New Market Segment for Cars
Once upon a time there were cars, which came in s,m,l, and xl, and trucks, which usually came in m,l, and xl. Then, Sir Alec Issigonis invented the front-wheel drive hatchback Mini, and it was good (though that category never really got attention over here). A little later, someone came up with a wagon, and it was good. Then there were SUV's, which also came in s,m,l, and xl, and they were good. Then Chrysler came up with the minivan, and it was also good, if you had lots of kids.
Cars were sedans, hatchbacks, wagons, sports cars, or convertibles, SUVs were trucks with shells reattached (or attached, depending on the way you look at it), and Minivans were a highly distinct seperate category.
And then the last 10 years happened. And stuff got all screwed up. We are now living in an age when most "SUV's" are based on cars, some cars are getting bigger and taller to be more like SUVs, Mercedes builds a $60,000 minivan, BMW just released a M X6 crossover/wagon/SUV/thingie (see below), the next Ford Explorer will be based on the Taurus (not kidding), Mini is making a crossover (still not kidding), minivans are made to look like SUV's, and SUV's are made to look like sports cars.
In other words, all the traditional boundaries have been shot to hell. I think nothing says this more than the X6 M:
What is it? I have no idea. You would want one presumably if you want a really high powered sports car that can also take your kids and your dog to work and then do a lap of Laguna Seca on the ride home, and you happen to live on a dirt path in the woods. Seems like a legitimate market segment to me...
And you see, the thing is, I like all the new models coming out. I like the blurring of the lines. I like getting my car the way that I want, and more choice = a higher chance that I can get what I want. To quote from that fountain of knowledge, Demolition Man:
"You see, according to Cocteau's plan I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".
A long time ago flexible new manufacturing out of Japan promised that we would soon be seeing more niche vehicles produced in low volumes. Then computer design came along and promised, well, pretty much exactly the same thing. As with most developments, it has taken a while to actually happen, but we are finally there. Car companies can now afford to make smaller volume vehicles, and I really am a fan of this. Smaller volume vehicles tend to be quirky, and I like quirky. They tend to be sporty, and I like sporty.
And so I announce to you the latest category to come to US shores: the wagon/hatchback/4-door coupe thing. Born of America's hatred of wagons (other than the Subaru Legacy, which somehow has escaped the scorn - it is seriously the only well-selling wagon in the US), this new category seeks to give us not-quite-a-wagon utility while looking sort of like a sedan and keeping the flowing lines of the 4-door coupe aesthetic. Yeah. So, its a little confused to start with.
The first of these will be a new 5-series GT, which looks, well, ugly.
Soon after that we will be getting the Porsche Panamera, which is... ugly:
The car for the masses will be the new Honda Accord Crosstour... and you guessed it... the damn thing is ugly.
So, I dont think this is a market niche that really needed to be filled. I liked the idea of the old Saabs where a sedan was a hatchback because the rear glass was attached to the hinge above it - and thus you could get large and ungainly stuff in and out. But unless some Saabophile was going on about how his quirky Sweedish car was so much better than your Bavarian car for people without imagination, you never would have know that said Saab was actually a hatchback.
Which leads me to a car I really like, though many dont, which is now sadly out of production because the US does not really like wagons.. (and yes, I know there are certain people reading this who think it is a really ugly car, but I disagree..)
The Dodge Magnum.
So long live niche cars, but I hope, long live super-wagons as well.
Cars were sedans, hatchbacks, wagons, sports cars, or convertibles, SUVs were trucks with shells reattached (or attached, depending on the way you look at it), and Minivans were a highly distinct seperate category.
And then the last 10 years happened. And stuff got all screwed up. We are now living in an age when most "SUV's" are based on cars, some cars are getting bigger and taller to be more like SUVs, Mercedes builds a $60,000 minivan, BMW just released a M X6 crossover/wagon/SUV/thingie (see below), the next Ford Explorer will be based on the Taurus (not kidding), Mini is making a crossover (still not kidding), minivans are made to look like SUV's, and SUV's are made to look like sports cars.
In other words, all the traditional boundaries have been shot to hell. I think nothing says this more than the X6 M:
What is it? I have no idea. You would want one presumably if you want a really high powered sports car that can also take your kids and your dog to work and then do a lap of Laguna Seca on the ride home, and you happen to live on a dirt path in the woods. Seems like a legitimate market segment to me...
And you see, the thing is, I like all the new models coming out. I like the blurring of the lines. I like getting my car the way that I want, and more choice = a higher chance that I can get what I want. To quote from that fountain of knowledge, Demolition Man:
"You see, according to Cocteau's plan I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".
A long time ago flexible new manufacturing out of Japan promised that we would soon be seeing more niche vehicles produced in low volumes. Then computer design came along and promised, well, pretty much exactly the same thing. As with most developments, it has taken a while to actually happen, but we are finally there. Car companies can now afford to make smaller volume vehicles, and I really am a fan of this. Smaller volume vehicles tend to be quirky, and I like quirky. They tend to be sporty, and I like sporty.
And so I announce to you the latest category to come to US shores: the wagon/hatchback/4-door coupe thing. Born of America's hatred of wagons (other than the Subaru Legacy, which somehow has escaped the scorn - it is seriously the only well-selling wagon in the US), this new category seeks to give us not-quite-a-wagon utility while looking sort of like a sedan and keeping the flowing lines of the 4-door coupe aesthetic. Yeah. So, its a little confused to start with.
The first of these will be a new 5-series GT, which looks, well, ugly.
Soon after that we will be getting the Porsche Panamera, which is... ugly:
The car for the masses will be the new Honda Accord Crosstour... and you guessed it... the damn thing is ugly.
So, I dont think this is a market niche that really needed to be filled. I liked the idea of the old Saabs where a sedan was a hatchback because the rear glass was attached to the hinge above it - and thus you could get large and ungainly stuff in and out. But unless some Saabophile was going on about how his quirky Sweedish car was so much better than your Bavarian car for people without imagination, you never would have know that said Saab was actually a hatchback.
Which leads me to a car I really like, though many dont, which is now sadly out of production because the US does not really like wagons.. (and yes, I know there are certain people reading this who think it is a really ugly car, but I disagree..)
The Dodge Magnum.
So long live niche cars, but I hope, long live super-wagons as well.
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