Variance

Not a fan of the color combination. Everything that's tan in the interior should be a darker color.

GM @ LAIAS First Look: 60th Anniversary Edition Saabs LOS ANGELES – Saab, the Swedish-born automaker that got its wings from aviation, is celebrating its diamond anniversary in 2007 by introducing two special models that are sure to fly out of dealer showrooms – 60th Anniversary Editions of its 9-5 and 9-3 models. Taking cues from its birthplace, the 9-3 Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible, and the 9-5 Aero Sedan and SportCombi 60th Anniversary Editions, will be offered with unique content – a glittering Ice Blue metallic exterior finish; dazzling 17-inch alloy wheels; solid black leather sport seats with gray inserts and embossed with “SAAB”; exotic dark walnut interior trim; and not to be outdone underfoot, black floor mats with gray binding detail. Additionally, the 9-3 2.0T Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible 60th Anniversary Editions include premium audio that features XM Satellite Radio and a six-disc CD changer; dual-power front seats; and front fog lights. On the 9-5 Aero Sedan and SportCombi, the 60th Anniversary Editions include the Visibility Package, which consists of Saab Parking Assistance, rain-sensing wipers, xenon headlamps and auto-dimming outside mirrors. “We are looking forward to leading Saab’s 60-year anniversary celebration in the United States,” Saab USA General Manager Jay Spenchian said. “The 9-5 and 9-3 Anniversary Editions are a great way to mark the occasion, and they provide an excellent and a unique value to customers. “On Aug. 23-26, 2007, Southeast Michigan will host the Saab Owners Convention, where we will continue the celebration.” The 60th Anniversary Edition option will be available at Saab dealerships across the country in early 2007. On the 9-3 Sedan (MSRP: $26,915), SportCombi (MSRP: $27,915) and Convertible (MSRP: $37,515), the 60th Anniversary Edition option is offered for a modest $1,825, which is nearly $1,000 less than its MSRP value of $2,823. On the 9-5 Sedan (MSRP: $35,115) and SportCombi (MSRP: $36,115), the 60th Anniversary Edition option is offered for $1,595, with an actual MSRP value of $2,245. Diamonds, in addition to being associated with timeless beauty and quality, and getting Marilyn Monroe’s famous endorsement as “a girl’s best friend,” are judged by the four Cs – Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. Similarly, Saabs are judged by the four Es – Exciting, Entertaining, Engaging and Endearing. Exciting: Inspired by its aircraft heritage, the Saab 9-5 and 9-3 lines are high-performers. About 30 years ago, Saab revolutionized turbo technology and has been working toward perfection since. The 2007 lineup is the best yet. Turbocharging enhances the driving experience with rapid acceleration of miles per hour and heartbeats per minute – while yielding smile-enhancing fuel economy at the same time. Drivers of the 9-5 Aero risk contracting “perma-grin” after they attend the Saab Aero Academy, an exclusive two-day performance-driving program offered at no charge to customers who buy or lease select Saab Aero models. Entertaining: Who says the marriage of form and function cannot produce amusement? Certainly not Saab designers and engineers. A six-disc CD changer, XM Satellite Radio and premium Bose speakers enhance driving delight in the cabin. Even the integrated cup holder has entertainment potential as it disappears into the fascia and reappears with the push of a button. Engaging: For many years, Saab automobiles have appealed to the intellectual set – and with good reason. Award-winning safety innovations, such as Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR) and side-impact protection systems, helped Saab stand out from the pack in its early years. Most recently, Saab has added the OnStar in-vehicle safety and security system; seven vehicle variants that produce an EPA-rated 30 mpg or better on the highway; an industry-leading five-year / 100,000-mile powertrain warranty; and no-charge maintenance. For those who buy vehicles with their head as well as their heart, Saab offers great looks and equally great performance to match. Endearing: The driver controls and interior orientation are intuitively borne from Saab’s aircraft heritage. Building off that heritage, Saab automobiles use simple good sense and take advantage of every space to bring forward an efficiently packaged vehicle to consumers. It’s this efficiency that has endeared automotive pilots to the brand since 1947, and it continues to win over test pilots all around the country. In 1946, Svenska Aeroplan (SAAB) faced a post-WWII economic shift driven by the military-industrial complex to the consumer-based market. Looking to diversify, the primarily military aircraft and engine manufacturer gave 16 aircraft engineers licence to create the company’s first automobile. In 1947, the automotive division of Saab was born. The spirit of those engineers lives on today. [source: General Motors]

Autoblog has a pic of the Sentra SE-R uncovered: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/27/nissan-...ad-of-l-a-show/

No. The "Performance" edition in particular.

Yeah, so I think I'm ready to get myself an MP3 player (or get it as a present :AH-HA_wink: ). Getting tired of the compact disc thing. I want video capability and a decent-sized amount of storage. The three I'm seriously considering are the... -Creative Zen Vision: M -Video iPod (30 GB) -Microsoft Zune Currently, the Zen is winning me over with longer battery life, more colorful a screen, more features and greater format compatibility than the iPod. The iPod is the sleekest-looking and has the "cache" (it doesn't change the fact that it's inferior spec-wise compared to the Zen). I know next to nothing really about the Zune. I'm going shopping with friends tommorrow (not buying any of these tommorow, though), so I'll probably get to actually interact with these hands-on but in the meantime, which does everyone think is the best?

I'm seriously five seconds sort of throwing up.

List of NAIAS Debuts Aston Martin DBRS9 (*)(**) Audi Q7 V-12 TDI prototype (*)(**) BMW 3-series convertible Chevrolet Camaro Cadillac CTS Chevrolet Malibu Changfeng Group -- Liebao CS6 and CS7 SUVs, CY3 and CY6 pickups and concept vehicle Chrysler Town & Country minivan Chrysler Nassau concept car Dodge Avenger Dodge Grand Caravan minivan Ferrari 599 GTC (*) Ford Focus refresh/reskin (sourced from SmartMoney Dec. 6) Ford Super Duty pickups Great Wall (Chinese Automaker) (*) Great Wall Hover SUV (*) Honda Accord Hummer H4 concept Hyundai CV minivan (*) Hyundai Terraron (*) Hyundai Veracruz Infiniti Concept Q (*) Infiniti QX56 MCE (announced by Nissan Dec. 1) Jeep Trailhawk concept Kia Rondo Lexus IS-F Mercedes GL320 CDI Mercedes-Benz S-Class Convertible (*) Mini Cooper Mitsubishi Lancer, Lancer EVO prototype and concept Nissan Bevel concept (announced by Nissan Nov. 29) Nissan Rogue compact SUV concept Pontiac rear-wheel drive sedan (*) Porsche Cayenne MCE Toyota Tundra Volvo XC60 (*) Zhongxing (Chinese Automaker) (*) [Original Source: Detroit Free Press] (New additions in bold font.) * -- Concept vehicle(s). Added Dec. 7. Source: America Jr. ** -- Has been shown elsewhere. North American debut.

Recall: Various Volvos, Different DCXs, Few Fords The government announced four auto recalls Wednesday affecting about 300,600 vehicles. More than half of the vehicles being recalled -- 170,099 -- are Volvo passenger cars, station wagons and SUVs from the 1999-2002 model years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. Volvo Cars of North America, a unit of Ford Motor Co., is recalling vehicle speed controls on some C70, C70 convertible, S60, S70, S80, V70, V70XC and XC70 models. A malfunctioning electronic throttle module may cause the vehicles to unnecessarily go into "limp home" mode, in which the vehicle's speed is limited to 10 to 30 m.p.h., NHTSA said. Dealers will install upgraded software on the affected vehicles' electronic throttles. DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group is recalling 127,928 Chrysler Pacificas from the 2005-06 model years. The crossover vehicles have fuel pump modules and powertrain control module software that may allow the engine to stall under certain conditions, causing a crash to occur without warning. More at... Detroit Free Press

BMW 1-Series U.S.-Bound (Eventually) Way back in January of this year, BMW's CEO, Tom Purves, was quoted by Automotive News as saying that the 1-series, "is absolutely coming" and up until now, that's the last we've heard. Now, in another interview with AutoNews, Norbert Reithofer, BMW's newest CEO, says, "We will definitely bring the 1-series to the United States, but it will not be a hatchback." Instead, we should expect a coupe, sedan and station wagon (although we're not quite sure how that's different from the image above) in the future. Autoblog

GM Minivan Plans Panned General Motors Corp. may be bowing out of the minivan business. Faced with a steep drop in demand for the family vehicles, GM confirmed Tuesday that it has scrapped plans to build new minivan models that would have debuted as early as 2009 under Chevrolet, Saturn and other nameplates. While GM declined to comment on future vehicle plans, company insiders told The Detroit News that the company has no immediate plans to build minivans after it closes its last minivan-producing plant. The Doraville, Ga., plant builds the slow-selling Chevrolet Uplander and Buick Terraza minivans. It recently stopped producing the Saturn Relay. The Detroit News

Can't say this was much of a shock. I also can't say it's totally undeserved.

I still don't get what people think is so similar about the G6 and Altima. They don't look alike at all.

So it has 0.1% appeal in person as opposed to 0.00000001% appeal? Good to know.

Yeah. You can see the tab to open it above the vents.

Edmunds video footage: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Gener...rticleId=117624

Chery Importation Plans Go Bust After nearly two years of hype — and apparently hyperbole — American auto entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin says his Visionary Vehicles won't import Chinese Chery cars to the U.S. after all. According to The Wall Street Journal, Bricklin had claimed he was ready to import about 250,000 Chery-made cars to the U.S. in 2007, in a lineup that would eventually swell to 20 models. But the timetable was postponed twice, and most recently he said the first vehicles wouldn't hit U.S. shores until 2008. Edmunds

Looks good but I just hope lower-level interiors (as this obviously isn't) look as decent.

These TCC shots are of much better quality and closer up but the car is camoed now: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enthusiast...178.A11405.html

Mercedes Miffed at CR Mercedes has the worst record of any automaker with that many models. For a brand that claims to be "engineered like no other car in the world," that is fairly frightening. "They understand the problems and they are fixing some of them, but they have a long way to come," says David Champion, director of automotive testing at Consumers. For its part, a spokesman for Mercedes says that the data in the Consumer Reports rankings "is totally out of sync with what we're seeing in the mainstream research as well as our own customer satisfaction and warranty data." He points to the good marks Mercedes gets for ride, handling, comfort, safety and performance. He may be whistling into a windstorm, though. "Car buyers pay a lot of attention to CR's ratings," says industry consultant George Peterson. "They perceive them as unbiased." Research by Peterson's own firm, AutoPacific, substantiates CR's findings. Its 2006 Ideal Vehicle Awards show Mercedes not only ranking ninth out of ten among luxury brands but also lower than the top ten mainstream brands like Hyundai (Charts) and Subaru. Quality problems have been a big issue at Mercedes for several years and the company keeps insisting It has a handle on them. But issues keep cropping up. CNNMoney

Really? That's the base G6 interior? I thought they were comparable since they both had tan-toned cloth interiors with wood trim.

TCC Test: 2007 Nissan Altima 3.5SE On the whole, we have to rate the 2007 Altima 3.5 SE as one of the better entries in the crowded mid-size segment. It likely doesn't quite have the broader, plainer appeal of the Camry, or even the Honda Accord, for that matter. But that's not a complaint. The last-generation Altima was the number four on the U.S. passenger-car sales charts. With its healthy dose of attitude, the new sedan could do even better. When you add in the new Sentra, we think Nissan is likely to regain a fair share of momentum in 2007. The Car Connection

Family Car Findings: 2007 DTS Performance Sedan Don’t get the idea that Cadillac has forsaken the aging buyers who have made the DeVille/DTS the best-selling full-size sedan in the United States. The comfort-first crowd still gets a smooth and powerful, 276-horsepower, NorthstarV-8 engine; seamless four-speed automatic transmission; long list of available luxury features; convenient controls; quiet, upscale interior; and a suspension calibrated primarily for a comfortable ride. But Cadillac also sees the DTS as a possible choice for a younger, more performance-oriented buyer. For them, it has developed the DTS Performance Sedan. Family Car Gallery --- Ok, show of hands. Who else had zero idea this even existed?

The Altima's dash is cleaner and less cheap-looking IMO. It just wish it had a boot on the parking brake like the G6 does. With navigation, the Altima really blows it away. (Admittedly, not a totally fair comparison since you can't get navi with a G6.)

I really like the blacked-out headlight and taillight trim (especially on the black car). I don't recall if the American Altimas have that or not -- they should if they don't.

Lutz: GM Still Open to Alliances No. 1 U.S. carmaker General Motors is open to an alliance with its No. 2 rival Ford, Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz said in a newspaper interview on Sunday. Asked whether GM would choose to go it alone or merge with Ford, Lutz said, "We are open to alliances. But we can also be successful alone." Lutz spoke in an interview in the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung. Both Ford and GM are restructuring North American operations to adjust to a loss of market share in their home markets. GM is attempting to recover from a $10.6 billion loss in 2005. Lutz said GM remained open to a smaller deal with Renault-Nissan after GM declined to pursue a larger tie-up with the French-Japanese group. "We would have been in agreement with a smaller deal on engines, and we still are today," he said. After nearly three months of talks, GM, Nissan and Renault said in October that they would end their discussions on a possible partnership. Lutz told the newspaper that GM would have benefited from the proposed alliance far less than Nissan and Renault. Reuters