It looks like Ford wants to sell its Land Rover and Jaguar divisions. I would agree with this move, because since the purchase of Land Rover by Ford, all LR vehicles have become considerably more Ford-esque. I've commented on this before, but it's interesting to see now that Ford wants to sell Land Rover and Jaguar. I mean, Jaguar I can understand, but Land Rover seems to be doing OK for sales, at least around here. On the other hand, there are plenty of luxury SUVs out there, under various brands, and Land Rover needs to differentiate itself. No longer is it seen along with Jeep and Toyota as one of the preeminent brands for capable off-road vehicles; it has become a brand more along the lines of Cadillac with the Escalade, ESV, and EXT, with comparable features and comparable pricing.
To be honest, as a somewhat-dedicated Rover man, I have been titillated by only one recent entry from LR's recent line, the LR3/Discovery Series III (Flash recommended for this link). Other than that, it's been lame, lame, and more lame. While the other quality off-road brands are bringing out new or interesting variations on previous models, or retro-ish models that reflect the SUV's original rugged, function-over-form roots, LR has continued to crank out less and less rugged-looking vehicles as if LR has finally left its loyal core of enthusiasts behind for the luxury SUV market. First there was the reworked 2003 model Range Rover, which was a radical departure from the traditional Range Rover look that had remained largely unchanged since the introduction of the Range Rover in 1970. The new model was still fully off-road capable, perhaps astonishingly so, but the significantly lower clearance and high price tag meant this vehicle would probably never sniff an unpaved, un-shouldered road. Then along came the Range Rover Sport in 2006, which is fun and looks like a smaller, more capable RR but seems to be aimed at the burgeoning "crossover" market...more on that in a moment. After the introduction and subsequent general acclaim of the LR3, and with high hopes for the reintroduction of the venerable Series-Rover descendant, the Defender (or at least something a bit like it), LR pulled what I feel was the ultimate let-down with last year's introduction of another model geared toward the ridiculous crossover idea, the LR2.
I would have no trouble with these other entries, if Land Rover would either bring back the Defender or design a sufficient update/upgrade based on the Defender/Series models. Instead, Ford's mantra with the brand seems to be nothing but "crossovers, crossovers, crossovers."
And while we're on the subject...what the heck is a "crossover," anyway? Crossovers are glorified SUV/station wagon/minivan hybrid models. Wikipedia says it's basically a smaller SUV based on a car, so that it provides a lower price, better handling, and better fuel economy. In other words, it's a wimp-mobile, designed for people who want the "prestige" or theoretical capability of an SUV but don't want to look like they're unfriendly toward the environment, or give up the handling and economy of a regular car. If you're thinking of buying one because you need more cargo capacity, why not just give up the pretense and either a) buy a minivan so you get better handling and decent fuel economy with better cargo room, or b) buy a mid-sized sedan. Most of today's sedans are great on fuel economy, have excellent trunk space, and provide great handling and luxury in an affordable package.
Drudge reports today that the venerable checkout-aisle mainstay Weekly World News will no longer be available in print, though it can still be read online. As a tribute to its consistent wackiness, he prints a list of his 10 favorite WWN headlines, which I recreate below:
10) "The Moon is Made of Green Cheese But -- WHAT ABOUT MARS?"
9)"Man Poses as CPR Dummy To Meet Women"
8)"Mother Nature Endorses Gore for President"
7)"Astronomer Rebuked For Endless Staring into Space"
6)"Man Marries Computer -- Becomes Gigamist"
5)"Seeing Eye Squirrels For Blind Dogs"
4)"TRUCKER ABDUCTED -- RETURNS WITH ALIEN PROSTATE!"
3)"Tiny Terrorists Disguised As Garden Gnomes"
2)"Shopping Mall Where Lions Work As Security Guards"
1)"Vegan Vampire Attacks Trees"
You have to admit, those are pretty hilarious. For everyone who was ever momentarily captivated by one of the WWN's ridiculous headlines while waiting for the old lady with 3 months' worth of groceries to finish checking out, this is a terrible loss. So long, Weekly World News.
On another positive note, the FCC states it will NOT be reinstating enforcement of the Fairness Doctrine, which the agency wisely left behind in 1987. As if anyone thinks that the Democrat left needs yet another mouthpiece, considering they already have 95% of the mainstream media in the bag. People will get the information they want from somewhere, so let the station managers put up what sells best for them. Seriously, what would come next if FCC starting enforcing that policy again? Would Christian stations be required to play non-Christian music? As everyone (and particularly, those on the Left) love to point out, a lot of today's politics are guided by faith...
Owen is growing up so quickly...it's difficult to keep track of the little guy. He's really working on getting better using his hands, and he talks up a storm, and he's even laughing a lot more regularly now. I got to hear my first big Owen laugh just last Thursday night, while we were waiting for paperwork to finish the purchase of the FJ. He's also moving into a little better pattern, and he's looking around so much and is so alert. He loves sitting with us and being with us. I can already tell that he's going to be a handful as he gets older. That little guy is so awesome...what a blessing from God he is, and how honored and privileged I am to have him. I am so honored and privileged to be blessed with all my family. They're wonderful.
Thanks for reading along.
No comments:
Post a Comment