sleeperlove said:
Simply gorgeous.
I think many will be singing a different tune when this thing costs nearly 30k which wouldn't surprise me all that much.
I believe a VW Rabbit R32 in the USA is/was/could be $33,000 MRSP?
(I think that's imported from Canada possibly).
The Focus RS shown here is going to be $37,000 in the UK, although this would probably translate back down to the price of an R32, around $31,000?
As you all know, Euro cars are built to a different standard than American cars, so they cost more because they serve a different purpose. (I don't mean that to claim to be superior, just stating the obvious).
I agree with your worries that people won't want to pay 'big' money for this car, as small cars in a massive country in the USA doesn't really work too well.
We laugh over here about 'cup holders', but really cup holders are very useful when it's 120 degrees outside and you have a 8 hr drive ahead. Over in Europe you can get through a whole country in that time. So where does that leave the Focus RS. As a track-tool to race an Evo-8?
A hot Focus is probably viewed by most of the public in the USA as being over priced, because one can get something 'bigger' or 'as fast' (in a straight line), like a Dodge SRT-4 or the (addmitedly very cool) Mustang.
I'm not knocking that belief, if I was over there, I'd drive a big car too.
You guys invented the concept of fast food. Volume, Value, gets the job done....sort of thing. (That was and still is hugely successful and a massive marketing stroke of genius exported around the world).
Your cars are simply too good 'value' to compete with 'expensive' Euro stuff though. Yet American cars aren't really exported over here that much due to our rip off gas prices and tiny roads. So we don't know about you, and you don't know about us!
You guys invented the phenomena of an S.U.V being a status symbol and getting Women behind them to feel 'safe'. (Another clever move). We then copied you 15 years later and the Range Rover (previously upper class twits car) and the Land Rover (Farmers hack), ends up being driven by soccer stars and celebrities and the price whizzes into oblivion.
Doesn't leave much hope for the poor old RS does it?! Look what happened to the Audi S3. I doubt it's even sold over there, and if it is - I'm sure it's not flying out the showroom.
Sad though, as the S3 is the pride of rich Germans, and a Ford, well a Ford is meant to be for everyone, so the RS is cheaper than the S3 - but I doubt that will help sell it over there.
I think America is know for 'value' and competition. Cars, clothes, food, TV - anything. I doubt Euro cars can compete on value and so they bomb when they come over to your shores.
The 2008 Saturn Astra being a prime example of that. Who decided to put a de-tuned 1.8 Automatic into a body, that previously hosted a 2.0 Litre 240Bhp turbo loony engine? It was all done to save on cost - to compete with US cars - and thus it failed. Did the 'Redline' (e.g. Opel Astra OPC/Vauxhall VXR) model ever appear? I doubt it. Again, too expensive, GM couldn't be bothered either. How about the diesel? Nope. You got like 2 engines or something crazy. That'll attract buyers....NOT!
GM basically tried to 'Americanise' the Euro Astra for the American market - totally cancelling out the whole point of importing it!!!! Ohh look, you don't need the rear discs, or the engine, or the panoramic glass roof, etc etc. No wonder people go and buy a Honda Civic VTEC.
Sure BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Saab, Volvo do sell there, but not to the same levels as a Ford Escape....which just about sums up the situation really.
Conversely, the Ford Focus is one of the best selling cars over in the UK, and even in Poland! (Financially, your Mexico). Ford don't want you to have a small car with the specification of a Lincoln, as then you won't buy a Lincoln! Now that's an important point, as cars as big as Ford Lincoln doesn't exist in Europe, or any other brand. Used to, but not now. Mid level companies like Ford, GM gave up making big cars years ago. Ford in Europe maxes out with the Mondeo. Hence you aren't 'allowed' to have a real Focus.
It's a shame all the fans of Focaljet aren't related to a chief Ford sales person.
I think we all get excited, and forget we are - after all....'fans' of Ford and not the average Joe in the street.
