Good News About GM (for Ford & Mopar Fans)

[38P]

Another point is that the Japanese 2012 sales increases in comparision to 2011 are, in part, due to sales recovery after the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear power disaster depressed supplies of Japanese cars and parts last year.

Lincoln is certainly underperforming due to a lack of direction and product.

Europe appears to be the biggest problem spot of the moment for the Detroit automakers.

The move away from V8s is the predicted result of increases in CAFE standards, along with some perceived "softness" in the non-performance V8 markets. Everyone should be getting ready for the unwelcome return of four-cylinder Camaros and Mustangs, as well as a shift in the mainstream "sporty car" battleground to vehicles such as the new Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ and similar cars.

[Bill McGuire]

Another point is that the Japanese 2012 sales increases in comparision to 2011 are, in part, due to sales recovery after the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear power disaster depressed supplies of Japanese cars and parts last year.

Lincoln is certainly underperforming due to a lack of direction and product.

Europe appears to be the biggest problem spot of the moment for the Detroit automakers.

The move away from V8s is the predicted result of increases in CAFE standards, along with some perceived "softness" in the non-performance V8 markets. Everyone should be getting ready for the unwelcome return of four-cylinder Camaros and Mustangs, as well as a shift in the mainstream "sporty car" battleground to vehicles such as the new Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ and similar cars.

All good points. Along those lines, another trend to be watched: EcoBoost turbo V6 sales in Ford F150 pickups trumping V8s.

[Bob Holmes]

Bill, clearly that is the future. Small displacement bolstered by power-adders.

Get your V8s now folks. The opportunities will dwindle in the market place and significant premiums will be placed on their purchase price. That's not to say that performance will disappear, it will just be in a different form.

[TheSilverBuick]

The cool sounding cars will be a thing of the past. There is something sweet about the frequency of 8 cylinders pulsing from idle to WOT that seems dulled through a turbo, and completely missing from less than 8.

[Bob Holmes]

"Cool" is in the ear of the beholder...

(I'm working on my Spidey imitation, terse less than complete sentences and I'll shortly be at more than 10,000 posts...woohooo... )

[GH]

We just purchased a new Ford F-150 with the EcoBoost v-6. Boy, does that thing run and without any turbo lag, it gets it right now. This is the first gas truck I have had in the last 25 years.

[Bill McGuire]

Personally, I never understood that whole hot rodding thing about Hating on turbo fours and sixes, diesels, hybrids, BEVs. etc.

To me it's very juvenile and short-sighted. These vehicles allow the automakers to meet their regulatory requirements so that V8s can continue in Mustangs, Corvettes, etc. And since when did good engineering become a bad thing? Without the advances in efficiency forced by emissions and economy requirements, there would be no LS or Modular V8s.

To me, that whole line of Hater-based thinking is rooted in the idea that production cars are supposed to reflect what hot rodding is doing. That's silly. From a technical perspective, hot rodding is at best a rear-guard movement. It's always favored form over function.

[anotheridiot]

Can you really say there is a problem other than the fact that people are out of work, afraid to take on a new car note because they might be out of work, so sales being dismal really does not have much to say about any make or manufacturer? I think they stop selling those pre owned certified cars and more people would buy new instead.

[Bob Holmes]

Geebus Bill!! Are you reading my playbook. LOL!

As far as I'm concerned, the more folks that want to spend time on a bus or rapid transit system, the more road for me. The more that want to purchase fuel sipping whatevers, the more fuel that is left over for my favored flavor of consumption.

As hotrodders, we should encourage the sheeple to adopt those means of transportation, while guarding against any attempt to infringe on our pastime.