GM going ghetto...?
 

I saw this article and thought I'd try and get TFP input. Personally I don't think GM will have much success with this. The whole point of the bling-bling cars is that they're custom, right? So If they come blinged out off the line, what's the point?

Discuss...

DETROIT (Reuters) - Hip-hop's move into mainstream America is music to the ears of auto executives hoping to add "bling bling" to their brands and street credibility to their cars.

Hip-hop's many references to flashy cars -- the "bling bling" which has become an entry in the dictionary -- has made the chrome add-ons and the oversize wheels, or "dubs," on the vehicles in many rap videos the new must-have accessory.

In February, General Motors Corp. held its first "GM All-Car Showdown" charity event, where rapper Snoop Dogg, basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, and other athletes and Hollywood celebrities drove their customized Cadillacs or Hummers to compete for the crown of "King of Bling."

"They'll ultimately influence a thousand people by what they wear or what they drive," said Mike Jackson, GM's general manager of the western U.S. region. "This whole business is about style and about personality."

For consumers wanting a car like the stars, GM will offer 20-inch wheels on all of its SUVs within the next three months, hoping to grab a larger slice of the $3.3 billion market for custom wheels.

Ford Motor Co. promises to design its future vehicles with "urban" attitude influenced by hip-hop.

"Let's face it, the urban market likes chrome," Design Chief J Mays told Reuters. "Chrome is a traditionally American design element, and we're applying it pretty liberally to the front of our Fords."

In case anybody misses the connection, a Lincoln Navigator SUV decked with spinning wheel covers and video game consoles is dubbed "Mr. Hip Hop" in the movie "Johnson Family Vacation" which opened earlier this month.

MR. HIP-HOP

Ford hopes that the Fox Searchlight film, starring comedian Cedric the Entertainer as the father of an aspiring rapper, will boost the image of its Lincoln brand and the Navigator luxury SUV.

"Our intent is for people to watch it and say, 'You know what? That thing, it looks good,"' said Jon Fitzpatrick, general marketing manager of Lincoln Mercury.

You know what's funny? If their intent is for people to "'watch it and say, 'You know what? That thing, it looks good,"' they're gonna fail. Spinnaz and dubs are pointless, and in most circumstances look like ass.

This is what happens when the design team gets lost in the forest and has to start eating delivery guys. Ford and GM seem to go through this brainless, styless phase every now and again. Fads rarely last.

It'll never happen. I work for GM and there is not one thing that will ever come out other than prototypes. Seems like if you want good car designs and really audacious new vehicles, and futuristic mods, that you need to head over to chrysler.

I do hope that this will happen; im tired of seeing the same old bland stuff. Besides the $$$ will be far far too much for any average joe. Y'know how much a new Suburban is??? $45000 before taxes and dealer gouging!!!

Looking like ass will be better than looking like every other veh ever made and having no personality.
wtf-

So whats wrong with the Chevorlet Cobalt SS Supercharged?

http://home.cogeco.ca/~tylerdonlon/c...charged_01.jpg

http://home.cogeco.ca/~tylerdonlon/c...charged_02.jpg

^ Still looks like a cavy, but i'd drive it.

The supercharger is a 1:1 ratio making 20- hp. It looks like a Cavalier. Besides, we don't/won't even carry it, let alone any other dealers that don't/won't carry it. It is a special order car only atm.

Finally, everything GM adds a supercharger and SS badge to makes the price go over $30k. Period

My thoughts exactly.

Honda called, they want their '96 Civic headlights back.

It's bad when GM's cars are so bland they make Hondas and Toyotas look cool by comparison.

Thats exactly what I mean. GM is fianlly getting in the game, they're just 10 years too late.

You'd have to be an idiot to pay 30K for that pile of crap.

Say what you want, but those ppl exist. They exist in such huge numbers that they are the sole reason that these cars go up in price so much. Y'know, the SSR is $43000. Our dealer was selling them for $95000. We all know that it is totally absurd. There is no truck on the planet that Chevrolet can make that is worth $43k, let alone for $95k. They even turned down an offer for $63000. The problem is that someone did pay that price. People will continue to overpay and dealers will continue to gouge.

So, idiot, yes. Yes ppl are. But thats the way it is. If you don't like it, buy a Kia

Ya I saw a SSR at my local dealer going to $80000+....and it was an automatic, just sad!

We are supposed to be a volume dealer. Every single one of our cars are marked up at least $2k for no reason.

We have a Tahoe that is $10k over sticker. The only explanation on the Maroni is "Dealer Asking Cost"

We cant sell shit to anyone who knows what the fuck is going on!

Even our used cars...we buy most of our used stuff from auctions. We picked up a car for $1500, turned around and sold it for $11k! The salesmen refuse to negotiate too! They feel that the asking price is set in stone. Car salesmen are horrible, horrible ppl

wow remind me not to go to that dealership!

Thats just the icing on the cake, we are so much more fucked up than that

GM has always been the last to jump on the fad bandwagon and it shows with their dated styling cues.

I don't think that Cobalt looks like a Cav.

The back trunk might a little but the front end is totally new!:hmm:

Every dealer auction I go to I see all these people from dealerships buying TRUCKLOADS of these cars, and they are CHEAP at the auctions too. If it goes within 2k of Wholesale value, they walk away because they want to mark it up for 6k profit on a 3k car. I agree totally, your average car lot salesmen is a sleazy, horrible, horrible person. Its really fun to go onto dealer lots with my salesmens licence clipped on my shirt, and act like a jackass to the lot's salesmen untill they notice my licence card though.

Heh its not our salesman as much as it is our owner!

We sold a USED H2 for $69k, and a USED corvette for $60k

LOL but there is a sales place here called Ace Auto they sell used Vette's for about $50K so they are pretty bad at it to, but then they will sell a cav for like $9,000. LOL