4cylndrfury wrote:
mazdeuce wrote:
I'm really glad that there are people working inside GM that really get it and are allowed to work on vehicles. The corvette is great. This is great. Let those guys loose on other products in the lineup. Hell, give them the turbo motor out of the Cruze and a RWD transmission and see what sort of small car they can build. The engineering talent is there, I just want too see it applied to a $25k small sports car. They did a damn fine job with the solstice, do it again.
This!!!
GM NEEDS to build a 300hp, boosted 2 liter ecotoec powered, RWD, tiny and tossable competitor to the Miata.
Keep touchscreen cup warmers and whizbang facetweets out of the dash, and *gaaasp* manual locks and windows, and it could even come in under $15k, let alone weigh under 2500 lbs.
Recipe for instant win, just add gas? I think so!!
I seriously doubt any company would be able to pulled that off for under $15k. The development cost for a new platform, plus crash plus all the new parts and the volume it would sell at makes that a pipe dream.
No kidding.
Keep in mind that inflation does happen. The $13,800 MSRP of the original 1990 Miata has turned into $25,800 in today's dollars. So while we think "the original Miata was so cheap, how come they're so expensive now", they're actually LESS expensive than they were back then. A $15,000 low-volume sports car with 300 hp? You're a few years behind the times.
Keith Tanner wrote:
No kidding.
Keep in mind that inflation does happen. The $13,800 MSRP of the original 1990 Miata has turned into $25,800 in today's dollars. So while we think "the original Miata was so cheap, how come they're so expensive now", they're actually LESS expensive than they were back then. A $15,000 low-volume sports car with 300 hp? You're a few years behind the times.
I had to point that out to the wife. She was bitching and moaning about spending $10k on the SeX. Used. I reminded her that we spent $13k almost 11 years ago on the Elantra and that after figuring in inflation, and the extra stuff that I added that this car came with stock, we're well ahead of the curve.
Keith Tanner wrote:
No kidding.
Keep in mind that inflation does happen. The $13,800 MSRP of the original 1990 Miata has turned into $25,800 in today's dollars. So while we think "the original Miata was so cheap, how come they're so expensive now", they're actually LESS expensive than they were back then. A $15,000 low-volume sports car with 300 hp? You're a few years behind the times.
That's not really true. Our purchasing power has gone way down since then dollar for dollar. Yes, inflation happens, but don't kid yourself that you are earning dollar for dollar as much as you were 20 years ago.
I earn $60k base salary a year lets say. My FATHER earned $50k/year at the same age over 20 years ago with no education. And houses were about half the price (as well as cars).
In the absence of other info, I used the official CPI numbers. Feel free to come up with a more reliable metric.
Keith Tanner wrote:
In the absence of other info, I used the official CPI numbers. Feel free to come up with a more reliable metric.
If the price of a base stripper car has gone up double what it sold for, and starting wages for your typical newgrad type employee hasn't, what more proof do I need?
The only thing that has saved car manufacturers is low interest rates for insane amounts of time (8 years!) so people can afford cars.
You know how they say that anecdotes are not data? This is a good example. Want a counterpoint to your father? My starting salary back in 1996 was $30k Canadian.
The CPI is based on an actual, disclosed formula. You might not like it, but there you go. If you want to the use "my FATHER earned" formula, you are welcome to do so. Kinda like dyno correction factors 
