Ok, I think I get it. Platforms are shared within a car company's own branched to modify a certain model so that it appeals to more tastes. Differences vary between performance, luxury, and prestige (Grand Vic/Town Car). VW is good at it. GM's been losing their touch. If it is done correctly, the cars should be significantly different when examined in detail.

 

I had three different Camaros.. 83, 85 & 89. I ended up up a 92 Firebird after those and i did like the styling much better. I still think the 3rd generation Firebird is still attractive after all these years. However the 4th generation Camaro and Firebird are not as attractive to me, i suppose because they are too rounded and look dated to me.

 

If the Mustang never existed, I'd want a 2002 Trans.

 

Then every other word out of your mouth would be ls1, lots of heavy breathing.

 

Platform sharing became brand engineering which became bad business which helped kill the domestic auto industry.

Good example of Ford's platform sharing:

First Generation Mustang & Cougar

Bad example of brand engineering:

Ford Contour/Mercury Topaz

And nothing with a Lincoln badge should ever have looked like a Ford. That, poor quality, lacklustre design and conservative engineering killed on of automobile history's greatest car brands.

Of course now, showing they still don't understand real branding, the domestics copy the only stupid element of German cars and force fit a corporate grill across their cars. Argh.

 

I was reading this and surprised no one mentioned one of the most obvious and poorly done rebadgings.

The Dodge Neon/Plymouth Neon. They were too lazy to even change the name...

 

you forgot dodge/plymouth/chrysler neon

 

Yeah I forgot about the Chrysler variant too

What an awful little car.

 

 

Yeah...the Cougar...

There were even Boss Cougars.

 

If you take good care of them, they can last for a very long time.

My buddy is one of those people who keeps cars until they're ready for a junkyard. He had Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz with 200,000+ miles each before he sold them.
After that he bought a brand new '98 Plymouth Neon ... Still has it with over 170,000 miles on the odometer.

 

Since the crisis a few years back, most of this is over now. The Big 3 have dropped most of their extra lines.

 

who would of guess Zoran would know someone that was cheap?

 

Funny ...

 

why you no laugh?

 

I'd love to have an Eliminator

 

Better?

 

yes

you know I love you like a fat kid loves cake

 

Um ... thank you?

 

u welcome