RE: Dodge Razor
Monday 7th January 2002
Dodge Razor
Cerbera meets VX220
Discussion
It's complete shite! I had a Cerbera for nearly four years and forgave it almost everything for its purity of line & unique and satisfying shape. This Dodge is a cobbled-together pastiche which only shows that imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but you've still gotta have some flair to get away with it. (Rant, rave etc....)
Hold on a minute! There is more to this story than you guys are giving credit. What you don't see is the influence of Freeman Thomas at work here. He is the boss of both designers being given credit, (or blame) for this concept. He is the designer responsible for the Audi TT, and more recently, the Chrysler Crossfire concept car. He was given a mandate by DCX bosses to create a TT-style car for Chrysler and one for Dodge.
Here is my point:
1. Its very easy to criticize a designer from the safety of a little island market chock full of great sportscars. However, its quite another to try to make something special happen within the confines of the US Big 3 automaker-system.
2. I have heard no British carmaker including MG, Lotus, and TVR, all of whom have the capital to do so, ever mention their desire to make a car for the US market. The fact is, they are just chicken. (Lotus talked about it for a while then bailed out)
I am not in love with the car myself, but I have some sympathy with the efforts of car designers trying to make a moderately-priced sports car for the US. We have been starving for long enough, completely ignored by the UK manufacturers.
Besides, I'm sure a lot of the "outlandish" styling will get toned down before production, as will the performance.
BTW, it looks a lot better from the rear.
Here is my point:
1. Its very easy to criticize a designer from the safety of a little island market chock full of great sportscars. However, its quite another to try to make something special happen within the confines of the US Big 3 automaker-system.
2. I have heard no British carmaker including MG, Lotus, and TVR, all of whom have the capital to do so, ever mention their desire to make a car for the US market. The fact is, they are just chicken. (Lotus talked about it for a while then bailed out)
I am not in love with the car myself, but I have some sympathy with the efforts of car designers trying to make a moderately-priced sports car for the US. We have been starving for long enough, completely ignored by the UK manufacturers.
Besides, I'm sure a lot of the "outlandish" styling will get toned down before production, as will the performance.
BTW, it looks a lot better from the rear.
quote:
1. Its very easy to criticize a designer from the safety of a little island market chock full of great sportscars. However, its quite another to try to make something special happen within the confines of the US Big 3 automaker-system.
Fair point. It is easy to criticise and we don't know (or didn't know) what the design brief was.
However it could equally well be argued that a company the size of DC has the resources to design beautiful cars. I very much believe that mainstream car design is too obsessed with itself and 'trends' rather than really attempting to innovate.
Why should a few blokes in a shed in Blackpool be able to do a better job of creating desirable cars...?
quote:
2. I have heard no British carmaker including MG, Lotus, and TVR, all of whom have the capital to do so, ever mention their desire to make a car for the US market. The fact is, they are just chicken. (Lotus talked about it for a while then bailed out)
Lotus, TVR and MG have all categorically stated that they are planning their returns to the USA. However because it is such a different market to the rest of the world it would be naive of us to expect it to happen overnight.
quote:
"Dodge Razor has a simple shape with every line offering an abundance of emotion and purpose," said Tsuchiya. "Razor’s dramatic proportions scream ‘I’m bold, I’m powerful, I’m Dodge'
Brilliant. With a delivery like that, I'm sure we'll see Tsuchiya at Edinburgh next year.
Almost choked on me doughnut...PetrolTed said:
"Lotus, MG and TVR have all announced plans fr returning to the US"
Is this new? Lotus scrapped their planned US return, and when I spoke to TVR they told me straight- "no plans; no need". MG actually made the statement that they did not wish to, "tarnish the brand image by making a car for the States." This did not sound good to me. Either their plans have changed in the last few months, or PetrolTed knows different people at these companies than I do.
"Overnight?" Ted, they have been out of the US for over 20 years now, this hardly counts as overnight.
"Lotus, MG and TVR have all announced plans fr returning to the US"
Is this new? Lotus scrapped their planned US return, and when I spoke to TVR they told me straight- "no plans; no need". MG actually made the statement that they did not wish to, "tarnish the brand image by making a car for the States." This did not sound good to me. Either their plans have changed in the last few months, or PetrolTed knows different people at these companies than I do.
"Overnight?" Ted, they have been out of the US for over 20 years now, this hardly counts as overnight.
The reason the M250 was canned was because it wouldn't work in the USA. Lotus's strategy going forward is to include world markets hence their turnaround with the M250.
You obviously haven't spoken to TVR recently. Publicly they have acknowledged that they intend to return to the USA and behind the scenes the pieces have been moving into place since 2000. I expect an announcement to be made in the next few months detailing how they are going about it.
MG - X80, Mangusta based sports coupe isn't just being built for European markets...
You obviously haven't spoken to TVR recently. Publicly they have acknowledged that they intend to return to the USA and behind the scenes the pieces have been moving into place since 2000. I expect an announcement to be made in the next few months detailing how they are going about it.
MG - X80, Mangusta based sports coupe isn't just being built for European markets...
don't get lost, guys, this is less about shocking you silly than it is about following up on the right details that have filtered through previous concepts. Look at last year's dodge super 8 sedan and then look for the details of that car that have been reinterpreted for dodge. I think you'll see the beauty is not in the presentation of this car, but in how all those little details will show up on the next intrepid and stratus and caravan.
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