Q. What do you think of the new $325,00 Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV? I know SUVs are very popular but why does Rolls, which is known for ultra-prestigious cars, want to make an SUV along with comparatively lowly automakers?— J.H. (via Internet)

A. The Cullinan is a wretched excess. But just about every automaker is offering an SUV and Roll is just chasing bucks like everybody else.



Q. When do you think self-driving cars will become fairly common? — D.M. (via Internet)

A. Top auto veteran and Waymo CEO John Krafcik has told the Wall Street Journal that self-driving is “really, really hard” and that self-driving vehicles will not be common ”for decades.”



Q. What do you think of the 2019 $349,050 Ferrari 488 Pista? Ferraris were always expensive, but even fairly average models could be bought by someone with just above-average incomes—not only multimillionaires. — J.L. (via Internet)

A. The Pista is another wretched excess. It’s for somebody with more money than brains. Who needs to pay nearly $350,000 to do 0-60 m.p.h. in under 3 seconds and 211 miles per hour? Nobody but a very skilled driver should try it out—on a closed track. Ferraris were always expensive and often ridiculously costly to maintain, but you can buy less expensive models now, and I’m told they’re not as costly to keep running right as they once were thanks to advanced technology.



Q. Why are there so many exotic cars being built? The big three of exotics in the 1960s used to be only Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. The Aston Martin wasn’t really not all that exotic. — R.C. (via Internet)

A. There’s been a rise of personal hyper-wealth in roughly the past 10 years, and it’s drawn rich players. 

Q. Daimler AG’s small Smart car was a bust in America, but I hear Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) plans to keep it alive by making it a global electric car in a joint venture with Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. — P.S. (via Internet)

A. That’s the plan, but good luck trying to sell it in America--it’s still just too small for this country.



Q. How much money will major automakers such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz make on electric cars?

A. Not all that much. Batteries are more costly than comparable combustion engines. Electric vehicles accounted for less than 3 percent of light-vehicle sales last year despite all the publicity they’re gotten.




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