Redfox 10 Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) I think the audi quatro concept is pretty boring. I mean: look at the design: it's been used by audi so many times, over and over Again. The same as every single tuner Company used on the cars of other brands: make it look like an audi. The bunch of girlie designers at vw/audi now adays don't dare to make a real car. They cling on to replicas of their earlier designs, and if only they did that with the best of them - the Corrado, then be it, but they don't. Why? because vw is no longer about bringing joy to the driver, but more about corporate philosophy and share holders and usb Sticks. Not about a real sportscar to succeed the Corrado. It appears, to me at least, that just about any teenager can have job as a car designer now adays. No real man with a vision on a mission. Don't believe it? Just take a look at what have happened to the design house of Bertone. That pretty much says it all. What the Corrado represents to me, is unmistakable Corrado design - they dared to make their own design, without the need to replicate something else. Only the c-pillar goes over to the new design. Nice try anyway.. I'm so bored by seeing so many new cars having the same design elements carried over (from audi). To me, audi is a seriously boring design, and brand. And RS4 and newer are likewise boring. They can drive really fast, but does it make them a timeless super sportscar? No. VW seems to me to be so less interested in making a Karmann produced new Corrado, that they don't even want to make a load bucket of spares for our cars. Let me explain: Porsche are very proud of their cars, and therefore you have a real chance of getting spares for your old Porsche. As the Corrado was VW/Karmanns response to the Porsche 944, and a better car for it (except rattleing), and the Corrado being produced in a lot less examples than the 944, VW still chooses to ignore their heritage. Sure, the beetle is getting attention, and VW have to acknowledge the fact, that without the beetle, VW would be nothing today. Later the Golf took on that position. In comes the Corrado. VW's only true sportscar so far. They have made many quicker cars, but not a sportscar. Nah, let it be what the old original Corrado car and it's design is: Unique, or make a propper successor. But don't use it as a puppet to make yet another puppet blasphemy replica, that is nothing to the original, when it comes to reality. Hail to the Corrado - the real one. Just my 2p. Redfox. Edited July 10, 2014 by Redfox Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DPS 10 Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) ^^^ Sorry to sound all gushy but one of the other great things about the Corrado is it's owners :) The word keeps coming up: "special". The Corrado is special, we are very lucky to have one. We don't need a new one, it would never compare. Edited July 10, 2014 by DPS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riley 0 Posted July 10, 2014 I hope there isn't a new one too, VWUK seem to suggest there won't be, at least for now anyway? http://www.corradog60.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=264 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redfox 10 Posted July 11, 2014 I second that dps. Btw. I think hte present mk. III scirocco should have been the golf. An the old styled Honda civic design nthat vw uses on their present golf should have vanished into nothingness. That way vw could have shown some balls to their golf design, and could have initiated a Karmann Group to reinvent the Corrado. But since all that didn't happen, I say:: keep up hte spares, and let us, the drivers, show the Corrado the the Planet ;) Cheers, Redfox ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coullstar 0 Posted July 11, 2014 To play devils advoctae if you were a company why would you keep producing spares for a car that was sold in small numbers about 20years ago? They have much bigger fish to fry. They are a company, a very large company thats main aim is to make money and keep the share holders happy. There will be individuals that care about this within the orgainsation but overall its not in there interest to do this. The true enthusiasts make up very little % of car buyers now, they have to cater for the masses. I believe they might bring back the name, they brought back the Scirocco after a big gap. I for one would buy one if its good. To many people dismiss new cars these days and dont give them a chance. Remember the Corrado was once new, it couldnt have been that well appreciated when new as there werent many sold. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted July 11, 2014 To play devils advoctae if you were a company why would you keep producing spares for a car that was sold in small numbers about 20years ago? They have much bigger fish to fry. They are a company, a very large company thats main aim is to make money and keep the share holders happy. There will be individuals that care about this within the orgainsation but overall its not in there interest to do this. The true enthusiasts make up very little % of car buyers now, they have to cater for the masses. I believe they might bring back the name, they brought back the Scirocco after a big gap. I for one would buy one if its good. To many people dismiss new cars these days and dont give them a chance. Remember the Corrado was once new, it couldnt have been that well appreciated when new as there werent many sold. But look at Mercedes and BMW - they still make parts available for all of their old cars, and many of those are niche versions / derivations or didn't sell in especially high numbers. For example the E34 M5 sold only 1/9th of the amount of Corrado's sold yet I bet you can still walk into a dealership and order everything for one of those. Admittedly some parts will be shared with the 5 series, but I'm sure even all the M5 specific stuff is all still available. It's just VW / Audi who are woeful at this. Even legendary cars like the Audi Quattro which Audi have based a lot of their marketing on ever since that famous car, are pathetically supported by Audi in terms of parts availability. We've said it a number of times on here but VW don't deserve the enthusiast following they have. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coullstar 0 Posted July 11, 2014 Good point. I suppose the likes of Merc and BMW have more heritage and have been around for a lot longer than say the established VW brand. That and I suppose you could argue VW has not really been considered a premium car maker such has the other germans have either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted July 11, 2014 Good point. I suppose the likes of Merc and BMW have more heritage and have been around for a lot longer than say the established VW brand. That and I suppose you could argue VW has not really been considered a premium car maker such has the other germans have either. I'd agree with that, certainly. But you have to wonder if VW will ever actually attain that level of prestige as long as they continue to shun the enthusiasts.. or whether they're simply not interested, and only want to shift new / nearly new cars and just drop any support for them after 10-15 years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coullstar 0 Posted July 11, 2014 The latter would be my view. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted July 11, 2014 The latter would be my view. Mine too, sadly. They use it as a marketing tool (see the Golf GTI) and beyond that it seems they don't give a toss. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redfox 10 Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) Exactly, as they are not proud of what they make. And VW happens to have the absolute biggest crowd of followers to their cars. I think they have both history , movies, inventions, heritage and then some, and it's only the marketing boys and girls who look it up in a book, or even worse on wiki, as they are not old enough to have been following the Cult that VW have, like no other brand. They are just "teenagers" with a smart suit and a superficial education to go. A coffee to go and a vw to go. That is the sad situation. They don't back up their followers. A real pity. I could not agree more with you Jim, that vw don't deserve the enthusiastic followers they have. If the day may come, that I no longer have my Corrado, and don't want a similar one, as no spares can be bought, and wrecks are scarce, to buy from, and I've already been on the Golf II bandwagon for 13 years, I'll never buy vw Again, as cannot see why. And the sad reality is, that today I cannot recommend vw to anyone, because they have changed their policy about spares, and their products today are so boring and lack completely the exitingness they once had: Think of it:: the Beetle, the Golf, the inventor of the Whole GTi class, the van (the hippie one), the G-lader, and so on and so on. Today? Nah, let's make a downsized copy of a superboring audi that is so correct, that people fall asleep even looking at the prospect. I think it's a real pity. I have written to VW themselves, and they Refer to vw heritage, WHO can support very very few Things, and only as long as they've found a few spares on a brazilian market or whatever. So that is a no go. I've complained to several of my local dealers here around my Waters, and explained, that their heritage should be kept driving! That is the whole idea. If new customers see old models driving around, they will think that it is a serious brand with a real backing, and go chose the brands new models. It's as simple as that. Where as if new customers just see the myriad of new cars, and each look like the other in between or across brands, what to chose? That is exactly my point. VW's response is: well, we no longer do that. Sorry, sir. Well sorry vw, I cannot recomend you to anyone. And I'm sorry because I would like to. The Corrado is a sublime car for what it is (minus the rattleing). Like I said before, it's more about some smart Young people, WHO make a career with in the vw Company, then to jump over to something else, like juicers, Electric socket marketing, or something else. And it doesn't matter, because it's not about being proud of what you make., it's just about carreer managing, and shareholders. THat is exactly why Bertone is dead now. Blame it on the result of what I just described above: being superficial. A real threat to what is Deep in some forms, ways or shape. Cheers, Redfox ;) Edited July 11, 2014 by Redfox Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redfox 10 Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) In fact I'll give you another example why it's going Down for vw (on a larger timescale or just on this perspective): I wanted a copy of the original sales brochure of the Corrado G60 1991, and I wrote politely to vw and explained. They politely answered, that my appeal was forwarded to the department of old cars, heritage etc. And after some days, I received a letter containing a cd with a Electronic copy of the press materieal from around that time. All fine, though I would have preferred a paper copy, as that was the Whole point. The other stuff I ca find myself on the web, but never the less a fine gesture of VW. What is not so nice, in my view, is the fact that vw accompanied the cd with a corporate letter describing the rights of how, when, where, whom and WHO can use this cd they've sent me. Otherwise risking being sued... Talking about loss of respect for the Company... The Whole idea of mass copying (for example) the sales material is making present owners even more proud of their Corrado, and perspective future owners even more wanting to get a Corrado. That is the Whole point! Killed by vw. And that my friends, is a real pity. I repeat: as long as vw act like a laywer firm, and don't give a rats ar.e about their herritage, I'll NEVER recommend them to anyone, neither will I ever buy another vw, because they are killing the chance of driving their old models, and killing the cult followers. Should they, on the other hand, come to their senses, and stand back their cars, I'l be happy to change my oppinion for sure. Think of Mazda. They have very Little, though a bit, of history and they would REALLY like to have the cult following that vw have. What do Mazda do? They make SPARES for their old cars. Thinking MX-5 here. On the other end of the scale, I'll mention Lotus. They have an employee, Mr. Andy Graham, whose job it is to answer questions from owners, and to send the owners, upon their request, a formidable certificate of build, containing all sorts of details on what, where, how, when, and WHO and containg what options, colours etc, where and when was it sold, what number in line of production is it etc, on their cars. Each and every one. Talk about support. (I have an Esprit too). VW should do that and make spares and be PROUD of what they did yesterday! Nuff' said. Redfox ;) Edited July 11, 2014 by Redfox Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites