Ford ditch McRae
Discussion
quote:
Why hasn't peugeot made a decent 300 pony road car yet?1 Missed opportunity to say the least.
Think they're doing a GTi with 180bhp to compete against the Civic Type-R, Clio 172 etc etc.
There's still a badge snobbery issue against certain manufacturers. Peugeot, like Ford don't see a market for 300bhp fire-breathers as they don't sell enough... people seem to want Subaru's and Mitsubishi's it seems.
quote:
Why hasn't peugeot made a decent 300 pony road car yet?1 Missed opportunity to say the least.
Probably similar reason the RS Focus appears as front wheel drive.
The Pug and Ford rally cars share very similar 4wd set ups, which the cost and package is a nightmare for a road going version.
Hence they would have to spend much time and euros developing something new again, as per Ford.
Agreed, but many people will dismiss a car for a badge.
Ever driven a Skoda Octavia RS? Very competent saloon... but it's a Skoda, so people would rather have something else.
"oh, it's only a Ford"... so what? Not everyone can afford what they REALLY want. Doesn't make it a bad car. I know someone who chose a 3-series compact (boggo 316) over an ST170, as he simply didn't want a Blue Oval badge on his car...
Badge / Brand snobbery happens at all levels...
Ever driven a Skoda Octavia RS? Very competent saloon... but it's a Skoda, so people would rather have something else.
"oh, it's only a Ford"... so what? Not everyone can afford what they REALLY want. Doesn't make it a bad car. I know someone who chose a 3-series compact (boggo 316) over an ST170, as he simply didn't want a Blue Oval badge on his car...
Badge / Brand snobbery happens at all levels...
The Subuaru and Mitsi concept started as turning the 4wd road cars into rally machines, so the main issues were power and reliability. As it was a road car 4wd system they could sell sufficient numbers at a reasonable cost to the public because the develpoment budget required was not huge.
Ford, Pug and Cit etc. are trying to turn a front drive vehicle into a rally machine. Non of them produce a state of the art 4wd system for the other vehicles in the their product range and hence have to spend huge amounts of time and budget on soemthing bespoke for the rally cars. hence they can not sell it the public for sensible money as Sub and Mit do.
If I was in the market and could afford it I would love a 300bhp fire spitting turbo nutter rally machine..... no matter what the badge.
Ford, Pug and Cit etc. are trying to turn a front drive vehicle into a rally machine. Non of them produce a state of the art 4wd system for the other vehicles in the their product range and hence have to spend huge amounts of time and budget on soemthing bespoke for the rally cars. hence they can not sell it the public for sensible money as Sub and Mit do.
If I was in the market and could afford it I would love a 300bhp fire spitting turbo nutter rally machine..... no matter what the badge.
Back on topic.......
I don't think Colin moving is such a bad thing (not for him anyway).
I do agree that I think Ford should have made more of the advertising potential with Colin in the Focus. But then we are back to 'what product to use him with?' Could hardly have him hooning around in 2.0l Focus, when anyone who follows the sprot will know it has very little common with the 2.0l rally car.
Citreon obviously committed some serious budget to get a big name for their first full year assault on the WRC. I like to see Colin win under any badge (as long as he beats Burns!).
I don't think Colin moving is such a bad thing (not for him anyway).
I do agree that I think Ford should have made more of the advertising potential with Colin in the Focus. But then we are back to 'what product to use him with?' Could hardly have him hooning around in 2.0l Focus, when anyone who follows the sprot will know it has very little common with the 2.0l rally car.
Citreon obviously committed some serious budget to get a big name for their first full year assault on the WRC. I like to see Colin win under any badge (as long as he beats Burns!).
quote:
Ever driven a Skoda Octavia RS? Very competent saloon... but it's a Skoda, so people would rather have something else.
It's true, you know. My sister is choosing her new company car at the moment. On paper the Skoda has come out as the best car to buy, but she has had to reject it. Not because she is a brand snob, but because her clients are! Wouldn't look good to turn up at a client (or worse, a potential client) in a Skoda apparantly.
quote:
I know someone who chose a 3-series compact (boggo 316) over an ST170, as he simply didn't want a Blue Oval badge on his car...
I can never understand this thinking......obviously these people are really not interested in cars and what you get for your money.
Never owned a BMW and not really likely too (as don't really like them much), but a 316 is soo watered down tosh its not worth owning (fine if a company pays but not your won cash).
135sport - agreed... ST170 is a very competent C-segment hatch... and a damn sight better drivers car than many other things in the price bracket.
All down to the individual really... some people would rather have the "propellor" badge than a "blue oval" I guess...
ah well. Their loss!
All down to the individual really... some people would rather have the "propellor" badge than a "blue oval" I guess...
ah well. Their loss!
quote:
quote:
Ever driven a Skoda Octavia RS? Very competent saloon... but it's a Skoda, so people would rather have something else.
It's true, you know. My sister is choosing her new company car at the moment. On paper the Skoda has come out as the best car to buy, but she has had to reject it. Not because she is a brand snob, but because her clients are! Wouldn't look good to turn up at a client (or worse, a potential client) in a Skoda apparantly.
What tosh!
Skoda is probably the most succesful relaunch of a car brand since Audi released the A4! Almost everyone who knows anything about cars knows that the Octavia is an A3 built in a different location.
As for customers being put off by the car you drive, I can understand that if you turn up in something mega flash (the why am I paying for that class of customer) but the other way round just doesnt compute for me.
Its a great car with a great pedigree.
Matt.
quote:Exactly. But how many clients know anything about cars?
Almost everyone who knows anything about cars knows that the Octavia is an A3 built in a different location.
Face it, badge snobbery is like racism - it is an incomprehensible non-issue for broad-minded intelligent people like you or I, but for narrow-minded petty little jumped-up morons it is second nature.
Unfortunately you will get more of the latter than the former at managerial level which is why my sister's shortlist of cars can't include the Skoda.
Sad, but true.
I've suggested she looks at the Lexus IS300. Toyota had the right idea there - create a new brand rather than taking on the baggage of an existing one.
Edited to add that I acknowledge that the above is a broad, sweeping generalisation that is probably wholly innacurate and I apologise to anyone offended by it and hope you can forgive me mumble mumble grovel simper.
>> Edited by JonRB on Thursday 26th September 16:02
Interestingly...I'd really like a fast Pug 406 Coupe. Had the 3.0L one and it was quick but dull. The handling was big FWD heavy car - utterly unlike the lightweight, RWD, mid-engined handling of my Porsche.
Still it looked the business, had a real boot, and four proper seats. Now if I could have had one with 290bhp instead of 190 bhp and with 4WD that would have been one great car...
Thinking about it...about 390 bhp/4WD would *really* have done the job.
Peugeot. ARE YOU LISTENING! Sell me a car!
Still it looked the business, had a real boot, and four proper seats. Now if I could have had one with 290bhp instead of 190 bhp and with 4WD that would have been one great car...
Thinking about it...about 390 bhp/4WD would *really* have done the job.
Peugeot. ARE YOU LISTENING! Sell me a car!
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