In the latest Autoweek...

SVXphile · #1 03-10-2003, 07:07 PM

Fabrizio Giugiaro styles a new body for the Corvette....

...but listen to this:

"How do you follow a smash hit? Last year's Italdesign-Giugiaro Geneva show car, the award-hogging sex bomb Alfa Romeo Brera by papa Giorgio Giugiaro, has officially been tapped by Alfa's boss Daniele Bandiera to be the 2005 successor to today's midsize 156. Bravo, Dan."

I hope they don't have to change much to make it practical.

Don

('atsa nat enuf ta smuggle in da nu Alfa. I gotta hava mor muny!)

LarryIII · #2 03-10-2003, 07:13 PM

Don,

You needa to brusha upa on you're Italian.

SVXphile · #3 03-10-2003, 07:27 PM

I knew it....I knew it.....I knew it!!!!!

If I was a bettin' man, I woulda just won the big one.

I was absolutely positive, that the minute I hammered the mother tongue, Larry would appear like magic!

Hi Larry!!!!!

...all our best to Rosie.

Don

SVXphile · #4 03-10-2003, 07:39 PM

....the recently-posted-here drawing of the Subaru concept coupe was in the front of the new issue also. Surprise! The guy that designed it, used to work for......envelope please.....Alfa! (didn't someone already post that?)

They shoulda stayed with Giugiaro....

Don

paddlesnz · #5 03-10-2003, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SVXphile
....the recently-posted-here drawing of the Subaru concept coupe was in the front of the new issue also. Surprise! The guy that designed it, used to work for......envelope please.....Alfa! (didn't someone already post that?)

They shoulda stayed with Giugiaro.... Don

Not quite. The B11S was designed by the Spanish Fuore Design International. The design concept had already been signed off before Andreas Zapatinas, ex-Alfa Romeo, arrived at FHI.

Reaction here in Japan to the B11S has been rather negative with the general opinion being that while it looks good and has the right specs/technology, there is no market here for an expensive Subaru sports coupe.

Seraph · #6 03-10-2003, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by paddlesnz

Reaction here in Japan to the B11S has been rather negative with the general opinion being that while it looks good and has the right specs/technology, there is no market here for an expensive Subaru sports coupe.

My point...

Subaru is having a good time selling the WRX. Make it good and make it strong and sell them. Have a couple of other 2 doors in there. Legacy 2 doors etc. Why screw with the working forumla.

L

svxistentialist · #7 03-11-2003, 05:12 AM

Subaru are slow on the bandwagon in producing an up-market marque entity. All their cars are still called Subaru.

Nissan created Infinity as the upmarket wing. Toyota created Lexus. Honda created Acura.

All of these came into being with the US market as primary target. Subaru will hit the same glass ceiling with the B11S, "who would pay that sort of money for a Subaru?".

I am still hoping they will build it, sans snozzle, but it will depend on demand from the US.

Joe

Mr. Pockets · #8 03-11-2003, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LarryIII
Don,

You needa to brusha upa on you're Italian.

And you need to brush up on your English.

Aredubjay · #9 03-11-2003, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by svxistentialist
Subaru are slow on the bandwagon in producing an up-market marque entity. All their cars are still called Subaru.

Nissan created Infinity as the upmarket wing. Toyota created Lexus. Honda created Acura.

All of these came into being with the US market as primary target. Subaru will hit the same glass ceiling with the B11S, "who would pay that sort of money for a Subaru?".

I am still hoping they will build it, sans snozzle, but it will depend on demand from the US.

Joe

I agree, Joe. If they do release the car as a Subaru, I fear the "Bait and Switch" pulled with the STX transformation to the Baja.

#10 03-11-2003, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by svxistentialist
Subaru are slow on the bandwagon in producing an up-market marque entity. All their cars are still called Subaru.

Nissan created Infinity as the upmarket wing. Toyota created Lexus. Honda created Acura.

Subaru created "Alcyone", (That is why we can get Alcyone SVX labeled stuff from Japan) but did not completeley seperate it from the Subaru nameplate the way that Honda, Nissan, and Toyota did.

Kind of hard to launch a luxury marque with only one model. Plus at the time thier marketing department sucked hairy camel balls.

Even today I think they are doing a poor job; have you seen the commercial for the Jaguar X-Type, where it rolls across a bridge while claws are shown gripping through the concrete?

Subaru SHOULD have had something like that, but years ago.

The only commercial I have seen for a WRX comes on late at night, appears to be produced on a limited budget, and is only 15 or so seconds long. Compare this to the recent batch of TV ads from Mitsubishi.

Seraph · #11 03-11-2003, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vern!

Subaru created "Alcyone", (That is why we can get Alcyone SVX labeled stuff from Japan) but did not completely separate it from the Subaru nameplate the way that Honda, Nissan, and Toyota did.

Kind of hard to launch a luxury marque with only one model. Plus at the time their marketing department sucked hairy camel balls.

Well, Subaru had Alcyone SVX and XT so that makes 2 models. But I totally agree that they sucked with the marketing of the SVX. WRXes are doing ok but how long will the hype of WRC championship gonna last? Mitsu is getting out the EVO as well so WRX (even the STi) has some major competition now. It did not back a couple of years ago. I totally agree with the separate label thing from Subaru and perhaps Alcyone is a nice one.

Let me forward this thread to SOA as well.

Lwin

Aredubjay · #12 03-11-2003, 10:35 AM

Marketing is usually "regional." Subaru will market moderately in areas where they sell well, will market heartily in areas where sales are normally well but are currently sluggish, and will usually ignore areas where sales are basically nil.

Sales in the south have traditionally been very week, and so, they've neglected that market altogether. Until recently, you'd never see Subaru ads in this are, howver, they're "blitzing" the "All Wheel Drive Away," currently, with their 0% apr on Outbacks and WRXes.

I've seen several Outback and WRX ads of late, and a few Forester ads. Many more than in recent years. Perhaps Subaru is finally "getting it." Perhaps, when they get it, they'll get it.

CigarJohnny · #13 03-11-2003, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by svxistentialist
Subaru are slow on the bandwagon in producing an up-market marque entity. All their cars are still called Subaru.

Nissan created Infinity as the upmarket wing. Toyota created Lexus. Honda created Acura.

All of these came into being with the US market as primary target. Subaru will hit the same glass ceiling with the B11S, "who would pay that sort of money for a Subaru?".

I am still hoping they will build it, sans snozzle, but it will depend on demand from the US.

Joe

I think Joe hit the nail on the head. It's exactly what happened when they introduced the SVX 11 years ago. "Who would be crazy enough to spend that kind of money on a Subaru?". It would be a repeat of that all over again.

FHI really needs to come up with an upscale marque to sell higher priced cars (Alcyone would be fantastic!). My only fear is that they waited far too long to do this and, while not impossible to do at this late time, that it will be a major uphill battle compared to if they did it 10+ years ago when the other Japanese car makers did it.

The other thing they need to do is spend more money on advertising and of the right kind. I applaud Mitsubishi for their marketing campaign with the catchy music and the good time atmosphere. Very effective marketing if you ask me. If SOA ever does read this thread (thanks to Lwin) I have one thiing to say to them...

GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR IMAGE!!!

paddlesnz · #14 03-11-2003, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vern!

Subaru created "Alcyone", (That is why we can get Alcyone SVX labeled stuff from Japan) but did not completeley seperate it from the Subaru nameplate the way that Honda, Nissan, and Toyota did.

Kind of hard to launch a luxury marque with only one model. Plus at the time thier marketing department sucked hairy camel balls.

Alcyone was not an upmarket brand name, it was just the model name used for the XT and then the SVX. The SVX was known as the Subaru Alcyone SVX. Most people here in Japan know it as just the Subaru Alcyone.

Subaru doesn't have an 'upmarket' image here so expensive Subaru's such as the Lancaster (Outback H6) and the Legacy GT (H6) are very poor sellers.

Interestingly Toyota is about to introduce the 'Lexus' brand to the JDM market within the next few months.

Landshark · #15 03-11-2003, 03:55 PM

i think the Gran Turismo video game did more for Subaru advertising than anything Subaru did.
get off your rump, Subaru, and spend a few bucks on GOOD advertising, will ya?