[Leica] un-believable - now off-topic and long-ish

[sethrosner at nycap.rr.com (Seth Rosner)]

Rabs, I'll quarrel with you on one (non-photographic) point only: Cadillac 
is today in the business of building world-class cars. Cadillac build 
quality is better than anything coming from Mercedes-Benz short of the 
S-class and it is as good as the S. Cadillac build quality is at least as 
good as anything BMW, Lexus or Audi builds today. None of these is a Bentley 
or Rolls which are analagous to Leica, superb quality but less than leading 
technology - until the S2.

I'm a car nut, raced a little TR-3 when I was in the Navy and a Porsche 
Super 90 when I lived in Paris. My first car was a 1950 flat-head V-8 Ford 
when I was in college and I didn't own another American car until a 
mid-1990's Ford Taurus SHO. In between I have owned a top-line Rover, 2 
top-line Peugeots, 2 top-line BMW's and 5 Ferraris - all bought 'pre-owned' 
(read: well-used!) and sold at a profit.
Four years ago I test drove two pre-production Cadillac STS sedans and said 
to myself, wow! these cars are sensational, not only wonderful performance 
and handling but outstanding build quality, e.g. body gaps to tighter 
tolerances than either M-B, BMW or Lexus. And decided to consider buying one 
when I needed to replace my SHO. Two years ago I bought a Cadillac STS-V. 
I've run this car on the track at Watkins Glen. It is the best car I have 
ever driven. But it is limited production (fewer than 2,000/year) and given 
the salt and sand they spread on roads hereabouts (it began to snow 
yesterday morning, hasn't stopped and still is - maybe 16 inches on the 
ground) I store it during the winter. So last winter with the odometer on 
the Ford well into six figures and not wanting to risk breakdown given our 
weather, I needed a replacement. Intended to buy a new Chevy Malibu, 
MotorTrend magazine 2008 Car of the Year. Test drove it and loved it. But 
the salesman asked if I wanted to test drive the new Cadillac CTS. I did and 
the price difference at that time was not huge so I am now the only 
one-person two Cadillac family I know. The CTS is slightly smaller and 
certainly not as powerful as the STS-V but it has the same world-class build 
quality and I've also driven my CTS on the Watkins Glen race track and it is 
quite extraordinary.

Just as extraordinary for GM to have turned itself around as they have. I've 
gotten sick to my stomach at the trashing of GM and Ford that the 
grotesquely uninformed Senators and media geniuses have carried out during 
the last month. Both Companies have already transformed themselves (I can't 
speak about Chrysler as I do not know their products) and have been caught 
in the economic catastrophe caused by the criminals who have run the banks 
and investment banks and come close to destroying the world economy. End of 
rant.

Seth

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Rabiner" <mark@rabinergroup.com>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 1:36 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] un-believable


> Is a Chevy car a Leica M7?
>
> Does Detroit make premium luxury items?
>
> Is Leica detroit?
>
> Does Leica made middle of the road for the masses  mass produced units
> (cars)?
>
> What color was George Washington's white horse?
>
> The only luxury model Detroit has I can think of is a Cadillac.
> And a Cadillac is not a Leica
> A Cadillac is a flagship Nikon or Canon.
>
> The LUG would teach us after being on it for any length at all that Leica 
> is
> a premium company not competing against mass produced cameras.
> Leica makes in effect hand builds using the top materials for people who
> settle for nothing but the best and are willing to amass that kind of 
> money
> for it.
>
> A Leica is a Mercedes or BMW or Audi or Lexus or Porsche.
> Detroit has had no interest in Leica quality that I'm aware of.
> I guess if you don't count Ford buying Jaguar.
> - I'm not that versed in the goings on on cars.
>
>
> That said 20,000 euros is a bit more than anyone I know has to spend on a
> camera no matter what it is or does body only and I know some pretty 
> wealthy
> photogs and photo bugs. I can't think of anyone planning on getting one. I
> assume they'll be for rent but how a company can stay afloat on this kind 
> of
> business is beyond me.
>
> Rabs
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


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