Comments on: Yo-Bama’s Banana Is In Your Tailpipe http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/01/27/yo-bamas-banana-is-in-your-tailpipe/ Unfair ... Imbalanced Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:55:24 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/01/27/yo-bamas-banana-is-in-your-tailpipe/comment-page-1/#comment-46282 StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:01:49 +0000 http://www.fitsnews.com/?p=12791#comment-46282 The on-going argument is that all of these so-called "hidden costs" kill development and innovation. Explain to me how General Motors, in the mid-to-late 1990s, developed the EV1 and the necessary supporting infrastructure to support the car in Southern California? Explain to me, since the project was such a success, it was canned? Explain to me how such a marvel of development and innovation happened (if government is so hostile and regulations are so bad)? I have experience working in Manufacturing. Innovation isn't driven from manufacturing - cost reductions are. If you have an industry that is looking for cost offsets rather than means and approaches to propel the business forward, you will stagnate. That is what has happened to the US Auto Makers. The other big "/facepalm" issue is how these big three (was big four, but that's a discussion for another time) fail to leverage their global designs. Take for example Ford. Ford finally woke up and said "we'll use our global Ford Focus platform for all Focus products globally." Ever looked at the European version of the Focus? OMG!! You'd see a dramatic drop in the sales of "import tuners" and a surge in sales. Google it. Look at the current American version of the Focus. Look at the European version. Night and day difference. - SSHM The on-going argument is that all of these so-called “hidden costs” kill development and innovation. Explain to me how General Motors, in the mid-to-late 1990s, developed the EV1 and the necessary supporting infrastructure to support the car in Southern California? Explain to me, since the project was such a success, it was canned? Explain to me how such a marvel of development and innovation happened (if government is so hostile and regulations are so bad)?

I have experience working in Manufacturing. Innovation isn’t driven from manufacturing – cost reductions are. If you have an industry that is looking for cost offsets rather than means and approaches to propel the business forward, you will stagnate. That is what has happened to the US Auto Makers.

The other big “/facepalm” issue is how these big three (was big four, but that’s a discussion for another time) fail to leverage their global designs. Take for example Ford. Ford finally woke up and said “we’ll use our global Ford Focus platform for all Focus products globally.” Ever looked at the European version of the Focus? OMG!! You’d see a dramatic drop in the sales of “import tuners” and a surge in sales.

Google it. Look at the current American version of the Focus. Look at the European version. Night and day difference.

- SSHM

]]> By: FWFIV http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/01/27/yo-bamas-banana-is-in-your-tailpipe/comment-page-1/#comment-46275 FWFIV Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:41:29 +0000 http://www.fitsnews.com/?p=12791#comment-46275 He is allowing California the authority to decide emission standards for their own state. This is a state's rights issue, not an environmental one. Aren't conservatives always complaining about the heavyhanded nature of the federal government? In this instance he is telling the feds to get out of the way. He is allowing California the authority to decide emission standards for their own state. This is a state’s rights issue, not an environmental one. Aren’t conservatives always complaining about the heavyhanded nature of the federal government? In this instance he is telling the feds to get out of the way.

]]>