I work for a car dealer and the reason is basically what you said. A lot of people who would normally buy new are switching to used and a lot of people with big, expensive loans are looking to get into less expensive cars they can pay for in cash or with drastically lower monthly payments. We’re selling basically no…

I think it’s far too early to be saying stuff like this.

Maybe I’m paranoid.

Combined with a rare burst of responsible consumer spending? With 10% of the population on unemployment, people aren’t running out to acquire a new (to them) vehicle.

Around 4/1 I bought a lightly used vehicle for what I figured to be 70-75% of market value, which is a terrific deal in the $20k-ish range. I still look at cars for sale, because that is what car nuts do, and prices do look to have rebounded within 100 mile radius of me (which includes three pretty large metro areas).

“...none of that really happened in the end...”

Merely proof it’s not a new thing for family haulers to look alike.  Back then it was a bunch of pea green or pale yellow or plain white cars, now it's all greyscale.  

But why?  Even the examples you showed, while not the most attractive, or exciting, are at least identifiable at a distance.

Over in camera gear land, I still remember the endless teases about Nikon’s new Z-mount cameras. They’re going to redefine imaging! Here’s a very poorly lit photo of part of one camera! Here’s a “leak” of a couple of not-very-important specs!

This.

It looks like yet another grey crossover thing. Throw anyone’s badge on it and nobody would know the difference.

That is the correct take. It took FOREVER for the Supra to debut, and when it did everyone was “I waited for this?” Just show it off already.

automatic stop/start

Look, this peep show bullshit didn’t work for the NSX or the Supra.

Elio was run by muppets who barely had a chance of making a car at any price. And who said anything about an American company? Imagine if Chang Li quintupled its budget for a car and were allowed to sell it here.

It makes you wonder how cheap cars could be sold for here if there were no regulatory requirements at all. I bet someone could do a pretty decent $5,000 car. 

Hell, he could attach a shopping cart to the front and drive it through the aisles at the grocery store. 

How long before you come out of a store to find a petulant child sitting in it and a harrassed parent trying to find where to put the coins in?

I love that there’s a sign on the packaging material that reads, “Jason Torchinsky.” Like, who else could possibly be the intended recipient of this thing?

Warr...an...ty....?