Do college kids even care about cars?

[G.Irish]

It almost makes more sense, when you think of it, that they should do the opposite and instead start offering some "individualistic" models - we've seen some of this with Scion customization and the Korean brands, but still.

Absolutely. I think to draw people in, cars have to speak more to the emotional component of a purchase decision. If it's a purely rational decision, many people will decide to just stick with a used car, buy a cheap econobox, or not have a car at all. Gotta make the car purchase speak to the heart (which is what I guess luxury brands do).

[WRXtranceformed]

It almost makes more sense, when you think of it, that they should do the opposite and instead start offering some "individualistic" models - we've seen some of this with Scion customization and the Korean brands, but still.

Absolutely. I think to draw people in, cars have to speak more to the emotional component of a purchase decision. If it's a purely rational decision, many people will decide to just stick with a used car, buy a cheap econobox, or not have a car at all. Gotta make the car purchase speak to the heart (which is what I guess luxury brands do).

So like cars with skinny-jean upholstered seats

[G.Irish]

Rhinestones man, rhinestones.

[BLINGMW]

So like cars with skinny-jean upholstered seats

:lol:

...little steel boxes propelled along asphalt by exploding chemicals.

Sounds dangerous! :o

[Goodspeed]

Now this is some shit. I have a subscription to Automobile, and just got the June '13 issue in the mail. Right there inside the cover, in a two page spread, is the first print advertisement I've seen for the C7, at least in this mag:



Notice how we hardly see the car - instead, we're supposed to be focusing on the I.C.E. of a new Corvette. The text has some choice bits such as heralding Chevy's place in the "cutting edge world of lifestyle connectivity" and that the "ability to stay engaged and entertained is hypercritical to many customers".



We're selling cars, even legendary sports cars, as phones and electronic media entertainment devices first, transportation second. Even fun, thrilling, smoky-burnout transportation, second.

Here are just some of the ads I remember growing up:







I weep for you, the youth weened on tech-obsession and constant entertainment :?

[WRXtranceformed]

Yeah I mean it doesn't really surprise me. I really don't think Wall-E was too far off from the truth:

[Goodspeed]

I know I'm sidetracking the discussion a bit from how much kids suck these days, but excellent quote from another forum I read that is having this same discussion:

I hate that cars are designed more and more for people who CAN'T drive than those who can. 1/2 the stuff is basically a cell phone with wheels that happens to drive down the road. The thing can translate your email into Hebrew, but god forbid you wanted to pick your own gear.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Those screens are just a big distraction and super dangerous anyways. I drove my cousins 2012 Explorer and it took me like 15 mins just to get on some music i like, while swerving all over the place in this big ass SUV. Those things are more multi-tasking than just sending a text, especially when the touch screen is shitty quality and you have go back to main screen over and over and over again -_-' Don't get me started on the 2 screens you have in your gauge cluster either. It looks sweet but big distraction. The steering wheel is like an xbox controller.

I just want to be able to hookup my ipod/pandora/spotify and calls. Nothing more.

[Jake]

Meh. Everyone bitches about MyFord Touch but I've lived with it for four months and 7,200 miles and really don't mind it at all.

There are a few aspects of it that are kinda silly/unnecessary but I get in the car every day, open Spotify and pick a song, and plug right in. It integrates music and phone very well for a factory system. Go compare with my mom's Subaru (which has shit for ICE given its an 8" touchscreen) and you'll like Ford's system a lot more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beej]

I see both sides of the argument, but lean towards this sounding like the cranky "kids these days" frothing that every generation goes through. Sure the Internet and fancy phones are game changers, but its not like car guys made up that significant of a portion of the population before. To a certain extent, it enables enthusiasts of all kinds in terms of information access, extended community, etc more than ever before. I hold out hope that people/society don't change that much even when technology does, and that they still choose their hobbies over reddit. Similar argument as kids and Nintendo from two decades ago, and that is us.

As for the print ad, lets not get too anecdotal (besides, it's not like the Vette never got flak for having a shitty/featureless interior :roll: ). Didn't Chevy have a spot of a ZR-1 oversteering around a track? That badass Ford GT Super Bowl commercial from a few years ago? Hell, even that Scion FRS commercial recently reached out to enthusiasts.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I see both sides of the argument, but lean towards this sounding like the cranky "kids these days" frothing that every generation goes through. Sure the Internet and fancy phones are game changers, but its not like car guys made up that significant of a portion of the population before. To a certain extent, it enables enthusiasts of all kinds in terms of information access, extended community, etc more than ever before. I hold out hope that people/society don't change that much even when technology does, and that they still choose their hobbies over reddit. Similar argument as kids and Nintendo from two decades ago, and that is us.

As for the print ad, lets not get too anecdotal (besides, it's not like the Vette never got flak for having a shitty/featureless interior :roll: ). Didn't Chevy have a spot of a ZR-1 oversteering around a track? That badass Ford GT Super Bowl commercial from a few years ago? Hell, even that Scion FRS commercial recently reached out to enthusiasts.

And Chevy had an AWESOME ad for the 427 Corvette convertible at VIR....

And then also their very famous commercial for "building rocketships" which has the C6 ZR1 smokey on exit of turn and a beautiful exhaust note as the commercial ends. If I was shopping for a new car, and wasn't already way too down the rabbithole of racing; that commercial would have hit me right on and I would be in a Chevy dealership. Dangit, just watched them again...so much want.

Building rocketships
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VIR corvette...
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts4hvS2zEls">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts4hvS2zEls</a><!-- m -->

[BLINGMW]

heh, how about this one?

So we're in agreement that most touch screen controls suck in cars, but I have to say, I'd like to try this one. Done right, at least with that rediculous amount of real estate, the buttons could be big and clear enough to be used without hitting a tree. I about get myself killed in most rental cars I get. ...Cannot even figure out how to turn on radio... aaaaahhhHHHHHH!!!!!

The corvette ad is kind of funny, but I guess I cannot blame them for trying to increase their market share. I think everyone knows the corvette brand for pavement chewing awesomeness, but if the added tech doesn't take away from that and gets them a few more customers, then I get that.

That's awesome:

[Evan]

In car connectivity and integration is fantastic. Its also safer.
I read all the time on these forums from people that they dont need nav units because they have a smartphone, yet I hear complaints against in car connectivity here too.

And its not mutually exclusive with driving enjoyment either.

[HAULN-SS]

Damn I forgot about that building rocketships commercials, but I do remember it making it move, just like it did when I rewatched it just now

[ScottyB]

still remember those black and red firebird ads...they spoke power, pure and simple.