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Monday, November 30, 2009

Rio Ferdinand (Bentley Arnage)

The Manchester United player has run into trouble several times over his driving, but given his choice of wheels it is easy to see why. Ferdinand's 6.8-liter Bentley Arnage was given a baptism of strawberry yogurt by his teammates when he bought it in 2005, a prank which apparently did not get too many laughs out of the player.

David Beckham (Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet)

The Manchester United player may only be 22 years old, but he can already afford treats like the $200,000 Lamborghini Gallardo. And according to the gossipy British tabloids, he has already gone one further, putting an order in for a $340,000 Lamborghini LP640 Murcielago.

BMW X5 Sol Campbell

England defender Sol Campbell is not the only soccer player to appreciate the virtues of this luxury SUV, which is hefty but made for city life rather than off-road escapades. Rooney, Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are just a few of the names associated with this $55,000 gas-guzzler.

Wayne Rooney Lamborghini Gallardo

David James Chrysler 300C

James' choice of Chrysler's classic sedan may seem unusual, but the England goal-keeper is a new breed of "footballer." He spent $4,000 converting his Chrysler to run mostly on biofuels, which certainly sets him apart from his teammates. The only problem is, James told local media, the car broke down two months later.

Alessandro Del Piero Fiat 500

Italian star Del Piero is the captain of Juventus, a team effectively controlled by the Agnelli family, who also owns Fiat. That may explain why Fiat offered Del Piero his own exclusive "No. 10" white Fiat 500 mini car last year. Del Piero wears the No. 10 shirt for Juventus, and Fiat gave him the tenth newly revitalized model to roll off the production line. The "cinquecento" first made its name as a cheap and cheerful model for post-war Europe.

John Terry Bentley Continental GT

Former England captain and Chelsea star John Terry is not shy when it comes to spending money, and his $180,000 Bentley is a case in point. Unfortunately, his decision to leave it for two hours in a disabled parking space may have cost him the position of England captain this year.

Cristiano Ronaldo Audi R8

One of the benefits of being a Manchester United player is that the luxury cars tend to come to you. Hence Cristiano Ronaldo's complementary Audi--part of the brand's sponsorship deal with the team--which otherwise would have set him back $200,000.

Thierry Henry Aston Martin Vanquish

French striker Thierry Henry made his name at the British Arsenal, so it is no surprise that one of his reportedly prized possessions is a classically British sports car. The $350,000 Aston Martin Vanquish was James Bond's car of choice in the Die Another Day movie, but was discontinued in 2007.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

GM used the Lexus ES350 as their target car for the 2010 LaCrosse Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-parker/gm---will-after-60-days-w

GM used the Lexus ES350 as their target car for the 2010 LaCrosse; they've come close to hitting a bull's eye
Could 60-days-or-less in a LaCrosse convince a die-hard Toyota/Lexus/Asian-only buyer to go with an American car for perhaps the first time in several generations of his or her family?
In my opinion, absolutely.
The only problem, as always, is getting those buyers into GM dealerships in the first place. If Ed Whiteacre, Bob Lutz and what is hopefully a newly-invigorated GM marketing team succeed in that undertaking, they might get that US market share up over 20% again ... at least for a start.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-parker/gm---will-after-60-days-w_b_285203.html

Buick's 2010 LaCrosse could do a lot to Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-parker/gm---will-after-60-days-w_b_285203.html

convince US buyers that US cars are up to import quality and even in some cases beyond
Even with objective things about the various cars being shopped very similar to most buyers, it's those subjective items --- how the switchgear feels, adjustability of the seats, rear seat room (which most buyers never check), how bright or dim the instrument panel can be made, if reflected sun makes the gauges hard to see in the daytime, if wide A-pillars make front/side vision difficult --- which can turn the buyer one way or another.
I usually drive one or more new cars a week to stay familiar with each car-maker's offerings and be able to answer your questions and make recommendations.
Recently, I spent a week in a 2010 Buick LaCrosse, and even though the early "pilot" model I drove was not off the actual assembly line (so some glitches are expected), this LaCrosse was more than a rival for its target: the Lexus entry-level luxury sedan, ES350.
LaCrosse's fit-and-finish, performance, appearance inside and out and styling are all impressive and even outdo the Lexus on many accounts.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-parker/gm---will-after-60-days-w_b_285203.html

For instance, the average price of a new car in the US is right around $32,000; driving all the cars in that price bracket will yield a lot of good experiences and very few negatives. Objectively, cars and trucks in each major price bracket reflect most of the same positives and quite few negatives.
Here's what we think of the new GM program:
Apart from price, safety, performance, appearance and fuel mileage, the most important part of the car-buying decision comes from the test drive. Many shoppers make the mistake of being timid during this critical part of the process, often allowing themselves to be "muscled" into driving the car only on certain roads (which will show-off the car's strengths) and for a specific period of time "recommended" by the salesperson.
But if buyers test-drove the new car in their own real-world situations, it would have a huge influence on which car they'd buy. In a very real sense, isn't this what GM is offering potential buyers with this new money-back scheme?

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-parker/gm---will-after-60-days-w_b_285203.html

GM's "60-day Buy Back" plan - more gimmicks or smart sales move? Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-parker/gm---will-after-60-days-w_

Another "Hail Mary" from GM? Or the real thing?
Starting today and running through November, General Motors is offering buyers of their Core Four brands, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC, a 60-day money-back guarantee on their new car and truck purchases. It's called the "60-day Satisfaction Guarantee."
The campaign marks GM's efforts to rebound after a 39-day bankruptcy and a $50 billion federal bailout. GM, which is shedding half of its US brands (Pontiac, Saturn, Saab, and Hummer) will try to boost their US market share that has fallen to 19.5% this year from a peak of 50.1% in 1962.
It's the second radical marketing move in just a few weeks by GM to try and resurrect consumer confidence in the company since the bankruptcy ended.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-parker/gm---will-after-60-days-w_b_285203.html

Could 60 days in a 2010 Buick LaCrosse convince import-buyers to make Detroit their car-maker of preference?
The first was begun last month in conjunction with online buying service Ebay. In that program, which has had only modest success but will continue for the time being, some 250 GM dealers in California are posting their new-car inventories for California-only buyers, some cars and trucks up for bid in a traditional auction environment, some marked with a no-haggle "buy it now" price.
Here are the details of the new money-back plan:
• Covers Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models for the 2009 and 2010 model years.
• Allows customers to return their cars after 31 days and before 4,000 miles.
• Does not cover leased vehicles.