Category: Cars

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Cars

Love Story; Mercedes & Renault

A new love story started! Mercedes and Renault. Two big car companies in different segments. Renault and Mercedes nearly do not have competitor vehicles. Yes, Mercedes A and B Class can be considered for some of the Renault cars but their marketing strategies are not targeting each other. So they are doing in the same business but in different universes.
Mercedes is very good at doing big car like S Class, E Class, GL Class and many more and rubbish at small ones! A and B Class are very good examples. I am not criticizing Mercedes for this failure because their experience is on different types of cars and that’s normal to fail in small cars. The story is same for Renault also. Renault is very good at small cars for long years; Clio, Megane, Twingo but rubbish at big ones VelSatis, Safrane! So, it is pointless for Renault to compete in luxury segments because nobody will buy one. Actually some people are buying but they might be owning Renault dealer. However, Mercedes wants to increase make A Class and Smart more competitive. In current condition, they are not!
In 2013, we will see half Renault half Mercedes cars like Smart and A Class and as usual, Mercedes will expand its Smart range with the help of Renault. I really wonder how Mercedes is doing to develop cars with Renault which is still cannot manage to manufacture a car without vibrating gear lever! Yes, every French cars unsolved problem, vibrating gear lever. I am pretty sure that, this problem with persist in Mercedes-Renault cars.

Pictures are taken from;
Mercedes and Renault Websites

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Cars

SLS AMG GT3

Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 is the new racer model of SLS AMG. SLS AMG is not my favourite car and I do not consider to buy one if I win lotto. This new racer is actually looks really good, both from inside and to outside. There is a bit of sharing interior in this racer and that’s really good! Unfortunately, Mercedes is not offering this as a road legal car and we cannot have any of its design bits. Mercedes should have designed a much better interior and exterior to avoid being forgotten in future and stop producing disposable super cars ;)
I real super car should have remarkable design which will avoid to be forgotten. Cars like 300SLR was beyond their time era, therefore SLS AMG must have been beyond 2010! Unless these cars cannot be go beyond a mass production car. Supercar is not only horse power or transmission, it should have a character which can be noticed every angle.
Pictures are from;
Mercedes Website
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Cars

Non boring Kia

I think you may guess my approach to specific car brands, how I evaulute them and show my emotions towards their products. One of my least favourite brand is Kia! Kia is not a bad brand but they are excellent at producing very ugly looking cars. I have never ever emerged an emotion to any Kia car. They are not bad, Kia developed itself really good in last one decade but they look dull, until now!
Audi’s chief designer Peter Schreyer was transferred to Kia nearly four years ago and I was expecting to see eye catching new models from Kia. Because, Schreyer is one of the very best designers and his designs like Audi TT and Audi A2 are really unique cars.
Eventually last week I saw the new Kia Optima but I noticed that it was a Kia after five minutes. It was looking totally something different, there is no relationship between a traditional Kia and this car. My thoughts about Kia definitely changed after this car. This is not just a car, this is a new era for boring Kia. Like French Revolution! New Optima is showing that, we are not ugly and boring anymore. I really wish that Kia will also offer higher quality and less cheap plastic in this car to complete their new image. I still don’t like other Kias except this new one.
This car is one of the best looking cars in its segment. Like Ford Mondeo, Alfa Romeo 159. I really want to see that Kia will also a revolutionary features ;)

Pictures are taken from;
Worldcarfans Website

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Cars

New Emperor: Ferrari 599 GTO

Ferrari 599 is one of my favourite car. It has everything which you are looking for in a supercar. Technology from F1, V12 engine, enormous amount of power, comfort, luxury, heritage, offering sportiveness and comfort at the same time and many more things. For me it is quite hard to compare with any other car. Of course this uniqueness has a very huge price! And that’s one of the main obstacle between the car and people.
Hopefully a new 599 edition will be introduced, 599 GTO. It will have the DNAs from 1960s with stripes and exterior colours and unbelievable 700 horsepower engine! Yes, 700 horse power! Forget Aston Martin DBS, McLaren MP4 player, Mercedes SLS AMG or anything else. This will be the best GT on planet! It has both heritage, F1 technology and 700 horse power. Ferrari 599 GTO is ultimate car and best for its price. I know that it is really expensive but compare with others and compare what 599 GTO is offering :) I know that you can be between Aston Martin DBS and Ferrari 599. And it is really hard to resist Aston Martin’s designs. It is directly influencing the part in the brain which is avoiding anything else rather than design. When you see a DBS, you forget everything but this new 599 GTO will be a very strong memory in sub consciousness! And it will be serious competitor ;)
So, Ferrari 599 GTO is a great car which offers everything including iPod connectivity. I really wonder who cares about iPod in a Ferrari 599!
Pictures are from;
Ferrari and Worldcarfans Website
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Cars

Another interesting invention from Mercedes!

Mercedes is very good at introducing senseless car. They manage to do this with the interesting R Class! Despite being one of the very slow selling car on Mercedes range, they were offering R63 AMG as the most ridiculous car on planet. A car which neither looks like an SUV nor estate was offered with 510 horse power engine. Hopefully, they realized their mistake and it is not sale anymore :)
Interestingly Mercedes did not learn anything from this experience and they are planning to offer an AMG to new B Class. For those of you, who has no idea what B Class it; that is a longer version of A Class and named as Sports Tourer. I really don’t know the different between A and B Class except their length, but Mercedes is keen on to introduce B Class as something different. The similarity between A and B Class became an obstacle for both cars to achieve better sales performance.
Based on WorldCarFans’s news; Mercedes is planning to offer an alternative to Audi S3 by introducing Mercedes B Class AMG! This is the best idea I have ever heard for last ten years after R63 AMG! I really wonder who is going to buy a car which is twice the higher than its competitor and has nothing in common except being on same market!
Whatever technology will be offered on new B Class AMG model will never ever help to win the battle between Audi S3 or Ford Focus RS or Golf GTi or any car which is on same segment. B Class is a car for families who does not wish to go fast! Competitors like Audi S3 is totally offering something different.
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Cars

Bugatti Watch

If you are a very rich person, I am pretty sure that you have different problems than us. As many of us do not own a Bugatti or SLR or Aston Martin; we don’t suffer their problems. However, as your wealth increases, your problems are increasing also. Every good thing has a bad side.
As you have more money, you will have more opportunity to buy more cars or more expensive ones. While replacing your cars, you won’t stop just that; you will also replace your life style also. So you will replace your watch. When you buy a Bugatti Galibier, you won’t be using your ordinary Swatch while driving your four door Bugatti car. This new Galibier, is a four door concept vehicle from Bugatti and in 2013 it is going to be manufactured.
So why I am talking about Bugatti and watch. This new four door Bugatti Galiber will have a very new distinctive features! A watch which can be used in both inside the car and in your arm. I know it sounds a bit weird. Let me explain it; when you get into your car, you will take out your watch and put into the place in car. And you will do the same when you walk out of the car. So when you buy a four door Bugatti, you will also have a wearable car watch.
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Cars Fashion

The most elegant uncool car : )

This title sounds a bit irrelevant, if it is uncool how it can be cool? A contradiction! That’s the Mercedes R Class. It is one of the achievement of failure by Mercedes. This car is excellent on paper but disaster on real life. This is the most unwanted case while created a new segment by introducing a new car. However, things did not go well with R Class. It was highly priced or over priced like other Mercedes cars, consumers could not understand what it is. An estate car or SUV ! Actually it is a combination of an estate car and an SUV. It has a huge boot and four wheel drive system, but it is not very hard to get on it like a SUV and not ugly like an estate car and sufficient boots size unlike S Class.
In general, that’s a great car with ridiculous seating setting. 2 + 2 + 2, only six people could be accommodated and fifth person should seat in the third row which is quite hard to pass. So, Stuttgart realized this mistake after couple of years. It took very long time to realize their fehler! Then they offered proper seven seat setting with rear wheel drive option and it was still an excellent senseless car. Consumer could not identify what it is and it caused serious sales performance. Many times, rumours emerged and Mercedes was planning to stop producing R Class due to very low sales performance. Now it is on the edge for decision.
How this car became cool? I have noticed this car in movie “Valentino: The Last Emperor”, as I wrote recently, it is about Valentino and his fashion brand. And shootings made in daily life without a scenario and his car can be spotted more easily. And it is a Mercedes R Class, probably V6 model, if it was V8 model it will sound significantly different.
A fashion designer who contributed to fashion world for forty five years with remarkable design was driving a Mercedes R Class. So, automatically R Class became the most elegant uncool car on planet :) I think Mercedes should use this to catch attention on R Class !
Pictures are from;
Movie; Valentino: The Last Emperor
Mercedes Website
Traduzione di Google
Questo titolo suona un po ‘irrilevante, se è cool come può essere cool? Una contraddizione! Questa è la Mercedes Classe R. E ‘una delle raggiungimento di fallimento da Mercedes. Questa vettura è ottima sulla carta, ma disastro sulla vita reale. Questo è il caso più indesiderate mentre creato un nuovo segmento con l’introduzione di una nuova auto. Tuttavia, le cose non sono andate bene con Classe R. E ‘stato molto a pagamento o su un prezzo come altre vetture Mercedes, i consumatori non riusciva a capire quello che è. Una station wagon o SUV! In realtà si tratta di una combinazione di una station wagon e un SUV. Ha un boot enorme e sistema di trazione integrale, ma non è molto difficile da ottenere su di essa come un SUV e non brutta come una station wagon e sufficiente a differenza di dimensione stivali S Class.
In generale, questa è una grande macchina con impostazione posti a sedere ridicolo. 2 + 2 + 2, solo sei persone potrebbero essere soddisfatte, a persona, quinta seduta in terza fila che è molto difficile da passare. Così, Stoccarda realizzato questo errore dopo paio di anni. Ci volle molto tempo per realizzare il loro Fehler! Poi hanno offerto corretta impostazione di sette posti con possibilità di trazione posteriore ed era ancora una vettura eccellente senza senso. Dei consumatori non potrebbero identificare ciò che è e che ha causato gravi performance di vendita. Molte volte, le voci emerse e Mercedes stava pensando di smettere di produrre Classe R, a causa della bassissima performance di vendita. Ora è al limite per la decisione.
Come questa macchina è diventato cool? Ho notato questa macchina nel film “Valentino: The Last Emperor, come ho scritto di recente, si tratta di Valentino e il suo marchio di moda. E riprese effettuate nella vita quotidiana, senza uno scenario e la sua macchina possono essere individuati più facilmente. Ed è una Mercedes Classe R, probabilmente V6 modello, se era il modello V8 suonerà notevolmente diversi.
 
Un designer di moda che hanno contribuito al mondo della moda per quarantacinque anni con un design degno di nota è alla guida di una Mercedes Classe R. Quindi, automaticamente la Classe R è diventata l’auto più elegante cool del pianeta:) Penso che Mercedes debba usare questo per attirare l’attenzione su Classe R!
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Cars

BMW GT !?!

I don’t know why, but BMW started to introduce weird looking pointless cars. I am not talking about X3 or X1, I am talking about estate looking GT models. Yes, I said models plural! Because, BMW is thought that the ridiculous BMW 5 GT is a very good car to be produced and people are running after it. Now they are planning to extend this pointlessness to new 3 Series.
And don’t think that BMW’s GT cars are proper GT! They are just raised higher estate cars. They have nothing in common with a proper GT :(
I know that, BMW is trying to create a new segment and increase their sales and also increase competitive power. But with a car which looks half estate and half nothing will not help! Remember the Mercedes R Class!
Pictures are from;
WorldCarFans and BMW Websites
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Cars

Porsche: 1 – Toyota: 0

Many people will say Toyota is the most reliable car earth. My uncle’s sister’s daughter’s nephew’s son has a Toyota and it never break down. Yes, that’s true! Your unknown relative’s Toyota may not break down for long year but it does not anything to break down. I have never heard a very innovative technology from Toyota. They are just saying reliability and dull looking. Okay, Lexus introduced some new technologies but they don’t like to take these kinds of risks. However, a very primitive part of the car caused Toyota to collapse. Gas pedal!
J.D. Power announces reliability index every year for automotive brands. Research is conducted in USA but it provides a good perspective understand which is better and which is worse. And interesting there is an unexpected brand in first place; Porsche :) Yes, the sports car manufacturer who is expert in producing 911. Now it is the most reliable manufacturer on the list. Interestingly Porsche’s have many new technology even in facelifts. For instance; face lifted 911 Turbo is offering a new technology which reduces engine movement during cornering. Hydralic system is working like a suspension for engine and it prevent engine to cause under steer or over steer, as it is the heaviest part of the car. Also PDK, double clutch auto transmission, many electronic systems.
Sorry Toyota, you are the best anymore! Even if you did not have the problem with gas pedal, still you don’t take risks like Porsche to offer new technologies. By the way, Mercury and Buick are also more reliable than Toyota.
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Cars

McLaren Aether, better than MP4-12C ?

I don’t like to start writing from a negative side but, I have to start this time. I have always mentioned that, a car should have a proper and pronounceable name! But the perfectionist car manufacturer McLaren produced the most sophisticated car on earth and name it like MP3 player!
After the McLaren F1, we did not see a road going version of a McLaren until the disaster of SLR McLaren. Technically SLR McLaren was a piece of engineering but this did not help to lost its value in second hand market. Engineers and consumers are thinking in a totally different way.

Engineer, it based on the word engine!  And that’s the most important part of the car and made from steel and does not have any emotions at all. Consumer, is based on the word consume. And that means, buy a product, consumer it, and throw it away. When engineer and consumer words intersect on business environment, which is called a car dealer, things may not go that well all the time! Consumers are expecting more than engineering in a car. They want passion, uniqueness, excitement and also a good name. Not something a like a chassis number or MP3 player as a name.

Unfortunately, McLaren’s success in car engineering cannot be observed when they name their cars :( May be Ron Dennis doesn’t like branding. And name their most important not in an appropriate way.

Nowadays; if you are going to reveal a car and planning to make a sensation, please focus on the branding a little bit more. Why? Because, people should remember your car easily, if they are planning to buy one and they should not associate unusual notions! Unfortunately, people might associate McLaren’s new car with something unusual, a MP3 or MP4 players. MP4-12C might sound cool or help engineers to separate it from Formula 1 cars, but it will not help to differentiate itself from its competitors! It is terribly hard to remember MP4-12C! Instead, everyone will call it “new McLaren” or “MP4 something”. They will not have problem to remember MP4, because there are MP4 players currently available on market!

Why I do write these thing on a Saturday night? Because, ideas were so strong in my mind and I could not stop writing it! This car is one of the most smart car on earth and it is not produced in Germany! That’s the important point, if a car is not produced in Germany and offering very sophisticated technology you must keep an eye on it :) I will mention only one feature of this car. There is an on board diagnostics system on this car, it may sound senseless for some of you but it is totally a revolution in car business. This car can detect a problem, identify it and contacts with workshop for preparing necessary part (it will communicate by mobile infrastructure not in a magical way). This kind of technology can be seen in some trucks or in air planes. Usually, in most of the cars there is an orange light or “please visit workshop” message to warn driver for any existing problem with the car. Moreover, it won’t describe the problem and never communicates with workshop.
McLaren is created a new era in automotive industry and ignoring the second most important thing after engineering in automotive industry, branding! Remember the Bugatti Atalante! Excellent engineering, state of art design and a unique name.

My suggestion; name this car as McLaren Aether. Aether is the first-born elemental Greek gods. He is the personification of the upper sky, space, and heaven in Greek Mythology. How long did it take to find this name? Only half an hour of reading a book about mythology :)