door. Current auto styling is crap and DCX is the only one that had the nuts change direction.
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Josh 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
For GM to hold onto its North American dominance as market share leader and expand to become the global juggernaut that we all know it can be.
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