Big Cars out Small (sports cars) In

DG624 · 06-07-2005, 09:55 AM

GM has just announced it will cut jobs...bad for workers but maybe there is a good side...less SUVs more sports cars. Chrysler also has said it is losing sales. I hope we can start workers making some fun fuel efficient cars.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - BMW sold over half a million cars in the first five months of this year after group sales rose 7.5 percent to 113,626 in May, the world's largest luxury carmaker said on Tuesday.

Sales of its core BMW brand rose 6.4 percent to 96,061 units last month, while Mini sales rose 14.2 percent to 17,511 cars. BMW also delivered 54 Rolls-Royce Phantoms, down 15.6 percent versus May 2004.

For the first five months, group car sales increased 8.4 percent to 517,184 units, led by solid demand for new BMW models such as the X3 mid-size offroader and the 1-Series hatchback.

Powered by its biggest-ever model offensive, BMW's sales have overtaken those of archrival Mercedes Car Group.

The recent launch of its revamped 3-Series saloon means the BMW brand may finally overtake Mercedes-Benz as the world's best-selling luxury marque this year.

Since its launch at the beginning of March, BMW has sold 40,834 of the key mid-sized saloon.

BMW shares were 1 percent higher at 36.75 euros by 0825 GMT, outperforming a 0.5 percent gain for the DJ Stoxx European autos sector.

Sales at DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes Car Group fell 5.8 percent in May to 96,400 units, hurt by a weak showing in Germany and model changeovers at its Mercedes-Benz brand.

The German-American carmaker said on Monday that sales of Mercedes-Benz cars retreated 6.6 percent to 83,600 vehicles, while deliveries of Smart minicars dipped 0.4 percent to 12,800.

The division's sales fell a cumulative 3.4 percent in the first five months to 462,900 vehicles.

Rival Audi, the premium brand owned by Volkswagen, is enjoying far more success than the venerable Mercedes-Brand marque and is increasingly posing a bigger threat to BMW.

Audi increased global car sales in May by some 14 percent to over 72,000 units thanks in particular to strong demand for its revamped A6 Avant estate and booming sales in its core German market.

Deliveries through May gained 6 percent to a record 342,000 cars and it stuck to its goal of reaching an all-time high in unit sales despite a comparative lack of new models, BMW's Ingolstadt-based competitor said earlier this month.

FrayAdjacent911 · 06-07-2005, 10:14 AM

I wouldn't mind seeing less SUVs and more smaller sporty, more fuel efficient cars. SUVs have their uses, but as a fad, they suck.

Jeremy Cottrell · 06-07-2005, 12:10 PM

It's about time.

ianc · 06-07-2005, 12:21 PM

How did the execs at GM and Ford get their jobs?

Yes, we know we're making an irresponsible vehicle that is inherently poorly designed, wastes lots of fuel, and is really just a fad.

But we're making money hand over fist! I know, let's just bet the company on them! To hell with when gas gets too expensive and people realize just how asinine they really are! We're making money now, right? Isn't that all that matters? Bill, when was our tee time again?

ianc

jorian · 06-07-2005, 12:45 PM

Never seen a Ford Excursion with more than 1 guy in it.

Vipergrün · 06-07-2005, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jorian
Never seen a Ford Excursion with more than 1 guy in it.

Yeah, but he's got enough cup holders for his whole case of Budweiser

I had a Hummer come straight at me today while driving my Civic. Scary as heck and the thing is just a huge eyesore pig.

DG624 · 06-08-2005, 08:25 AM

inac, being a rational thinker in America is hard work...didn't we go through this with Jimmy Carter in the 70s. Success is killing us when it comes to making the right choices. I think there is room for both performance and economy if we conserve. Porsche seems to be able to have good mileage and performance.

Rich76_911s · Rich76_911s's Garage

Here is where we should go

And here is why I would keep the Ford guys around. The Ford Shelby GR-1.

coolbeverage · 06-08-2005, 08:56 AM

The SUV backlash has been predicted basically since SUVs started picking up steam and killing all the sports cars but I am yet to see the backlash happen. I am seeing somewhat of a sports car revolution lately though and even more unexpected a roadster revolution. Look how many very fun roadsters there are now. Of course the Miata that has sold a mind numbing 850,000 units to date that gave a kick in the pants to all other auto makers to get in the game and it launched such fun cars as the Z3, Z4, S200, MR2, Solstice, Saturn's new roadster, the Boxster, Lexus and Cady both have roadsters now. Some of the great bang for your buck Jap sports cars are back, 350Z, RX-8, the Supra is supposedly coming back and VW is supposedly replacing the Coraddo. The domestics are back in the fun muscle car game with the GTO, Charger, a new Camero, the new generation Stang. There is way more buzz around cars these days than SUVs and God Bless It!

island911 · 06-08-2005, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FrayAdjacent911
. .. SUVs have their uses, but as a fad, they suck.

Well said.

DG624 · 06-08-2005, 09:12 AM

Cool,

I think the SUV craze was a misdirected safety fear...Big cars are safer so I must get one. This is very common with women dirvers...men just like more power and think a big engine means more speed. Nobody takes them off road...I talked to one women who didn't even know how to engage the 4 wheel drive on her SUV.

The real safety measure is insurance rates and the real speed measure is power/weight. Many are just the victums of advertising...just look away.

coolbeverage · 06-08-2005, 09:26 AM

I would say 10 or 0f 10 women and 3 out of 10 men don't even know how to engage the 4x4. I thought that after the Ford/Firestone debacle SUVs would drop of...never did. I thought that after gas went over $3 (probably more like over $4 on the west coast) the fad would drop off ...never did. One of the problems I have with them since I drive a Pcar and a Miata is the aggressive I-am-unstoppable-in-my-SUV mentality these drivers get. Not to mention the fact that I can't see around them and they can't see around me problem waiting to happen. I just love when I pull up to a gas pump behind a Excursion that was just pumping up and the pump reads $65 to $85 and I barely break into double digits.

coolbeverage · 06-08-2005, 09:28 AM

they can't see around me problem ...I meant they can't see me

DG624 · 06-08-2005, 09:42 AM

It is really strange that they are just starting to see the error of their ways. There was a great article in Grassroots Motorsports a few years ago by the editor Tim Studdard talking about how a station wagon or truck has better hauling and is not as top heavy and costs less. The interesting thing is that SUVs are basically trucks with high price tags.

Maybe if you are living in Wyoming or Montana where there ar few roads and need to go through heavy snow you could justify a 4X4 but not in the mid-west where everything is paved.

I think the head of Ford said a few years ago that he was having trouble with the ineficient SUVs he was building and was trying to make a better more fuel efficient vehicle. I think GM is out of touch.

Carl83911 · 06-08-2005, 09:45 AM

I hope we see a change in the vehicles driven by majority of drivers on the hwy.

Very annoying SUVs on the fast land and not enough sense to move right to allow faster traffic to flow through.

I've had it staring at a wall on Cali Hwys. I pass up an suv only to get behind another wall.

coolbeverage · 06-08-2005, 10:00 AM

You should try driving in the South Carl. Drivers use the left lane just like it were any other lane they don't even realize it is for faster traffic. They will drive in it at 55mph all dayyyyy longgggg

coolbeverage · 06-08-2005, 10:10 AM

Also socal911 would you really call a 6 month drop in sales a backlash? I wouldn't. SUVs have been with us for almost 15 years.

laddsc · 06-08-2005, 10:16 AM

I will throw in my .02. Having 6 kids demands I own either an SUV or a full-size van. Cool factor and real world usage?? SUV. Fortunately we have 3 cars so the Expedition is only driven when we go somewhere as a family or I am pulling the boat. If I could do a truck instead, no question I would. Still got a few years before the kiddies leave though.

Carl83911 · 06-08-2005, 10:22 AM

If you have a family (kids) then SUVs are practical. But mostly there is only one person in the SUV, the driver.

Big A$$ escalade, a navigator, a suburban or chevy tahoe, and only one passenger(the driver). That's the evil of excesses.

randywebb · 06-08-2005, 10:24 AM

two points

SUVs probably became popular b/c soccor moms were tired of driving mini-vans (& being called soccor moms) - not really b/c of a big movement from sports cars at first - the sports car to SUV movement was likely swept along in the mini-van to SUV one...

and GM and other US manfs (whatever their other problems) have huge health care cost problems it's either $1,600 per vehilce or health car + pensions is that much (missed part of the news, so don't recall which they said). No other developed country has our screwed up health care system with its very high costs. That really hurts the competitiveness of any US manf'd vehicle - no matter how good the design.