No, it's not a tasteless ethnic joke, Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton really plans to team up with companies in Iran and Turkey to build a Muslim Special, complete with Koran compartment and a compass that always points to Mecca.
BBC News reports that Proton thinks vehicles designed specifically for Muslims across the world represent a huge gap in the market. I'm sure they know more than I do, but why is it that only Muslims should have their own car? Isn't there a market for a Torahcharged Hebrew Hummer or a JC Cruiser complete with gaydar and rapture detector? The possibilities are limitless.
It's been a while since the market catered to people who knew anything about gear ratios, transient response, chassis frequency or moments of inertia. Technology has given way to semiotics and slick sophistry. Chilled cup holders count a lot more than intercoolers, but perhaps that's because many of us have to spend more time in our cars and more time working from our cars. Maybe the car of the Republican future will have us all living in our cars and leave it to the Japanese to lead the way. News from a Japanese auto show is that The Kaneko Sangyo Co. is marketing a basic essential for the homeless on wheels - the car toilet. Why the hell not. You don't have to get out of the car to eat or work or watch movies or read my blog, so why not take it all the way? It's an exciting time to be on the road.
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2 comments:
I see a lot of Protons when I cross the causeway into Johor Bahru. They are a joke here and about as popular as the Edsel. They constantly break down and the company has been in perpetual trouble. They are desperate for a market so no surprise they are going for an "ethnic" ad campaign.
I'll be surprised if the campaign succeeds, but did you hear about the Zenmobile? It has no steering wheel, engine or brakes and the windshield is opaque since the road is all an illusion anyway and you're really not going anywhere.
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