Why did the Carrera GT fail to be a hit?

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In summary: I wouldn't want one as my only means of transportation.Some 81,000 motorcycles were involved in crashes in 2003. 81,000 is a lot of motorcycles. If you're one of the fatalities, you're lucky. They keep getting better at patching people back together, and I'm not so sure it's always a good thing. I've seen a 45 year old male run a redlight on his motorcycle at 120 mph and he got hit by traffic. His lung collapsed, multiple internal organ damage, etc. The EMTs brought him into ER and the surgeons on staff quickly intubated him, made cuts and inserted tubes to drain blood from lungs and then recycled them right back into him in addition
  • #1
hitssquad
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http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=12&article_id=2601&page_number=3 [Broken]

King Kong Corvette

If Dodge's SRT boys weren't already nervous about the new 505-bhp Z06 spanking their Viper, they'll be positively shaking after they hear Chevy has been testing a supercharged version of America's favorite sports car. How do we know? Anyone who heard it hammering around the Nürburgring said the sound could only come from a supercharger. If the car sees production in 2006, figure on about 600 bhp and a $100,000 price tag. — MM
 
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  • #2
That would work. *runs and checks piggy bank*
 
  • #3
I still much prefer this 605HP beast: THE PORSCHE CARRERA GT!

*drools all over keyboard*
 
  • #4
rocketboy said:
I still much prefer this 605HP beast: THE PORSCHE CARRERA GT!
"0-60 mph 3.8 secs." The current 505hp Z06 does 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. Here's why the Vette is faster:

"Maximum torque 435 lb-ft @ 5,750 rpm."

The Carreera GT has a weak engine.
 
  • #5
hitssquad said:
"0-60 mph 3.8 secs." The current 505hp Z06 does 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. Here's why the Vette is faster:

Since when is 0-60 times the only thing that makes one car "faster" than another?
 
  • #6
cars suck

If I wanted speed I'd get Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo:

0-60 : 1.592 seconds
1/4 Mile ET: 9.894
1/4 Mile MPH: 140.530
Top speed: 236 mph


Basically all you going to see behind your $100k crap-mobile is my (_._) on a $10k bike :biggrin:
Done
 
  • #7
Cars are safer, cronxeh. Do you own a motorcycle? Neither do I, and I wouldn't unless I was desperate.
 
  • #8
cronxeh said:
cars suck

If I wanted speed I'd get Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo:

0-60 : 1.592 seconds
1/4 Mile ET: 9.894
1/4 Mile MPH: 140.530
Top speed: 236 mph


Basically all you going to see behind your $100k crap-mobile is my (_._) on a $10k bike :biggrin:
Done

Thats fine if you don't care about aesthetics or handling...IMO the Hyabouse is a very ugly bike :yuck:
 
  • #9
hitssquad said:
Cars are safer, cronxeh. Do you own a motorcycle? Neither do I, and I wouldn't unless I was desperate.
Don't worry, once he gets his license to work as an EMT and starts seeing the outcome of motorcycle accidents, he'll lose that enthusiasm.
 
  • #10
Ultra red asphalt

Moonbear said:
Don't worry, once he gets his license to work as an EMT and starts seeing the outcome of motorcycle accidents, he'll lose that enthusiasm.
No need to become an EMT first. You can see lots of photos of motorcycle fatalities here:
http://www.flurl.com/list.php?search=motorcycle&site_id=39&search_mature_entries=1&link_to_display_page=1
 
  • #11
heh, I've been working at a GM dealership during the summer and no one wants to admit that the new vette looks suspiciously like a viper. Maybe its me or does anyone else see that floopy clown shoe look or maybe it's just me?
 
  • #13
iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/motorcycle/?table_sort_739024=5

Motorcycle Crashes

  • In 2004, 4,008 people died in motorcycle crashes.

  • There were 5.4 million motorcycles on U.S. roads in 2003, compared with 131.1 million passenger cars.

  • In 2003, motorcycles accounted for 2.3 percent of all registered motor vehicles and 0.3 percent of vehicle miles traveled.

  • Some 81,000 motorcycles were involved in crashes in 2003.

  • Motorcyclists were 32 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a crash in 2003, per vehicle mile traveled.
 
  • #14
hitssquad said:
No need to become an EMT first. You can see lots of photos of motorcycle fatalities here:
http://www.flurl.com/list.php?search=motorcycle&site_id=39&search_mature_entries=1&link_to_display_page=1
If you're one of the fatalities, you're lucky. They keep getting better at patching people back together, and I'm not so sure it's always a good thing.
 
  • #15
I've seen a 45 year old male run a redlight on his motorcycle at 120 mph and he got hit by traffic.

His lung collapsed, multiple internal organ damage, etc. The EMTs brought him into ER and the surgeons on staff quickly intubated him, made cuts and inserted tubes to drain blood from lungs and then recycled them right back into him in addition to some additional blood supply. He got x-rayed, had a tube inserted into his penis and surgeons sutured his torn anus. Afterwards they did a cut right under his umbilicus and operated I'm not sure on what but perhaps on the bladder - or inserted a catheter. Not really sure it looked like 12 surgeons were humping the guy.. but really everyone did a great job in OR and were all over him - his airway was taken over, he was on EKG, IV central line, the whole shebang

He was lucky he lived in NYC where you are 5 minutes from a neareast hospital, otherwise this guy woulda been a goner. I agree that motorcycles are dangerous, and I still somewhat envy the idea of owning and driving one someday. I'm not big into racing, so perhaps my probability of getting into a trauma is a bit less. I guess it all boils down to luck or fate or whatever, or just an optimal combination of rural, free open roads, vs congested big cities with lots of hospitals

Or perhaps even your skills as a driver


EDIT: Oh forgot to mention. The security guard with a janitor was making some kind of a remark about how dangerous it is to drive motorcycles and guy musta been crazy or something, when the surgical resident who was standing near said "hey, I'm driving a motorcycle myself!" :biggrin:
 
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  • #16
hitssquad said:
iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/motorcycle/?table_sort_739024=5

Motorcycle Crashes

  • In 2004, 4,008 people died in motorcycle crashes.

  • There were 5.4 million motorcycles on U.S. roads in 2003, compared with 131.1 million passenger cars.

  • In 2003, motorcycles accounted for 2.3 percent of all registered motor vehicles and 0.3 percent of vehicle miles traveled.

  • Some 81,000 motorcycles were involved in crashes in 2003.

  • Motorcyclists were 32 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a crash in 2003, per vehicle mile traveled.


Hey its still a better way to go than compared to cancer or suicide or murder. I'd take motorcycle trauma way out anyday over some gunshot wound or a debilitating illness :approve:
 
  • #17
hitssquad said:
"0-60 mph 3.8 secs." The current 505hp Z06 does 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. Here's why the Vette is faster:

"Maximum torque 435 lb-ft @ 5,750 rpm."

The Carreera GT has a weak engine.

Oh geez. I figured I wouldn't have to hear things like this on a site devoted to physics. Comparing peak torques (or torque/weight) of different cars is completely useless. It doesn't mean anything without considerably more data.

Both of these cars can spin their tires most of the way to 60 mph anyway, which means that 0-60 is basically a measure of tires and driver skill. Chevy also tends to be much more optimistic in its ratings than Porsche, and the Vette also gets helped by the fact that it can stay in 1st gear to 60 mph. The Porsche would leave it for dead in any real race (as it should for the price).
 
  • #18
i wonder if that's supposed to be competition for the new charger that's coming out. whatever happens, now that dodge is remaking the charger, ford should remake the boss mustangs. not that I'm really a ford nut (kind of) but it would be cool to see the old rivalries. i'd still rather have me a caterham 7 csr (powered by ford, incidentally) or a superlight r500. they both have only ~250hp but only weigh ~450kg & do 0-100km/h in a hair over 3 sec.

http://www.caterham.co.uk/images/showroom/detail/csr_03.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #19
fourier jr said:
i wonder if that's supposed to be competition for the new charger that's coming out.
Dodge is coming out with a ~600 hp, ~$100,000 Charger that pulls ~1.04g on the skid pad?
 
  • #20
I`m with Rocketboy The Porche rules, European cars are far more advanced that anything that`s come out of america, Yes the Corvette has great muscle car styling and can probably tear a huge hole in the tarmac but when it comes to going around corners fast and developing a whole lota power from a small engine Europe wins out every time.

check out these times and note where the fastest americal built car is ...

www.topgear.com/content/tgonbbc2/laptimes/thestig/[/URL]

personally I love TVR`s Powerfull, sexy and for performance/cost nothing beats them!

[url]www.tvr-eng.co.uk/intro.html#35ext5[/url]

Now bikes, yes i own a bike and my god you can`t beat the feeling of riding them but they are just toy`s and can go around corners very fast due to the fact they only have two wheels!
 
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  • #21
fourier jr said:
i wonder if that's supposed to be competition for the new charger that's coming out. whatever happens, now that dodge is remaking the charger, ford should remake the boss mustangs. not that I'm really a ford nut (kind of) but it would be cool to see the old rivalries. i'd still rather have me a caterham 7 csr (powered by ford, incidentally) or a superlight r500. they both have only ~250hp but only weigh ~450kg & do 0-100km/h in a hair over 3 sec.

http://www.caterham.co.uk/images/showroom/detail/csr_03.jpg [Broken]
[/URL]

They're probably only coming out with a new Charger due to the popularity re-initiated by the Dukes of Hazzard movie. I'm less than impressed with most Chevys out now, so I don't know if a redesign of the Charger will help their line or be a disgrace to the Charger.

As for the Mustang, as far as I'm concerned, Ford should just drop it from their production line.
 
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  • #22
The caterham does use a ford engine, but it is the cosworth tuned engine. And could you imagine trying to take a 600bhp american car around a corner? would never happen. The corvette will be a flop, will only sell in america. Us europeans prefer abit of class, like aston martin's (db9 is the dogs bollocks) ferrari's, porsche's, lambourghini's or even a nice big AMG merc. And if you want fast check out the Buggati veyron. I believe it recently broke the top speed record for a production car, does help that it has 1000 bhp though.
 
  • #23
Andy said:
And could you imagine trying to take a 600bhp american car around a corner? would never happen. The corvette will be a flop, will only sell in america. Us europeans prefer abit of class, like aston martin's (db9 is the dogs bollocks) ferrari's, porsche's, lambourghini's or even a nice big AMG merc.

Apparently you don't know anything about Corvettes. They've always been designed as cheap, comfortable, good-looking cars that run extremely fast laps. Throughout its history, most optioned-out versions wouldn't have any trouble keeping up with most Astons, Ferraris, and Porsches on tracks. Those cars would generally be more fun and involving to drive, but then you should get something for paying several times what any Corvette costs (in the cases of Ferrari and Aston). The Vettes always had the same capability.

As for the comments about American engines, what's the point of optimizing specific power output? It's only relevant if you live in one of those countries that taxes you based on engine displacement (is this even common anymore?). Displacement doens't correlate well to physical engine size or weight, fuel consumption, or emissions. At least for large engines, the old pushrod design is actually smaller, lighter, cheaper, and often more fuel-efficient than more complicated engines with the same power output.
 
  • #24
Andy said:
...will only sell in america. Us europeans prefer abit of class...
Americans will buy it for that reason alone - that's the whole point of the car!
 
  • #25
Greg Bernhardt said:
The Carrera is a sexy sexy car.
I agree. the Carrera GT is the most fantastic-looking $65,000 car I have ever seen.
http://forums.autoweek.com/thread.jspa?forumID=13&threadID=19312&messageID=426666#426666 [Broken]

Ford GT fan
Posts: 26

Re: Why Hasn't the Carrera GT Been a Hit?
Posted: Aug 17, 2005 4:00 PM


> That price today is no different than the 959's tag
> back in the late 1980s. There are many high-end
> sports cars going for that price: the S7, the Enzo,
> the MC12, the SLR, the CCR, and the MT900S being some
> examples.

The difference is production volume. Only 200 959's were made. Porsche even admitted that their research showed many fewer customers than 1500 for the car, but the dealer response was so strong they initially decided on 1500.

Here's what really happened:

Day one: The Carrera GT is announced.

Day two: All the dealers in the world scramble to order.

Day three: The entire production run is "sold out"

Then, a year or two later, the cars begin to ship.

Months 1-6:
Production slow, "I got to get one now" customers drive prices even higher.

Months 7-12:
Production ramps up, customers willing to pay significant premiums are gone, cars begin to sell for close to MSRP

Months 13+:
Manufacturer and dealers begin to realize that most remaining orders are from dealers that do not have a commitment from a retail customer.

Dealers advertise cars "in stock for immediate delivery," get few takers.

Dealers begin to contact big-buck customers to ask if they want one. (Porsche is even doing track events where they invite selected customers for a weekend at a racetrack, all expenses paid.)

Big buck customers say "no thanks, I like the car, but I don't like it that much."

Cars begin to be advertised by dealers at discounted prices.

Some early buyers were speculators, and now advertise their cars, initially at a premium, then at sticker, then at a discount as they realize the "investment" they paid above sticker for is decreasing in value every day.

Manufacturer cuts production, makes up story why this is necessary or even good.

Bottom line: Mercedes and Porsche were insane to think they could sell over 1000 $450,000 cars, no matter how great they are. (And having driven both, I think the Porsche is great, but the Mercedes is just noisy, rough, and weird, especially with an automatic tranny!)

At $299,000 they both might have had a chance.
 
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1. What exactly is a "600 horsepower factory Vette"?

A "600 horsepower factory Vette" refers to a Chevrolet Corvette that has been manufactured and sold by the company with a horsepower output of 600. This means that the car is built with an engine and other components that allow it to produce 600 horsepower, which is a measure of the engine's power and performance.

2. Is 600 horsepower a lot for a factory car?

Yes, 600 horsepower is considered a high amount of horsepower for a factory car. Most standard cars have an average horsepower of around 200-300, so 600 is significantly higher and usually reserved for high-performance or sports cars.

3. How does a "600 horsepower factory Vette" compare to other sports cars?

A "600 horsepower factory Vette" is considered to be among the most powerful and high-performing sports cars on the market. It is comparable to other high-end sports cars such as the Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan, and Porsche 911 Turbo S.

4. What are the benefits of owning a "600 horsepower factory Vette"?

Owning a "600 horsepower factory Vette" can provide a thrilling driving experience, as the high horsepower allows for quick acceleration and impressive speed. It also offers superior handling and performance, making it a great choice for those who enjoy driving on the track or in high-performance settings.

5. Are there any downsides to owning a "600 horsepower factory Vette"?

One potential downside to owning a "600 horsepower factory Vette" is that it may be more expensive to maintain and repair compared to standard cars. Additionally, the high horsepower may also result in lower fuel efficiency, which can be a factor for some buyers.

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