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Porsche expands DriverÂ’s Selection bike range with Bike RS and S models

Mar 16, 2009
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10 Bicycles Made by Car Companies
Automakers don't sell as many cars as they once did in the U.S., but they're building more bikes than ever.


From a marketing standpoint, a car company selling a branded bicycle makes solid sense. If you’re into four-wheeled fun, there’s a good chance two wheels also light your fire. And for anyone aspiring to own a Mercedes-Benz or other exotic car, a bike’s a nice way to get a Three-Pointed Star or Land Rover in the garage at a fraction of the cost.

But don’t dismiss all auto-bikes as mere sales tools. These days, companies as different as Ford and Ferrari are selling bicycles that offer consumers cutting edge products that won’t embarrass you at the next latte-fueled gathering of road warriors.
 

oldborn

BANNED
May 14, 2010
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Well those cars are way out of my league, but that BMW MTB I like.


Do not forget Peugeout, there are still many of them here. I think they are not producing bikes any more?

This one Corbier for 200 euros.

 
krebs303 said:
From a marketing standpoint, a car company selling a branded bicycle makes solid sense. If you’re into four-wheeled fun, there’s a good chance two wheels also light your fire. And for anyone aspiring to own a Mercedes-Benz or other exotic car, a bike’s a nice way to get a Three-Pointed Star or Land Rover in the garage at a fraction of the cost.

Really? I don't see that interest in bikes and interest in cars have anything to do with each other. More likely the "car bike" ends up being branded merchandise that most people would be embarrassed to own and people laugh at, like the Acer Ferrari laptop.
 
Mar 16, 2009
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Yeah I thought the car bike thing was a bit of a stretch. It looks to be mainly the bling factor. The S-Specialized + McLaren Venge may be an exception.
 
Sep 16, 2011
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I imagine a certain body part became embarrassingly large and erect upon learning the type of margins in the carbon fiber bike market. I'm thinking something along the lines "how much are these people paying for essentially the same material we would put into a carbon fiber hood on one of our top end cars? Really? You have to be kidding me...how do we get involved in this business? Oh, give Giant a few molds of the things we want and slap our decals on it? Oh snap, this is hot!"

:D
 
Mar 16, 2009
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Looks like General Motors wasn't on the bicycle bandwagon

G.M. pulls ad suggesting cyclists can’t get girls
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What has General Motors been doing in the wake of its bailout-assisted turnaround? For one thing, trying to convince young American men that hot women will laugh at them if they ride a bike.

Check out this new print ad that the automaker has been running, to promote its college discount. A man on a bike hides his face in embarrassment as an attractive woman rides by in the passenger seat of a car, smiling at his pathetic-ness, apparently. The message isn't subtle: Riding a bike is hazardous to your sex life.
 
Apr 20, 2009
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BroDeal said:
Really? I don't see that interest in bikes and interest in cars have anything to do with each other. More likely the "car bike" ends up being branded merchandise that most people would be embarrassed to own and people laugh at, like the Acer Ferrari laptop.

i am definitely not interested one of these bikes. but around where i live, i often see rover, jaguar, chevrolet, jeep (those off the top of my head), and other cheap, taiwan made, automobile branded bikes. i guess people recognize car names more than colnago, trek, giant, etc. so when they see one they buy that instead.