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[Doth Togo]

There's (of course) a few hundred tiny little boutique manufacturers missing from that image though. my assumption is that they are all 100% independant. I'm talking about Saleen, Panoz, Koenigsegg, RUF (/bows), Riley, etc. I'm also noticing the eastern manufacturers like Tata, Volga, Zastava, Izhmash, etc are missing as well.

 

[xsarien]

Apparently I missed the memo that said VW bought Lamborghini. Yikes.

 

[DarienA]

Apparently I missed the memo that said VW bought Lamborghini. Yikes.

The Gallardo owes alot to that ownage silly boy, some of the tech used in the VW Phaeton is also shared tech from Lambo.

 

[xsarien]

God, the Phaeton. To which my only reaction is:

"If you're spending that much money on a car, why on God's green Earth are you buying a Volkswagen?"

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Apparently Acura is a boutique style manufactor NOT owned by Honda...

 

[Lord Error]

Renault owns Samsung? WTF?

 

[Doth Togo]

God, the Phaeton. To which my only reaction is:

"If you're spending that much money on a car, why on God's green Earth are you buying a Volkswagen?

Because they're beautiful and understated. The W12 is an awesome car with an interior that bests even the S-class Benz. If I had the money, I'd gladly purchase a Phaeton over an A8, 7 series or S-class. In my neighborhood, the 7 series and S-class are like McDonalds. Always one on every block. I want something beautiful with a classic, yet understated design. The W12 is pure sleeper ownage.

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2004/vol...unds.n.researchlanding.keyvdps..1.Volkswagen*

 

[xsarien]

Apparently Acura is a boutique style car NOT owned by Honda...

Yeah, Scion's also missing from the Toyota globule.

 

[Doth Togo]

Apparently Acura is a boutique style car NOT owned by Honda...

Acura doesn't actually exist. Even though Lexus started the same way, as a US marketing name, they've been expanded to a divison that sells cars almost worldwide (it will be worldwide when Lexus expands into... Japan!).

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Acura doesn't actually exist. Even though Lexus started the same way, as a US marketing name, they've been expanded to a divison that sells cars almost worldwide (it will be worldwide when Lexus expands into... Japan!).

Huh, never knew that.

Thats pretty freaking cool. Is Dailmer Chrysler actually bigger then Ford now? I know for a fact that GM is ridiculusly large, but I thought Ford was #2 still.

 

[xsarien]

Because they're beautiful and understated.

You see that. I see a slightly-larger Passat. If you're going to spend that much on a car, I'll gladly point you to the Lexus or Infiniti dealerships, or maybe even the Porsche showroom. The 911's always a nice little standby.

 

[Doth Togo]

You see that. I see a slightly-larger Passat. If you're going to spend that much on a car, I'll gladly point you to the Lexus or Infiniti dealerships, or maybe even the Porsche showroom. The 911's always a nice little standby.

I hear you. I wish my Passat GLX 4motion had a W12 engine and an interior for the gods. It's true, the exterior style is similar. I like that it is. No need to fart up a good idea.

Check out this awesome video on the W12 from Top Gear (my fav):

http://home.comcast.net/~nessal/TopGear-VW_Phaeton.WMV

 

[xsarien]

I hear you. I wish my Passat GLX 4motion had a W12 engine and an interior for the gods. It's true, the exterior style is similar. I like that it is. No need to fart up a good idea.

Except that nearly all of VW's cars look alike in some respect (with the obvious exception of the Beetle.) Not that exterior styling should be the dealbreaker, but it's something to consider, obviously. It's why out of all of the sports cars out there, the one I like the most is the RX-8. The thing stands out like a fucking sore thumb.

In a good way.

 

[CurlySaysX]

Dont Toyota also own something like 10% of Yamaha??

 

[DaCocoBrova]

Acura...

I know it's a Honda subsidiary, but why don't I see it?

 

[DarienA]

Anyone knocking a Phaeton has not spent any amount of time in one. End of story. In terms of luxury offerings the Phaeton probably is closest in family resemblance to the "regular" family line than any of the other luxury cars out there...that are in the same family name designation as the "regular" vehicles in the line.

Interestingly enough I read an article recently that says the Phaeton's design looks were actually a mistake... so we should probably expect the new one to make a definitive move away from the looks of the 'regular' line of vehicles.

 

[SteveMeister]

Acura...

I know it's a Honda subsidiary, but why don't I see it?

Because it's not really a separate car company. Acuras are called Hondas everywhere but the United States.

 

[Blackace]

Acura...

I know it's a Honda subsidiary, but why don't I see it?

Reading is good... Acura is a name brand of Honda... Lexus started that way but became a division of Toyota......

 

[xsarien]

Anyone knocking a Phaeton has not spent any amount of time in one. End of story.

You're right, I haven't, because I have zero interest in them. For that much money, I'd probably look elsewhere.

 

[DarienA]

You're right, I haven't, because I have zero interest in them. For that much money, I'd probably look elsewhere.

Porsche/Volkswagen.... that's all I'm gonna say.

The Touraeg is in many ways as good a high performance SUV as the Cayenne, in some ways superior(though the Porsche has it in other ways).

Simply put you can't just look at a cars brand name and write off the car.... I'd think the new vehicles coming from Suzuki and some of the Korean company's would have shown us that.

But if you're one of those folks whose head is up the ass of a car line based on it's name/heritage... than yeah... move along.

 

[xsarien]

But if you're one of those folks whose head is up the ass of a car line based on it's name/heritage... than yeah... move along.

No, I have my "head up my ass" about Volkswagen because I've been regaled with stories about how they fall apart if you so much as look at them funny.

(On average, anyway. Consider me a Japanophile as far as cars are concerned.)

 

[Funky Papa]

Because they're beautiful and understated. The W12 is an awesome car with an interior that bests even the S-class Benz.

Try to drive both and see the difference by yourself. I am not even talking about overall quality and extras (Mercedes totally blows VW here)

The Phaeton has been a big flop in Europe and it's causing a lot of trouble to the company. Nobody with money is going to buy a lacking luxury car from a company called "car of the people" (no auto lights?, no air pressure control? standard ignition? even the Renault Laguna has all of that and it costs less than a third part) it is more like a pompous Opel Omega: entry luxury with some high end features and powerful engines, but not true luxury. Of course the definition of "luxury car" vary greatly from Europe to the States.

 

[golem]

Try to drive both and see the difference by yourself. I am not even talking about overall quality and extras (Mercedes totally blows VW here)

psh.. benz build quality has been on a downward slide for the last few years. all of my friends' benzos are rattle boxes and many have had a number of mechanical problems. im not saying that the vw's attempt to move upmarket isnt bewildering or probably self defeating, but the phaeton is a nice car for the price if you can get over the badge on the front grill

 

[xsarien]

but the phaeton is a nice car for the price if you can get over the badge on the front grill

I think his point - and I agree with it - is that for the Phaeton's price, you can probably get a whole lot more car if you go to another brand.

 

[SteveMeister]

The Phaeton is a very nice car, regardless of the badge on the front.

That said, it's overpriced by $20k at least.

 

[retardboy]

Renault owns Samsung? WTF?

Just their motor company. They have a joint venture.

 

[Funky Papa]

I think his point - and I agree with it - is that for the Phaeton's price, you can probably get a whole lot more car if you go to another brand.

Exactly. Plus most people desiring to spend such money on a car also want something to brag about, not a souped up Passat. I don't know what to say about build quality though, sometimes the cars you get are quite different from ours.

I like VW, but they are doing a lot of stupid moves, like becoming the "cheap Audi" and going after a whole different consumer. Another brand that I like and that it is doing some weird things is Opel. The new Astra is wonderful and boosts as many if not more gizmos and tech as some A3 models for a reasonable price, but at the same time they are trying to convert themselves in "different" manufacturer with many niche models, and that may cost them a lot (looks like they are going to push their own Phaeton with the Isignia)