{"id":362911,"date":"2026-08-02T03:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T03:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/uncategorized\/adventures-to-nowhere-rants\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T03:39:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T03:39:14","slug":"adventures-to-nowhere-rants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=362911","title":{"rendered":"ADVENTURES TO NOWHERE.\u00a0 – Rants"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Editor’s Note: <\/strong>This week, Peter discusses the current state of the business for the U.S. automakers and their obsession with producing hot-rodded off-road vehicles in order to maximize profits from their ICE-powered machines. In On The Table<\/strong><\/a>, we take a look at the limited-edition Vanquish 25 from Aston Martin.\u00a0<\/strong>Toyota offers real affordability with the 2027 Corolla Hatchback, and we take another look at two special offerings from the upcoming RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction. Our video this week features the “1966 12 Hours of Sebring” with Ferrari, Ford and the Chaparral. Our AE Song of the Week is “These Days” by Jackson Browne. In Fumes<\/strong><\/a>, Peter brings us the next chapter in his new series, “The Racing Machines.” And finally, in The Line<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>we have F1 results from Spa, Belgium and INDYCAR results from Nashville. Remember, you can read past issues by scrolling down and clicking on “Next 1 Entries.” Onward! -WG<\/p>\n

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WE ARE TAKING A MUCH-NEEDED SUMMER BREAK FOR SOME WELL-DESERVED R&R. WE WILL RETURN WITH THE AUGUST 19TH ISSUE. – PMD & WG<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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By Peter M. DeLorenzo<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Detroit.<\/strong> Now that we\u2019ve been hit with the realization that Detroit is going to keep building vehicles specifically aimed at this market for the immediate future \u2013 while the global automobile business keeps accelerating away in another direction \u2013 it\u2019s clear that the town formerly known as The Motor City is in danger of sliding into a dimension that is looking frighteningly similar to the North American version of what once was the British motor industry. That is, cars and trucks built to exist in this market and nowhere else.<\/p>\n

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For the short term, this will keep factories running and profits coming, along with overall stability, but long term this development could prove to be calamitous for Detroit. One thing the stumblebums in Washington refuse to understand is that careening changes in regulations and maliciously misguided tariffs will serve to ultimately destroy one of the founding pillars of the American industrial fabric, because this just in: the auto industry needs to be able to plan at least five years <\/em>out. And robbed of this basic ability to plan ahead, automakers and their suppliers are doomed to be held captive and swallowed whole by the constant thrum of idiocy emanating from Washington.<\/p>\n

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So, what\u2019s left for the U.S. automakers? Business as usual until further notice, because investing in new is precariously dangerous. What does it mean, really? While the rest of the world forges ahead with breakthrough developments in battery technology, charging infrastructure, and all of the other issues and challenges associated with EVs, the U.S. automakers will churn out giant ICE trucks and SUVs because they know how to do it and do it very well indeed.<\/p>\n

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This is what engineering in a vacuum looks like.<\/p>\n

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And while this trend continues here until further notice, we will have high-performance sports cars, supercars and muscle cars catering to enthusiasts occupying one quarter of the ICE hemisphere. While gonzo pickups, SUVs and crossovers of all stripes \u2013 tricked-out and otherwise \u2013 and hot-rodded off-road vehicles make up the other 75 percent of the market.<\/p>\n

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Since we\u2019re no longer waiting for the promised euphoria of the EV Age to come to fruition, the real action for manufacturers will be in maximizing the profits from building their ICE-powered machines.<\/p>\n
As high-performance cars get more difficult to come by except for a select few \u2013 either because of price, or scarcity, or both \u2013 the cash generation is in what I\u2019ve dubbed the Off-Road Dude Ranch segment, where off-road capability \u2013 which will, in fact, rarely if ever get used to even one percent of capability \u2013 is the calling card for near-term profits.<\/p>\n
Machines like the Ford Bronco Raptor fit this mold perfectly. It has the look of a seriously aggressive, bad-ass off-road monster, which is exactly<\/em> what the new legions of Off-Road Dudes and Dudettes seem to be craving. These Off-Road Dude Ranch tourists may never come within 3,000 miles of Baja, but just knowing that they could attack the off-road canyons and desert washes if they wanted to is just the kind of magic elixir they\u2019re looking for, even if they probably won\u2019t even traverse so much as a parking lot curb during their ownership.<\/p>\n
I get why the latest manufacturer focus is full-zoot rough riders and all-terrain mashers. Sort of. After all, that\u2019s what they think people want and need in order to attack the Canyons of Costco and the Hollers of Home Depot. Even if you aren\u2019t planning to go to Moab next week, you could if you wanted to, right?<\/p>\n
And therein lies the hook. The \u201chook\u201d that auto manufacturers have exploited since people traded in their horses. Some of the past hooks were: You could sit on the front row at Indianapolis in your BelchFire8, if you wanted to,<\/em> or you could qualify for Le Mans in your SuperSqualo Meteor, if you wanted to<\/em>. And even now: You could qualify for an IMSA GTD race in your Porsche 911 GT3 RS, if you wanted to<\/em>. These hooks have proved to be time honored, lethally addictive and highly<\/em> profitable.<\/p>\n
And now, with this burgeoning Off-Road Dude Ranch segment, it\u2019s happening all over again, with an entirely new set of parameters. Extreme, track-focused high-performance is out (or fading away with stratospheric prices and a large dollop of unobtanium), replaced by rugged, off-road performance. Every manufacturer worth its 22\u201d+ off-road wheel package (FYI: the Bronco Raptor has 37\u201d off-road tires) is offering off-road performance versions of their various charges, whether they’re needed or not. Beyond the usual suspects \u2013 Chevrolet, Ford, Ram, Toyota, Land Rover, et al. \u2013 even GMC, for instance, is offering an entire lineup of AT4 off-road-oriented spec vehicles. Which means it\u2019s now officially a full-on epidemic. And you can expect to see more and more of these extreme off-roaders come to market, because it is \u201cthe thing\u201d right now.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s interesting that the lives of manufacturer PR minions have changed dramatically too. Once upon a time, they used to book racetracks all over the country for the latest \u201cfly-in\u201d press events to tout their newest high-performance charges. Now? They\u2019re scouring exotic landscapes previously only attainable by mule to stage press events designed to demonstrate the off-road capabilities of their latest BelchFire SuperPounder<\/em> trucks, crossovers and SUVs. These PR minions are being forced to trade in their obligatory black pants and white logoed shirt outfits for canteens and wardrobes designed for the desert scrub brush aesthetic. So, there\u2019s that.<\/p>\n
The times are getting crazy. So crazy, in fact, that some journos are actually criticizing car companies for even bothering to offer sedans or traditional hatchbacks, believing that we\u2019re supposed to all be driving SUVs-and-jacked-up-pickups-all-the-time<\/em> now. Another journo camp is firmly entrenched in the EV-centric \u201cWhy are you still building ICE vehicles at all?\u201d And finally, there\u2019s the journo camp insisting that Detroit needs to start building sedans again (which they are planning to do, by the way).<\/p>\n
But the auto manufacturers don\u2019t exist for the edification of auto journalists, except when they need something from them, of course. The desired goal of these manufacturers is to make cargo ship loads of ca$h-ola<\/em>. And they\u2019ve been pretty damn successful at it.<\/p>\n
As for the real world, consumers are just worried about the fundamental affordability of vehicles in general, which is why Ford\u2019s Maverick pickup is still the<\/em> most important vehicle that company makes, even more so than its jacked-up Broncos.<\/p>\n
Does any of this make any sense? Maybe. I get the profitability thing, and I understand the latest bit of creative automotive Hose-O-Rama<\/em> going on, but there are still consumers out there who just want a decent vehicle for a decent price. I strongly believe that there are plenty of car buyers out there who happen to like sedans and hatchbacks, including me. They\u2019re fun and efficient instead of ground pounding and lumbering. It\u2019s just a different style of motoring. Are there fun SUVs and crossovers to drive out there? Sure, but that doesn\u2019t mean everyone has to have one, or want one<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I\u2019ve said repeatedly since Day One of this website, the automobile business is first and foremost a fashion business. It is consumed by trends, fads and what is perceived as \u201chot\u201d at the moment. And before we\u2019re immersed in the Next Big Thing \u2013 the ever-coming EV Revolution, perhaps? Oh wait, never mind \u2013 these vehicles designed to take us on adventures to nowhere are going to be the<\/em> thing until further notice, which is not exactly good news in my book.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s the High-Octane Truth for this week.<\/p>\n

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Editor’s Note: Click on “Next 1 Entries” at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. – WG<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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