AD #2944 – Should Executives Race Cars?; Tesla’s Operational Advantage; Fiat Introduces 3+1 Electric 500
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:00pm
Listen to “AD #2944 – Should Executives Race Cars?; Tesla’s Operational Advantage; Fiat Introduces 3+1 Electric 500″ on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 10:46
0:07 Hamburg Offers Free Autonomous Shuttle Rides
0:58 Tesla’s Operational Advantage
1:49 Should Executives Race Cars?
3:30 FCA Updates Online Buying Experience
4:18 Hummer EV Off-Road Specs
5:09 Electric Fiat 500 Gets Big Discount in Italy
5:47 Fiat Introduces 3+1 Electric 500
6:58 Genesis GV80 Engine Details
7:52 You Said It!
9:21 Mercedes Recalling Vehicles with Illuminated Grille Star
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
HAMBURG OFFERS FREE AUTONOMOUS SHUTTLE RIDES
Another day, another story about autonomous vehicles. This time it’s over in Germany where the city of Hamburg is testing self-driving shuttles with passengers on public streets. The shuttle only travels up to 25 km/h or about 15.5 MPH but that’s because it’s only operating in the city’s downtown area. From now until the end of November, you can ride on the shuttle for free, which you can book via a smartphone app. A vehicle attendant and a technical support specialist are always on board but due to the pandemic, only three other passengers are allowed at a time, who of course need to wear a mask. Once the initial trial is complete, the service will take a break in the winter and resume again next spring. That will give operators time to further develop the system and review the data they collected.
TESLA’S OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGE
As traditional automakers try to figure out how they’re going to compete with Tesla, here’s something they need to keep in mind. Not only does Tesla operate differently than traditional automakers, it also operates differently than other startups. That’s because Tesla treats all the major operations in the company as a startup. On Tesla’s earnings call this week Elon Musk said that when they set out to design their own power electronics, they treated that effort as a startup company. Same goes for making motors, selling insurance, designing AI computer chips and developing autonomous technology. So while traditional automakers use a top-down, command and control approach to running their companies, Tesla runs its operations as if they were a collection of startups. And that could help explain how Tesla moves so fast.
SHOULD EXECUTIVES RACE CARS?
Some car executives are true gear heads. Mark Reuss, the president of GM races cars. So does Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Peugeot. Akio Toyoda does and so does Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford. But some business experts say this is too dangerous and that those companies should put a stop to it all. One professor says that anyone on the board of directors that allows this to happen doesn’t deserve to be a director. We say that professor needs a better education. Taking cars out on a track requires 100% concentration and it lets these execs get their minds off all the pressures at work. We’re glad to see people who work in the auto industry play with the products they actually make. How about you? If you were on the board of directors, would you let your CEO race?
FCA UPDATES ONLINE BUYING EXPERIENCE
FCA updated its online car buying experience with several new features so you don’t have to spend as much time at the dealership. Called E-Shop, it actually launched six months ago ahead of schedule, to help dealers during the pandemic. And it’s available for all of its brands. Customers are able to complete the entire purchasing process online including, pricing information, trade-in value, financing options, e-signature to complete final paperwork and in most cases home delivery. Other features include, online chats, test drive appointments and reservations. FCA says since E-Shop was implemented, 45% of its monthly sales originated from internet leads, last year it was about 25%.
HUMMER EV OFF-ROAD SPECS
We’ve got more info on the GMC Hummer EV. It will have the same size profile as a GMC Sierra AT4 pickup, and will be as long and wide as a Ford Raptor. Thanks to its 4-wheel steering, it will have a turning radius less than a Tesla Model 3. When you raise the suspension to its fullest, what GMC calls Extract Mode, it has almost 16 inches of ground clearance, a nearly 50-degree approach angle and a 38-degree departure angle. It can climb over an 18 inch wall and drive through water that is 32 inches deep. Those are pretty good specs. GM claims the program only started 18 months ago, so it moved pretty quick. And what saved a ton of time is that it’s really built off the Cadillac Lyric EV.
ELECTRIC FIAT 500 GETS BIG DISCOUNT IN ITALY
New car buyers in Italy are about to get access to an inexpensive EV. Fiat announced it will launch its full range of electric 500s this weekend with a starting price of just under 26,000 euro or a little over $30,500. But that doesn’t include a 6,000-euro incentive offered by the Italian government or an additional 4,000-euro discount for those who scrap an old car. With those added into the equation, the price for a 500 BEV is actually less than the most popular version of the gasoline-powered 500.
FIAT INTRODUCES 3+1 ELECTRIC 500
And in an effort to make the electric 500 appealing to more customers Fiat revealed a 3+1 version that features a small half-door on the passenger side of the vehicle. Obviously, this is to make access into the 2nd row even easier. The extra components needed for the door adds about 65 pounds to the overall weight of the vehicle, but otherwise the 3+1 is exactly the same as other electric 500s. And it doesn’t seem like that extra weight has a negative impact on the WLTP-rated range. The electric 500 comes in two battery sizes; 23.8 kWh or 42 kWh. The smaller pack returns 180 kilometers or nearly 112 miles of range, while the larger provides 320 kilometers or about 199 miles.
GENESIS GV80 ENGINE DETAILS
About a decade ago it looked like automakers would use direct fuel injection on all their engines. But GDI, or gasoline direct injection, proved to be particularly sensitive to gasoline quality, which could cause clogging and carbon buildup. So some automakers started using dual fuel injectors. They use port injectors, which inject fuel into the intake manifold, and also use direct injectors that inject it directly into the combustion chamber. We ran across this chart about the new Genesis GV80 that maps out when the engine is running on multi-port injection, or MPI, and when it’s running on GDI, or when it’s running on both. The y-axis on the left shows torque, while the x-axis on the bottom shows rpm. You’ll note that unless you’re really stepping on the gas pedal, the engine will run on MPI in most driving situations.
YOU SAID IT!
And now it’s time for some of your feedback. Sam Fiorani from AutoForecast solutions saw our coverage of Nissan’s all-new compact crossover and says, “You reported on the new Nissan Magnite and noted its lack of a “V-Motion” grille. The reason for this is that the Magnite was intended to be a Datsun model, and they wear/wore that grille that looks like chrome parenthesis. Since the demise of Datsun, models already in development have moved over to the Nissan brand.” That makes a lot of sense and we would expect that if a refreshed version ever comes it will wear a V-Motion grille because otherwise this model looks really out of place in the lineup. Yesterday we talked about how the Hummer EV is able to charge its battery faster, but someone that commented under the name Cycles says, “A small correction about charging the Hummer at 800V. What I suspect is happening is that the system has essentially two 400V packs that normally run the vehicle in parallel. For fast charging it seems they can connect the packs in series for charging. Currents get very high which becomes the limiter to charging speed. By connecting in series this doubles the voltage and power without current that would require huge cables and cooling.” I’d just like to say thanks for the feedback and keep it coming. It helps us make a better show.
MERCEDES RECALLING VEHICLES WITH ILLUMINATED GRILLE STAR
Wow, those expensive light up logos just don’t seem worth it. We recently reported how Rolls-Royce has to scrap its $4,600 illuminated Spirit of Ecstacy and now Mercedes is recalling nearly 13,000 SUVs with light up three-pointed stars in their grilles. Turns out an improper ground in the wiring system for the feature could also take out the power steering, driver’s side headlight and wipers. We don’t normally report on recalls, especially ones this small but there’s something about the thought of someone shelling out $500 for this purely cosmetic feature, which could take out really important functions that, well, quite honestly, makes me chuckle a bit.
And so, hopefully with a smile on your face, we wrap up this week’s worth of shows. Thanks for watching and have a great weekend.
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Comments (59)
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:17 pm
Nice comments on whether auto executives should race; I concur with you completely. And might I add that if I were on the Board of Directors, I’d have an inside line, SO I could race too!
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:40 pm
The business “experts” that think executives shouldn’t race should probably get out of their office more.
No one, Not even a CEO is irreplaceable, and they could drop dead from a brain aneurism or in a car crash on the road or track at any time. They shouldn’t have to give up one of the things that make life worth living due to the danger involved. Not a truer understanding of how a car performs can be had without placing your butt in the seat and hitting the track.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Although I understand your point about the illuminated badges, isn’t that what cars are truly all about? If not we’d all be driving monochrome jellybeans. Seems more like a design issue tying a fluff item into a safety circuit, which should NEVER happen.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:43 pm
Question of the day: “If you were on the board of directors, would you let your CEO race?”
We should think about this very carefully, because it is NOT a simple question.
The correct answer is “It Depends on which CEO we are talking about”.
If you have successful and brilliant CEO (and there is only ONE of these, ELON MUSK), I would absolutely FORBID him to race, he is too valuable to take this kind of risks.
If you have a clueless and failed CEO like the (fired in disgrace, really) Hackett at Ford, I would allow him to race, PROVIDED he took out a $100,000,000 Life insurance policy with ME, Larry, as the beneficiary. $10 mill will NOT do. $1 bill would be even better.
For in between CEOs, decide on a case-by-case basis.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:46 pm
Typical egghead comment on something they don’t grasp. What, are airline executives not allowed to fly? Will Harley tell their execs to park their Super Glides? Me think not.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:47 pm
Having worked at Ford I can say that operating Tesla as many single stand alone start-ups would certainly make things move quicker. In the large auto companies lots of time is wasted getting approvals through the various layers of management. Allowing groups to be focused and empowered to make the decisions needed to get their stuff done not only is more efficient but avoids the changes that come from upper management wanting to put their spin on everything.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:52 pm
“TESLA’S OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGE”
A major difference between Tesla and all the rest of them automakers is that Tesla is really serious about maximizing VERTICAL INTEGRATION.
This means, for the MBA illiterates, that it makes a much bigger proportion of its parts etc IN HOUSE instead of giving them to suppliers.
THerefore, this means that if Tesla makes the same number of units, of the same price/complexity, as some other automaker B, Tesla is a far bigger operation than B.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:54 pm
So, the new Hummer will eventually have a starting MSRP roughly 20 grand more than the Cadillac it is based on. Very interesting. More than anything, that is the power of marketing and branding.
For me, the Datsun grille is much more appealing than the Nissan design. They should adopt this as the new styling direction for Nissan.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:56 pm
4 Most CEOs get where they are by being somewhat of a risk taker. You should be more worried about Elon’s caffeine intake than him racing. He claims that he maintains his long work hours on 8 cans of diet coke and several cups of coffee daily. So should the board control his diet too? Dumb question.
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:56 pm
8 why do they even call it “Hummer”? It looks nothing like the REAL Hummer. It looks like it was designed by one of Mary Barra’s girlfriends. (look at the sides especially). Maybe they are the intended byuer(s)?
October 23rd, 2020 at 12:58 pm
9 WHile there is much truth in my post, it was largely HUMOR. Try it sometime. It’s fun.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:00 pm
I realized the other day that we will soon have top execs at all three “domestic” automakers that like to race cars. Could be the first time that has happened ever, certainly since the 20′s or 30′s. I am counting Carlos Tavares as head of Stellantis, since the merger is still on track and they are already integrating the companies.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:01 pm
12 – By the way, I think this is a good thing for our future automotive choices.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:06 pm
I was actually very pleasantly surprised when I finally saw the actual Hummer design. Obviously, so were a lot of EV buyers since the entire first year’s production reservations were spoken for in ten minutes. Apparently, quite a number of REAL EV buyers like it. And that is what really matters.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:08 pm
“The professor needs a better education.” I totally agree with this! We have that problem with many professors out there. They have great learning and have been schooled in great ideas and theories….but….they have not been taught with real-life experience!! It takes the EXPERIENCE in learning to have true wisdom in teaching. Just compare the experience of anyone who has only watched racing on TV versus anyone who has been to a race in person, whether it be behind the wheel, working in the pits, or even just spectating from the starting line. There’s a BIG difference in experience right there.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:10 pm
I certainly think car company executives should be allowed to race, with proper safety equipment, but I think there should be restrictions on some things. I think it would be perfectly reasonable for companies to disallow executives from riding motorcycles on the street without helmets. Maybe the NFL, or some of their teams have a rule like that, after a certain incident a few years ago.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:11 pm
If GM was building the Hummer off an existing in-house concept, they should have been able to create the new vehicle within some semblance of competitive market pricing. Or maybe do the competition one better, as they traditionally do with Corvette. This pie in the sky concept that is out of reach for 98% of their customer base is simply a miss, in my opinion.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:12 pm
7 For those that try and lecture the MBA illiterate they themselves should probably know what they are talking about. Vertical integration isn’t all its cracked up to be. Almost all the traditional automakers made everything in-house like the Ford Rouge plant which not only had its own steel mill it had its own glass plant. The complex is huge and they made basically everything in-house.
However a steel mill or glass plant factory is a major investment and cost and when only making 600k cars a year like Tesla those inhouse operations don’t justify the cost. Let a supplier that is making windshields for 4 or 5 million cars a year have the business and they can split the overhead over a much larger number of vehicles thus offering it for a cheaper price.
In addition to the cost advantage of volume you have experts that can produce a better product than the manufacturer whos sole focus needs to be designing and assembling a vehicle. Folks in the seating, audio or lighting etc have the experience and knowledge to often times provide a better product with the latest technology and at a lower price. Let the experts do what they do, allowing car manufacturers to do what they do best and that’s concentrate on the bigger picture of the vehicle as a whole.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:12 pm
The amount of incapacitating accidents in most racing series is very minimal. Yes, having a racer as a senior exec in an auto company might provide some different decisions because they actually understand vehicle dynamics.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:14 pm
As far as the hummer name, it was derived from a sex act. Search “hummer urban dictionary.”
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:15 pm
I love that several CEOs are racing after hours. We need “car guys and gals”running these companies as they make better product decisions. Remember back in the 1980s when Don Peterson, CEO at Ford, had all of his engineers run through the Bondurant Racing school to help learn about vehicle handling and more. This helped with the SVO / SVT cars, T-Bird Turbo Coups, Mustang GTs, and SHO Taurus models.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:22 pm
5 I wonder if Harley executives wear helmets when they ride their Super Glides, unlike most of their customers. Also, do they leave the mufflers on them, unlike most regular customers?
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:30 pm
11 Oh! that was your attempt at humor.. okay don’t give up your day job. Was the comments in 10 also a lame attempt at humor? I don’t know what Mary Barra’s girlfriends look like but that comment just seemed inappropriate.
The Hummer although not your cup of tea (or mine for that matter) was not intended to look like an EV version of the old models. So not sure what you mean by saying it doesn’t look like a real Hummer. I’d say its very much recognizable to be a Hummer yet different. They obviously did something right to have the first years of production reserved out in 10 minutes even at the luxury level pricing of 113K. Doubt Mary loses a wink of sleep caring what Larry thinks of the Hummer as they fly off the shelves.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:41 pm
17. Well, John, the first year’s production is already sold out, so some people apparently have the money.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-electric-hummer/gm-sells-out-first-year-of-electric-hummer-production-idUSKBN27639J
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:43 pm
Hey, Kit. I saw your letter in “Backfires” in C&D. Brought a smile to my face. Kudos.
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:45 pm
I truly believe a CEO should be a “Gear Head”. Perfect example,Ford’s previous CEO Jim Hackett,was from Steelcase. What does a guy who’s company made office equipment understand about a motor vehicle. You need guidance from the top and what better then a vehicle manufacturer having a true gear head for a CEO. Hey,Even Mary Barra is a Gear Head !!!
October 23rd, 2020 at 1:53 pm
24 Your link omits the most important number, WHAT was that VERY MEAGER production target tht allegedly was met?
Your link ALSO confirms my numbers yesterday, when I mentioned that the So-called “Hummer” at $113k is almost THREE TIMES the price of the cybertruck,
“The Cybertruck’s starting price is $39,900,”
And DESPITE my VERY ACCURATE Stateent above, that clueles Lambo called my ‘math’ “ridiculous”.
Talk about the POT calling。。。
October 23rd, 2020 at 2:16 pm
25 Thanks
October 23rd, 2020 at 4:03 pm
#7 – Elon will likely jump on a starship and head off to mars, no matter what he’s told. The idea that car company execs should not race is silly, as are companies that don’t have succession and contingency planning.
October 23rd, 2020 at 4:04 pm
meant #4
October 23rd, 2020 at 4:41 pm
27 Your math is flawed cause the top of the line Cybertruck is 69,900 and Hummer is 113K (so more than half) and the base model Tesla is 39,900 and the base Hummer is 80K so seems like basic math to me and everyone I know but maybe you know some new math that supports your 3 times figure.. Or you could just admit your wrong.
October 23rd, 2020 at 6:47 pm
Is Fiat still losing $20,000 with every 500e sold?
October 23rd, 2020 at 9:10 pm
On racing, I’d like to see a cost/benefit analysis on their racing programs. Their race cars are so far removed from what we buy and drive that I don’t equate their racing prowess with their street vehicles at all.
October 23rd, 2020 at 9:35 pm
33 You mean those NASCAR Camrys aren’t just like my LE hybrid?
October 23rd, 2020 at 10:58 pm
I had my doubts about how big the market is for a $100K pick up truck but apparently it is there. I just hope GM does not disappoint this new customer base by delivering a substandard truck.
October 24th, 2020 at 6:41 am
35 any novelty, no matter how RIDICULOUS, will have some initial sales, and if it is like this phony Hummer, it will soon FIZZLE, despite the fact that later models will go for “only” $80k. TO me, it is not worth even EIGHT grand, but, maybe there are plenty of successful plumbers out there (not to mention pimps and rappers) who are foolish enough to waste their easily earned $ on this LAUGHABLE vehicle.
Oh, and PS, when you have an ENORMOUS 200 KWH battery and you can only squeeze, AT BEST, 350 miles of range, you are TRULY PATHETIC, “Hummer” engineers.
October 24th, 2020 at 8:53 am
36 With the size and weight of the vehicle, huge tires and the rest, the range vs battery size seems what would be expected. Yes, the vehicle remains an expensive toy, but then, so is the cheapest 911 Cabriolet for $112K.
October 24th, 2020 at 9:56 am
#4
Larry D, why don’t you find a job working for Tesla? You are sooo in love with your brilliant Elon Musk and maybe you two could hold hands. I’m sure you two could make a wonderful team by having the two most brilliant people from the face of the earth working together.
October 24th, 2020 at 10:28 am
36 Seriously, you compare the most Successful Sports car EVER, the Porsche 911, which model alone sold well over 1,000,000 (and PLEASE do not doubt it again, in case you are forgetting things like Joe Biden, I PROVED it to you), to this ridiculous HIPPOPOTAMUS of vehicle, which does not even LOOK like the original, serious H1??
NO, THe 911 is NOT a toy. It is a LEGEND. Your unreliable BMW “Mini” is a silly toy. THe ORIGINAL Mini was also a legend, a very different one, of course, far, far below the 911.
October 24th, 2020 at 10:34 am
what on earth is ferrari waiting on to replace vettel?
October 24th, 2020 at 10:38 am
#10
Yes, it does not look like the old Hummer. It looks a lot better, but for Larry D that makes it look inferior….not a very bright deduction.
Below is info on it’s engineering aspect.
https://jalopnik.com/every-engineering-detail-i-know-about-the-2022-hummer-e-1845453271
October 24th, 2020 at 10:45 am
39 Every sports car is a toy, whether a Miata, a Bugatti Chiron, or something in between, like a Corvette or 911. Cars like Camry and E-Class are designed for basic transportation, while sports cars are designed for fun, thus making them toys.
Yes, they have made a million cars called Porsche 911 over 50-some years, with the early and current ones as similar to each other, as a 1959 and 2020 Mini are similar to each other.
October 24th, 2020 at 10:56 am
40 Next year
October 24th, 2020 at 11:18 am
40,43
Maybe Chuck G. can explain some of the driver decisions being made by F1. Carlos Sainz is going to Ferrari next year, while Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin next year, is firing Perez, who has done pretty well lately, and hiring Vettel, who has not done so well. They are, of course, keeping Lance Stroll, because daddy’s rich, which is an unfortunate part of F1 in some cases. It will be interesting to see how Alonso does in his return to Renault next year, but I’ll be surprised if he does as well as some of these young guys.
October 24th, 2020 at 11:30 am
44, Kit, you pretty much hit the highlights; at least of what we know now. 2021 is pretty much a filler year for F1 as the big rule changes are coming for ’22. Changing topics here, I have to give F1 kudos for even having a ’20 season, which except for the M/B dominance (again) has shown some pretty good mid-pack (and occasionally) lead pack racing. It was also fun to see some of the different racetracks used this season.
October 24th, 2020 at 11:49 am
45 Yep. When Australia, and some of the other races were cancelled early on, I was wondering if there’d even be a season. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
October 24th, 2020 at 1:56 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25ZuKkbHdqM
Jay Leno Drives the Cybertruck. For a rock-bottom price of LESS than $40k, you get much more fun than in the obese, character-less so-called Hummer BEV that does not even look like a Hummer.
October 24th, 2020 at 5:09 pm
47 I’ll believe the $40K Cybertruck when I see it. The $35K Model 3 only lasted for a week or two, and didn’t exist until long after original introduction. The cheapest current Model 3, as shown on their web site is $37,990, plus shipping, handling, document fees, etc. Do you really expect the Cybertruck to sell for only $2K more? I don’t.
October 24th, 2020 at 10:44 pm
i see alonso having better season than vettel, in vettel,s case drive is no longer what it once was. never forget how he was when he started in f1 but thats gone now.
October 24th, 2020 at 11:06 pm
Historically, Ferrari has been the dream gig for F1 drivers, but it never quite worked out for either Alonso or Vettel. Well, I guess Vettel did ok his first year or two with Ferrari, but it has been kind of sad to see him the last couple years. He has been so badly outclassed by Leclerc, that I’m surprised that Force India hired him. Can the “chemistry” he has with the Ferrari team be so bad that he will suddenly do better with a new team? It seems unlikely. Alonso at Renault will be interesting. I don’t know if former champions his age ever “come back” successfully, but Renault has improved to strong mid-pack, so he may have a decent car.
October 26th, 2020 at 6:25 am
I googled to see any Tesla Model 3s here in the old country and the first link was the local equivalent of Cars.com, and it had a significant 34 used Teslas for sale, at prices very reasonable for a heavily taxed luxury car segment, which makes a top of the line Porsche 911 Turbo S to go for 320,000 EUros new (that’s $400,000 US!) and that 10 years ago, when I checked.
They were ranked from cheapest to most expensive.
The cheapest was a regular 2014 Model S for36,900 Euros, but it had 113,000 km
More interesting was a Model S PERFORMANCE 2014, a SUPERCAR with 518 HP, only 69kKM (about 40k miles), and ZERO annual licence fees (I pay 900 EUROS, over $1,000, for a 3 liter Merc Diesel, but I pay prorated for the months I use it, so it does not hurt any), selling for a NEGOTIABLE (it says)47,800 Euro, I bet it will go down to 45-40k. it looked TRULY gorgeous in brilliant black exterior and beige interior.
Next, a practically new 2018 Model 3 with only 3k KM went for.. ABOUT as much as the above supercar, at 46,000 E.
THe most expensive of the 34 was a 2021 Model X in fire engine red (I’d never give this Van-ny crossover the time of day at any price) at 129,000 E
THe choice is so obvious. Performance Model S, despite its great width which would make it a challenge to take it downtown.
October 26th, 2020 at 6:40 am
PS 51 Actually the search in 51 showed both new and used, 15 new and 19 used models. There were disturbingly many ugly Model Xs (well, really not ugly, just not as elegant as the Model S, which no ad classified as a “hatchback”, but usually as a “limousine-Sedan” and a few as a “coupe”.
October 26th, 2020 at 6:48 am
Actually the highest price in 51, and MOST DESERVEDLY so, was a 2021 new Model S PLAID, the Super-Duper Hypercar which Superman would drive, with 1,100 HP and priced VERY reasonably for what it offers, at 153,990 E
Remember the stupid Bugatti Veyron which started at $1 Million? It had 100 HP LESS, at 1,000. The Chiron has more, but it goes for… $3 million, or TWENTY BRAND NEW SUPERHYPER Model S PLAIDs, with a combined 22,000 HP!.
October 26th, 2020 at 8:14 am
Now if the executives had to personally race their best production vehicle against each other … that would be fun.
October 26th, 2020 at 8:43 am
48 Same here kit. Only a fool and his money will soon part that believes he can get a new Cybertruck for $39,900. Some idiots believe the Elon propaganda that keeps his company in the news. The folks with a reasonable touch of reality know its just another target thrown out to the public to create a buzz that he later will miss.
I actually believe the cybertruck as a whole was a publicity stunt. The ridiculous looking pyramid truck is likely the platform for the real Tesla truck with a more traditional body. They may release a few editions of the flat panel thing but I would doubt it will be less than $49,900.
October 26th, 2020 at 10:11 am
54 That would be hilarious. Elon will show up with his Model S plaid (and later with the even more stupendous ROadster 2.0) and Mary Barra will send Mark Reuss to crash a C8 instead of finishing a long way behind, and so keep his dignity. But I bet his insurance rates will skyrocket, this being at least the second strike.
October 26th, 2020 at 10:26 am
56 Elon would win races of 1/4 mile, as long as you allowed a few minutes between races. Reuss would win anything much longer than that, and win any race that involved turning. I suspect Reuss learned a lesson or two from his embarrassing incident, like maybe he shouldn’t turn off the traction control, or if he does, he should do some practice driving with it off.
Yeah, the Roadster 2.0 should be very impressive, if and when it exists.
October 26th, 2020 at 10:38 am
54,57 Guess that would depend if Ford considers the GT a production vehicle at 250 units a year. But as fun as it would be to see a Hellcat, C8, and GT race while the EV’s are in the pits from overheating or needed to be charged it really would depend on the course and driver.
October 26th, 2020 at 3:59 pm
57 Μusk would OBLITeRATE all opposition. You have ZERO reason to claim the Roadster 2.0 will not materialize, especially now that TEsla has so much cash, it can fund anything it likes WITHOUT a loan, and even did jobs like the Cybertruck for the fun of it, half seriously only. As for hoping that ANYBODY at GM has learned ANYTHING from tbeir MONUMENTAL blunders, even the car-savvy Bon Lutz, it’s funny you are so optimistic about these incompetents despite their huge failures, and skeptical of… Musk despite all his dizzying successes, that even his Biggest Fans did not expect to be so big.
PS there is no need to wait for the new roadster, the Model S PLAID is an ASTOUNDING AND affordable supercar just as capable, AND on top of it all it is a car for all seasons,with huge room for 5+ passengers, range and cargo space.