Gt Viper

[hypnodoc]

Just arrived in Sydney from LA and have to now spend 10 days in Melb. I checked my emails and got this from a good friend who is the MD of a large corporation and to whom I had been bleating that the build quality of my R Spec was rather ordinary, nearly fell off the seat in the QANTAS Club when I read this. Guess I will have to stick with now. I will report more next week.

Rick,

I hope you are well.

A few little surprises for your when you get here;

1) I told the execs at Ford about how you are a mad Ford fan but your last car has not been fantastic and you are thinking of turning to the dark side of a European model or worse, a Holden. To lure you back they have agreed to lend you a car next week to tempt you back. The MD of FPV himself has made available a Viper GT auto for you. This is powered by the new boss 335, 5 litre engine with Bembo brake package and is very likely the most powerful motor vehicle on Aussie roads today. FPV will ensure the vehicle is fully fuelled and washed prior to collection. They will need some paperwork completed before this vehicle can go out on loan so could I pick you up from your hotel around 11:30 on Monday and take you out to FPV? You have the car until Sunday evening or Monday AM. We need to figure out when you’re flying back so we can set it up. Also we can lend you a kids seat if you need it.

[Worm]

Sweet!!!

[Dillz]

Umm aren't all GT's 335? And it's still sh*tty Ford build quality... If I was you I'd just spend the whole time getting the rears down to the wire.

[aiboart]

Enjoy your new ride!

This is a most elegant and effective example of brand building, viral promotion and account management. We need more of this direct customer action.

The fact is the Ford Australia and Expensive Daewoo design and build world beating hi performance low cost sports-GT sedans, yet all that works investment in design tooling and know how is completely undone with the low grade performance of the dealer network.

That is really disrespecting the company capital.

When the Ford Australia and Expensive Daewoo bosses stop reading reports gleaned from unrepresentative focus groups that are put together by useless market research hacks and go out into the market place to meet the customers face to face, they will learn that their new cashed up demographic is awfully impressed with their technology, but that their aftermarket support is in general a basket case. The technology can command a good margin but the product value is generally undone by the aftermarket support. It really is that simple.

The experts in franchised quality service delivery are the fast food chains. They employ 'mystery shoppers' and employ all manner of management techniques to ensure consistent service delivery in a exceedingly dispersed environment. The system keeps the franchise owners and the untrained workforce under control. It can and is done as a matter of course.

The root cause issue currently at both Ford Australia and Expensive Daewoo are in the thrall of the franchise dealers. The franchise owners call the shots (this is straight from the top...). Until the Ford and Expensive Daewoo grow some gonads and get the franchises under control and on song and up to a service quality standard, which more than likely is going to take some series commercial and cultural work, they are more or less spinning their wheels commercially.

Regards.

aa

[Dagabond]

You have the car until Sunday evening or Monday AM. We need to figure out when you’re flying back so we can set it up.

Be happy to run it back for you if need be....

[Rancidpunx]

Wonder if it is the same Viper GT that FPV lent Jeremy Clarkson recently?

[YOZ-F6]

Wonder if it is the same Viper GT that FPV lent Jeremy Clarkson recently?

Has the yellow tooth old bufoon finally parked his heiney in an FPV? no wonder I saw a pig flying this morning..

[Henz]

The build quality of my bf2 is probably the same.....soooo can I have it for a week next?

[hypnodoc]

Wonder if it is the same Viper GT that FPV lent Jeremy Clarkson recently?

Yes Mate, the Viper they were on about was the colour, (Purple) Clarkson thrashed the crap out of it and ruined the tyres so its got 4 new feet. I picked it up yesterday and have only driven it in the Melb traffic. First impressions great interior and user friendly (Here comes a flame) personally I prefer my R Spec , it (the R Spec) feels a hell of a lot more nimble in traffic and would rip the GT in a straight line without even realising it was in a race. that's not to say that a worked GT with some decent suspension wouldn't be a better car than the R Spec. I will have a better impression once I get it out on the highway

[R-SPEC]

Rick, you'd better drive it like Clarkson lol

Throw up a pic of it

Edited 04/04/11 11:37 PM by R-SPEC