Date:         Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:39:05 -0400
Reply-To:     Thomas Myers <thomas.myers@XEROX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Thomas Myers <thomas.myers@XEROX.COM>
Subject:      Re: VW writeup in Newsweek...and about the next vw van for the US
In-Reply-To:  <BF87C24F.5EF7%camper@tactical-bus.info>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

Given this is unibody car ­ what does that mean? I am sure Chrysler is
already
2 years into their product development cycle on this ­ so I anticipate this
would be 
Similar to the SAAB SUV that GM just put out.  SAAB massaged the hood,
fenders, grille
Rear end and the dash board along with minor suspension teaks..
[ all of these changes I think were favorably rated over the standard GM
design BTW]

Stamping Dies take anywhere from 6 months [ honda] to 12[?] months to carve
before production begins*

Aside from slowing down Chrysler with their own launch [2007]­ I cannot see
VW drawing anything
From scratch for this Van. Aside from severe quality issues ­ VW still has a
terribly slow
Product development cycle. [ Toureg = 7-8 years to market?] The Golf 4 was
supposed to 
Be on the market 3[!] years when it came out in 1999. The Golf5 was out 2
years late 
And the Jetta variant just launched here spring 2005 [ with lots of
problems]

Its one thing to pump out a new bad car every 3-4 years ­ but VW takes
longer..

From strictly a sales, quality, normal price and get-to-market standpoint ­
VW would be best just to
Slap the name the Chryslers coming out the door. Granted it will NOT be a
van any of us 
Will want to buy, but they have nothing in the market at the moment for all
those 
Odessey, Sienna and Caravan masses.  If DiamlerChrysler was smart ­ they
hopefully
Milked VW out of some TDi engine and transmission components for the new
car.

Tom

*The machine that changed the World. MIT press.

From: jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Reply-To: jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:55:59 -0400
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Conversation: VW writeup in Newsweek...and about the next vw van for the US
Subject: Re: VW writeup in Newsweek...and about the next vw van for the US

Everything on top of the chassis is supposed to be VW.  Basically a chassis
rolling down one line will get a chrysler top side and down the other line
will get a VW topside.
jimt 

On 10/28/05 8:27 AM, "Jim Felder" <felder@KNOLOGY.NET> wrote:

> On Oct 27, 2005, at 9:21 PM, Joseph Fortino wrote:
> 
>> its no longer real VW.. VWOA sell outs
>> 
>> 
> 
> VW must have gotten the idea for this from us diesel owners who use the
> Chrysler Minivan airbox and filter on our TD conversion, plus the fact
> that they were already licensing the sliding door on their minvans from
> VW (along with everyone else). It's a short leap of logic to produce a
> whole car, right? Too bad it won't be a VW, but since it's not an SUV
> it won't sell anyway.
> 
> Jim 
> 
>