ON THE TABLE

April 4, 2012

Editor's Note: See more of Peter's thoughts from New York below in "On The Table" - WG

Ed Welburn. Editor-in-Chief's Note: I was chatting with GM Design's Ed Welburn about the biz when the conversation inevitably turned to the next-generation Corvette. Ed said, "It's the first time in history that the director of GM Design and the Chief Engineer of the Corvette have not clashed over a new Corvette." That's not only our AE Quote of the Week, it's historically significant. GM's design directors and Corvette chief engineers have battled for decades, the most famous clash being the one between Bill Mitchell, who insisted on the split window backlight on the '63 Sting Ray coupe, and Zora Arkus-Duntov who vehemently despised it. Mitchell won that battle, then Zora won the next year, when it was removed from the coupe in '64. The fact that GM design and Corvette engineering are in agreement on the C7 is a big deal. We'll see how good it is when it's unveiled. - PMD

 GM. Mark Reuss got to the point with GM's reveal of the new Chevrolet Impala and it was refreshing to see. Sometimes it's a good thing just to get to it, and Mark kicked the media days off in style. And it was nice to see the designer of the new Impala, John Cafaro, get some richly-deserved recognition after a lengthy career at GM Design. The new Impala is certainly well-executed and light years beyond the current fleet special, but we'll see how consumers accept it in the market one year from now.

GM. I get the idea behind GM separating itself from the rest of the show in its own group enclave at the north end of the Javitz Convention Center - with Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC sharing carpet together - but I think this is going to kill GM on the public days. The main hall  today was swarming with media flitting about and taking it all in, while the GM display was largely empty and eerily quiet. And that doesn't bode well for the public days. Having to take a 5-10-minute walk to go out of your way to see GM's offerings is a stretch and I predict GM won't do it again next year.

BMW. The X1? Really? Why?

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Can we please move beyond the whole matte finish paint idea? Please? Thank you.

Lincoln. The MKZ is tasteful and well-executed and a nice start. It's definitely signaling that Lincoln is going in the right direction, but, and this is a huge BUT, it's what's next that will really be the test. What does Lincoln need more than anything else and as soon as possible? A big, rear-wheel-drive (with optional all-wheel-drive), full-size, show-stopping Lincoln. One with unmistakable, "Now that's a Lincoln!" presence. Lincoln needs to make a design statement for the ages that will crystallize the brand going forward in a memorable way.

The Viper. It was good to see the Viper resurrected and I liked the car for the most part, especially the interior, the reduced weight and more power, etc., but the design was a letdown. It just doesn't go far enough. This was the Viper that should have been done a few years ago if they had never stopped making the car. But now? It's too conservative and far too predictable. And by the way, I know Ralph Gilles thought it was a good idea to have a horde of Viper owners there to cheer his every word, but it was annoying as hell for the assembled media. Next time save that Bush League Bullshit for a Viper pep rally back in Auburn Hills, Ralph.

(Fiat-Chrysler)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: From the "There's Absolutely Nothing New Under The Sun" File. The theme line prominently displayed at one point during the Viper presentation was "Soul Survivor," which was, coincidentally enough, the headline I came up with for an ad I wrote for the 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. - PMD

The Viper Faithful. We're glad you're getting the band back together.

Nissan. New Altima = More Market Momentum. New NYC taxi? It sucks.

Hyundai. More of the same from the "Damn, ain't we great?" boys. It will continue to be all good, until it isn't.

McLaren. The MP4-12C was stunning both in black and in McLaren Racing Orange. Me likey.

Porsche. Anytime they put one of their all-conquering 917 long tail Le Mans racers on display it's a very good thing. And seeing the new Boxster in the flesh plus more iterations of the 911, Panamera and Cayenne was cool too. But "pizza on a hook" at their VIP party? Now that's off the hook!

Cadillac. The more I see of the new XTS the more I think it's going to be a genuine hit. And the more I see of the ATS the more worried I become.

     Lincoln. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Ford executives took the wraps off of the production version of the new Lincoln MKZ last night in a lavish and tasteful affair in the dramatic IAC building on Manhattan's west side. The production car retains about 99 percent of the concept that was showed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, which means it still looks to be a fresh design statement that should be welcome on America's streets and byways when it arrives in showrooms late this year. The other component of the presentation, actually the primary news of the show last night, was that Lincoln aims to take the idea of customer satisfaction and engagement to an unprecedented level. It's clear that Lincoln will take everything that Lexus established in this market and push it even further, with a level of customer hand holding that has never been seen before. No, Lincoln operatives won't be delivering newspapers to their cherished Lincoln owners every morning - although I wouldn't rule it out at this juncture - but they'll do just about everything else. Ford execs even invited attendees at last night's gathering to give their input as to the level of personal engagement Lincoln should be doing. Which was all well and good, since the guest list was dominated by members of the fashion industry, but I'm not so sure that's going to be enough to make Lincoln resonate in the market. I look at customer engagement, no matter how intrusive and delightfully comprehensive, as approaching the cost of doing business in the luxury market. Everybody is doing it to a certain degree, so whether you take it to extremes, or not, it still won't guarantee success. Lincoln needs to lead with its strength, which, from where I sit, should be its leading-edge design. Then, they need to set about to define the Lincoln aura. What is it? And once they define "it," then they must answer the ultimate question, why Lincoln? - PMD

(Ford)

(GM)
The new 2014 Chevrolet Impala made its debut at the New York International Auto Show this week. Sleeker, more sophisticated and with a decidedly more contemporary presence, the new Impala will shed its rental car fleet persona in the hopes of delivering serious profits. The new Impala will arrive in showrooms one year from now.

(BMW)

From the "We Want A BMW In Every Garage In America" File comes word of BMW's new sub-compact "premium" SAV - the X1 - which made its debut in New York.

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