Recently I was at an area Cars and Coffee event and it struck me. Parked away from the rest of the cars was an all-new Jaguar XKR drop top in a ruby red color. It was straight from the company's North American headquarters only a stone's throw away from the meeting spot.
I've seen plenty of XKs and XKRs but this one had something different going on inside. It featured a contrasting diamond-patterned stitch on the black leather interior.
This struck me as odd. That's because it seemed too busy and also it seemed lifted from the Volkswagen Auto Group's Audi/Bentley playbook. Why can't Jaguar just be...Jaguar?
These examples are all around us.
How many automakers do you see chasing for marketshare in these silly niche categories? Once Mercedes-Benz dropped the CLS it was only a matter of time before the other German automakers produced their own four-door coupes.
Same goes for entry-level premium sedans as well as entry-level premium sport-utility vehicles.
It seems to me that there once was a bit of differentiation in the marketplace. That goes for motors, classes and design. NOW it seems that a lot of cars are essentially the same product and decisions come down to what exterior and interior design you like best.
Is this for BETTER or WORSE? Have too many automakers started following each other too closely?
What say you, Spies?