Date:         Tue, 9 Jan 2001 08:02:56 -0700
Reply-To:     Keith Adams <keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Keith Adams <keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM>
Organization: TransCanada
Subject:      Re: NEW New Bus drawing.. look and tell me what you think
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

One thing I notice about this design (nit picking, I know) is it has
dual side opening doors.  In todays minvan market, that is a definite
no-no.  Also, the wipers that are required to wipe a huge windshield
need to be concealed behind the hood/cowl, or they will whistle like mad
on the highway.  Plus, I don't really see much room in the front for the
engine (and despite what many people say or think, there's no way this
thing will be rear engined - what platform would this be shared with?
The Cayenne and Colorado are front engined!).

Other than it's cool.  But I don't think VW is trying to make a copy of
the microbus, so this may look too much like the original for them.  The
round headlights are the key though.  Those little slit type rectangular
ones they have are awful.  But of course, their goal is to try and
integrate headlight, foglight and turn signal into one unit.  This
lowers the cost of production and allows for more product sharing
between lines.  Something VW has to do to lower the price of the van.
Too many unique parts on the Eurovan push the price way up.

I kinda like the Microbus.  I don't expect anything to come into
production that looks like this of course.  I use it more as a "looking
glass" to see what styling cues will appear in the T5 in a couple of
years.  No info yet about price reductions in the Eurovan, but they have
said:

"In addition to the unveiling of this concept vehicle, Volkswagen will
make announcements about its upcoming Van strategy and significant price
reductions for the Eurovan lineup. Volkswagen of America wants to make a
definite push into the van segment here in North America and has plans
to increase sales of the Eurovan significantly over the next several
years till the new T5  platform replacement arrives (expected to look
more than a little like the Microbus concept vehicle)."

$0.02 + tax
Keith