Can a parking lot provide a look into the future?

[Mike The Canadian]

About a month ago, before C&G went down, me and my cousin Jim (Aka Montana on this site)
Went ona trip to the Gm Oshawa plant to check out some of Gm's new models. Particullarly,
the Pontiac Solstice.

Now we have all heard about Gm improving thier products, some people like Gm's
new line of products, others despise the bread-and-butter fwd sedans but love the new
sports cars coming out of Gm.

Now on my trip to Oshawa with my cousin (Thanks for the transportation)
I investigate Gm's new offerings, some upclose and every detail on the car, (Solstice)
and others that just got a snapshot. (Torrent) I hope C&G enjoys looking at these
pictures, and I hope I am able to help you, the members of C&G to decide on thier own.

(Oh and a little note, the one wearing the White shirt in most of the pics is Jim, He is
mostly in the pics because i'm the guy behind the camera 95% of the time..I might be in a
couple but am not sure, never really checked for the reflections on the cars.)



Definatley a great sight!


Hot rims!


A view of the back.


Man, I dig these rims!


Malibu SS anyone?


Nice Impala...


...and its corporate brother, the Allure.


Man, has the front end of this thing improved.


Yup...another one...


Man i'm good at this..lol


Sweet SSr


Some more....(and the new Sabb, which I never knew was new when I got there, and I call
myself a gm enthusiast, lol)


Nice...


V8 anyone?


First one of these Envoys i've ever seen!


Not a pretty site at all, the front license plate bracket is rather ugly!


Not bad at all....


A different view..


Gm interiors are getting NICE!


Yup, definatley..


Grand Prix GXP!


The seats of the Solstice.


Nice view.


Bet you have never seen so many picture of this car in one day?


Yeah, well this is the filtered version of the day, there were tonnes more of the Solstice.


Damn thats nice.


The G6 coupe sports some nice rims.


As does the Allure!


Nice!


Part of the lot.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/6334/dayout0520bt.th.jpg
Cobalt Coupe anyone?

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/7743/dayout0533pi.th.jpg
The Torrent.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/6320/dayout0547yu.th.jpg
The 2006 Saturn Vue.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/3627/dayout0569pb.th.jpg
STS-V!

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/9969/dayout0583nx.th.jpg
The nice 2006 DTS and 2006 Torrent.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/3494/dayout0617zh.th.jpg
What more is there to say? lol.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/6154/dayout0650sy.th.jpg
How could I leave without taking a picture of this?

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/4203/dayout0667vn.th.jpg
One more. (There was a Yellow Z06 but the pictures didnt come out for some reason)

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/3757/dayout0676vt.th.jpg
The new 2006 Impala.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/1637/dayout0687up.th.jpg
The Truck plant.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/390/dayout0625wt.th.jpg
Good bye Oshawa.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/3750/dayout0748qs.th.jpg
Wait a minute....lol

Well I hope all of you enjoyed this. I know there was excessive pictures (especially of
the Solstice) but I felt I couldnt filter some of them out...they were just to good. The
point of this Article is, that I think this parking lot at the Gm Tech Center in Oshawa
(W-body plants) is a good sign that Gm knows what it's doing. I think this is proof that
Gm is on the right track, there may not have been a Camaro (new one atleast) in that
parking lot, or a Velite, but I think the cars that were here, the roadsters, the sports
cars, the bread-and-butter sedans, they were all vastly improved. Every single car new car
I saw, I liked. I think Gm is on the right track and know what the consumer wants. It looks
like they have covered some of the bread-and-butter section. (There is always room for
improvement) They are also getting into the roadster segment, I hope soon we will see cars
like a new Camaro, a Velite, some RWD Pontiacs and some brand definition in the near future.
Use this parking lot to look into the near future, I think it looks good!

- Mike

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

Edited October 13, 2005 by Mike The Canadian

[!!!TED!!!]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and pictures. Iv been contemplating going to Oshawa to see these cars, and knowing that most 06's are there to be seen, I may do so. Oh, and the licence plate holder on the front of the Solstice is... :unsure: :blink: HORRIBLE!

[Sixty8panther]

Awsome post.

I've got to get my POSTERIOR inot this INTERIOR! :D



*Foaming at the mouth uncontrolably*

[Mike The Canadian]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and pictures.
Iv been contemplating going to Oshawa to see these cars, and knowing that most 06's are there to be seen, I may do so.
Oh, and the licence plate holder on the front of the Solstice is... :unsure:  :blink: HORRIBLE!

[post="544"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

No problem ;)
When are you planning to go there?
Make sure you take a Camera..

I was kind of a dissapointed to see no Lucernes (I really wanted to see one in person)

How far are you from Oshawa?

[Guest Josh]

I saw a silver Lucy in person exiting the Tech Center two days ago and was unimpressed. Although this car is not supposed to appeal to my generation, I still feel something better could have been done.

[Mike The Canadian]

I saw a silver Lucy in person exiting the Tech Center two days ago and was unimpressed. Although this car is not supposed to appeal to my generation, I still feel something better could have been done.

[post="605"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Thats a shame.. :(
Although I like it in the pictures, I was hoping that it would look even better in person.

I guess I will start to see it once it goes into production...
I think it's supposed to go into production October, who knows when the heck it will actually go on sale?

[Northstar]

Thanks for posting the pics. The Solstice is really sad looking with the front license plate braket... I was afraid of that.

[MPLIN]

It looks like there were some Malibu SS there also.

[Mike The Canadian]

Yeah, I posted some pics of that.

[olds442]

Nice pictures. That license plate really messes up the front. I know i would definetly not put a license plate on a Solstice, if i ever get one.

[Fuzion]

Haha that trip was fun. Mike you forgot to thank me for driving your ass down there, lol. Anyways when I saw the Solstice, I was very happy. We went there a few times and never saw one, but when we saw all of them, I left a happy. man. Anyways take it easy. Fuzion aka Montana

[Mike The Canadian]

Mike you forgot to thank me for driving your ass down there, lol.

[post="686"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

:rolleyes: Common man, read :lol: Edited August 19, 2005 by Mike The Canadian

[Fuzion]

:rolleyes: Common man, read :lol:

[post="688"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Opps. Thats what I get for only reading the first line, lol. :P

[Bimmer325]

I hate to say it, but the Lucerne is thoroughly unimpressive in person. It's styling is frumpy, bland and pales in comparison to even the Lacrosse. Buick desperately needs a turnaround product that'll attract younger buyers and send the brand in a new direction. As hard as I've tried to convince myself, I can't help but think the Lucerne simply isn't the vehicle that'll do so.

[Mach5GTP]

Nice pictures. That license plate really messes up the front. I know i would definetly not put a license plate on a Solstice, if i ever get one.

Agreed- a typically-blown GM detail. How can anyone be expected to strap a front tag onto *that* car, esp. when the tag is supposed to mount like that?

It's the same thing w/ my 95 GTP (not that I'm comparing it to a Solstice!)- the grills just do not allow for a front tag to be reasonably affixed. The car has worn a F tag for all of about 90 seconds in its 10 year life- just long enough to take a Polaroid to show the judge on a couple different occasions... ;)

On a Solstice, I might just tie the F tag to the pass. side sun visor, so it shows thru the windshield when it's flipped down- hey, as long as it's visible from the front... :P

[Cremazie]

Thanks for all the pictures, It was very enjoyable, I am very jelous of you!

[!!!TED!!!]

No problem  ;)
When are you planning to go there?
Make sure you take a Camera..

I was kind of a dissapointed to see no Lucernes (I really wanted to see one in person)

How far are you from Oshawa?

[post="600"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Im about an hour away. Maybe Ill go on Tuesday.
Thats like a dream parking lot. :lol: I wonder if any 06 Monte Carlos are hanging around there?

[Mike The Canadian]

Im about an hour away. Maybe Ill go on Tuesday.
Thats like a dream parking lot. :lol: I wonder if any 06 Monte Carlos are hanging around there?

[post="1093"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yeah, they werent in the parking lot we were in, they were in a closed off parking lot. (There was one)

So you would have to stop off at the side of the road or walk. Let me tell you this, there are tonnes of parking lots, and huge ones too.

Lol last time we drove right past the parking lot security, right into the impala/allure plant :lol:

Although I must admit, there were some other surprises in there (such as malibu ss)

Do me a favour, and look around thoroughly in the parking lots, Jim said he saw some sort of white coupe he did'nt recognize deep in one of the closed off parking lots, but I couldnt see it or zoom in far enough.

I dont know why, but they had some equinox that was all camoed.

Lol enjoy your time there, tell me when your going, i'll see whatshift my dads on and maybe I can drop by.

(Shut up, I only have my g1 :lol:)

[daves87rs]

sweet pics! I wonder why there weren't more MCs ...they must have started those a bit later...

[Alpha]

The car has worn a F tag for all of about 90 seconds in its 10 year life- just long enough to take a Polaroid to show the judge on a couple different occasions...  ;)

[post="846"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Here in Washington the law requirse a plate to be affixed to the front of the vehicle...and apparantly State Patrol officers (and at least local cops around here) are instructed to use the disposable camera they carry with them to take pictures of vehicles without one after they stop it. Even if the officer doesn't show up to the court date, a lower level lackey shows with the pictures...and that's more than enough.

[Mikko O]

I hate to say it, but the Lucerne is thoroughly unimpressive in person.  It's styling is frumpy, bland and pales in comparison to even the Lacrosse.  Buick desperately needs a turnaround product that'll attract younger buyers and send the brand in a new direction.  As hard as I've tried to convince myself, I can't help but think the Lucerne simply isn't the vehicle that'll do so.

[post="793"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I don't believe that the Lucerne will make any conquest sales for Buick either.
In fact, if you look at the drivetrain it's not competitive. Especially when it's
the only one in its field that is still using a 4 spd automatic.

[The O.C.]

What IDIOT at GM forgot to figure out how to package a nicely-integrated front license plate on the Solstice....? (Although by looking at the car....I have NO idea where you'd put it...) I'm not sure the numbers....but I know there are NUMEROUS states that require a front license plate. I've never put one on my cars...and MOST DEFINITELY won't put one on my new C6. I even checked with the plant to make sure they don't install it upon build....and they don't....they leave it in the trunk. Here in CA, it's a "fix-it" ticket. However, they have begun patrolling parking lots (like at the airport) and giving you a $25 ticket if you don't have the front plate. How effed-up is that...?

[Robert Hall]

Yea, the Solstice plate mounting looks like a complete afterthought....maybe they should have integrated the turn signals/driving lights into the headlight cluster (or mounted them higher and shaped them differently) so the plate could be on the side (offset license plates have been used on various Pontiacs since the late '60s).

[Flybrian]

GM still does better than most in many cases. Look at the DeVille, Bonneville, C5, and even LeSabre which doesn't have a popout but an integrated mounting area that looks fine with or without a plate.

[balthazar]

Offset plates absolutely suck for looks.

[razoredge]

I know this is old but I have been repairing a little deer hit I had with the LSS. I glassed a few cracks in the header panel and a little re shaping of the front fender corner. So we primed and sanded out some paint chips in the bumper cover and header panel. Anyhow - - - - all the while Im sanding Im looking at this protruding black plastic plate holder thinking my god its like a zit on the end of someones nose once it catches your eye the whole appearence of the car is destroyed. Ive thought about sanding it smooth and painting it body color but that might be even worse. I think they need to be frenched in and covered with quality plastic covers like a headlight lense is. Theres probably some government mandate that they protrude X inches, cant be covered, and must be able to be seen from the side which rules out frenching.

[Paolino]

Wow... great pics Mike! :) I'm just so blown away that people would actually have to put a license plate, THERE, on the Solstice?!