apias:
RC:

Jeep has a certain (positive) image in Germany and even the SRT was kind of a (small) problem but people didn't really realize that this is not your typical Jeep off-roader. Now with a Hellcat engine equipped Grand Cherokee, Jeep would actually enter the luxury performance SUV market here and people would certainly notice. Not sure it would do them good. 

So, you mean driving around in what people now see as a high-end luxury brand -- i.e., that you are flaunting your wealth?

Currently, a Jeep is not perceived as a luxury brand or lifestyle SUV but a serious off-roader, incl. my Grand Cherokee SRT (which of course is ridiculous but people don't have a clue about the tech and details, Jeep is Jeep to them). I always get very positive feedback for my Grand Cherokee (which is and always will be weird since this truck is not different from a Cayenne or X5) because people simply think this is a serious off-roader and not a show-off SUV. 

I know, I know but this is a fact. Once people start to realize that a certain Jeep model is nothing else than a Cayenne or whatever, people will start changing their opinions and attitudes. My Mustang is another similar story: Since the car looks kind of "old" or vintage, people actually think this is an old vintage car, believe it or not. Most of the people are very surprised to learn that this is a 2014 car and has quite some modern tech in it. For me, these false beliefs are a huge advantage because people do not really get jealous or envious. My car is parked in an "open" garage and doesn't have a single scratch or damage. Try this with a Porsche 911 and after a couple of days, you get the "results". Smiley

This belief (Mustang...old vintage car) is also the reason people, incl. the police, accept the loud exhaust sound and trust me, it is really loud. Nobody cares...this is an "old" car. Smiley Smiley

Perception is everything...


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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)