# General car talk **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611 "2022-08-30T15:18:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2022, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/121 "2022-10-11T14:28:14Z")
At tone time the “trunk” was a real trunk, strapped to the back of the car. For a while it became the “luggage compartment”. Seeing as many fine British cars referred to the “hood” as the “bonnet” - the new storage compartment might well have become the BRUNK. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/122 "2022-10-11T14:54:03Z")
Or the “froot” (front boot) (trivia: in the Puerto Rico version of Spanish, we do call the usual luggage compartment “el baúl” (the trunk) but we call the front compartment cover “el bonete” (a literal transposition for “bonnet”) and the roof “la capota” which is the word for a hood as in a cloak’s. ) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/123 "2022-10-11T21:14:31Z")
More ways that car tuning will be more difficult in the future. > **[The 2024 Ford Mustang will be 'much more difficult' to tune - Autoblog](https://autos.yahoo.com/2024-ford-mustang-much-more-154700998.html)** > > Tuning the 2024 Ford Mustang will be difficult because the Fully-Networked Vehicle (FNV) electrical architecture includes an encrypted ECU. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2022, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/124 "2022-10-11T21:18:50Z")
And it will only be available in John Deere green. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/125 "2022-10-18T19:55:16Z")
New EV announced from Rolls Royce, a fastback coupe. Some interesting figures: Estimated $400,000 pricetag 23 inch wheels 6559 pounds 557 HP/ 664 ft-lbs 0-60 in 4.4 > **[The 2023 Rolls-Royce Spectre Is an Electric Car That Doesn't Look Like One](https://jalopnik.com/rolls-royce-spectre-first-all-electric-car-1849666427)** > > The all-electric fastback coupe touts a range of 260 miles and an adaptive suspension that reads the road ahead for maximum comfort. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/126 "2022-10-18T22:48:18Z")
With that name, it sounds as if it was developed for a James Bond film. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2022, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/127 "2022-11-23T03:40:59Z")
Things looking gloomy for Buick in the US, even though it’s doing great over in China. > **[Skies over Buick Continue Darkening](https://www.autoweek.com/news/industry-news/a41958029/future-of-buick-brand-in-question/)** > > US sales are way down and Buick dealer ranks will be trimmed. Survival depends on Electra EV production in North America. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2022, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/128 "2022-11-23T22:35:29Z")
I am just not surprised that Buick continues to have problems here. I looked the SUV but settled on a Mazda, simply because the handling was so much better in the Mazda. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/129 "2022-11-24T00:39:57Z")
Maybe bring something like this to the US market? > **[The Buick Century Is Now a Luxury Yacht for the Road](https://www.autoweek.com/news/luxury/a41991363/2023-buick-century-luxury-minivan-china/)** > > This luxury minivan is probably not what you picture when you hear 'Buick Century,' but it's nothing short of a yacht for the road. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/130 "2022-11-24T02:41:45Z")
I was stuck at an Audi dealer this morning for 4 hours, waiting for my S3 to get “I can’t drive it, please fix” service and I had little choice but to wait - the dealer is 50 minutes from my house. They started an R8 in the showroom, about 30 feet from me. I damned near jumped out of my skin. _That_ is an engine note. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/131 "2022-11-24T23:31:26Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > _That_ is an engine note. What bliss! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/132 "2022-11-30T19:06:00Z")
I can’t believe this is a good idea, but it does seem to be an industry trend. > **[Corvette to Launch as a Brand in 2025 with a Four-Door and an SUV](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a42096801/corvette-brand-2025/)** > > These new EV spinoffs will reportedly aim to distill the "essence of Corvette" in terms of design and driving dynamics. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/133 "2022-11-30T19:42:56Z")
Even Porsche and Lamborghini have SUVs now, so I guess it’s not too surprising. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/134 "2022-11-30T19:56:52Z")
They saw Ford get away with it with the electric Mustang Mach–E. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/135 "2022-11-30T21:24:18Z")
It’s not the SUV that bothers me so much as the brand extension. Corvette isn’t a brand, it’s a car. Stop trying to make things what they’re not. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/136 "2022-11-30T23:44:14Z")
I agree with you @Telemark. But I can also see why GM might want to do this. After all, there is nothing else in Chevrolet’s line up that touches the Corvette for passion and loyalty. They have been far ahead of and apart from Chevrolet’s other vehicles in just about everything. That said, I don’t see Porsche or VW doing this. But maybe GM knows something not great about Chevy and is trying to save the Corvette from being sunk with the rest of the company due to a big… what? I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/137 "2022-12-01T02:32:29Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > They saw Ford get away with it with the electric Mustang Mach–E. Porsche has been making an SUV since 2002 (available 2003 in the US). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/138 "2022-12-01T02:39:16Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It’s not the SUV that bothers me so much as the brand extension. Corvette isn’t a brand, it’s a car. Nope. Corvette is a _lifestyle_. Or at least GM’s marketing folks think it is. You can buy official branded jackets, hats, living room furniture, etc. all with Corvette on it. The idea of Dad driving a Corvette high performance coupe & Mom driving a Corvette high performance SUV is the stuff of marketers’ wet dreams. > [@carnut](#): > > That said, I don’t see Porsche or VW doing this Porsche has had a high-performance SUV for two decades now. And they weren’t the first German marque to have a performance SUV. Mercedes of course has them too. The BMW X line is similar. Hell, now BMW makes their X line of SUVs in the M- trim package, which is their hard core near-race machines. The current X5 m50i is a ferocious 500+ hp tall station wagon that will smoke 98% of the cars on the road today. With 6 seats, 12 cup holders, and an (optional) built-in TV for the kids. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/139 "2022-12-01T03:03:43Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Porsche has been making an SUV since 2002 (available 2003 in the US). Yep. However, I was thinking about GM using the ‘Corvette’ brand name for their electric vehicles. Ford took heat for using the Mustang name for their electric CUV, but it didn’t seem to hurt demand for eother the electric or the gas cars. I was just speculating that GM might have decided to use the Corvette name because the precednt has been set by Ford successfully. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611/140 "2022-12-01T03:17:24Z")
Brands are weird. Jeep and Hummer are the two examples I can think of that made the leap from model to brand without anyone gnashing their teeth. Willys Jeeps were distinct from Wagoneers and whatnot, I think, until the Wrangler name was coined and they all became Jeeps. That had to be equally jarring for people who saw a Jeep as a specific-ish vehicle. Hummer was a model that became a brand with 3 models that became an EV, and nobody particularly cared. RAM is a brand now instead of a model and I don’t think anyone noticed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-car-talk/970611.md?page=8)