Your car company

[Number 3]

Ok, just for fun. Bill Gates decides he wants to go into the Automobile making business and he PICKS you to run the company.

What is the first "vehicle" you develop to start this company off.

Keep in mind, it has to be realistic. So don't say you will have a 1,000 HP car goes 0 - 60 in 3 seconds and gets 100 mpg ...............and has a flux capacitor.

But hybrids, diesels, Range Extending Electric Vehicle (Chevy Volt) all fair game.

Keep in mind that the more expensive the car the lower the volume. Normal business practices apply.

Also, name the company............Microsoft Motors doesn't cut it.

A little more complicated than the 2 word game, but lets see where it goes.

[MikesZ]

A 35-37 MPG AWD CUV.

Forgot to name the company:

USM = US Motors

[THUMPER20X]

Works Autosport
Small turbocharged 250-300 hp AWD lightweight cars all under 25k. 3DR hatch, 3dr trunk 5 door hatch. Shared platform with composite monocoque bodies and interchangeable parts for customization and reducing the amount of tooling. A ton of custom combinations and safe performance upgrades directly at the point of manufacturing. Enough units built so it can compete in rally production class events and at the street level its almost like its race bretheren. Definitely a flat four for center of gravity. Kinda like a cheaper lighter smaller Subaru but American made. There would be a street level performance variation with absolute minimal options like power accesories etc and be light, faster and a 3 way tunable suspension. Even the electronics would be as minimal as possible outside of the drivetrain. Definitely in the 2500lb range.

[Indpowr]

Since my car was the first car in the country sponsored my Microsoft this is fitting...LOL

2 doors plus (with back seats) to maximize the drag ratio
Sports car fashion with full luxurious interior and MOST important technology out there. Hence car door pops as you enter its space. Seats read your body temp and keeps the temp that you program.
Hybrid motor that runs with High Performance creating 500hp but maintains 50mpg

Motor X

[Camaro_Corvette]

small crossover and a smaller car would come out first. Then I'd go for midsize...


The computer and the car will finally mesh....

[Lava]

First I would Imagine the insurance would be out of this world, with the reputation of his products there is a 100% chance it will be involved in a crash and more than likely be the manufacturer's fault. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Mr. Wyndham]

My car company would be a limited-production, high-end company. Like Porsche and friends. I would not attempt to compete directly with GM, Ford, or toyota/nissan/honda.

It'd be called Valkyrie Motors Co.

And this vehicle would be the V-II ("Vee-Two").

The first vehicle I'd design and manufacture (built somewhere in the US) would be a small-to-mid-sized 2+2 performance coupe. Styling is edgy but flowing with a skinny nose from the side view (think Aston Martin), and a strong muscular body (think Camaro). It would have a long hood, short-deck proportions and a flattened, but curved roofline (like the Corvette). Size is approx 185 in length, 74in width, 52in height. Weight target of 3600lbs.

In the front, the vehicle would feature dual HID headlights like BMW in edgy housings with aggressive LED "eyebrows" (like Cadillac, but horizontal). The main grille would be short, wide, skinny egg crate and chrome-edged. The air dam would be simple and chrome-accented on the sides, and foglights would be integrated into front brake ducts.

In the rear, the tail lights would be red LED and angled in an angry glare. They would also be integrated into the body lines like Porsche. The rear decklid would feature an integrated spoiler that raises and lowers like the Crossfire according to speed. Dual, edge-mounted exhaust tips (like the Camaro).

The interior would be high end Buick-level luxury. With an XTS concept-style center console and an LCD/OLED gauge read-out (only split into three 'separate' screens by chrome accents. The steering wheel would feature control knobs like the Centennial Corvette concept and have a flattened bottom like the G8. Seating surfaces would be leather standard, with an option to upgrade to suede/alcantara. Black, Dark Brown, Gray and Red are available colors (accented only: the top dash, seat-backs, and most of the door panels are always black). Features would include the works: Nav, PDIM, USB connectivity, Blueooth, Wi-Fi, DzCC, HUD, etc. However a new live-feed performance monitoring (like a built-in dash-daq), and adjustable engine power and suspension response will be available on this car. The center console would be as capable as an "Ipad" featuring Microsoft's new "Windows Auto" Operating system.

Standard powertrain would be a 3L - 4L Twin-Turbo V6 with adjustable boost. 350hp, 22/33mpg. Manual Transmission, optional automatic. Both 6-speeds and the automatic is GM-sourced.

An optional powertrain, in the V-IIS model would be a 5L to 6L V8: DI, AFM, VVT and gas or E85 capable. Additional performance would be supplied by an electrical motor powered by a small amount of Lithium Ion Batteries stored under the rear seats. Making this a 475hp/500tq hybrid powertrain with limited all-electric capability under 15mph for about 1 mile non-stop (you'd only use this to start off from stop lights and in parking lots/driveways). Performance numbers would be in the 4 second range to 60, and 12.4 in the quarter mile. MPG is 27/30

Handling would be best in class for a mid-sized 2+2 on the V-IIS. Supplied by Dephi/GM's Magnareological shock absorbers and the standard suspension would be a coilover setup. IRS is standard on both models. 4-piston brake calipers standard, and a 6-piston + slotted rotors upgrade on the S model is included in the price. Different rims and a hood-bulge will identify the S as an S.

The car would have an aluminum frame with fiberglass body panels on all models.

Pricing to start at $55,000 for the V-II, $70,000 for the V-IIS.
A hard-top convertible will be offered at a $9,000 premium, and all options would total $14,000 over base price of either model. The S model changes nothing on the interior.


Can you tell I had a lot of time on my hands?

[derklug]

I would start in the niche market, an all electric delivery vehicle for UPS and the post office, any buisness that drives less than 100 miles per day. After getting a name as "the" electric vehicle company, move into the family mover lines. I wouldn't try a sports car as the competition would be too stiff right off the line. Company name Micro Soft Works for Road.

[djsnoflake]

I would be a cheap Toyota rip off company. Like a combination of Tata and Kia. If you look at the profits these companies make it is rediculous.

Now would I drive one of the vehicles my company makes? Hell no.

Hmm

Panda Motors

[NoUCantDriveIt]

Old joke but just for giggles...

If Microsoft made cars...
1. For no reason whatsoever your car would crash twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines on the road you would have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason, and you would just accept this, restart and drive on.
4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn, would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Only one person at a time could use the car, unless you bought "Car95" or "CarNT." But then you would have to buy more seats.
6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, reliable, five times as fast, and twice as easy to drive, but would only run on five per cent of the roads.
7. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single "general car default" warning light.
8. New seats would force everyone to have the same size butt.
9. The airbag system would say "Are you sure?" before going off.
10. Occasionally for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grab hold of the radio antenna.
11. GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a deluxe set of Rand McNally road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even though they neither need them nor want them. Attempting to delete this option would immediately cause the car's performance to diminish by 50% or more. Moreover, GM would become a target for investigation by the Justice Department.
12. Everytime GM introduced a new model car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
13. You'd press the "start" button to shut off the engine.

[Indpowr]

Microsoft car





and it was mine..

[The_Blur]

I'd go with Timeless Motors. Indicating a name such as Timeless would require an advertising campaign and products that reflect the perpetual nature of the industry's greatest recurring designs. Great designs last for a long time without losing buzz, like Porshe's most popular products, the Corvette, Lamborghinis, and other exotics with easily recognized styling.

Timeless would begin with an entry into the exotic market. This would best coincide with its design and upscale advertising campaign. Expect an angular design along the lines of a Lamborghini with a mid-engine layout. It would not be a top performer, but it would be a competitively priced, limited production vehicle. When the vehicle turns a profit, minor design refreshes and an engine upgrade will bring it into a more competitive place in the market.

With high enough markups and outside investment, this vehicle could build a decent profit. This profit would be reinvested into the brand as a new vehicle in a lower trim. Having now built a competitive exotic product, a more luxury-oriented vehicle would be produced. Think along the lines of the Phantom crossed with classic Cadillacs. The vehicles would be long, spacious, and easily converted into fleet limos. This sort of fleet sale would become a large enough source profit to reinvest into another line of production.

Now there is profit coming from a couple of vehicles: a 2-seater exotic with angular lines and a small line of full size luxury vehicles that includes a sedan and a coupe. Not everyone likes exotics. People with the same money invest in muscle cars. Timeless would take the best attributes of the best muscle cars and design one from the ground up. It would be built for drag racing with a larger target market than the other products. This line would include a pony car reminiscent of cars from the 1970s. A larger, Chevelle-like product would also be produced. These vehicles would have a single trim level with one advanced engine per product. Since this brand is specifically designed to compete at the top of every category with limited production, there is no reason to build lower trims.

Target markets include:

• high-end performance exotic (competes with Lamborghini)
• full size ultra luxury sedan and limousine (competes with Rolls Royce)
• full size ultra luxury coupe and convertible (inspired by classic Cadillacs)
• pony car coupe (inspired by classic pony cars of the early 1970s)
• muscle car market (inspired by classic vehicles, like the Chevelle)
• electric roadster (competes with Tesla)
• electric public trolley and bus platform (for governments and transportation)

The vehicle list could expand to include other products over time, but these would be the products for the first 20 years assuming success for that long.

[DGthe3]

To be an upstart, you need to begin in a bit of a niche. So in typical Canadian fashion, I'll start by defining what I won't do:

• full size trucks (Detroit is just too dominant to get a start here)
• small economy cars (the Japanese are too dominant here to get a start)
• Luxury cars (name means a lot in this segment)
• mid size cars (market is over-saturated, difficult to get enough volume)
• 4 door coupes (because I hate them, with a passion)
• Minivans (see above)
• FWD performance (again, see above)

So, that pretty much leaves large cars, performance, crossovers, small trucks, and SUVs. Unfortunately, this doesn't bode well for meeting CAFE. Oh well. I'll tack on the cost of the fines back onto the vehicle price. The company motto will be 'go big, or go home'. By the numbers, everything we offer will be the best where it matters most in the segment. Comfortable large cars, capable SUVs, and fastest performance. One thing that will make us unique is a diesel option on every vehicle we sell, including the halo sports car.

The large cars will be more akin to the Charger and G8 than say the Genesis or the Taurus. There will also be a deticated fleet (taxi and police) model, separate from the retail version to avoid the resale and perception issues that cars like the Impala face.

I think the segment where I could make the biggest impact is in the small truck market. Currently, full size trucks offer more capability for a little more money. Most of the big companies focus so much of their attention on the large trucks and as a result the small ones are seemingly an afterthought. Given a similar focus on small trucks should yield the best value in the entire truck market, and steal sales from not just Rangers and Tacomas but Silverados and Rams as well.

SUVs, I will bring back the meaning of Sport Utility Vehicle. They will be built to be used and abused. Mechanically simple so that things are easier to fix than they are to break. They will feature things like easy to clean interiors (owners will be expected to get muddy now and then).

Crossovers will be relatively nondescript. They will look more like SUV's than waggons. But fundamentally, they will still be cars. All the convenience features that one would expect will be there. Plenty of cup holders, entertainment for the kids, good cargo volume, removable seats, etc.

Performance will be characterized by the motto 'no replacement for displacement'. But they won't be just simple big engined brutes like the Viper (as much as I love that car, the market is hardly big enough for the Viper itself, let alone any competition). The halo car will feature a clean and classy interior with high-end materials, selectable suspension and performance settings, front-mid engine + RWD, 2 seats, killer looks, all the things such a car should be.

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

I'm not falling for this. You are gonna steal my ideas and get rich off me.