![]() 02/28/2016 at 16:46 • Filed to: Brands | ![]() | ![]() |
This is me just making up US mergers I’d like to see happen. Not predicting anything, just having some fun getting out a brain worm.
GM: [Cadillac-GMC-Buick-Chevrolet]
Would love to see GMC become a Ram/Jeep style competitor completely. So offroad prowess being at the forefront so that the relationship between Denali-GMC is equal to Range Rover-Land Rover. I still think a GMC Hummer would be perfect for the brand. A Wrangler Unlimited type of deal but slightly more civil on the road.
Ford: [*Shelby*-Lincoln-Ford]
Ford should have a dedicated, Porsche style performance brand. They do upscale performance so well but they never want to commit multiple generations to it. Maybe they could absorb the Shelby brand completely and make it an F-type/AMG GT style of sportscar maker and actually hit Corvette sales.
FCA: [Ferrari-Maserati-Alfa Romeo-Jeep-Chrysler-Ram-Dodge-Fiat]
This is just too many brands. Ferrari is its own thing. Maybe Maserati can focus on hitting between Jaguar and Aston rather than moving down further. Alfa can aim between Porsche and BMW/Cadillac. Jeep/Ram/Dodge/Fiat are fine, but Chrysler needs to be a brand focused on efficiency rather than this grey area between Chevy and Buick. Make the Chrysler brand focused on taking on the East Asian brands specifically.
VW: [Lamborghini-Bentley-Porsche-Audi-VW]
This is fine for the US.
BMW: [Rolls Royce-Mazda-MINI]
I just think Mazda would be left alone to do their thing and it wouldn’t interfere with the Toyota partnership since BMW has one as well.
Daimler: [Pagani-Aston Martin-Mercedes-smart]
This one is because I like trios. We’d get the German Audi-BMW-Mercedes rivalry, British Aston-Bentley-Rolls rivalry, and an Italian Ferrari-Lamborghini-Pagani rivalry. That’s pretty wicked to me.
Toyota: [Lotus-Lexus-Toyota]
Toyota needs a sport-centered arm since most of their engineers seem to be hardcore traditional drivers that love being given free range. However, Toyota and Lexus brands can’t go as hardcore as the people behind the models can move. If you’re keeping track, that puts (Corvette)-Shelby-Porsche-Alfa Romeo-Lotus all into the same general field for 50% to 100% of their models.
Honda: [Acura-Honda]
I got nothing...
Nissan: [Infiniti-Nissan]
I would like the Alpine to be offered, but I don’t know if we’d need another brand. I guess this is fine too as is.
Hyundai-Kia: [Genesis-Hyundai-Kia]
I don’t know how this works, but it seems to work.
Geely: [Volvo-Subaru]
You may feel completely differently, but I think Volvo and Subaru have similar ways of working and that Geely would give both the independence and resources to keep being themselves. Who’s next in safety and sensible performance after Volvo. To me, Subie all day long and even on the weekends.
Tata: [Jaguar-Land Rover]
Seems to be working!
I think I want Tesla to stay alone and be a tech giant that makes mobile devices that are actually mobile.
I’m sorry Mitsubishi, I have no idea where I’d want you. You’re like the straight block in Tetris, you can go where you want to, but you need to go somewhere!
![]() 02/28/2016 at 16:53 |
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I did not know BMW owns Mazda, I thought Mazda was independent.
![]() 02/28/2016 at 16:58 |
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They don’t, this is like fantasy football but with car makers.
![]() 02/28/2016 at 17:00 |
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Ford doesn’t need Shelby as an in-house brand. They have SVT for that.
![]() 02/28/2016 at 17:08 |
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SVT is Ford’s performance arm. I’m picturing Shelby as a standalone brand for performance cars that aren’t Ford models. Rather than being SRT to Dodge, it would be Porsche to VW. So the Ford-SVT Mustang GT350 would be the Ford and some lightweight performance car with a base price near $40k would be the Shelby. Perhaps a model named the Shelby Cobra to go directly against the Corvette and Viper.
![]() 02/28/2016 at 17:55 |
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Given Toyota’s stodgy corporate nature, they would destroy the essence that is Lotus!
![]() 02/28/2016 at 18:17 |
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Actually...didn’t SVT and TeamRS merge together to form Ford Performance?
![]() 02/28/2016 at 18:20 |
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True, although it’s not like much has changed. They’re just using a global name now.
![]() 02/28/2016 at 18:40 |
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Please no. Volvo Saab needs to happen. Make Volvo the RWD Mercedes competitor and Saab a funky FWD BMW competitor.
![]() 02/28/2016 at 19:05 |
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I’d put Mazda with Volvo and Subaru.
![]() 02/28/2016 at 20:14 |
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The most obvious one for me is reviving the Ford/Mazda relationship. Mazda has great designs and driving dynamics, but no resources to develop a modern engine so this Skyactiv crap is going to kill them. Dropping Ecoboosts in the entire lineup would make them class leaders.
1.6T Mazda 3, 2.0T 3S, 2.3T Mazdaspeed 3 with AWD
2.0T Mazda 6, 2.3T AWD 6S, 2.7TT Mazdaspeed 6
2.3T & 2.7TT in the SUVs
1.6T base Miata, 2.0T Miata S, 2.3T Mazdaspeed Miata
![]() 02/28/2016 at 22:47 |
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Ford should have a dedicated, Porsche style performance brand. They do upscale performance so well but they never want to commit multiple generations to it. Maybe they could absorb the Shelby brand completely and make it an F-type/AMG GT style of sportscar maker and actually hit Corvette sales.
And they’d call it the Cobra.
![]() 02/29/2016 at 03:12 |
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no love for Mitsubishi?
:(
![]() 03/01/2016 at 07:51 |
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Mitsubishi could go to FCA apparently as they already sold the mirage sedan as a dodge and now they announced the L200 pick up as the Fiat Fullback:
http://www.netcarshow.com/fiat/2016-full…