Sounds familiar..... Diluting the performance for the quick buck.... Are Manufactures Diluting Performance Badges?
It is all about the money & if a maker can add thousands of dollars to the price for a badge & sticker job that's what they do. Makers buying tuning companies was the start of this. There are still performance cars to be had, but the performance image has been diluted for sure. These days with careful shopping in the aftermarket one can end up with superior performance for less money. But you will not have the boutique badge if that matters at all.
This has been going on for years.......remember the big three and the thought that you could add a few stickers to a car and it suddenly became a high-performance version.
Toyota TRD. TRD? Really? Did they sound that out when they decided on it? ...and they put it on everything! Dave
I remember when TRD was a little known skunk works kind of place. They helped me out when I was running my FX16 in ITA. Yep & now it is nothing more than a badge & sticker package on Toyota's. Is there a TRD Prius yet? rrr:
Yes there is a TRD Prius [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvk6ita6WGs"]Prius PLUS Performance Package, developed by Toyota Racing Development | Toyota Prius - YouTube[/ame]
Until the car reaches the end of its life and you have to put all those batteries in the ground and kill those trees. Ahhh the cycle of life will bite the ass of the hipster, recycling tree-huggers in time. :lol: