Dreamcast18
04-18-2009, 09:18 AM
David Phillips
Fun takes a back seat in our cars, at least for now
http://www.detnews.com/graphics/columnistmugs/DavidPhillips.jpg
It used to be when a brand needed new mojo or was on the verge of coding, auto companies ordered up some pads and administered what former GM product chief Bob Lutz fondly called shock therapy.
The treatment often included an all-new dream vehicle with plenty of horsepower and cutting-edge design.
The price tag was often lofty, too, but the goal was to get consumers to aspire to own one or buy one outright.
Build something sexy or out of this world, the mantra went, and Americans, eager for an emotional connection, will take notice and race to your showroom.
It is what psychologists call our hedonistic treadmill, America's serial desire for something new and exciting to rout boredom or fatigue.
No more nostalgia rides
Do Americans still feel an emotional connection to their cars today? Or have we shifted to neutral for good?
The calendar says spring, but America's love affair with the car seems frozen, a victim of austere times.
Most of the industry is running on an empty tank these days, and the rush to market dream cars has come to a screeching stop.
The Viper franchise is being shopped around. Acura has nixed a new NSX.
The parade of halo vehicles over the past two decades -- Cadillac XLR, Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet SSR, Nissan GT-R, Plymouth Prowler, Oldsmobile Aurora, Saturn Sky, Pontiac GTO -- produced mixed results.
The role of the dream car is evolving, too.
High octane has been replaced with amps. The Challenger and Camaro must share the road with Prius, Circuit, Volt, Insight and now PUMA.
"We are past the point of doing things that can't be justified from a cost standpoint," said Daniel Gorrell, president of AutoStrategem, a California market research and consulting firm. "The wholesale forays into nostalgia cars or management's pet projects are over."
But change will come
The pendulum has shifted.
Soon enough, we'll get bored with the practical and pragmatic, and the cycle will break. And we'll yearn for a thaw and something new again.
And no doubt, designers are waiting for the day and hatching another wave of fun cars that will reignite our passion for the automobile.
David Phillips is a freelance writer and contributor to Autos Insider. He can be reached at dphillips@detnews.com (http://www.detnews.com/article/20090416/OPINION03/mailto:dphillips@detnews.com).
http://i39.tinypic.com/334kzlh.jpg
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090416/OPINION03/904160342/1149/Fun+takes+a+back+seat+in+our+cars++at+least+for+no w
Fun takes a back seat in our cars, at least for now
http://www.detnews.com/graphics/columnistmugs/DavidPhillips.jpg
It used to be when a brand needed new mojo or was on the verge of coding, auto companies ordered up some pads and administered what former GM product chief Bob Lutz fondly called shock therapy.
The treatment often included an all-new dream vehicle with plenty of horsepower and cutting-edge design.
The price tag was often lofty, too, but the goal was to get consumers to aspire to own one or buy one outright.
Build something sexy or out of this world, the mantra went, and Americans, eager for an emotional connection, will take notice and race to your showroom.
It is what psychologists call our hedonistic treadmill, America's serial desire for something new and exciting to rout boredom or fatigue.
No more nostalgia rides
Do Americans still feel an emotional connection to their cars today? Or have we shifted to neutral for good?
The calendar says spring, but America's love affair with the car seems frozen, a victim of austere times.
Most of the industry is running on an empty tank these days, and the rush to market dream cars has come to a screeching stop.
The Viper franchise is being shopped around. Acura has nixed a new NSX.
The parade of halo vehicles over the past two decades -- Cadillac XLR, Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet SSR, Nissan GT-R, Plymouth Prowler, Oldsmobile Aurora, Saturn Sky, Pontiac GTO -- produced mixed results.
The role of the dream car is evolving, too.
High octane has been replaced with amps. The Challenger and Camaro must share the road with Prius, Circuit, Volt, Insight and now PUMA.
"We are past the point of doing things that can't be justified from a cost standpoint," said Daniel Gorrell, president of AutoStrategem, a California market research and consulting firm. "The wholesale forays into nostalgia cars or management's pet projects are over."
But change will come
The pendulum has shifted.
Soon enough, we'll get bored with the practical and pragmatic, and the cycle will break. And we'll yearn for a thaw and something new again.
And no doubt, designers are waiting for the day and hatching another wave of fun cars that will reignite our passion for the automobile.
David Phillips is a freelance writer and contributor to Autos Insider. He can be reached at dphillips@detnews.com (http://www.detnews.com/article/20090416/OPINION03/mailto:dphillips@detnews.com).
http://i39.tinypic.com/334kzlh.jpg
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090416/OPINION03/904160342/1149/Fun+takes+a+back+seat+in+our+cars++at+least+for+no w