要创造一种全新的汽车设计理念真不是件容易的事啊！而市场对待原创设计的态度又是多么苛刻！It is to create a new automotive concept -- and how harshly the market treats original ideas.
无论多好的创意，要取得成功都不是容易的事。比如克莱斯勒（Chrysler）的厢式旅行车和福特（Ford）的探路者（Explorer）四门SUV，它们身上既有一鸣惊人的神来之笔，又有不落窠臼但最终却黯然退场的新理念。旁蒂克（Potiac）的阿兹特克（Aztek）更是一个经典的失败案例，它是厢式旅行车和SUV合体失败的产物。除了这几款车外，这些年来还有很多其它的设计败笔。 Bright ideas are hard to pull off. For every Chrysler minivan or Ford Explorer four-door SUV, there are dozens of one-hit wonders and new concepts that failed to catch on. The Pontiac Aztek, an unholy combination of minivan and SUV, is the classic example, but there have been many others through the years.
讴歌ZDX，2010年至今
融合双座轿跑的外观，四门轿车的性能，以及SUV的实用性，按理说无可挑剔了吧？可是汽车网站Edmunds.com却说这是一款令人挠头的车型——“一款自重很重的跨界SUV，实用性却只和一台紧凑型掀背车相当，后排座位狭窄，而且牺牲了载物能力。”消费者也对这款车型敬而远之，这款跨界SUV每月的销量仅有150台。
Acura ZDX 2010-
Combine the looks of a coupe with the functionality of a sedan and the utility of an SUV, and what do you get? Edmunds.com calls it a head-scratcher -- 'a hefty crossover SUV that's about as practical as a compact hatchback with a cramped backseat and compromised cargo capacity.' Buyers are staying away in droves; Acura sells only about 150 a month.
威利斯Jeepster，1946-1950
早些年人们一谈起吉普，总觉得这是一种立足实用的车型，多用于农林业用途。威利斯（Willys）公司为打破人们的这种成见，推出了这款敞篷帆布顶的Jeepster吉普。它采用了平顶的挡泥板，搭载了一款62匹马力的发动机。但它并未配备四驱，广告也寥寥无几。然而二战后的消费者热衷追逐时尚，选择的余地也大，所以这款车自然受到冷落，总共才造了不到20,000台。
Willys Jeepster 1946-1950
A brave attempt by Willys to broaden the Jeep's utilitarian image beyond agriculture and forestry uses, the Jeepster featured a convertible canvas top, flat-topped fenders, and a 62-horsepower engine. But no four-wheel drive was offered, advertising was sparse, and fashion-seeking post-war shoppers with many more choices looked elsewhere. Fewer than 20,000 Jeepsters were built.
AMC Pacer 1975-1980
美国汽车公司（AMC，已倒闭）称这款Pacer轿车是“有史以来第一款宽版小车”，因为这款双门紧凑型小车的宽度超过了6英尺。《人车志》（Car and Driver）杂志形象地称它为“飞驰的鱼缸”。Pacer轿车使用了很多的玻璃元素，因此它的后排乘客很容易晒伤。尽管这款小车早期的销量相当不错，不过由于美国汽车公司的财务吃紧，加上工艺上做出的多处妥协，导致这样一个有创意的理念也像该公司早先的Gremlin小轿车一样早早夭折了。
AMC billed it as the 'first wide small car' because the two-door compact Pacer was more than six feet across. Car and Driver called it 'the Flying Fishbowl.' The Pacer had so much glass that backseat passengers got sunburned. Despite sparkling early-adopter sales, AMC's financial limitations and multiple engineering compromises doomed this original concept as it did earlier ones like the sawed-off Gremlin.
通用汽车EV-1，1996-1999
EV-1是当代第一款量产的电动汽车。不过随着加州放宽了对零排放汽车的要求（1990年加州的《零排放法案》曾规定，1998年在加州出售的新车中，“零排放汽车”的比例要达到2%，2000达到5%，2010年达到10%，后该法案的要求被放宽——译注），因此EV-1投产不久，便失去了存在的意义。这些轿车的续航能力有限，技术落后，只有800台EV-1找到了买家。通用在每台EV-1上的损失高达数千美元，不得不终止了EV-1项目，并将已售出的车辆统统召回。在此过程中，通用在公关上也陷入了极度难堪的境地。
The first modern mass-produced electric vehicle, EV-1 lost its reason for existence shortly after introduction when California loosened its requirements for zero-emission vehicles. Only 800 of the range-limited cars with outdated technology found customers. Losing thousands of dollars on each vehicle produced, GM discontinued the EV-1 and recalled them, suffering a huge public relations embarrassment in the process.
铃木X-90，1996-1998
这是一款两座型SUV，采用了T-top式车型和四轮驱动，由于它的造型极为丰满，因此有人管它叫“鞋车”。由于比例不大协调，加上性能有限（只搭载了一款95匹马力的发动机，典型的小马拉大车）。因此投产后仅三年，它就被扔到了历史的垃圾箱里。在这三年中，这款车在美国只卖出了7,205台。
A two-seat SUV with a T-top and four-wheel-drive, the X-90 was known as the 'shoe car' to some because of its extreme rounded styling. Its ungainly proportions and limited functionality (it was equipped with a tiny 95 horsepower engine) consigned it to the dustbin of history after three years of production, during which just 7,205 made their way to the U.S.
普利茅斯猎兽，1997-2002
普利茅斯猎兽（Prowler）是对经典跑车的现代解读，普利茅斯之所以推出这款跑车，是因为看到了另一款复古车道奇蝰蛇（Dodger Viper）的成功。不过猎兽在工艺上做出了很大的妥协，因此被人们认为“不厚道”，比如它只搭载了一款V6发动机和自动变速器。由于头轻尾重，因此这款跑车跑起来很不稳定。2002年，也就是停产的那一年，这款车一共只生产了1,426台，售价为每台44,625美元。
A modern interpretation of the classic hot rod, the Prowler was built to capitalize on the success of another retro car, the Dodger Viper. It was undone by a series of engineering compromises deemed 'inauthentic,' such as a V-6 engine and automatic transmission. Wickedly unstable because of the light front end, only 1,426 cars, priced at $44,625 apiece, were built during its last year of production.
福特Excursion，2000-2005
活脱脱的悲剧，一上市就过时的巨兽。福特Excursion重达8,500磅，也就是三吨半，身材庞大无比，是SUV界里的姚明。它是有史以来最长、最重的SUV。它只有三排座位，不过载物能力惊人，但油耗却高得令人咂舌。在城市道路上，每加仑汽油只能跑14到16英里。为了“表彰”它的燃油经济性，美国的环保组织雪乐山俱乐部（Sierra Club）为它颁发了埃克森瓦尔兹奖（Exxon Valdez）。这款车推出五年后即告停产，也没有推出后续车型。
All but obsolete upon introduction, the 8,500-lb., three-and-a-half-ton Excursion tested the outer limits of SUV size with its jumbo proportions. The longest and heaviest SUV ever built, it had only three rows of seats but carried quantities of luggage. Capable of just 14-16 miles per gallon in city driving, it received an Exxon Valdez award from the Sierra Club because of its poor fuel economy and sank without a successor five years after launch.
雪佛兰SSR，2003-2006
雪佛兰SSR是世界上第一款——也是唯一的一款硬顶敞篷皮卡。SSR意为“超级运动跑车”。在鲍勃·卢茨执掌通用（General Motors）之前，通用推出过好几款设计败笔，SSR就是其中之一。车顶是驼背式伸缩硬顶，不用的时候可以收到后方。它是在雪佛兰先驱者（TrailBlazer）的平台上生产的，它的重量太重了，价格也高达42,000美元。消费者很快就发现，这款敞篷皮卡虽然在车展的旅转展台上看起来奇酷无比，但一旦投入量产，就成了一个价格虚高、华而不实的玩意儿。?
The world's first hardtop convertible pickup truck -- and, so far, the only one -- the SSR (for Super Sport Roadster) was one of the less-good product ideas General Motors tried before the ascendancy of Bob Lutz. The SSR tried to piggyback on the pickup truck boom with a topless version whose roof folded into the bed when retracted. Built on the Chevy TrailBlazer platform, the SSR was badly overweight and overpriced at $42,000. What seemed cool on an auto show turntable became an overpriced novelty when it went into production, which customers quickly figured out.
斯巴鲁Baja，2003-2006
四座椅、轿车式驾乘、四驱、皮卡的小翻斗……斯巴鲁（Subaru）把这些元素杂糅在一起，使用了力狮（Legacy）和傲虎（Outback）两款车的零部件，试图创造出一款别致的多用途汽车。不过它车身的塑料镀层太多，而且早期车型喷涂的银色加黄色的车漆搭配也太乍眼了。它的41英尺小翻斗也不是很实用。在这款车型停产之前，卖出去的数量只有斯巴鲁预期的四分之一。
Combining four-passenger seating and a car-like ride with all-wheel-drive and an open pickup bed, Subaru tried to create the all-purpose utility vehicle, using components from the Legacy and Outback wagons. But in an attempt to liven up the Baja, it ladled on plastic body cladding and painted early models a garish silver and yellow. The 41-inch bed wasn't very useful either, and Subaru sold only one-quarter as many Bajas as planned before ending production.
通用Envoy XUV，2004-2005
Envoy XUV是皮卡和SUV嫁接后的产物，它的特点是后方车顶可以收缩，能够露出后面的储存空间，搭载一些块头比较高的物体。消费者们不知道该拿这款又丑又贵的皮卡型SUV怎么办，而整天拉着小树苗和老式大座钟跑来跑去的人貌似也很少。通用本来预计每年卖出90,000万台，但2004年却只卖出12,000台。于是2005年初，这款XUV就结束了它悲惨的命运。据外电报道，因通用汽车公司的Envoy XUV车一直滞销，通用决定停止该车的生产，这使其主要供应商蒙受了巨大的损失，有的供应商已要求通用进行赔偿。 Inalfa公司专门为XUV车生产电动滑动天窗，目前该厂已经倒闭。2003年，Inalfa在通用总装厂附近建厂，建厂费用大约为500万美元，另外，设计研究和开发费用约1000万美元。Inalfa原想迎合通用最初的XUV计划，每年生产12.5万辆汽车天窗，至少保持4年，但实际生产数量仅是目标的5％。Inalfa不是此次停产惟一受影响的供应商，伊顿、李尔、弗伦西亚和江森自控都在为XUV供货。
A weird combination of pickup truck and SUV, the Envoy XUV was distinguished by a retractable rear roof section, creating an open-topped load area that could accommodate tall objects. Customers didn't know what to make of the homely, expensive creation, and the market for people carrying small trees and tall case clocks proved small. GM expected to sell 90,000 annually but managed only 12,000 in 2004 and put the XUV out of its misery early in 2005.
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