Showing posts with label Fiat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fiat. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A detailed explanation for the problem of German Cars

For very long time I was trying understand what is wrong with German cars. I didn’t make mistake while writing, German cars. There is always something missing with them, I could not understand but German cars never have the same taste with Italian cars. Of course, I am not licking cars to identify their differences. I am pretty sure that all German cars would taste the same :)

And recently I found the problem with German cars. The huge problem which irritates me for very long and irritates many other people, I am using sales figures of Italian cars as a proof! German cars are offering everything; perfection, design (not all of them), efficient, luxury, perfect, gray, very gray, light gray, very dark gray and this goes forever. Germans cars are doing what you told them to do! Actually if a German car goes wrong, it terribly goes wrong. This happened in 2003-2004 with Mercedes E Class, electronic brake system and electronic control modules of C Class. Anyway, they don’t cause trouble anymore. The main thing is German cars are doing what they are supposed to do and they do not questionize. They just are doing it!

A German car always handles well, the automatic screen wipers always works with the same amount of rain, engine always makes the same sound, all the parts inside the car have the same millimetric distance within each other. This combination of perfection obsession is not matching with human being because we are not perfect and we want things different. I think the best explanation for German cars is they are like trains. They are doing what they are supposed to do, trains cannot change travel anywhere else than railway and they always follow a route.

The Italian cars are like pizza, each pizza is a unique dish. It is nearly impossible to have the same pizza, even if you manage to have the same one you cannot eat in the same way. All the mozzarella cheese will try to go somewhere else, you will try to make some weird moves to eat the slice and some vegetables will fell on your trousers while you are trying to clean your trousers, your elbow will hit to pizza. Basically each time you try to eat an Italian food, you will have a new adventure like in Italian cars. Each Italian car is totally unique, I don’t know how they manage to do it but they are excellent at producing each car unique. There is no identical twin of a Ferrari 458 or Alfa Romeo MiTo or Fiat 500. Even if the factory is robotized, their supplier may not be robotized and their production technique might be influence the employees emotional conditions.

Therefore each Italian car is like a sculpture, you cannot find the same one. And Italian cars do not react as you wished, try to control a Ferrari 599 GTO. Jeremy Clarkson tried to do it in “Italian Job” and he failed, try to control an Alfa MiTo diesel. The electronic systems will help you but the car will control you. You will do what the car is ordering you!

And lastly British cars; very basic definition, there is always something is missing. In order to proof this, just look at British taps! They have separate taps for hot and cold water. You cannot find this in other part of the world. British engineers never connect hot and cold water together, you either burn your hands or freeze your hand. There is no balance and you can face with this ugly truth even in the most prestigious hotels or in houses. Everything looks excellent, suddenly you want wash your hand, and you burn your hands!

You can find this in British cars also, everything is excellent. Design, materials, engines but you cannot have a door closing aid in a Bentley Azure. This is a very basic technology from Germans, when your door is not fully closed the hydraulic system closes for you. But you cannot have this in a Bentley Azure! This car costs more than a country and you have to close your door properly by yourself. But still I like British cars they are combination of Mr. Bean and Paul Smith shirt!

Pictures' Copyrights
Mercedes, Pizza Express, Aston Martin, Deutsche Bahn, Maserati, Paul Smith




Monday, November 15, 2010

Fiat

Nowadays there are rumours about Ferrari. It is not about the Formula One championship, it is about the Fiat’s tendency to sell it. You didn’t read wrong, Fiat is considering to sell the most iconic brand under its management. This lunatic behaviour is a result of Fiat’s CEO Marchionne’s dream to be the biggest automotive manufacturer and become a remarkable person. Honestly, he did a great job recovering Fiat from bankruptcy to profitable condition. This is a real miracle, nearly seven years ago GM did not wish to buy Fiat because it was in a very condition but now Fiat bought some parts of Chrysler!

Machionne wants more from Chrysler, he wants to buy more shares but they need lots of money. Even though Chrysler is excellent at producing terrible and rubbish cars, it costs a lot of money to buy its shares! And the best option is to sell Ferrari and make money and expand the Fiat brand into US.

Expansion to US is a real big gambling, it is a different market. Actually it is a different continent! What works in Europe do not work in US! American may not wish to buy a car called Lancia which sounds like a pasta sauce. Alfa Romeo has potential but it is very hard to create a brand image and inform customers and motivate them to prefer this brand and etc.
Machionne has a very interesting plan; in 2014 he is planning to produce six millions of cars under Fiat brand! Six millions, in four years! I don’t have anything to say to this. He is planning to use Grand Cherokee platform to produce Maserati SUV, which would definitely fail. Also use Chrysler’s chassis for next generation Alfa Romeos. This does not sound very promising for six millions target.

In meantime, VW is interested on Ferrari. They thought, we destroyed Lamborghini and it is not enough for us, let’s destroy another Italian brand. Let’s put Audi A8’s buttons to Ferrari, replace the instrument panel with stupid looking Audi’s Red LCD screens. Then replace the keys with same keys from Skoda, add some more senseless Audi technology and use the VW EOS chassis for next generation Ferrari. This is a flash forward of Ferrari, if it is owned by VW. Also Lamborghini would be annoyed by the presence of Ferrari and they will try to sell to someone else.






 
Pictures' Copyrights
Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Ferrari

Monday, September 6, 2010

Pink perspective to automotive business

Right now I am trying to focus on totally something else and avoid writing on my blog. Because I have to concentrate on that subject! Anyway, as you are reading this post my concentration is diverted from that subject to this subject.

Enough with that and this game. I notice something very important for automotive business, I know none of the manufacturer will take it serious but I want to say it :) If you read any consumption report from shinny consultancy firms, you will notice that women don’t care about the price and they want to buy it when they see anything. Therefore, nothing is left on women sections of any department store. We can assume that, women buy with high price and ignore to wait until sales.

This is an important motivation to sell car which are hopeless or they don’t promise any muscular identity. Of course you cannot offer pink coloured Mercedes G Wagon, it has too much testosterone hormone for being pink. But there are some cars which have no hormones! For instance Nissan Micra. My dear blogger friend Iconjane has one. And I know many other girls who own a Micra. Micra is a women car, or in terms of German it has feminine article, Die. You cannot turn Micra into a VW Polo GTi! Micra’s target market is very clear, women!

For instance Fiat 500 is neutral car. It is neither male nor female. In terms of German, that is Das (neutral article). You can offer Abarth version with more horses and you can offer Barbie edition. It is very flexible product. 500 does not give the same message like Micra, “I am female or this car belongs to my wife”.

I cannot ignore the Honda Jazz also, that’s a women car and offers pink. Also Toyota Prius, kind of women car. Electric engine, no proper reason to buy, too silent, too boring; basically it does not offer any excitement. Actually that’s a hopeless car.

Anyway, my suggestion is to offer special women editions for these cars. Christian Louboutin edition, Chanel No.5 (I have no idea how to turn a car into a No.5), Louis Vuitton edition or pink edition. It should motivate women customers to buy! As usual with higher price, this is the basic of automotive business always charge more! So, if you have a women orientated or hopeless car focus on catching women’s’ attention, they would love it :)

By the way, men also spend pointless money on Ferrari Store and Porsche Design store. How do I know, I just look at the mirror !

Pictures' Copyrights
Toyota, Honda, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Nissan, Fiat

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Italy's National Automobile Museum in Turin (or Torino I'm not sure, I can't read Italian)

the wood buck for an Alfa Romeo Guiletta Sprint









Fiat Turbina

the winner of the Paris to Peking race
If you are ever near Torino, it looks like a must see to me! http://www.museoauto.it/home/

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Fiat 500 Abarth Wallpaper


Fiat 500 Abarth

Fiat 500 Abarth
Fiat 500 Abarth
Fiat 500 Abarth Wallpapers
Fiat 500 Abarth Wallpapers
Fiat 500 Abarth Photos
Fiat 500 Abarth Images
Fiat 500 Abarth Images

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

2010 Fiat Punto Evo

Fiat Punto Evo, Fiat2010 Fiat Punto Evo front view

Fiat Punto Evo, Fiat2010 Fiat Punto Evo picture

Fiat Punto Evo, Fiat2010 Fiat Punto Evo best car