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Comments
Some cars handle the bold colors better than others. That's just my opinion, of course.
TM
The strength (lack of) of the company would be the main concern of mine before deciding to buy one.
There will be cool offerings from the mainstream companies in the near future.
TM
As a small firm, it has done a commendable job in packaging a solution to the ICE-based vehicle. Too bad the funding and cash flow seem to be in peril, although I heard there was funding bids for the D.O.E. funds appropriated last year by Congress.
It boggles the mind that our Big 3 could not provide this type of products but shows that the future will be "Smaller is Better".
Regards,
OW
Does both bmw and Jag use the same transmission provided by? ZF? :confuse:
Don't they make their own transmission? But lexus does? Right?
Lexus' eight-speed is made by Aisin. I'm not sure whether their normal six-speed is built by Toyota or someone else.
But now, I am carrying about 5 - 10 extra pounds, but no neck problem. I still stay very active, but miss my trips to the gym. I can never find the motivation to use my home equipment. Somehow I hope to find a regular, but less intense exercise plan.
The economic crisis nailed me hard at first. I was in a bad way, and honestly scared to death, until I came up with a new business model that seems to be doing quite well. If you are interested I can tell you more about all that sometime.
How is business for you?
TM
Nice!
Regards,
OW
It gives me another reason - as if I needed one - to dislike this vehicle.
A functional and attractive GUI is what I was talking about. It can make all the difference. I'm anxious to see this application in the LR RR in person.
Thanks for posting it.
TM
But now, I am carrying about 5 - 10 extra pounds, but no neck problem. I still stay very active, but miss my trips to the gym. I can never find the motivation to use my home equipment. Somehow I hope to find a regular, but less intense exercise plan.
The economic crisis nailed me hard at first. I was in a bad way, and honestly scared to death, until I came up with a new business model that seems to be doing quite well. If you are interested I can tell you more about all that sometime.
How is business for you?
TM
Wow, that financial hit sounds tough but I'm very glad to hear that you responded positively. Yes indeed, I would like to hear about the new model that you speak of if you care to mention it.
I took a minor hit, nothing even close to some of the stories I have read. In addition the industry I am in has slowed down and is changing because of the dynamics of this new economy. My income comes from big pharma. On top of the economy, whenever there is talk about nationalizing healthcare, the industry clams up, reels in spending and proceeds very cautiously in anticipation of government regulation, entitlement and general unpredictability. A similar thing happened in '92 when the same party got voted in with absoute power. This time they are trying to avoid the "mistakes" of the past and are trying to ramrod every piece of legislation through. And it is questionable whether they are even reading it.
So far, I'm OK with it.
TM
The ergonomics of digital vs analog is a good topic of discussion.
My business model change was necessary because I was vulnerable to the auto industry slowdown, having many clients in that industry at the dealership level, across the country... and suddenly the typical cash flow became a trickle from those clients.
Since I already have the production capability for commercial printing and graphics design alreay in place, I shifted our focus to open our doors much wider to the immediate local market area. I targeted advertising to increase local awareness of our capabilities. So, i made a major shift from servicing larger specific types of businesses to a much more diverse selection of business types as well as sizes.
To accomodate that model shift, I reviewed our internal service capabilities on a human skill level, machine/hardware level, and software level. Human skills are top notch, although I sadly had to remove one individual from the company. I upgraded the digital production to include the latest high-definition capabilities, and I made certain that all the software was fully-upgraded to the latest versions, particularly the CS workstations.
I re-negotiated every single vendor contract to strive for better terms and reduce fixed overhead.
I have seen a remarkable improvement to the bottom line, as well as the internal energy because of the increase in new projects that enter the creative and production departments.
The interesting part of this is that when the auto industry finally starts to improve, we anticipate that to further increase our business due to the resumption of some of the prior projects.
Beyond that, I have an advertising campaign I will soon initiate that will target specific potential clients. One advantage I'll point out is that we create our own marketing materials, so we do not have to go to outside sources. Also, I have just added variable data capability to our digital production. I had resisted this for years, but now see it as being worthwhile.
There's lots more, but those are some of the main highlights of what I've done at my company.
On a personal level, I have sold the 911, and realize that I have been too wasteful of my money for many years... on a number of levels... not just cars. At the end of the day, it's an awareness I welcome, and my company and my family will hopefully all be better off and stronger as a result.
TM
Regards,
OW
Regards,
OW
Looks like you did a number of smart moves that all came together. We do the same thing as we are always seeking ways to re-slice our data to different market segments or use our technical expertise to differentiate or expand services to adjacent markets. Right now Wall Street is actually a hot spot as they have a lot of demand for our services and it could be a big market. We have another product in trial that would greatly enhance our profits in 12 months and change an entire industry's dynamics. We're a B to B business and the whole trick to that business model is having products that can appeal to a variety of markets beyond your main market and/or to have a technology platform that allows for new services without having to invent a whole new wheel.
Just curious, when you say you targeted advertising to make others aware of your capabilities what media did you go through primarily. I ask this because as much as the internet is hot, most businesses still find TV not only as the best way to appeal to the masses (locally, regionally or nationally) but it's still way ahead of everything. I went to an industry conference last week and met two guys that started separate internet sites. Both guys advertised for months, one guy for a year on the net (they thought it was the only way to go) and got nowhere. Both guys (they ae not related and in fact have totally different businesses and only met at this conference) finally advertised on late night TV and suddenly the word spread and their businesses took off.
A combination of ingredients, including Internet, but a massive dose of targeted direct mail and specific yellow pages. Yellow pages are tricky and expensive, and timing is critical to get in the right books before deadlines. Also size and type of ads are critical. You must know what to do or you will waste so much money This is not for everyone, as many businesses cannot benefit from yellow pages.
I won't explain Internet here... it's too complicated... but we have some Internet strategies now in place, and a new one anticipated for later this year or early next year. It is very strategic and so cool that I can't spill the beans. I wish I could sell the strategy itself. I believe it is that good!
Direct mail is not for everyone, but is awesome for us on a local level because we can produce all the materials ourselves for practically nothing. Postage is the only factor. That gives us a huge advantage in saturation and targeting. We can effectively conduct a direct mail campaign to a specific local target and even experiment. We can then measure the results and gain insight, allowing for more effective and efficient campaigns as we move forward.
Edit: I love TV (and radio) advertising. But it is not a magic pill and can often cost more than the potential benefit. Caution is always advised, and knowledge is essential. We were involved in a cooperative TV spot recently, and there were some results, but I could not prove to myself that it was worthwhile. I currently have no TV ad campaigns planned at this time, although have not ruled it out much further down the road.
I hope that answers your question.
TM
Assuming repair cost thresholds track higher during tough economic times vs. car payments, the fact is people will stick with the current vehcile way longer than recent history suggests. Interesting data. Makes me wonder how long the SAAR rate stays under 10MM units in the US vs. the peak of 17 MM.
Regards,
OW
In my old job I bought company after company in the targeted ad business, the biggest of which and predominant survivor in that industry is a company called Claritas, whose enhanced cenus data and segmenation systems feed many direct mail companies. So I know exactly what you did and you did it very smartly, my friend.
You are a business guru... expert, to be more precise, and I appreciate the positive feedback.
Frankly, I never really wanted to do any of it, but survival is a strong motivator. I've never been driven to grow my business to it's fullest potential. I admit this. I figured it was good enough. Certainly it could be argued I should have gone the limit. But, I'm too laid back a character, and I am honest about that. I like a lot of family time, and I am happier in front of my bar-b-que than counting money. I am not sure I am expressing this very well, but I sure hope you know what I'm trying to say.
Len, you're a good guy. I've known it from the beginning.
TM
... Unless I've misunderstood your post.
TM
Believe it or not I am very similar. My partners and I are driven but we all make more money than ever while working less than ever and none of us will ever put work above family. There's a big difference between working hard and killing yourself and working smart and making things look easy.
I would suggest just getting one with the Ultra Luxury package, which includes the air suspension. From what I've heard, finding one with the sport package is nearly impossible.
I'm curious why you've decided to switch to the LS from Audi. I ask because I went in the opposite direction, after more than 10 years of LS ownership. My last LS had the air suspension, and it was a great highway cruiser, but if you're looking for any amount of fun behind the wheel, you're going to be disappointed with the LS. My new S6 isn't bothered by cornering speeds that would make the LS howl in protest.
It certainly isn't the most attractive steering wheel in the world, but it's no more button infested than many of the other luxury brand's wheels. Especially Acura's.
In general, all of the interiors in the 2010 LRs, especially the LR4 and RR Sport, seem to be hugely improved. Of course there's still no way I would actually buy a LR. I'm not a masochist.
Well, for the record, I still need to see it in person to really make a judgment on whether I could actually live with it. And I'm still in no way sold on the Tesla's digital center stack. You never have to actually touch the IP for anything, so there's more room there to experiment. Showing album cover art and such is a neat gimmick, but I wouldn't want to actually try to use any of the controls on this system while driving.
Let's hope the enormous stimulus does not drive us into stagflation as the econom begins to recover. I feel we are in un-charted economic no-man's-land because of the ultra-sophisticated instruments that were leveraged with false bottoms. :sick:
regards,
OW
We're living on a new planet. Yep, ultra-sophisticated. The Wall Street geniuses had that can't-fail real-estate market really sussed. I think the thing that may have ultimately saved us is that the rest of the world followed banking and Wall Street (not that there's much of a difference anymore) out the window.
This article is from December, but worth reading if anyone missed it.
The End of Wall Street's Boom
That gives the new 760i and the 760Li the ability to go from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.6 seconds while returning an average fuel-economy of 18 mpg.
We’re guessing this will be the same new V12 that will make it under the hood of the Rolls-Royce RR4/200EX when it enters production.
I wasn't expecting this.
Lexus' eight-speed is made by Aisin. I'm not sure whether their normal six-speed is built by Toyota or someone else.
Thank you Lexusguy
You have always been helpful by replying my questions.
Btw, hows your S6? How many miles on it?
Tested the Q5 yet?
My thoughts exactly, and yes, it becomes a big slab of nothing when not in use. The gauges are also digital, but seem to be much more video game-ish than the RR's.
Neither was I. Supposedly the big German V-12s were on their way out. Guess not.
BTW, I really like the new CEO (Fritz Henderson) of GM. I would not be surprised if this guy pulls off a miracle.
Regards,
OW
I bought Ford awhile back at a bit over a buck and a half, so I'm doing pretty well there. I think of the domestics, Ford has the best management in place, and the best upcoming short term product portfolio. Ford still has a wealth of problems, and the Mercury brand is completely dead in the water. That's still better though than having several dead in the water brands, and I don't think there are any standalone Mercury dealerships, so Ford has more leeway in terms of starving the brand to death, or just pulling the plug, without having to worry about a flood of lawsuits from dealers demanding that Ford buy their cars back.
I don't think Henderson will be around for long, and I don't expect any miracles from GM. I also fail to understand how the "partnership" with Fiat accomplishes anything for Chrysler. Chrysler is a complete zombie at this point, and every day they don't go C7 is another day of tax payers flushing money down a black hole.
Yeah I'm still not a fan of the S-class exterior design (or any M-B design at this point), but it has an excellent interior, and the CL's is even better, one of my absolute favorites. Both are huge improvements over the old cars. Mercedes has set the bar really high here, and Audi will have to deliver an absolute knock out with the new A8 if they want to retain their interior design edge in the full-size segment.
Tested the Q5 yet?
To date, the S6 has been excellent. Fuel economy is not great as you would expect, but I knew that going in. I still love how sinister it looks in all black - totally Darth Vader's car. It has around 17K miles on it now, and the engine is starting to enter the "sweet zone" where performance is at the absolute maximum. It's great.
Haven't gotten a chance to test the Q5 yet, I think the wife and I will probably do that sometime in the summer.
Do your homework and take a good look at GE. You might just thank me one day.
TM
Others here should also take a serious look at GE... and buy a ton of it, before it's too late.
TM
TM