Why does the US hate cars
05-13-2010, 09:42 AM
#1
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Why does the US hate cars
I really wish that they will bring the GTI-R here to the US. I fell in love with the GTI, but now knowing that across the shores they offer this car, I want it! No I need it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35-ezpjWmzY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35-ezpjWmzY
05-13-2010, 10:11 AM
#3
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Seriously, as long as I'm wishing I also want that S3 to hit our shores.
05-13-2010, 10:40 AM
#5
My first Avatar....
Why does the US hate cars?
Because the citizens like them.
05-13-2010, 10:46 AM
#6
Oderint dum metuant.
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They don't bring cars like that here because too few people would pay what they would ask for them. That doesn't mean people here hate cars, it simply means people here feel there are better uses of their money.
05-13-2010, 10:50 AM
#7
In the Mid-South meow
iTrader: (2)
^ What? Seriously?
It usually has more to do with emissions and saftey equipment standards than anything else.
It usually has more to do with emissions and saftey equipment standards than anything else.
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05-13-2010, 10:50 AM
#8
Banned
You're asking the wrong questions.
Why does the US government require arbitrary safety and emissions guidelines different than Europe and Japan?
And then,
Why does the US manufacturers (and others) make cars to these different standards without the ability to modify them for use in this market?
Why does the US government require arbitrary safety and emissions guidelines different than Europe and Japan?
And then,
Why does the US manufacturers (and others) make cars to these different standards without the ability to modify them for use in this market?
05-13-2010, 10:53 AM
#9
The sizzle in the Steak
GTI -R 
love it, but give me a
Scirocco - R I want this car sooooo bad!!!!!
love it, but give me a
Scirocco - R I want this car sooooo bad!!!!!
we at least had the option!
05-13-2010, 11:03 AM
#11
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
You're asking the wrong questions.
Why does the US government require arbitrary safety and emissions guidelines different than Europe and Japan?
And then,
Why does the US manufacturers (and others) make cars to these different standards without the ability to modify them for use in this market?
Why does the US government require arbitrary safety and emissions guidelines different than Europe and Japan?
And then,
Why does the US manufacturers (and others) make cars to these different standards without the ability to modify them for use in this market?
05-13-2010, 11:50 AM
#12
I drive a Subata.
iTrader: (1)
GTI-R
05-13-2010, 12:11 PM
#15
Oderint dum metuant.
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05-13-2010, 01:18 PM
#17
The sizzle in the Steak
05-13-2010, 01:32 PM
#18
In the Mid-South meow
iTrader: (2)
That's part of what causes the cost to be more than most people here would be willing to pay. Cars like we're discussing here cost more than the variants that are already in the states out of the gate. Adding emission and safety equipment only raises that cost. Figured most people would get the underlying logic of my point without a walkthrough .
.Your unerlying logic isn't so clear, so I cleared it up for you. Mmmmm kay?
05-13-2010, 01:38 PM
#19
Just saying the cars would more expensive isn't a complete answer. The full explaination why they'd be more expensive here is because they don't meet the US's emissions and safety requirements, thus the extra cost of testing, developement, materials and design would be detrimental to the cost/benefit of importing them to the US.
Your unerlying logic isn't so clear, so I cleared it up for you. Mmmmm kay?
Your unerlying logic isn't so clear, so I cleared it up for you. Mmmmm kay?
I found his answer a little to vague as well. Why would there be extra cost? Because it wouldn't meet US standards, thus being more expensive.
05-13-2010, 02:28 PM
#21
Senior Moderator
05-13-2010, 02:37 PM
#22
Senior Moderator
Cars like this almost make me wish I lived Europe again.
05-13-2010, 03:09 PM
#23
Oderint dum metuant.
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Just saying the cars would more expensive isn't a complete answer. The full explaination why they'd be more expensive here is because they don't meet the US's emissions and safety requirements, thus the extra cost of testing, developement, materials and design would be detrimental to the cost/benefit of importing them to the US.
Your unerlying logic isn't so clear, so I cleared it up for you. Mmmmm kay?
Your unerlying logic isn't so clear, so I cleared it up for you. Mmmmm kay?
05-13-2010, 03:25 PM
#24
In the Mid-South meow
iTrader: (2)
Considering the generally high level of automotive knowledge of the people in Car Talk, I would say it was a complete answer. This is the kind of thing most people here know; no need to go into details. If someone didn't know, they should ask. Everyone here seems very helpful, so I'm sure someone, myself included, wouldn't have minded providing the details had the question been asked.
05-13-2010, 03:35 PM
#25
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
This was more of a rhetorical question. I was really just showing the car I want vw to bring to the states
05-13-2010, 04:17 PM
#26
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The one thing I noticed when I lived in Europe was that most cars over there have the bottom-end most efficient engine. It was very, very few and far between that you would see a car that had an engine that would be comparable to what we get over here. Hell, almost all of the Mercedes S-Class' I saw in Germany were S320 models, I saw one S600 over there, but for the most part the extent of the big engined cars were BMW 335's, the occasional M3 or RS6, and I managed to spot more Porsche's than just about anything when it came to the 250+hp range. I saw one Ferrari and one Lamborghini the entire time I was in Germany, not surprising though when gas is ~$8 a gallon.
So, that said, I don't understand why they get so many different performance oriented cars when for the most part people don't buy them.
So, that said, I don't understand why they get so many different performance oriented cars when for the most part people don't buy them.
05-13-2010, 04:30 PM
#27
Turd Polisher
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The cost of making the car meet US DOT standards is the prohibiting factor. 
05-13-2010, 07:11 PM
#30
Punk Rocker
05-13-2010, 07:31 PM
#31
_____ like a rabbit
05-13-2010, 09:04 PM
#32
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Agreed, its a $$$$ issue for manufacturers for the reasons stated above.
Oh and if you live in Europe its also a $$$$ issue since their cars cost a lot more vs. income.
Oh and if you live in Europe its also a $$$$ issue since their cars cost a lot more vs. income.
05-13-2010, 09:16 PM
#34
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Truth be told, emissions and safety are only true of exclusive models. Something like the S3 or Golf R are basically the same thing as the versions we get here, just a rare version. Something like the Focus RS is on a car that's quite different from any US-sold version so that's where it comes in.
And the emissions of said VW and Audi probably don't hold true either. They have the same engine in the sold-in-the-US Audi TTS.
Mostly it's greed. If they're only sell a few thousand most manufacturers don't want to go through any extra trouble. Low volume is fine in Europe, Down Under, and in Japan but for whatever reason they don't want to do much low volume in America.
P.S. The A3 has sold poorly in the US so an even more expensive S version just wouldn't make sense.
P.S.S. The Golf R is coming in 2011 as a 2012 I believe....?
And the emissions of said VW and Audi probably don't hold true either. They have the same engine in the sold-in-the-US Audi TTS.
Mostly it's greed. If they're only sell a few thousand most manufacturers don't want to go through any extra trouble. Low volume is fine in Europe, Down Under, and in Japan but for whatever reason they don't want to do much low volume in America.
P.S. The A3 has sold poorly in the US so an even more expensive S version just wouldn't make sense.
P.S.S. The Golf R is coming in 2011 as a 2012 I believe....?
05-14-2010, 09:16 AM
#35
Burning Brakes
Some of the problem is the availability of higher octane gas. While not exactly, regular gas in Europe is close to what we would call premium and their premium is higher. Pretty much all of these special edition cars are designed to take advantage of the higher octane fuel in Europe (or Japan). Don't forget, they have to make them run on CA fuel to be realistically marketed here.
That is one reason we never got the 2.0L JDM twin scroll STi. It won't run on 91 octane and make anywhere near the power it can on the higher octane fuel available in Japan.
This is not the end all reason, but it is another contributor to making these cars more expensive here--they would have to be retuned to run on our garbage gas.
That is one reason we never got the 2.0L JDM twin scroll STi. It won't run on 91 octane and make anywhere near the power it can on the higher octane fuel available in Japan.
This is not the end all reason, but it is another contributor to making these cars more expensive here--they would have to be retuned to run on our garbage gas.
05-14-2010, 10:55 AM
#36
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what the hell are you talking about?
http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-v...tml#more-21681
Look for the GTI-R to hit U.S. VW dealerships sometime next year with a slight premium over the standard GTI model.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-v...tml#more-21681
05-14-2010, 11:09 AM
#38
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05-14-2010, 11:26 AM
#39
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05-14-2010, 11:34 AM
#40
Suzuka Master
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edit: At least this is what I'm getting at over at the VW forums. People are emailing VWoA asking them if it is cofirmed and that they are interested, and the response in the emails is that it is still not guaranteed that it is coming. So I don't trust that article. I may be wrong though, who knows
Last edited by speedemon90; 05-14-2010 at 11:37 AM.