[abirnale]

In my honest opinion, it is very difficult (if not impossible!) to arrive at a perfect car. The car that is perfect for one may not be same for other and also at the same time, the car we feel perfect at some point may not remain perfect going forward. Because the change is only constant, our expectations and alliance with our vehicles keep changing. Because the needs keep changing, the expectations of a perfect car will change too but not the car. What I am trying to say is, perfect cars would last for life by not letting you get bored and serving without any trouble - note the definition of perfect car isn't perfect here! And this is rarest or the rare scene and hence no manufacturer would be able to make a perfect car.

But there can be cars that can be built perfect for the specific objective. For example as they say, the best race car is the one that lasts only during the race duration and will break down as soon race is over! So you have a definite purpose to meet and so would be possible to make a perfect car. But since we are automobile enthusiasts (for that matter everyone!) our level of enthusiasm will change with the offerings on market. And from a perspective of the buyer, there is actually no perfect car as such. All we end up buying is a car that suits well to our needs and likings in that frame of time!

[VeyronSuperSprt]

As long as there is no perfect human being there will never be a perfect car. They are both inter related in that the defects noticed by one person may be seen as a plus by another. For instance a low cost car like the Nano or even Indica may be seen by some as a means of mobility whereas the wealthy would shun them. So, it is not the defects in the car but the perception by humans that make a car perfect. And as long as humans aren't perfect, they will never be able to view any car as perfect.

[pratap.pratu]

I think companies must give an option to a customer to choose from " NICE TO HAVE" from their inventory or technical capabilities they can afford and have.. Foe Ex: a customer may like reverse cams or basic touch screen dashboards or good music systems, etc. A customer will always put his trust much more in a company fitted than in a aftermarket comparatively. Of course one must remember that these things will take time and $ to be delivered.
Also to add, atleast what a manufacturer can do is add some genuine limited edition functional features rather than just stickers or decals on the cars to tag them as special/limited/anniversary editions. The whole essence would be to make these limited edition cars stand out from the regular ones distinctly.

[shobhit.shri]

How can we have something perfect for everyone when the definition of "perfect" is different for everyone?

[ank.nsit]

Nothing is perfect actually in this world.

Each & every thing has its own pros & cons. So its basically a choice between things with more pros & less pros & never between the things with all pros & no pros.

Coming down to the small TECHNICAL levels in a car, a suspension setup with a good ride quality cannot not be a great handler, tyres with good grip will not be fuel efficient, engines with great torque & power will not be fuel efficient, taller cars will give a sense of space but won't feel planted on roads at high speeds, cars stable & planted on roads at high speeds will tend to have low ground clearance, a car with huge boot will tend to cramp up the rear seat space, cars with both huge boot & great rear space will tend to have a longer wheel base & low ground clearance..

So basically each & every car(all things in life for that matter) is a compromise on one level or the other. It depends on an individual how/what/which compromise is he willing to make.

[Jeroen]

Slightly different perspective.

Maybe we don't have perfect cars, but do you really feel you have to compromise that much?

I look at my cars and I'm genuinely pleased with all. They're very different and I use them differently. You can't compare a Ford Fiesta with a Mercedes.

I certainly never felt I had to compromise on anything major. What you probably do need to take into account is that for a certain budget you might not be able to get everything you desire.

Jeroen

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Slightly different perspective. ...

+1. We change many times in our lifetime and don't stay constant. So do our tastes, likes and dislikes, needs and wants. Expecting a perfect car is a mirage - by the time you get it, you will find you have some reason to find it imperfect.

Instead, it is better to limit the quest for perfection in what we do or what we make / produce. That is a much more satisfying journey. We have only ourselves to drive, and blame if we don't achieve perfection. It is easy to live with that, without negativity.

[lemedico]

As Clarkson once mentioned, it would be brilliant if there was a car designed by the Italians, built by ze Germans and specced by the Japanese!

At least for now there is a fine collaboration coming up in the near future, Aston Martin with AMG engines!

[tanstaafl]

I think it comes down to money. Every aspect of creating a product is balancing what you can extract from a budget.

As an example, those panel gaps and creaks you mentioned?

If you want to improve, that you need:

1) Better quality materials to be used - Thicker panels with less flex, higher raw material cost.

2) Better tolerances to be specified by the designers to the part suppliers - Higher supplied part cost

3) Higher precision assembly line and welding machines - higher initial assembly line setup cost.

4) More QC - higher cost in terms of time and rejected parts.

5) The money set aside for warranty costs will have to be higher.

Once you look at all these costs associated with improving just that once aspect, you start weighing it against the increase in sales for those added benefits. If 9 buyers out of ten are happy with the current build quality, the 1 buyer out of 10 paying the 50k extra for improved build quality cannot sustain the additional product manufacture costs.

The car industry is the farthest from a monopoly a market can be. The margins are low and there are so many companies competing that, at any given time, most prices tend to be in equilibrium. I don't believe we are being fleeced.

It is up to us to pick which manufacturer/model has achieved the balance closest to our needs.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by lemedico

As Clarkson once mentioned, it would be brilliant if there was a car designed by the Italians, built by ze Germans and specced by the Japanese! At least for now there is a fine collaboration coming up in the near future, Aston Martin with AMG engines!

Think about the Aston Martin Cygnet. Toyota under the skin. Euro build standards and luxuries. If the engine were by Merc or one of the others what a WOW it would be!

[lemedico]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Think about the Aston Martin Cygnet. Toyota under the skin. Euro build standards and luxuries. If the engine were by Merc or one of the others what a WOW it would be!

Sadly it has been discontinued, I remember reading it somewhere. But the purpose of the cygnet was to balance carbon dioxide credits. I watched on top gear. They said because all their cars have v12s,they had to also have a tiny engined car to compensate for their emissions.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by lemedico

Sadly it has been discontinued, I remember reading it somewhere. But the purpose of the cygnet was to balance carbon dioxide credits. I watched on top gear. They said because all their cars have v12s,they had to also have a tiny engined car to compensate for their emissions.

Really cute and miniature in appearance but super luxuriously appointed inside!
Sad that it is no more...

[F150]

How can a end product be perfect, when the user requirements were never defined ?

The user requirements are assumed, so the end user may or may not like the product.

There will always be some % of the end users, who will not like the end product.

So any car manufacture will concentrate on the 20% of the factors which if they get right, makes the product likeable for 80% of the intended market.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by F150

How can a end product be perfect, when the user requirements were never defined ?

The user requirements are assumed, so the end user may or may not like the product.

There will always be some % of the end users, who will not like the end product.

So any car manufacture will concentrate on the 20% of the factors which if they get right, makes the product likeable for 80% of the intended market.

In India, cars with high fuel efficiency are appreciated but no concern safety. Cost cutting is heavy and all efforts to keepbthe ex-showroom price low. So manufacturers concentrate more on the above rather than giving a wholesome complete car.

Anurag.

[MaxTorque]

In my opinion the Perfect Car Concept is a myth. I think whatever a manufacturer do to make a perfect car, there will be some open ends left. The car which may be a perfect one for Mr.X may not be so for Mr.Y.

The product development time for any car is between 3-5 years. After initial design and virtual validations, the first few prototypes will take minimum 12 to 18 months and some niggles may go unnoticed at that stage. If they pop up at a later stage, then there will be almost no chance to address them without deviating timelines. So the other option left is to provide some no-so-perfect solution and launch the vehicle.

Another point is almost all cars are developed after setting a cost target for both development and manufacturing. So the manufactures normally prepare a "Must" and "Want" features list and keep deleting the list to keep themselves in price target.