Quote:
Originally Posted by syr74
You summed up you post with the assertion that GM makes the best cars and trucks in the world, based it would seem on your assertion that their motors are the best in the industry. If we are going to revisit the strict comparison of engines here then I agree the Turbocharged Ecotec is 'better' as a practical performance engine without question.
That said, would I take a Cobalt SS over a Civic Si? Probably not. And that speaks volumes here because I really don't care for the Honda's 'zing her til she screams' approach to going fast. I like a nice, high revving piece as much as the next guy, but I don't want to be forced to drive with the tach needle in the stratosphere in order to actually move with anything approaching gusto.
The problem? The Cobalt SS goes fairly fast and, in terms of absolute numbers, handles very well. That said, refinement is at the low end of the spectrum to be kind and the car doesn't communicate like it ought to. Throw in styling which says 'I was a Cavalier in a past life' and a fairly chintzy interior and the verdict is in.
For similar money I can get a Mazdaspeed 3 with a better interior, more refinement, and similar performance. GM could fix all of this fairly easily by exerting a little sweat tweaking what is a fundamentally excellent platform for better ride and handling and throwing a restyle the Cobalts way which doesn't draw a connection to a car best forgotten. Will GM do this? Not a chance.
Why do I say this? Lets take the Corvette as an example. What keeps the Corvette from toppling the 911 from its throne as the iconic global sports car? The answer isn't complicated. A truly world class interior to replace the not suitable for a Hyundai version the current model dons, seats which aren't ridiculously uncomfortable and which offer something approaching actual support, a bit more care given to the build quality, and a steering rack which doesn't make a Trabant feel like it has good feedback and the Vette has a decent shot at the throne.
These problems have been brutally evident since the C6 arrived, and frankly predate the C6 model by decades to be blunt. In fact, the actual problems with the Vette are so relatively few in number, and so glaring when the car is driven, that you have to wonder how the C6 made it through production with these issues. So, what has GM done in order to fix what is wrong with the Vette? Well, they fixed the one thing which wasn't broken in the first place, how fast the Vette is, and gave us the Z06. Still the same laughable interior, still the same 'is this really a sports car' steering, still the same awful seats, and still some questionable build quality issues.
That didn't work, the Z06 was too rough around the edges and only took the Vette's existing shortcomings and threw them into a faster car with terrible NVH. How to fix that? Continue to leave the same terrible interior, seats, and steering in the car but make it even more ridiculously fast and call it a ZR1. Huh? Anybody home? Nobody is complaining about the amount of speed offered here guys. How about we try fixing what is actually broken here?
|
You responded with exactly the opposite of what we're looking to discuss in this thread. I am fully aware that the Corvette lacks the interior styling of a high-end exotic or even a modern sports car. It is behind the times. I agree. You even made sure to point out how the Cobalt SS doesn't convey refinement in its execution. I agree. The Cobalt SS interior could be substantially upgraded to make it more attractive, sporty, or competitive with other cars in its class.
That is not the intended issue of this thread. If I wanted to talk about appearance, stock appearance wouldn't matter. i'd be discussing aftermarket kits, custom jobs, and how it doesn't matter what interior came with the car because creativity allows anyone to create anything with the right work and investment. I would discuss how some products in the GM lineup are new and fresh in appearance while others, Cobalt and Corvette included, could use some sort of serious renovation in order to match or exceed the trends of the modern market.
That's not my area of expertise. I'm not exactly a professional designer.
Let's talk performance. Reread my first post. In summary, I'm arguing that GM is known for V8s, and these great motors actually hinder GM, even though it makes GM cars that utilize those powerful engines competitive with the world's most distinguished performance brands. I argue that GM also produces the world's greatest 4-cylinder engines, along with those V8s, and that the LNF is the best engine of that class. I compared it to the K20A, a very popular Honda motor. Let's discuss other comparisons to the LNF, and argue about performance rather than how cars look.