Posted on 07/04/2008 12:44:43 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
DETROIT, July 4 (UPI) -- A mini-car designed by the General Motors (NYSE:BGM) Corp. for Asia and Latin America may soon be available in U.S. showrooms, a company spokesman says.
GM spokesman Dee Allen said the automobile giant was reviewing its current sales plan in the United States following new demands in the domestic auto market because of soaring gasoline prices, The Detroit News said Friday.
"Everything is under review," Allen said. "Obviously, the market has been changing rather rapidly."
General Motors already used a 2007 New York auto show to unveil its new two-door hatchback, the 11 and a half feet long Chevrolet Beat.
The company's new focus on smaller cars comes as $4-a-gallon gas drives auto buyers away from larger vehicles like light trucks and SUVs, the News reported.
The newspaper said the U.S. automaker's share price fell once again Wednesday to $10 a share, the lowest General Motors shares have been in more than 50 years.
The drop in share price comes as the company's sales have decreased 16.3 percent in 2008, the News said.
The first two were sold in the US but nobody bought them.
You can get the Ecomobile in the US as a home-built kit, but it won’t pass US crash tests as an assembled car.
I rode in a BMW Isetta when I was a little kid in the 50’s. I still remember it. It was tan, and this crazy lady with bright red hair had it.
I was referring to the eco-mobiles actually.
I lived a couple years overseas, and became so frustrated upon returning, to see the moribund condition of innovation stateside.
I bought and drive an American car, but it’s almost because of a sense of duty.
Why can’t our car companies get even one small clue?
Given a head-on contest between “superior engineering” and a Ford F-250, I’d rather be in the Ford.
1. Safety nazis and the “kid-proof-the-world” idiots.
2. Ever escalating lame CAFE rules that instead of driving US manufacturers to make *more* efficient cars than required, encourages them to make cars that are “just good enough” to meet the idiot fuel economy laws.
3. Idiots in Congress and DOT, encouraged by the Former Big Three and their campaign donations, plus some meddling from Mercedes, refuse to establish reciprocity with other countries re: crash testing. So even if a neat car sold only in Europe passes, say, EuroNCAP with flying colors, an American can’t import it because it “isn’t safe” and “hasn’t been adequately tested.” Which is why you can’t get one of the safest cars (and the fastest) cars in the world in the US, the Jaguar XJ220, unless it’s for a museum or film car duty.
Lots of stupidity there.
In addition, the Former Big Three have lost the plot repeatedly over the years. When they started moving in the right direction, the PC and NIH idiots would screw it up, followed by the unions and the beancounters.
Got news for you. Some of these newer small cars can take on things like a dump truck, let alone an F-250, head on and have the occupants walk away.
Note: The Smart “car” is not one of them. But it’s sort of close, they need to pay more attention to the footwell areas next time.
There are several things a mini-car has to have to be successful in the US.
The very first, #1 thing is that it has to be big enough inside for Americans, which means an average height of 5’10” to 6’2” and weight of 150-250 pounds. In turn, the cab has to be higher off the ground. And this means a wider wheel base for stability during turns, unless they incorporate gyroscopic stabilizers, which may not be as silly as it sounds. Such stabilizers have even been used experimentally on motorcycles.
While bucket seats are all the rage, the dang things are impossible for big people in smaller cars. But right now there aren’t too many choices of small cars with bench seats. Like none.
To get away with this, most likely the car will be limited to two passengers and a cargo area. And that will be a harder sell than a four person car.
Perhaps this is an issue conservatives should be running with.
$5 gas can put a lot of things on the table.
kid-proof-the-world idiocy, among them.
There’s a lot of transporation tech, currently hogtied by US “kid-proof-the-world” laws. Most of which, were made by liberals.
Perhaps, those same liberals, can be turned, in this environment.
It would certainly make a great issue.
Great, when you get your plan together let me know how you are going to do it(getting out of life alive), I would greatly appreciate some input on how to do that.
IIRC, the kit cost is a third or less of that.
That said, check this out: http://www.carver-worldwide.com/SubItem/SubItem.asp?S_ID=33
Similar idea, though it’s a trike - and it’s about half the cost, assembled.
Still illegal in North America.
Why’d it be illegal?
It’s a trike.
Therefore, a motorcycle.
Therefore, exempt from auto crash standards.
I’m 6’0 and not small - and I prefer bucket seats. Not sure where you get the “benches only” idea.
Hell, I fit in a Miata, as do most people. But you have to leave the roof down.
I fit comfortably in a Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, or Toyota Yaris. It’s not “small cars”. It’s badly designed small cars that are the problem. Like, oh, most of the ones from the Former Big Three.
Trikes are illegal to import into the US. They’re not motorcycles and they’re not cars, per Customs. No category, no import, IIRC.
The other reason is that the EPA has no idea what pollution/emissions category to put it in.
Also, FYI, they’re now trying to make bike crash standards.
Plus, ever since Honda was clever and figured out how to put an airbag on their Goldwing 1800s, DOT’s been trying to figure out how they can make it mandatory there, too.
This would be a good issue for McCain to start mentioning.
Once the bureaucrats figure out which ... is their belly button,
I’ll order a Tuk-tuk. :)
Heh, you misunderstand me.
I actually liked the Neon SRT4 a lot. Cheap, but small and STUPIDLY fast. From a US car maker.
The Focus SVT was another neat small car from the US makers, once they got their head out of their ass on the assembly problems with the UAW. Again, US car maker.
Other than that, most of the small car offerings from the US have been gross disappointments, even with
I like small cars as an idea; properly done ones are efficient, safe, and quite often a blast to drive. However, I don’t own them and I don’t want one.
In addition, while I dislike US car makers for various reasons, I *always* make an extra effort to give their products a fair shake - only to discover I probably shouldn’t have, most of the time.
If I want something small and fuel efficient, I grab the motorcycle’s keys. Same fuel efficiency, heck of a lot better power/weight, more agility, more braking, and NO ANNOYING PASSENGER YAKKING MY EARS OFF.
Aside from that, I prefer large and powerful Jaguar sedans - purely from aesthetic and fun reasons. :D
Sorry, but that information is for SUV-owners’ eyes only. :-D
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