Tuscan in new film role
Discussion
I haven't been on the TVR forum for a while, so don't know if anybody has brought this up before.
Went to the cinema last night to see Finding Nemo (I know, I know, just a big kid at heart!!) and in the trailers for forthcoming movies, there is one coming out with all the Looney Tunes characters. Looks like it is in the same vein as Roger Rabbit, ie with actors as well. Anyway, Bugs Bunny is driving an orange Tuscan in it!! Surreal or what?????
Went to the cinema last night to see Finding Nemo (I know, I know, just a big kid at heart!!) and in the trailers for forthcoming movies, there is one coming out with all the Looney Tunes characters. Looks like it is in the same vein as Roger Rabbit, ie with actors as well. Anyway, Bugs Bunny is driving an orange Tuscan in it!! Surreal or what?????
Maybe its just my lateral thinking, but this, coupled with Swordfish just looks like a softly, softly approach to gauging US interest in the cars....
Product placement being what it is with car manufacturers these days (Aston Martin virtually unheard of in other parts of the world until Mr Bond) this does seem like a relatively decent way of getting your car seen globally. Having worked with TVR before I just wonder if the US market would quite have the same acceptance of their shortcomings as a car. Lets be honest, given the way the Americans tend to sue over the least little thing, I would think that a slightly less than bulletproof Tiv could cause the downfall of the company.
Product placement being what it is with car manufacturers these days (Aston Martin virtually unheard of in other parts of the world until Mr Bond) this does seem like a relatively decent way of getting your car seen globally. Having worked with TVR before I just wonder if the US market would quite have the same acceptance of their shortcomings as a car. Lets be honest, given the way the Americans tend to sue over the least little thing, I would think that a slightly less than bulletproof Tiv could cause the downfall of the company.
Yes, I thought that that's what he meant too...Still, the latest Chryslers aren't too bad. Considering how bad Mercedes are becoming at build quality, I would assume they have sent all their top-notch engineers to build Voyagers, etc, etc...
Anyway, its like I used to say to all prospective purchasers of a TVR, you can't expect that level of performance, at that price and not expect something to be less than perfect. If you accept that then you will enjoy your TVR to the max.
Anyway, its like I used to say to all prospective purchasers of a TVR, you can't expect that level of performance, at that price and not expect something to be less than perfect. If you accept that then you will enjoy your TVR to the max.
v12bry said:
Maybe its just my lateral thinking, but this, coupled with Swordfish just looks like a softly, softly approach to gauging US interest in the cars....
Product placement being what it is with car manufacturers these days (Aston Martin virtually unheard of in other parts of the world until Mr Bond) this does seem like a relatively decent way of getting your car seen globally. Having worked with TVR before I just wonder if the US market would quite have the same acceptance of their shortcomings as a car. Lets be honest, given the way the Americans tend to sue over the least little thing, I would think that a slightly less than bulletproof Tiv could cause the downfall of the company.
A couple of points. First, TVR is not seeking the attention from Hollywood - it is Hollywood that is going to Blackpool. IIRC, TVR didn't pay a penny for the use of their cars in Swordfish and I doubt they paid anything for the use of the image in the Loony Tunes film. Ford, on the other hand, paid the Bond people millions to get him out of a BMW and back in an Aston where he belongs.
Second, Mr. Wheeler has made it abundantly clear that it would be absurdly unprofitable for TVR to venture into the US market and no one has yet proved him wrong. Do we see companies like Noble or Marcos making a push into the States?
Third, for all of the much ballyhooed build-quality issues at TVR, their vehicles are arguably better built than early Aston Martin DB7s, any pre-Audi Lambos and pre-Fiat Ferraris.
Granted, TVR seem to have a few things to learn about customer-service and complaint-handling, they do learn how to build their cars properly after early customers act as road-testers. Has there been a TVR model released over the past ten years that didn't follow the same basic path: alarmingly high "lemon-quotient" among early cars with many reports of basic reliability-issues followed by TVR developing the cars and changing certain components and even suppliers over the years until the car evolves into something relatively solid.
Look at the Maserati Biturbo. When it first came out it was a disaster. Dual oil-cooled turbos feeding a carbuerated engine may have seemed like an OK idea on paper be in the real world it was a disaster. By the time Maserati switched to water-cooled turbos and fuel-injection, the car had become quite reliable.
v12bry said:Yeah, who wouldn't want to drive the same car as Bugs Bunny?!
Maybe its just my lateral thinking, but this, coupled with Swordfish just looks like a softly, softly approach to gauging US interest in the cars....
Product placement being what it is with car manufacturers these days (Aston Martin virtually unheard of in other parts of the world until Mr Bond) this does seem like a relatively decent way of getting your car seen globally.
Sorry Jon, can't agree that TVRs are better built than early DB7's. Yes the DB had some issues at the start but having seen the paint finish and the engine reliability on the Tuscan S at first hand I have to say that your statement isn't one I would subscribe to. That said, TVRs do get better with development. My Chimeara 4.0 was actually a very good car reliabilty wise and much better than earlier cars that I looked at at the time.
The US is a huge market place and while I don't believe that TVR needs it, it would help the bottom line of the company. You only need to read the vast number of people on these forums from the US that want these cars.
PS - Thought the choice of the Tuscan in Swordfish was great. Such a fantastic mode of transport for a villan.
The US is a huge market place and while I don't believe that TVR needs it, it would help the bottom line of the company. You only need to read the vast number of people on these forums from the US that want these cars.
PS - Thought the choice of the Tuscan in Swordfish was great. Such a fantastic mode of transport for a villan.
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