Chevy's solution: copy Toyota shamelessly

[St_G]

Not bad looking, but I wouldn't buy any of them. At best, I'd get GM quality. At worst, Daewoo.
Really though, it's unfair to say that they're copying (just) Toyota specifically. The Beat looks more like 2-door Fit (perhaps by way of the xA) than it does the Yaris. And really, all B-spec hatchbacks look a bit like each other. And I see as much Honda Element, Chevy HHR, PT Cruiser, Jeep Compass (and even a little Hummer H3!) in the other two designs as I do xB or Matrix/Vibe.

[nsmitchell]

Anyone hear about the Indian company Tata Motors? They are going to try to make a car for the USA for around $2500.00.
That's right, $1000.00 less than the Yaris ZPI Turbocharger!

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...eek+exclusives

33 Horsepower! I bet if you put some NOS on that baby you could get it iup to 45HP!

I bet it will be beautiful as well!!! ; )

[Yaris Revenge]

Hey, don't knock it! VW bugs started out around 40 or so horses, and look where they are now!

However, I think they may need to change their company name for the English-speaking market. I wouldn't be interested in driving around a boobiemobile.

~YR

[St_G]

I'm kinda curious where all these "I'll never buy a Japanese vehicle" people are hiding. Almost everyone I know associates "Japanes car" with bullet-proof quality. Even down where my father lives, in the Middle of Nowhere, Alabama, the preferred work truck of 90% of the farmers is the Toyota Tundra. Most of the remaning 10% are Dodge Rams, with only a small sliver of Ford or Chevy supporters.

The Honda Ridgeline, of course, despite its Car and Driver win a year or two ago, isn't very popular among people who actually want a pickup. I'm curious to see if the recent crowning by both C&D and Motor Trend of the new Silverado does anything to help its reputation among people who rely on their trucks the way these farmers do.

But really, if a bunch of rednecks tooling around their farms in rural Alabama -- not exactly a group especially friendly to all things foreign -- are driving Toyotas, where are all the automotive xenophobes?

[ECHOKnight2000]

I'm not going to lie. I do like the Beat. Its a funky looking car. With Green, my fav color to boot!

[ChinoCharles]

I'd grab a Tata. No, seriously, I'd garage the Yaris for winters if I could grab a tinky daily driver for a few grand. I agree, that is the next frontier in motoring. Disposable cars.

[spkrman]

Originally Posted by ChinoCharles

I'd grab a Tata. No, seriously, I'd garage the Yaris for winters if I could grab a tinky daily driver for a few grand. I agree, that is the next frontier in motoring. Disposable cars.

I'd be ALL OVER driving a tata!!!!

Of course, I'd end up buying the car 3 times over in mods....

[churp]

I've owned three 36 hp cars....VW bug, Triuph Hearald, and a Honda 600 Coupe....and I used them for daily drivers. The 1st 2 were 55mph wonders and the Honda would get up to 75. With my driving, the Bug got mid 20's mpg, the Hearald maybe a little better, and the Honda got 30-33....and no, I didn't use hypermiling techniques, but I drove faster than the hypers do. I'd gladly buy a new one like these for $3,000......especialy if you could keep them running with a visegrip, screw driver, and baling wire!

[wagoneer]

I like the green car. I would like to know how it performs with the smaller turbo engine.

The world (outside of the U.S. is about small cars). Small cars rule. Ever see some of the GM Holdens out there? They are coming to America...as Pontiacs.

The more the merrier, a little competition never hurt anyone.

However, if the green car steers and shifts like the Aveo, I would have to buy a Yaris again.

[PetersRedYaris]

I think these cars look good for being made by Chevy. Anybody remember the Pontiac Aztec? How the hell did that one slip through? Although this would be a good direction for Chevy, these cars will never make it to market looking like that. They'll be toned down to the typical blandness Chevy desires and carry along their shit quality to boot. I do like the idea of that 1.0 liter diesel, Just not one made by Chevy.

[Yaris Revenge]

Originally Posted by churp

I've owned three 36 hp cars....VW bug, Triuph Hearald, and a Honda 600 Coupe....and I used them for daily drivers. The 1st 2 were 55mph wonders and the Honda would get up to 75. With my driving, the Bug got mid 20's mpg, the Hearald maybe a little better, and the Honda got 30-33....and no, I didn't use hypermiling techniques, but I drove faster than the hypers do. I'd gladly buy a new one like these for $3,000......especialy if you could keep them running with a visegrip, screw driver, and baling wire!

HEY! I had a Honda Z600 also! Cool!

Did you know at one time that car held the record for fastest stock minicar? Someone had a bone-stocker that hit 95mph. Not bad for a 600cc two cylinder, but scary, considering the ONLY safety features were the seatbelts, and nothing in the whole car was held together by more than 4 bolts!

(not mine)

~YR

[Presto]

Throw on some traction bars and hood scoop and you will really get the Chevy crowd enthusiastic.

Sersiously, this is good news. GM has the absolute worst timing. If nothing more, by the time these things hit the showroom floor, there's a good chance gas will be headed toward $1.50 a gallon.

[static808]

Originally Posted by Presto

If nothing more, by the time these things hit the showroom floor, there's a good chance gas will be headed toward $1.50 a gallon.

arent gas prices only going to increase from here on out??

--B

[Lillydot]

i think the Beat is really cute. i still wouldn't get a chevy, but i like the look. except that black slash. if toyota or honda ( or VW, or Saab, or Volvo) came out this a car that looked like that, i'd take it!

[churp]

Being a little stingy with the American thing??...seems to me that Mexico and Canada are as American as The US.....then we could go Central and South!!!!

Chevrolet isn't stretching the truth until it comes to overseas!!

The world is really getting smaller.

[static808]

Originally Posted by churp

Being a little stingy with the American thing??...seems to me that Mexico and Canada are as American as The US.....then we could go Central and South!!!!

Chevrolet isn't stretching the truth until it comes to overseas!!

The world is really getting smaller.

haha, you're kidding right!?! not to sound like the US and japan are the only countries that can make good cars, but when was the last time you saw someone getting excited over their car being built in mexico?? to be more specific, i'm more frustrated with how american companies are bashing japanese companies simply because they are foreign owned, and add to that fact the number of ignorant americans who purchase cars solely because of the "supposed" nation of origin. i actually really appreciate a really well built american car, such as my sienna (built in princeton, indiana). the hypocrisy of american car companies can get ridiculous sometimes, that's all...

--B

[churp]

Can you imagine what the Tata could do to the US economy.....used car market would go to hell,.... why buy a 4 wheeler when you could buy a Tata,rip the fenders off and replace the wheels with deep offsets and knobbies for a big savings....can't buy a decent lawn tractor for $2500!

I'm sure our great US government will never allow it at that price!

[PetersRedYaris]

Originally Posted by churp

Can you imagine what the Tata could do to the US economy.....used car market would go to hell,.... why buy a 4 wheeler when you could buy a Tata,rip the fenders off and replace the wheels with deep offsets and knobbies for a big savings....can't buy a decent lawn tractor for $2500!

I'm sure our great US government will never allow it at that price!

I don't see how it can be done while still meeting DOT safety standards. I gunna call on the tata and say it's never going to happen at that price. More power to them if they can.