[Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press

[Ron Porter]

although I'm an old fart who remembers the brand differentiation of years
ago, I disagree. Doesn't mater if it's a Ford or a Mercury. I would buy
whichever model appealed to me. If the current Marauder was a Galaxie 500, I
still wouldn't buy a dog like that!!

Ron Porter

-----Original Message-----
From: Donald Mallinson [mailto:dmall@mwonline.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 3:36 PM
To: ronporter@prodigy.net
Cc: Shotimes
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press


You must not hang around with many car people (and I know
better!).

Name has a LOT to do with it.  Like I said, it would still
be underpowered, but there are a LOT more (something like 20
to 1?) FORD fans out there than Mercury.  I didn't say that
would make it a runaway best seller, but just that it would
have sold a lot more.

Sales is a numbers game, and if there was any way to do
it,...go back and try again, I would bet any amount that the
same vehicle with FORD as a name and the Crown Vic grill
would have sold at least twice as many cars by now.  If you
think about it, you have to agree.  It still would be a
failure, but not as big a failure.

And there aren't many FORD fans that would have a Mercury in
their garage, kissing cousins or not.

Don Mallinson

Ron Porter wrote:
> The Ford-Mercury name had nothing to do with it. The car is a dog, it
would
> have sold as poorly if it were a Ford. The CV LX Sport gives up almost no
> performance, and lists for $7K less........but I'm not sure if that was
> selling very well, either.
>
> The S/C Cobra motor in the Marauder would have sold every one that they
> could build.
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Donald Mallinson
> Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 3:17 PM
> To: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
> Cc: Shotimes
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>
>
> Marauder is dead.  NO more of them to be made after the
> first year.
>
> Local dealer also got in a BLUE one!  Still has the two he
> originally got (one with my name on it, I promtly removed my
> name after driving it).
>
> They predicted selling 15,000 or more the first year, so
> far, they have sold under 3000.  Total failure, that could
> have been predicted as soon as they put Mercury on the body
> instead of FORD.  The Marauder didn't sell back in the 60's
> worth a darn,  these things sell to the people that bought
> them back then, ask the SS Impala guys!  Nobody was
> clamoring for them to bring back the Marauder, but a LOT of
> Ford people wanted a new XL500 Galaxie!  Same, car, Ford
> grill, Ford name and it would have sold twice as many,
> probably still a dismal failure without more power, but
> guaranteed failure with Mercury on it!
>
> Don M.
>
> Ron Porter wrote:
>
>>Speaking of Impala SS.....it seems that all talk about the Marauder has
>>totally stopped!!
>>
>>I suspect that sales are in the toilet. For a car that I originally
>
> thought
>
>>would absolutely positively be my next car, it has totally dropped off my
>>radar screen as something that I would even consider buying.
>>
>>Ron Porter
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Don McKinnon (AST) [mailto:dmckinnon@asttechlabs.com]
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 2:36 PM
>>To: Ron Porter; Dave Kegel; Shotimes
>>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>
>>
>>Maybe GM will be providing an Impalla SS model on this platform!
>>
>>I still dream of Ford shipping over the Falcon XR8 model from Australia
>
> with
>
>>the 5.4l DOHC motor!
>>
>>Wishing right now I could just by $2000 in bicycles...
>>
>>Don McKinnon
>>95 MTX - White/Mocha 91k miles
>>Stage 1 Power Package with Stage 1cams
>>Canyon Carver Road/Race Suspension
>>Quaife & HiRevs Competition Clutch
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
>>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Ron Porter
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 1:54 PM
>>To: Dave Kegel; Shotimes
>>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>
>>
>>The one thing that irritates me about it......and it's why I still feel
>
> that
>
>>the Cadillac guys are clueless....is that they are basically using the
>>Corvette motor in it. Now, the Corvette-Z28-T/A motor is a nice, advanced
>>pushrod motor.....in a Chevy or a Pontiac....but why not have a unique
>>Cadillac with a kick-ass Northstar that does 400 HP?
>>
>>I just get the feeling that the GM guys just don't understand what it
>
> truly
>
>>takes to compete in the M5 market.
>>
>>Ron Porter
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
>>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Dave Kegel
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 1:33 PM
>>To: Shotimes
>>Subject: Re: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>
>>
>>There's more info, and a picture of it here:
>>
>>http://www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/futuremodels/vseries/overview.html
>>
>>I don't really like its looks either, but it sounds like a hell of a fun
>
> car
>
>>nonetheless.  Lot's of HP, RWD, a V8 stick, and four doors.
>>
>>Dave
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
>>To: "Shotimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
>>Sent: April 16, 2003 12:21 PM
>>Subject: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>And the car is still ugly.......
>>>
>>>http://www.freep.com/money/autoreviews/cts15_20030415.htm
>>>
>>>Anyway, what caught my eye in the article was this paragraph:
>>>
>>>"Cadillac tested the car extensively on Germany's famous Nuerburgring
>>>racetrack, which led to suspension upgrades, including a bar connecting
>>
>>the
>>
>>
>>>right and left front suspension towers for better handling and steering
at
>>>high speeds."
>>>
>>>So the engineers scammed a trip to Germany to run the 'Ring, just to
>>>determine that the car needed a strut tower brace? I would like to think
>>>it's what a marketing wonk was told to put in the story, but if that's
>>
>>what
>>
>>
>>>it took GM to figure it out, they still are clueless. I don't think that
>>
>>BMW
>>
>>
>>>engineers are losing any sleep!!
>>>
>>>Ron Porter
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Shotimes mailing list
>>>Shotimes@autox.team.net
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>>
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