On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 17:09:18 EDT, <Tubamirbls@aol.com> wrote:
>
> Reading the PR piece on the 2004 then seeing the comments from many List
> members leads me to conclude how far apart Chrysler's product planners
> are concerning the Dakota, whether it be the 2004 or any beyond that, and
> so many of you.
> I can only assume that Chrysler planners have some sort of computer
> record on the demographic of their current Dakota owners and that based
> upon the majority of them they have (hopefully) made their decisions on
> 2004 power trains and all the rest. Obviously they have to keep two eyes
> on the competition in this product segment too but we assume buyers have
> selected Dakota over its competition because of what it offers that's
> important to them.
> It seems that most of you view the Dakota from the standpoint of a
> personal vehicle which must perform like a rocket and boast engine
> statistics to back up such performance. Most of you moreover, want
> aftermarket suppliers to offer a wide range of additional performance
> modifications. Some of you are into off road activity and push snow
> around in the winter. A few pull good size trailers with your boat
> aboard or whatever else.
> But believe it or not, Dodge sells a great many Dakotas to be used as a
> truck, a necessary companion for people to get their daily work done, in
> which cases, exotic high performance dual overhead cams, a plethora of
> optional axle ratios, massive way oversize tires and all the rest is
> utterly irrelevant. They need a decently powered workhorse and little
> else and the 3.7 and 4.7 will accomplish that in the majority of cases
> with ease. Chrysler continues to be in deep hot water concerning its lack
> of profitability. In times like this, the beancounters in the company
> pull lots of weight. No doubt the 2004 Dakota announcement details
> reflect exactly this situation. If the 2004 fails in your estimation to
> qualify as the hotrod you seek then maybe Chrysler's planners found in
> their owner and potential buyer analysis that the market for persons with
> interest far different from yours are where the sales volume lies??
>
> Paul Sahlin
>
I don't think everyone here thinks that every dakota should be making 13
second quarter miles. Alot of what you read are those that are interested
in seeing a model offered that has high performance. That's what the R/T
was all about. It fills a niche market with a mass market product. A
product like that helps sell the average dakota as well. It gives the model
name more recognition. The same way the raceteams do. In comparison to the
v6 club clab dakotas out on the road, there aren't very many R/T's. I'd
also like to say that the dakota isn't a compact truck. It's midsize and it
really isn't a fair comparison to the s10's and Ford Rangers. They are a
lot smaller. But the dakota really fills that middle ground for the public.
FOr people who don't have the money or desire to ride around in a full size
truck, but still desire some muscle for chores they need to do every now
and again. This list in no way reflects the entire dakota owner spectrum.
Most people come to the list because the have the desire to modify their
truck. Most people don't do that. We are 3l33t here. :D
-- -Droo Email: 03dakotaCC4.7_4x4@comcast.nethttp://www.granroyal.org/dakota
2003 Dakota Club Cab 4x4, V8 4.7L, Manual Transmission Rhino Liner Alpine CDA-9807 CD/MP3/WMA Player Apline SPS-!70A 6 1/2" Speakers Alpine XM Tuner / MTX Thunder 311D Amplifier Sony P5 8" Subwoofer / Q-custom Enclosure / Business Consoile
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