RE: Paris 2012: Chris Harris's report

RE: Paris 2012: Chris Harris's report

Author
Discussion

OwenK

3,472 posts

194 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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The Veyron is a strange beast, isn't it. Out only 7 years, when released was a massive technical tour de force, it was the fastest, most powerful, most expensive, and all anybody talked about for a year. Now it seems a bit old hat - nobody wants to touch them with a barge pole second hand, and a new version barely even merits one line in a show report.

Personally I think it's their own fault for putting out TWENTY FOUR different special editions derived from three types of standard car (Basic, Gran Sport & Super Sport), for a total of 27 variants.

Can you keep calling it a "Limited Edition" if you sell more limited editions than standard cars?

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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OwenK said:
The Veyron is a strange beast, isn't it. Out only 7 years, when released was a massive technical tour de force, it was the fastest, most powerful, most expensive, and all anybody talked about for a year. Now it seems a bit old hat - nobody wants to touch them with a barge pole second hand, and a new version barely even merits one line in a show report.

Personally I think it's their own fault for putting out TWENTY FOUR different special editions derived from three types of standard car (Basic, Gran Sport & Super Sport), for a total of 27 variants.

Can you keep calling it a "Limited Edition" if you sell more limited editions than standard cars?
the vayron is a funny old thing the most amazing thing about which is often over looked, not only did they make it capable of 260mph+ they made it easy to drive which is not the easiest thing to do, Tiff tried to get one to miss behave with all the driver aids on but it performed pretty much as any normal road car would

it has a very unique shape but its not what you would call pretty or sexy but i suspect there are 3 reasons why they don't do so well second hand, they keep making new special edition versions every 9 days, a £25,000 bill for a set of tyres is pretty shocking even for the hyper rich (and it can chew through a set in 2000 miles) but i think the biggest problem is it has made most people realise that such high top speeds are pretty pointless as there's only a couple of places on the planet you can do it and there privately owned

oh and zonda have taken the whole hypercar thing onto another level

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
quotequote all
OwenK said:
Can you keep calling it a "Limited Edition" if you sell more limited editions than standard cars?
Interesting, so a none limited edition car would be the real limited edition? rotate

stephen300o

15,464 posts

227 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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"Weird to think that 12 hours later McLaren announced that Lewis Hamilton was leaving the team"

Not to picky but.. why's that? Just two things that happened, shrug.

Maybe I've OD'd on cars, starting to think we have enough cars already.


JayPee

1,032 posts

194 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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stephen300o said:
"Weird to think that 12 hours later McLaren announced that Lewis Hamilton was leaving the team"

Not to picky but.. why's that? Just two things that happened, shrug.

Maybe I've OD'd on cars, starting to think we have enough cars already.
End of one chapter and start of another?

Is this an upcoming cross-range Panamera facelift? If so that is a massive step forward.

andyps

7,817 posts

281 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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Is it wrong to say that I would love to know more about a Citroen van with one 10-foot door?

getmecoat

rockymount

145 posts

162 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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“Mercedes told us the SLS E-Cell was being re-named the Electric Drive and it would offer 740hp and 1000Nm, or 737lb ft in old money. They then wrapped it in the blue plastic which is used to protect metal trim on new cars.”



See what you mean Chris – perhaps one of their customers is Papa Smurf? biggrin

Zad

12,695 posts

235 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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rockymount said:
“Mercedes told us the SLS E-Cell was being re-named the Electric Drive and it would offer 740hp and 1000Nm, or 737lb ft in old money. They then wrapped it in the blue plastic which is used to protect metal trim on new cars.”



See what you mean Chris – perhaps one of their customers is Papa Smurf? biggrin
Highly possible, as he is just about to sell Leeds Utd to the Kuwaitis.

Let us hope that the new RR sets a trend for having transparent rear windows, the blacked out drug dealer / paranoid celeb look is well past it's sell-by date. To me the new Jag just doesn't look coherent like the E-type did. The 'mouth' is more like something an upstart far-eastern car maker would use, and the various vents look rather random and gratuitous. Such a shame when you see what they have done with the big saloons recently.


carl0s

526 posts

227 months

Saturday 29th September 2012
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Papa Hotel said:
That shot of the P1 above... It just gets better every time I see it. After the dull MP4-12C I was expecting another dull thing designed to slip through the air easily and not much more, that rear end just looks amazing.
I heartily agree.

405dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
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When Porsche launched the Cayenne it was a butt-ugly thing - but one major facelift and a lot of fiddling later I think they actually look OK - less brutal than RRs and the like - I'd probably drive one were it the right colour and I needed it's abilities and all that.

The Panamera I thought was going to be a harder thing to fix - the proportions were worse than the Cayennes with fat rear arches a nasty profile and a clumsy front - but that pic suggests they're on the ball because it's not a bad looking thing - at least in that one picture?

There's something about German metal - when they first release a new car it generally looks worse than it's predecessor/competitors but after a while they make a sporty version and then a facelift and then some tins of paint which aren't NHS-spec leftovers and the bodykit gets tweaked and the next thing you know, they cars look great. This has been true of every 3 Series ever launched - and most other major German brands - it's just it takes Porsche a bit longer, perhaps smile

JS100

221 posts

156 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
405dogvan said:
When Porsche launched the Cayenne it was a butt-ugly thing - but one major facelift and a lot of fiddling later I think they actually look OK - less brutal than RRs and the like - I'd probably drive one were it the right colour and I needed it's abilities and all that.

The Panamera I thought was going to be a harder thing to fix - the proportions were worse than the Cayennes with fat rear arches a nasty profile and a clumsy front - but that pic suggests they're on the ball because it's not a bad looking thing - at least in that one picture?

There's something about German metal - when they first release a new car it generally looks worse than it's predecessor/competitors but after a while they make a sporty version and then a facelift and then some tins of paint which aren't NHS-spec leftovers and the bodykit gets tweaked and the next thing you know, they cars look great. This has been true of every 3 Series ever launched - and most other major German brands - it's just it takes Porsche a bit longer, perhaps smile
Because they have a blind obsessed following and find it internally amusing how they can produce the ugliest cr*p and still people buy them. Out of pitty, over time, they reward customers with cars that are mildly less repugnant. Panamera case and point wink

lazyitus

19,926 posts

265 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
Hellbound said:
Can't help liking these. rotate

HighwayStar

4,216 posts

143 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
JS100 said:
405dogvan said:
When Porsche launched the Cayenne it was a butt-ugly thing - but one major facelift and a lot of fiddling later I think they actually look OK - less brutal than RRs and the like - I'd probably drive one were it the right colour and I needed it's abilities and all that.

The Panamera I thought was going to be a harder thing to fix - the proportions were worse than the Cayennes with fat rear arches a nasty profile and a clumsy front - but that pic suggests they're on the ball because it's not a bad looking thing - at least in that one picture?

There's something about German metal - when they first release a new car it generally looks worse than it's predecessor/competitors but after a while they make a sporty version and then a facelift and then some tins of paint which aren't NHS-spec leftovers and the bodykit gets tweaked and the next thing you know, they cars look great. This has been true of every 3 Series ever launched - and most other major German brands - it's just it takes Porsche a bit longer, perhaps smile
Because they have a blind obsessed following and find it internally amusing how they can produce the ugliest cr*p and still people buy them. Out of pitty, over time, they reward customers with cars that are mildly less repugnant. Panamera case and point wink
A year or so ago Walter de Dilva said he wanted the Panamera's rear redesigned as it wasn't right. He's not wrong eh. No doubt at some point a properly face lifted/redesigned version will appear

RX7

258 posts

243 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
quotequote all
JS100 said:
Because they have a blind obsessed following and find it internally amusing how they can produce the ugliest cr*p and still people buy them. Out of pitty, over time, they reward customers with cars that are mildly less repugnant. Panamera case and point wink
Very well put smile

sisu

2,576 posts

172 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
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So the styling guys at Porsche aren't sticking with the dog taking a dump of the 2009 prototype Panamera that was launched in the Shanghai Motorshow. Where they were photoshopping a 996 arse on to a 4 door (s-class) body length.

But now seem to be following a more trodden path for inspiration.
- grey plastic stuff in the LEDS in the headlamp cowls
- strip rear tail lights in an Avant body style.



ktm301p

746 posts

188 months

Sunday 30th September 2012
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Personally think that looks great.

bobberz

1,832 posts

198 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2012
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Article said:
Shame there wasn't a 458 Scuderia, or Monte Carlo as we hear it's going to be called.
Hmm, wonder what GM might have to say about that!

dave stew

1,502 posts

166 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2012
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Wasn't there the Lancia Beta Monte Carlo? Fiat Group and all that...

bobberz

1,832 posts

198 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2012
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dave stew said:
Wasn't there the Lancia Beta Monte Carlo? Fiat Group and all that...
Good point; I had forgotten about that one!