I'm listening to Obama's speech on the new CAFE standards that raise the car manufacturer's average economy for their fleet to 35 MPG. How in the heck is a car like Viper going to survive under the ownership of any manufacturer that doesn't have a whole slew of high-efficiency vehicles in its lineup? I'm hoping there is some fine-print that makes this only apply to the big manufacturers and not the 'boutique' manufacturers who only make a thousand or so cars a year. Anyone know what's up with that?
I'm glad I've got my 2008 Viper and my Jeeps becuase vehicles like them will will be few and far between in the forseeable future. Jeeps are aero-dynamicly bricks on wheels and will not ever get that MPG, even the Mini-Moke couldn't do that.
What I'm more concerned about is the social-psycho aspects of what's being handed down to us by DC and thaat's not Daimler-Chrysler but maybe what we have is Daimler Columbia now.. SUV's have been demonized for some years now--Hummers being torched by radical environmentalists on dealer lots--that's good for the ozone layer now isn't it?
We have an auto industry on it's death bed, so what does DC do to help and I don't mean Daimler Chrysler but maybe we have Daimler Columbia now--it burdens it even more with a new set of unobtainable CAFE standards--accept by FIAT 500's. In the name of diversity, we will have one world and one car--that being the golf-cart, with variations, to suit individual tastes. Where will Madonna and Angelina Jolie stick their broods when they go shopping at the Malibu Mall?
The groundwork is being layed for class war-fare between the have's and have nots. I'm glad I got mine, now I hope I can on to it. It's a shame others will more than like;y not have a choice to buy an affordable American supercar.
(end of rant)