Variance

The forum should be pleased...when they wake up.

Your attempt to rationalize the ugliness of the Sebring has failed.

Video Preview: Mazda Tribute HEV The Mazda Tribute HEV will make it's world debut at the North American International Auto Show in January and already worldcarfans.com brings you video footage of the upcoming SUV. The video also includes beauty shots of the interior and exterior. World Car Fans

Trade In Your 1M Mile Saab For a Free New Saab DETROIT — Convinced of the jet-like performance and endurance of its products, Saab Automobile USA is announcing that it will offer a free new Saab to any U.S. customer who covers the distance of one million miles (or more) in a Saab that he or she originally purchased new. The new Saab will come with the 100,000 mile/5 years GM Powertrain limited warranty and 3 years/36,000 miles no-charge scheduled maintenance, standard with every model in the 2007 Saab Automobile USA portfolio. This announcement comes after Wisconsin resident and insurance salesman Peter Gilbert recently reached the one million milestone in a 1989 Edwardian Gray Saab 900 SPG, still with the original engine and turbo, at this year’s North American Saab Owners Convention in Lake George, N.Y. Saab Automobile USA General Manager Jay Spenchian was the very first to congratulate Gilbert and his 900 SPG on the occasion. “Saabs are made for people who love to drive, as proven by the many high-mileage examples in the Saab owners’ community”, Spenchian said. “Having personally been with Peter Gilbert in his 900 SPG as we crossed their magical finish line together, one cannot help but being impressed by the condition of car and driver after one million miles. Our offer of a new Saab to any U.S. customer who equals this achievement, should be seen as a token of appreciation for the enduring loyalty and confidence in Saab.” Mr. Gilbert will receive a brand new, 260 hp Saab 9-5 Aero (MSRP $ 38,735 ) as a worthy replacement for his tried-and-true 900 SPG. Delivery of the new car is to be scheduled in early 2007 at the Saab Aero Academy at Road Atlanta, Georgia. Saab is the only U.S. manufacturer offering this two-day enhanced driving course – a $1,350 value – at no cost to every U.S. customer who buys a new Saab 9-3 Aero or 9-5 Aero. “I am obviously thrilled with the idea of being presented with a new Saab 9-5 Aero”, Gilbert said. “It is not just fast and fuel efficient, but also extremely safe. A reassuring thought, keeping in mind that my faithful 900 SPG and I survived many a collision with Wisconsin deer. Who knows, I might take a run at another million miles in my new 9-5! " The offer of a free, new 2007 Saab 9-5 Aero [not to exceed the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price of $38,735 (certain features and options are subject to availability at time of delivery) and delivery to take place at an authorized Saab USA dealer] valid from the date of this release through calendar year 2007 (offer ends Dec. 31, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time), is available to any U.S. customer who can present verifiable proof to Saab Automobile USA that he or she is the original owner of the Saab vehicle that covered one million road miles or more, that the vehicle is in running condition, that the odometer hasn’t been tampered with, and that the vehicle is currently and has always been registered in the United States. The customer is responsible for all applicable taxes, title fees, registration and destination charges. Visit www.saabusa.com for important details and limitations on this offer. Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab Automobile USA is the importer and/or distributor of Saab 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X automobiles for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For the 2007 model year, Saab markets seven car-variants that have an estimated EPA-rated 30 mpg on the highway. [source: General Motors]

According to some people who have seen the new Scions, the mystery car isn't either one of them.

The front end doesn't look as aggressive as it did in the spy photos (especially the headlights). And crap camera work does it again: The front end looks stubby.

Spied: ??? If you're wondering why there are three question marks in place of where I usually type the name of what's been caught on film, it's because I have no earthly idea what this car is...and neither do the folks at Autoblog. So far the only "certain" thing is that it's a JDM product. Take a look and have fun guessing. Autoblog

This was written on Sunday. Guess it was a slow news day.

GM's Lansing Plants Turn It Around This winter, Lansing's auto industry has new life. GM's Lansing Grand River plant, which opened in 2001, is cranking out Cadillacs and ranks among the world's best auto plants in quality. In November, GM's Lansing Delta Township Plant started making a new family of large crossovers - the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave. Some local officials and workers are hoping GM will add another assembly plant at the Delta Township location, on Lansing's western edge. The hope of expansion may be getting ahead of the Lansing - and GM - auto story. GM is in the process of scaling back North American production because of declining sales. But as GM tries to stage a comeback - shuttering plants, retooling assembly lines and rethinking its lineup - few places in North America represent the changes as much as Lansing. A decade ago, GM was planning to shut down its outdated plants in Lansing. GM has since replaced them with two of its most modern assembly plants that make some of its most promising vehicles. Detroit Free Press

Chrysler Confident in Minivans, Market Soccer moms and dads, take note: Rumors of the minivan's death have been greatly exaggerated. Even as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. plan to ditch their minivans in favor of newly popular crossover vehicles, Chrysler Group, which invented the minivan in 1984, is preparing to unveil its next models, and it's counting on high-volume sales. The automaker will offer a peek at its 2008 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan at the 2007 North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall in just a few weeks. Even if you're not a fan of the van, Chrysler and analysts and suppliers who've seen it or been told about it say you should plan to be impressed. Detroit Free Press

2007MY for New Tundra to Take Advantage of Old EPA Figures New rules that will lower window-sticker fuel economy numbers on vehicles are already affecting carmakers' behavior, but perhaps not in the way regulators intended. The new figures are intended to reflect real-world fuel economy more closely than today's fuel-economy ratings. Shoppers use the figures to compare vehicles' operating costs. Listed fuel economy rates are expected to fall 7% to 15% under the new standard. To take advantage of higher miles per gallon results under the old testing procedures, Toyota Motor Corp.'s big new Tundra full-size pickup will be called a 2007 model when it debuts, despite the fact that none will reach dealerships until mid-February at the earliest. Detroit Free Press

Potential For a More Detroit-Friendly Congress? When Congress reconvenes in January, Detroit automakers will have a lot of friends in high places -- and that has foreign automakers a little wary. With the return to power of Michigan's congressional Democrats -- who will head three key committees and have significant say over the agenda on Capitol Hill -- lawmakers are expected to revive several proposals aimed at helping the domestic industry. Detroit Free Press

Kiplinger's List of Best Autos Under $20,000: BEST NEW: Volkswagen Rabbit. BEST IN CLASS: Hyundai Sonata GLS. $20,000-$25,000: BEST NEW: Saturn Aura. BEST IN CLASS: Nissan Altima 3.5 SE. $25,000-$30,000: BEST NEW: Toyota Camry SE V6. BEST IN CLASS: Hyundai Azera Limited. $30,000-$45,000: BEST NEW: Lexus ES 350. BEST IN CLASS: Infiniti M35. $45,000 and over: BEST NEW: Lexus LS 460. BEST IN CLASS: Mercedes-Benz S550. Sports cars: BEST NEW: Jaguar XK. BEST IN CLASS: Chevrolet Corvette. Truck-based SUVs: BEST NEW and BEST IN CLASS: GMC Yukon Denali. Large and midsize crossovers: BEST NEW: Acura MDX. BEST IN CLASS: Lexus RX 350. Small crossovers: BEST NEW: Mazda CX-7 Sport. BEST IN CLASS: Toyota RAV4 V6. Wagons: BEST NEW: Mercedes-Benz R320 CDI. BEST IN CLASS: Volkswagen Passat 2.0. Minivans: BEST NEW and BEST IN CLASS: Toyota Sienna. Detroit Free Press

TCC Test: 2007 Saturn Outlook The Outlook joins the new Aura sedan and Solstice roadster, a trio of the best GM has to offer these days. The Opel Astra is going to be rebadged a Saturn in 2007 to replace the Ion. The Saturn Relay minivan is going away. That gives Saturn a top-drawer lineup with which to head into the future. A good Outlook, indeed. The Car Connection

I've decided to bump this topic because to me it seems like reposting is becoming a recurring problem again. I'd like to reaffirm the desire to cut down on the repetition and clutter on the forums. Please look through the forums and threads to ensure your "new" information has not already been posted. Using the forum "Search" function is a good way to do so. Sometimes updated information may be posted in existing threads which though we encourage, admittedly can make it difficult as far as unintentional reposts go. As stated earlier by Northstar, total elimination of reposts isn't being asked (it's not realstic to ask that) but a better effort in searching can cut down on them greatly.

Plenty:

Teaser: Jaguar XF Jalopnik

Preview: Mitsubishi Prototype X We were pretty excited about the new Lancer when we caught a glimpse of it earlier this week. The economy sedan should be a big seller for the company, but the enthusiast draw to the Lancer line is the high-performance Lancer Evolution, or Evo. Today Mitsubishi revealed that along with displaying the new Lancer at the Detroit auto show next month, it will also show a “Prototype X” concept that will serve as the basis for the next Evo. Kicking Tires

Steel Tariffs Lifted Automakers won a surprise victory Thursday as the U.S. International Trade Commission lifted most of the 13-year-old tariffs on imports of a high-grade steel used in cars -- a move that should boost ailing Detroit automakers by lowering prices. In a 4-2 vote, the commission lifted tariffs on flat-rolled corrosion-resistant steel from Canada, France, Australia and Japan, but sided with the steel industry and kept them on imports from South Korea and Germany for another five years. In an unusual display of solidarity, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG, Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. jointly worked to end the duties, which they argued had cost them more than $3 billion since 2003. "This takes the cork out of the bottle," said Stephen E. Biegun, Ford's vice president for International Governmental Affairs, who noted the action will lead to a more competitive market. The Detroit News

UAW May Form Merger(s) to Boost Membership The United Auto Workers has not ruled out merging with another union, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said Thursday. The comment came during a question-and-answer session Gettelfinger hosted on the union's Web site, UAW.org. "The UAW has not ruled out merging with other unions," he wrote in response to a question from a union member. UAW membership fell to 557,000 in 2005 down from 1.5 million 20 years ago. With General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. offering buyouts to more than 70,000 workers, UAW membership is expected to continue to decline. Industry experts have speculated about a merger that could give the organization more clout. Union leaders have previously dismissed talk of merging. Gettelfinger's statement on Thursday is a significant shift on the issue, said labor expert Jim Hendricks, with Chicago-based law firm Fisher & Phillips. "I don't think they have a choice," Hendricks said about the UAW joining with another union. "The UAW has lost 67 percent of the membership they had 20 years ago. You can't keep hemorrhaging members and stay in business." The Detroit News

Pass. Super Bee please.

"SS" Won't Go On Just Anything Anymore General Motors Corp. is rethinking the way its uses the SS moniker that has adorned souped-up Chevrolets since 1961. SS -- for super sport -- has traditionally signaled performance versions of vehicles like the Camaro, Impala and most recently the Cobalt sedan. The automaker felt it was getting a bit carried away with the label after putting it on the most recent version of the Malibu midsize sedan. So now only cars with the best horsepower, braking power and handling will get the title. It's part of GM's bid to stoke sales by building exclusivity into some models, a move the automaker hopes will burnish the overall image of a brand and make other vehicles from the same nameplate more attractive to buyers. "Not every car that has some extra features and fancy racing stripes can be an SS," said Ed Welburn, GM Design global vice president. GM will start the transition with the introduction next year of a new sport version of the Equinox compact SUV. The vehicle will have 42 percent more horsepower than the basic Equinox and other performance enhancing features, but will be labeled a sport as opposed to an SS. At the same time, GM will no longer offer a SS version of the Malibu. "That's one that probably shouldn't have gotten the SS label," Chevrolet Marketing Director Cheryl Catton said. The Detroit News

Solstice Outsells Miata For the first time since it debuted in late 1989, Mazda's MX-5 Miata is not America's favorite budget two-seat sports car. That honor now belongs to the Pontiac Solstice. Heading into the final weeks of the year, the swoopy $20,000 Pontiac sports car has a commanding sales lead over the venerable Miata. And there are no asterisks, either: Both cars came out in 2005, so this is their first full year of head-to-head competition. Through November, Pontiac sold 18,361 Solstices, compared with 15,873 Miatas. Pontiac padded its lead in November, chalking up sales of 1,305, compared with just 995 Miatas. This race could be even more interesting next year. Expect greater availability of the high-performance 260-hp Solstice GXP. And Mazda will offer a Miata with a folding metal roof. Autoweek

VW Going Hybrid Volkswagen may have come a long way since the original Beetle, but in at least one way it still is very much the People's Car, giving the market their own versions of some of the most popular trends in the industry. Despite their pioneering the Microbus decades earlier, Volkswagen managed to skip the minivan craze, but has jumped on the biggest ones since. With the Touareg, VW joined the SUV boom. With the Eos, it got on the coupe-cabrio elevator closer to ground floor. The next big thing is hybrids, and Wolfsburg's not about to be left holding their hats. To that effect, Volkswagen is tipped to release a hybrid Jetta in two years. Autoblog