Chrysler Don't Spinout Cars on TV Like Cadillac's SRX Commercial

For a while the Cadillac SRX commercials were boss. AC/DC rockin' away
made the commercials more entertaining than the TV shows they sponsored.

But the latest one is downright frightening. First it starts off silent.
The first time I saw it run, I thought my TV set was busted! Then at the
end, the SRX spins out in a cloud of dust. This is scary. At least it
stays upright; if they try that trick on dry, clean pavement, the sucker
might flip over like most SUV types do, particularly if they are loaded to
maximum gross weight with a near empty gas tank.

Now don't think I don't like a few thrills. For thrills, you can't beat a
buzz job or a loop in a Cub. But spinning out a car is not something you
wish your best enemy to experience in his worst nightmare. There isn't
much room on a road for a spinout before your leave the road and flip or
spin into an oncoming Peterbilt. You'll likely cream out that $58,000 Caddy
and put yourself, the old lady and the two brats in the back seat in the
hospital. And you'll be stuck with about half the $100,000 hospital bill
too, after all the copays and co-insurance. And think of the old lady's
aches and pains for the rest of her life. She won't be rattling those pots
and pans and swinging that mop like she used to. And you just about forget
consortium too; you're going to get a lot of exercise with that right hand
of yours for the next 30 years. Besides, after the insurance company
patches together your mangled SRX, you'll be the proud owner of a pile of
rubbish.

Do you notice that every car commercial has the disclaimer, "closed course,
professional driver"? To me this means if you buy that car don't expect it
to drive like the demo because you will cream out yourself it you try.

So, what kind of commercial would I like to see? How about a tour of the
factory showing smiling workers assembling the car with love? How about an
engineer extolling the virtues of advanced design that lesser cars can't
match? How about an action movie showing the car going through its paces
under perfect control? P.S. Cadillac knows that its almost impossible to
get a car to spinout, even with their ancient technology rear wheel drive
models like their SRX - their driver has to make some unnatural control
inputs to make that nauseating drama to happen. The $64 question is, how
did the stunt driver get the SRX to spinout in spite of the Stability
Enhancement System which "StabliTrak" is supposed to prevent such
out-of-control operation?

General Motors actually knows how to make state of the art cars. After all
they did build planes during WWII. Now if only they would apply some of
that airplane engineering to their cars, maybe they could build an SRX that
weighs less than a DeVille! Now that's nothing to brag about - the DeVille
is a Wilshire Blvd. heavy metal (Pb) cruiser, not the super-sports road
burner they would like you to believe is the SRX.

 

| For a while the Cadillac SRX commercials were boss. AC/DC rockin' away
| made the commercials more entertaining than the TV shows they sponsored.
|
| But the latest one is downright frightening. First it starts off silent.
| The first time I saw it run, I thought my TV set was busted! Then at the
| end, the SRX spins out in a cloud of dust. This is scary. At least it
| stays upright; if they try that trick on dry, clean pavement, the sucker
| might flip over like most SUV types do, particularly if they are loaded to
| maximum gross weight with a near empty gas tank.
|
| Now don't think I don't like a few thrills. For thrills, you can't beat a
| buzz job or a loop in a Cub. But spinning out a car is not something you
| wish your best enemy to experience in his worst nightmare. There isn't
| much room on a road for a spinout before your leave the road and flip or
| spin into an oncoming Peterbilt. You'll likely cream out that $58,000 Caddy
| and put yourself, the old lady and the two brats in the back seat in the
| hospital. And you'll be stuck with about half the $100,000 hospital bill
| too, after all the copays and co-insurance. And think of the old lady's
| aches and pains for the rest of her life. She won't be rattling those pots
| and pans and swinging that mop like she used to. And you just about forget
| consortium too; you're going to get a lot of exercise with that right hand
| of yours for the next 30 years. Besides, after the insurance company
| patches together your mangled SRX, you'll be the proud owner of a pile of
| rubbish.
|
| Do you notice that every car commercial has the disclaimer, "closed course,
| professional driver"? To me this means if you buy that car don't expect it
| to drive like the demo because you will cream out yourself it you try.
|
| So, what kind of commercial would I like to see? How about a tour of the
| factory showing smiling workers assembling the car with love? How about an
| engineer extolling the virtues of advanced design that lesser cars can't
| match? How about an action movie showing the car going through its paces
| under perfect control? P.S. Cadillac knows that its almost impossible to
| get a car to spinout, even with their ancient technology rear wheel drive
| models like their SRX - their driver has to make some unnatural control
| inputs to make that nauseating drama to happen. The $64 question is, how
| did the stunt driver get the SRX to spinout in spite of the Stability
| Enhancement System which "StabliTrak" is supposed to prevent such
| out-of-control operation?
|
| General Motors actually knows how to make state of the art cars. After all
| they did build planes during WWII. Now if only they would apply some of
| that airplane engineering to their cars, maybe they could build an SRX that
| weighs less than a DeVille! Now that's nothing to brag about - the DeVille
| is a Wilshire Blvd. heavy metal (Pb) cruiser, not the super-sports road
| burner they would like you to believe is the SRX.
|

With today's digital imagery manipulation software, they can make those SUVs
fly through the air in the commercials if they want. Some of what you're
seeing isn't real...bet on that!

 

Wait a second! The traction control systems can be turned off with the
switch of a button. And I would guess its not too hard to swing mine around
with the parking brake, if I really wanted to. The disclaimers about
professional drivers on closed courses are so that Joe Smith does not try
his first parking brake turn on a regular 2-lane road. I learned mine
autocrossing, long before I bought my SRX.

Oh, and the music is Led Zep, not AC/DC.

Otherwise, nice post

 

Ummm, I am not aware of any airplanes (at least in terms of an entire
aircraft) that Cadillac ever built. It IS true, however, that they built
MANY parts for aircraft engines both before, and during, the war. These
were for another GM division, called Allison. The engine was the Allison
V-1710, and variations of it, were used in the P-38 Lightning, and the P-51
Mustangs.... As a footnote, I believe it was design of the P-38 that
inspired the fins on the 1948 model Cadillacs.....

More than airplane engine parts, Cadillac was really focused on building
tanks! How appropriate!.... Yes, Cadillac made a lot of M-5 and later, M-24
light tanks, both of which were powered by dual Cadillac V-8s, with
automatic trannies!.... In fact, I know a guy who has a New Old Stock V-8
block (surplus) that he used when he restored his 1941 60 Special.... I
don't think everything was the same, but with modification, I guess he got
it to work.

Kevin
www.huffreport.com
A Celebration of American Cars, Music, and Retro Culture

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