quick and dirty rant about exclusivity

Kinja'd!!! "Wonk Unit" (WonkUnit)
09/19/2013 at 10:53 • Filed to: Alfa

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i'll make this quick.

i hate exclusivity, it is killing cars for enthusiasts. I'm not going to pretend to know about the car industry, or economics. What i do know is I'm not rich, I will never be rich, and I have come to accept this fact. instead of setting my sights on Mclaren F1s and Ferrari F40s, i've learned to make my dream cars more attainable. Cars like a Corvette Z06, or a 911, something a normal person can hope to afford one day.

So it really grinds my gears when a car I thought i might have the joy of owning one day gets ripped from my grasp by some big time executive. Production numbers for the Alfa 4c reveal it is to be a limited edition exclusive model for rich collectors. If you can't cough up the 70k to buy one now, you will never be able to have one. Good for you.

Just like the BMW 1M, this Alfa will only get more expensive. Now maybe Alfa has a valid reason for the low production numbers (i doubt it, douche bags), but to me it sounds like they're just catering to the wannabe rich crowd who like exclusive things just because they're exclusive.

The type of person that has 1 of X number ever produced in this color with the elephant penis skin seats and moon dust flakes in the paint is generally not the type of person i like to associate with.


DISCUSSION (6)


Kinja'd!!! magman007 > Wonk Unit
09/19/2013 at 11:01

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it depends, it could be a big bag of crap and up to its old alfa ways and fall apart after a year of ownership. Then you could own one.

I agree though, it sucks. I wish they would mass produce it, and let everyone get a chance.


Kinja'd!!! DasWauto > Wonk Unit
09/19/2013 at 11:05

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"maybe Alfa has a valid reason for the low production numbers..."

Well, yes, they probably do and it's likely the manufacturer's maximum production for the carbon monocoque. Carbon structures are not as easy to mass manufacture as stamped, welded together steel structures. Layup of the fabric of usually done by hand and that is followed by a time/space consuming stint in the curing oven.

To even get to 3500 per year is an achievement. It has to be a novel new design/process, or a very large workforce to get that much production. I'd like to know more about that actually, I think it'd be interesting.


Kinja'd!!! Meatcoma > Wonk Unit
09/19/2013 at 11:09

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Make a brand new car. Sell it. Recall 3500 or 100,000 hmm tough choice.


Kinja'd!!! For Sweden > DasWauto
09/19/2013 at 11:12

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Also, saying "we're limiting deliveries to our 3500 most interested customers." Sounds a lot better than "We could make more in a model year, but we're too busy eating canoli."


Kinja'd!!! Chairman Kaga > Wonk Unit
09/19/2013 at 12:26

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There is a reason. Alfa is on death's door and they need to make a car that lights up some excitement and fervor for the brand. The 8C went too far into the realm of unobtainability, but the 4C might hit the sweet spot. Unfortunately it seems the car is getting mixed reviews at best, so the plan might have backfired. Still, in the months leading up to the car's release, everyone and their brother was salivating over a new true blue Alfa sports car. So who knows. Maybe that's mission accomplished.

The Phase 2 of this plan is the new Spyder, which allegedly would share the same platform with the new Miata.

Then they could make a new GTV6. A V6 powered, RWD, semi-luxury GT car to compete with the BMW 4 Series and Audi TT. That SHOULD have been the Brera, which I still think is the best looking car of the past decade. Too bad about the performance though.


Kinja'd!!! Makoyouidiot > Chairman Kaga
09/19/2013 at 13:43

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I would murder someone to legally dd a Brera, performance be damned.