Chet Parsons, Car Guy

I think Henry would be proud of the direction Ford is going lately.  The new Fiesta and Focus stand poised to return small domestic cars to respectability.  The Mustang is still the cream of the new muscle car crop.  The F-150 is still the F-150, which is good. All these good vibrations must be rubbing off on the marketing department as well.  The launch of the Fiesta has been handled very well, with tie-ins to American Idol and the creative youth of the country as well as a good web presence and a reservation campaign that has surprised even me. A few months ago, I decided to sell my 20+ year old sports car and get something more economical, but wanted to get something that was still a "cool" car.  I reserved a Fiesta, but ultimately ended up going a totally different (cheaper) direction.  Apparently that information didn't get past the dealer back to Ford, as I am still receiving the marketing goodies they send out to those with a reservation. To...

Earlier this week, Ron Dennis, CEO of McLaren Automotive, was quoted as saying "The Bugatti Veyron is a complete piece of junk. I think it is. I believe I can look at a range of women and I can see beauty in most of them, but I can look at a Bugatti and I think it is pig ugly." He continues, "The Veyron doesn’t do anything for me. I’ve been looking at it for years, and I don’t see one single thing that makes me feel good.” That's a pretty bold statement about what many consider to be the Holy Grail of Super Cars, but is he really that far off?  From a design perspective, there isn't really anything wrong with the Veyron.  It's not an unattractive car by any means, so how can it be ugly? To answer that question, let's compare it to a product from Mr. Dennis's own company, the McLaren F1.  Both began life as cost-no-object showcases of each company's technological prowess.  From there, their paths diverge.  The Bugatti is a blend of the VW Gro...