Bean-Counterism

[850CSi]

The Cavalier has the dubious distinction of being the only car I've ever driven that made me want to never drive again.

[CALL_911]

Well, this is really just catering to n00bs, rather than bean-counterism, but the CDV's in BMW's manuals.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The Cavalier has the dubious distinction of being the only car I've ever driven that made me want to never drive again.

I bet my 'sc0rt is worse.

[850CSi]

I bet my 'sc0rt is worse.

I've driven a rather beat up example. It's not. At least IMO.

[850CSi]

Well, this is really just catering to n00bs, rather than bean-counterism, but the CDV's in BMW's manuals.

I need to find a way to get that damn thing out.

[CALL_911]

I need to find a way to get that damn thing out.

If you must, do it after the warranty's done.

[CALL_911]

http://www.bmw325i.net/rev_cdv_removal.shtml

I don't think it's even a hard tweak, just that BMW will stop all your maintenance and shit if you do.

[280Z Turbo]

The Ford Ranger. I'm not even sure if the managment at Ford know that the production workers are still building them. Maybe it's just that nobody has told them to stop.

My dad and I always chuckle when we go NAIAS in Detroit and recognize parts from our old '86 on the '07.

[ifcar]

Were you not on your knees deep-throating Consumer Reports throbbing member all the time I would ask whether you have ever driven a Samurai, but alas I imagine the answer is not material to your assessment of the vehicle anyway.

I drove one before they did. My thought was that it would be great for primarily off-road use, but I wasn't comfortable in it on the road. And I wasn't even taking corners fast.

Have you driven one? Or would that not affect your assessment anyway, because if Consumer Reports disliked it it must automatically be good?

[ifcar]

This is most-likely what convinced Lutz that bean counterism sucked.  When this car came to all of the shows, GM had customers vote on whether they wanted to see it reach production.  As one of the millions who voted for it, here's what GM should have put into production.



Here's what we got:



Which turned into:

The concept was designed after the production version.

[the Teuton]

The concept was designed after the production version.

Why would they change it so much then?

[ifcar]

It's not changed that much.

[Panama_Chopster]

Here's one: The Pinto

[TheIntrepid]

[the Teuton]

It's not changed that much.

The whole front end and plastic panels on the sides were changed, in addition to the interior layout, the gray plastic, and the Versatrak wasn't even available at launch time.  It was cheapened like hell.

[FoMoJo]

The Ford Focus. Received kudos when introduced, marred by recalls early due to cost cutting. Whe Focus II platform was introuduced worldwide, we got stuck with the original. They did sell the Focus II platform in North America...as the Mazda3, which has received high praise.

The NA Focus has got to be the ultimate case of bean-counter mentality almost ruining a, potentially, segment leading car.  The Euro version, by all accounts, was a great little car that was reliable and performed above its class.  When building the NA version, well, they didn't think that it was necessary to pay for the cost of an engineering team to do the mandated changes.  Just let the assembly line rubes take care of it.  The result was a disaster.  The first year NA Focus was such a calamity of recalls that, even now, the legacy lives on.  Coming so close together with the Explorer fiasco, another bean-counter f*@k-up, it put the company into a nose-dive that it's still trying to recover from.  Jacques Nasser is the egotistical, pretentious little prick that was responsible for all of this...the King of the Bean-counters.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I've driven a rather beat up example. It's not. At least IMO.

I say, if you're going to drive a shitbox, it might as well have some muscle! The Cavi's 110hp totally pwns the 'sc0rt's 88hp.

[TheIntrepid]

I say, if you're going to drive a shitbox, it might as well have some muscle! The Cavi's 110hp totally pwns the 'sc0rt's 88hp.

And the 'r0lla's 120hp beats them both.

[Eye of the Tiger]

And the 'r0lla's 120hp beats them both.

Too bad it's stuck on the crummiest 3-speed automatic ever. Plus, since it's a Toyota, it's overrated anyway. The 'sc0rt totally is underrated for 88hp. It bet it has like 92. 

[TheIntrepid]

Too bad it's stuck on the crummiest 3-speed automatic ever. Plus, since it's a Toyota, it's overrated anyway. The 'sc0rt totally is underrated for 88hp. It bet it has like 92. 

At its age? Both cars would be lucky to have 85hp right now. The 'r0lla has 302k on it.

[Eye of the Tiger]

At its age? Both cars would be lucky to have 85hp right now. The 'r0lla has 302k on it.

I has a jet-engine intake on the 'sc0rt

[2o6]

Another:

Dodge Neon:

Cute looks, Handled Great, impressive power-to-weight ratio, even good by todays standards. Great AutoX car, relatively popular.


Cheap Materials, Paint, Build quality were just horrid.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Another good one:

Fiero. A perfectly great idea was ruined because GM was a cheap bastard and recycled shitty parts from it's other shitty cars.