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Yes I'm in Boston. You don't need metal around you - what you need are nerves of steel, the unwillingness to blink and an understanding of how we interpret the rules of the road.
As for the airport, it was just named the most social airport in the country as more people check facebook at Logan than any other airport in the country. I attribute that to the delays.
Back on topic - you're probably right. I'm not a prospective Dart customer - at least not for myself.
If Chrysler and Fiat ultimately merge, as planned, and survive or thrive, Sergio Marchionne's vision and ability to execute will deserve much of the credit.
Chrysler's April up 20%, GM down 8.2%, Ford down 5% (Detroit News)
"Fiat and Mazda said today they have agreed to form an alliance to codevelop a roadster, or two-seat sports car, to be built at Mazda’s plant in Hiroshima, Japan, starting in 2015.
The memorandum of understanding calls for the development and production of a new roadster for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo models based on Mazda’s next-generation MX-5. The two automakers also said they have agreed to discuss additional opportunities for cooperation in Europe..."
Could this be the percursor to a broader alliance, or, possibly, an eventual merger between Fiat-Chrysler and Mazda?
steve_, "Mazda - Does it have a good future in US?" #1970, 23 May 2012 6:15 am
Broader alliance yes. Don't think a merger is in the cards (unless Sergio can get Mazda for free). I bet they follow the route that Mazda and Ford carved out; that seemed to work well.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
The memorandum of understanding calls for the development and production of a new roadster for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo models based on Mazda’s next-generation MX-5."
That is great news for Alfa lovers, the world badly needs a rear wheel drive Alfa-Romeo Spider!
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Alfas, and the British sportscars the Miata tried to replicate, have that difficult-to-describe ingredient, soul, which excites enthusiasts when the cars are new, and adds sentimental and monetary value when they get old. Why else would there continue to be so much demand for MGs, Triumphs, Austin-Healeys, and old Jaguars and Alfas?
Let's hope Alfa applies its magic to the next generation MX-5.
Chrysler stops taking wholesale orders for 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth (Detroit News)
Marchionne paid nothing for a 20 percent stake in a bankrupt Chrysler, but he has since parlayed that into a controlling interest in an automaker that has spent the past year grabbing market share from its foreign and domestic competitors by the fistful. He has also paid back the American taxpayer years ahead of schedule, returned Chrysler to profitability, reopened shuttered factories and again gave people a reason to believe in Detroit. Instead of dragging Fiat down, as many analysts feared, Chrysler is now propping up its Italian parent as Fiat struggles to weather the worst economic storm to hit Europe since World War II."
Imported to Detroit: 3 years on, Marchionne proves doubters wrong (Detroit News)
"The just-released 2013 Dodge Dart will encounter something rare in the car market: a menu offering as many as 100,000 possible combinations of colors and optional features.
Rivals including Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. don't offer anything close to this level of à la carte customization. They are sticking with a model of offering a limited selection of options packages amid a desire to keep costs down and research suggesting many consumers find sifting through complex product decisions a tedious chore."
Looking at how people buy music now (no more albums or whole CDs), this makes a lot of sense to me, so long as the wait time isn't too long.
Ordering Car Features à la Carte (WSJ)
Well Marchionne has laid out his future plans. Dodge will become more performance oriented while evidently Chrysler will expand and move down a bit to compete with Chevy, Ford, Toyota and other mainline vehicles. It appears pundits are panning this latter aspect saying Chrysler already has an upmarket image that they will be throwing away. However, I'm not really sure about that. Granted, the 300 is probably a Lincoln equivalent at a lower price (if you consider Lincoln near lux), but other products like the minivan or 200 surely are not. I'm thinking that the foreign nameplates really own the near lux and lux segment in the US today. Cadillac is certainly no longer dominant, but is trying. Lincoln is kind of like this segment's Chicago Cubs. Fiat's upper level products like Maserati and Alpha will enter the near lux/lux segment for the company. So this may be wise, particularly combining that with greater emphasis on Dodge and performance. Maybe they can even bring back Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge from the heydays of muscle! So what's the consensus out there?
My wife wants one of those and we're planning a move to sun country soon. I had the same concern as you. She claims that some study showed that the glass roof reflected more sunlight than metal and thus cars with them stay cooler.