Variance

Wow, it really can't be a good sign if seemingly very few people give a damn about it. Though I must say, that includes me. A powerful V6 in a Torrent and I really don't care. Maybe because it's pretty much the kind of engine the Torrent (and Equinox) should've had available from the beginning? Maybe because the Torrent never thrilled me in any aspect from the moment it was launched? I don't know but I just don't care about it at all.

I've been going to the local gym recently for the past month or so. It's not a real large place about a mile or so from my house. Maybe it's because I go so often but I notice they play the same dang soundtrack almost everytime I go there. The thing about going to the gym for me is, once you make it a regular routine, you feel like a lazy bum when you don't go.

Give It Away, Now: Chrysler's Crazy Lease Deals Chrysler's going to give people cavities and diabetes if they sweeten their deals any more. DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group is leasing 2006 model year vehicles at a drastically higher rate than crosstown rivals General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. as it works to unload a glut of new cars and trucks. Lease deals can help automakers boost sales because they typically offer lower monthly payments. Dealers say Chrysler is making lease deals on 2006 models even more attractive by lowering lease interest rates, relaxing credit requirements and raising vehicles' residual values. It's good news for car buyers who can lease a loaded Jeep Commander full-size SUV at some dealerships for less than $200 a month. But analysts say it could prove a risky strategy for Chrysler, particularly as 2007 models are arriving at dealerships. The Detroit News

Well as a black guy who knows other black guys, you won't hear any argument from me. Athletes and various recording artists do set the trend that a lot of the black community follow (sometimes to embrassing extents, IMO). Personally though, I'm not like a lot of black guys they probably plan on marketing to. I'd elborate more but I'll save it for later. :AH-HA_wink:

Buick Wants to Bring in the Black Guys If more blacks start driving Buicks it could help the brand overcome its biggest problem: the perception that it is a boring, old person's car. That's the view of Steve Shannon, Buick's general manager. He says blacks are the most loyal Buick customers and he wants more of them. Not only do blacks of all ages buy a lot of cars, he says that young blacks, particularly athletes and hip-hop artists, help define urban hipness. Autoweek

Edmunds Evaluation: 2006 Pontiac G6 Convertible So, don't buy the 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP convertible if you're looking for a convertible sports car. Don't buy it either if you dream of throwing two suitcases in the trunk, lowering the top and heading off for a romantic weekend. You'll be disappointed on both counts. Instead, buy it because it's a reasonably priced, attractive, six-days-a-week coupe that, when conditions allow, will afford a couple hours of top-down motoring with you and three of your luggage-less friends. On Monday, you can put the top back up for urban jungle duty — or if it begins snowing. Just like we said at the top of this page, the practicality and convenience of a four-seat coupe with a retractable hardtop is alluring. Edmunds

Nissan May Purchase Closed GM/Ford Plants, Assets Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. will consider plants and assets that are being shed by U.S. automakers as the Japanese company looks to expand manufacturing capacity in North America, a top Nissan executive said on Thursday. Reuters

GM Expects 40% Conquest Rate with Enclave When the 2008 Buick Enclave goes on sale next year, General Motors Corp. expects up to 40% of the new SUV's customers to come from other automakers, Steve Shannon, Buick's general manager, said Thursday. GM has not revealed pricing for the midsize model, which uses a car-like structure to provide better fuel economy, more room and more comfort than traditional SUVs like the Chevrolet TrailBlazer. However, the Enclave's targets, the upscale -- but smaller -- Acura MDX and Lexus RX350, have base prices of $39,995 and $37,400, respectively. Detroit Free Press

NAIAS Preview: 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer November 10, 2006 -- CYPRESS, Calif. -- Ninety years after starting car production (with the 1917 Model-A), Mitsubishi has embarked upon its most ambitious automotive project ever through the launch of its first global platform. Known as "Project Global", and already successfully previewed with the second generation Outlander, it will be showcased at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit by its highest volume variant: the all-new 4-door Lancer sports sedan. Dynamic Designed at Mitsubishi Motors studios in Europe and Japan, the Lancer sports sedan shares its stunning design language with the much-acclaimed Mitsubishi Design Europe-penned 2005 Concept-X and Concept-Sportback show cars. Its low stance, long hood / short deck proportions, wide track, trademark "shark nose" and distinctively deep set "eyes", all bring a new meaning to the concept of sports sedans - very much in line with both Mitsubishi's "Japanese Modern" design philosophy and its peerless credentials within 45 years of racing. To be launched progressively in world markets from Spring 2007 (North America), the Lancer sports sedan will form a full family of cars with dynamic qualities to match their looks all across the range: from entry models (1.5 litre 110 ps engine in Europe) right up to the all-new Lancer Evolution supercar, including diesel power (Europe), a high performance 2.0 litre turbo gasoline version and other variants. Global Representing a multi-million dollar investment, "Project Global" will support the launch of several new Mitsubishi vehicles over the next few years, designed from the outset for world markets, i.e.: with the built-in flexibility required to accommodate regional needs and regulations as well as market trends and new customer demands in markets as diverse as Japan, North America, Russia, Asia-Pacific and Europe. As a further evidence of its adaptability, models from business partners DaimlerChrysler A.G. - with which it was co-developed - and P.S.A. Peugeot Citroen* are / will also be based on this global platform. Along those lines, "Project Global" will also enable the introduction of the "World Engine" family of powerplants. Co-engineered with DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai Motor Company, the engines to be used in Mitsubishi vehicles have been modified by the company for individual market and model use. [source: Mitsubishi Motors N.A.]

Basically. In manual-shift mode, the transmission programming lets you "shift" through 6 (I believe) programmed "gears". In normal drive, it behaves much like a normal gearless CVT (closer to the 2007 Altima than the Murano, I think). On a semi-related note, in my Dec. MT issue, they tested a 2007 Altima with CVT and said the tweaks Nissan performed to the transmission added engine braking, cut the "rubberband" feel and improved responsiveness.

Spied: BMW Z4 Targa A photographer managed to snap a single photo of a prototype BMW Z4 Coupe with disguise on its roof. According to spy master Hans G. Lehmann, the camouflage is hiding a large glass roof similar to that of a Porsche 911 Targa. The Z4 Coupe has only been on the market since the middle of this year, and it appears a second variant may already be in the works. Leftlane News

Rumor Mill: BMW Z6 Will BMW's Z4 become a Z6? The Bavarian car maker is about to develop a replacement for the current Z4 sports model, which has been on the market since fall 2002. According to spy photographer and insider Hans G. Lehmann, the all new successor to the Z4 is schedule for release in September 2009. No prototypes have been sighted on the roads yet, just some speculations and a possible name change into "Z6" are in the air. Furthermore talk is that the new coupe will adapt the engines from the new BMW 3-Series Coupe. After the jump you'll find two illustrations of how the new model could look like upon its launch. Leftlane News

My take: The whole problem came about because you wouldn't drop the issue and continued to argue about it when people tried several times to get the thread on track. Don't agree with something? You're free to say your peace but then it's a good idea to move on soon after. If you don't like what's being posted, fine. In that case, it probably would've been a good idea to... 1. Bite your tongue out of courtesy. or... 2. Just avoid the thread altogether. There's no reason to go on a tirade because some dudes weren't wearing shirts. Do/did you see the gay members bitch and moan whenever sexy women were posted? Besides, seeing guys without shirts isn't all that sexual, really. You came off a wee bit intolerant, IMO.

That's quite a bit different... The GT-R is a AWD, turbocharged sport-oriented grand tourer not a FWD family sedan with two doors chopped off.

The Truth About Cars TWAT Awards 10. Chevrolet Aveo “Chevy likes to tout the Aveo as the “lowest-priced [new] car in America” and in spite of their warning “content may vary,” it’s easy to see how they achieved that goal. From the hollow-sounding doors, bargain-basement plastics and skinny tires to the coarse-sounding engine that strains when faced with even the slightest incline, it exudes “cheap” from every ounce of its being. The Aveo also refutes the smart shopper’s mantra “you get what you pay for.” In the case of this captive Korean import, you pay little and get even less.“ 9. Lincoln Mark LT “Lincoln’s badge engineered Ford F-150 is an unholy degradation of the world-famous Lincoln Mark nomenclature. While Brother Navigator sets the luxo-truck standard for wikkid beat boxes, wood-trimmed tillers, ventilated seats and power running boards, the LT went the adhesive-backed bling route, hit the showers and called it a day. From the richly textured but rock-hard interior plastics to the exterior’s mega-dose of bottom-dollar spizzarkle, the Mark LT is a rolling testament to Dearborn’s short-term, suicidal reliance on bean-counted engineering. “ 8. Saab 9-7x “The Saab 9-7X is a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats. Moreover, the Saab 9-7X is a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats. I can't stand the fact that the Saab 9-7X is nothing more than a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats. And when you stop and think about it, the Saab 9-7X is a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats. Who did GM think they were fooling when they released the Saab 9-7X, which is nothing more than a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats? You know what I hate most about the Saab 9-7X? It’s a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats.” 7. Subaru B9 Tribeca “Subaru execs may have been stony-faced when TTAC’s “flying vagina” description of their new SUV’s grill treatment started making the rounds, but at least they didn’t turn to stone. Given the unrelenting hideousness of the Tribeca’s design-- from its genital front end to its fallopian dash to its alien eyes rear end -- they should count themselves lucky. The fact that the B9 is also slow, thirsty and cramped proves that repulsiveness can be more than skin deep. Why Subaru felt the need to enter the SUV segment when it offers such a wide range of superb four wheel-drive sedans and wagons is anybody’s guess. Clearly, they shouldn’t have bothered. “ 6. Chevrolet Monte Carlo “The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a wrong wheel-drive engineering joke from the late ‘80’s. But that’s not the Monte Carlo’s only/best claim to shame. It’s the merciless butchering of its once decadent “personal luxury” lines. In one fell swoop, the baroque fenders went from tacky-posh to adolescently unrefined. From the front, the Asian-inspired headlights assault the muscle car values once associated with this famous coupe. At the rear, sacrilege takes the form of taillights that look like a two-way bookshelf speaker that met the business end of a heat gun. Factor in various grades of interior panel gapping, Wal-Mart spec’d polymers and parts bin swapping with zero integration and you’re done. “ 5. Hummer H2 “The Hummer H2 is a rebodied last-generation Yukon that’s so damn heavy the IRS will give you a tax break because you just bought a piece of commercial farm equipment. It looks like a school bus from behind and a morbidly obese Cherokee from every other angle. It doesn't handle. Braking distances are straight from 1956. It gets less than 10mpg and takes longer than 10 seconds to reach 60. Only a handful of non-journalists have ever taken it off-road. Even the name sucks (literally): the H2 is a sad simulacrum of the first Gulf War winning off-road champ HUMVEE. While the H2 doesn’t come with hair plugs, it tells the world that the man behind the wheel has a small penis, or brain, or both.“ 4. Chrysler Aspen “To quote Simon and Garfunkel, every way you look at this you lose. The Chrysler Aspen is a badge engineered Dodge Durango-- an Olde School SUV at a time when its competition has either gone to work at McDonald’s or headed for college. It’s ugly. It’s thirsty. It’s slow. It’s badly built. It’s cramped. It’s expensive. Chrysler is trying to flog this monstrosity as a blingmobile-- which is like trying to sell cocaine as a sleep aid. Although the Aspen was an inexpensive-- make that “cheap” way for the Dark Lords of DCX to expand the Chrysler brand portfolio, it’s a perfect example of the old adage “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.” 3. Buick Rendezvous “Based on a 1997 minivan, the Rendezvous is a platform partner to the Chevrolet Venture, Pontiac Montana and Oldsmobile Silhouette, and a twin-under-the-skin to the gruesome Pontiac Aztek. It’s outlasted them all, creaking along for almost 10 years with nothing more than a few trim changes and corporate-wide mechanical updates. The ungainly Rendezvous’ ride, handling and performance are on par with… a 10-year-old minivan. In fact, the Rendezvous embodies everything that’s brought GM to the brink: penny pinching, brand dilution and chronic neglect. It’s set to be replaced by the Enclave, and not a moment too soon.” 2. Jeep Compass “Props to DCX for trying to introduce an economical model for fans of the storied Jeep brand.. In this horror story, Dr. Frankenstein (played by the mustache-twirling Doktor Z) grafts round headlights and a seven-slot grill onto the face of a mediocre high-riding sedan (a.k.a. the Dodge Caliber). He throws the switch and an ugly, gangly, underpowered, mud-aversive half-breed staggers into the light, turning all who see it-- or heaven forbid buy it-- into grotesque, bobble-headed morons. The Compass stomps all over Jeep’s reputation as America’s purveyor of authentic off-road vehicles. It’s time to get your pitchfork.” 1. GM Minivans “Talk about retro-design. Rather than simply cop styling cues from bygone classics, GM built the Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac SV6 using 25-year-old engineering. (Though not literally true, it’s true enough.) In terms of dreadful driving dynamics, contemptible aesthetics and torturous ergonomics, no other vehicles sold in America can compete with these so-called “Crossover Sport Vans.” For their antique engineering, woeful looks, cancerous effect on not one but four GM brands and their abject inability to hold a candle to their foreign-owned competition, GM’s minivans earn The Truth About Cars’ accolade as the worst vehicles currently for sale in America.” The Truth About Cars

I think they meant that to mean it was a segment that Nissan hadn't competed in until now. I don't recall any Accord/Camry coupe competitors from them.

More STis on the Way? (Not just Imprezas...) Our SEMA show coverage details the hardware on Subaru’s Forester Sports 2.5 XT concept, but here’s the extra bit of info: This might be a concept today, but before long you can expect this car and a Legacy, both wearing STI badges and fitted with all the hot STI hardware, in Subaru showrooms alongside the fan-favorite Impreza WRX STI. Autoweek

"Take our cars, please!": Aspen/Compass Incentives This morning we heard about a strange promotion to sway buyers to the new Chrysler Sebring. Chrysler isn’t trying anything unique with rebates on the all-new 2007 Chrysler Aspen SUV and 2007 Jeep Compass compact SUV. No, those two models get straightforward cash back. Kicking Tires

No, the Rogue isn't going to be shown until January in Detroit. I think it's the Altima Coupe.

There are finally some uncamoed images were you can clearly see the rear and the sides. http://news.windingroad.com/auto-news/spie...s-benz-c-class/

TCC Test: 2007 Suzuki XL-7 Your first thought when shopping a crossover might not be Suzuki. It's one of the few brands known more for its name than its vehicles (what exactly is a Forenza, anyway?). And even then, the Suzuki most of us know has two wheels and a 200-mph top end. But that may change after a first drive of the new XL7. Suzuki doesn't have the cachet of a Honda or a Toyota , but its XL7 readily compares with the RAV4 and CR-V, and now offers seven-passenger seating, too. The sharply-dressed new XL7 is also a cheaper alternative to the coming class of crossovers that includes Ford's Edge and the Honda Pilot, as well as existing Subaru wagons. The Car Connection

TCC Test: 2007 BMW X5 4.8i It's typical that as a vehicle grows in size and becomes more "mainstream" and "family friendly," it also becomes more like the typical middle-aged clientèle that needs mainstream and family-friendly vehicles. Once-sharp reflexes and a firm suspension set up for enthusiast drivers are swapped for drop-down DVD entertainment systems for the kids and power-operated toys for the grown-ups. The X5 has an abundance of the latter, including a "simplified" version of the infamous iDrive mouse controller (more on that below), available heads-up display and an electrically activated gear shifter similar to the system first used on the 7-Series sedan (more on that below, also). But as I experienced firsthand during two days of flogging new X5s (both the base six-cylinder powered 3.0si and the V-8 X5 4.8i) on some of South Carolina's best moonshiner backcountry roads, the '07 X5's every bit the runner the old one was. And then some. The Car Connection

Toyota Buys 5.9% Stake in Isuzu I'm thinking we're going to want to move Isuzu to the "Other Guys" section now... Toyota announced today that it will spend $373 million on a deal with Isuzu that will transfer 5.9% of the truck- and diesel-maker to the giant Japanese automaker. Toyota's goal in purchasing a stake in Isuzu is to bolster its diesel portfolio, which apparently lags behind other major automakers like cross-town rival Honda who announced in September it would have diesel-powered passenger cars for sale in the U.S. within three years. Autoblog

The Sentra SE-R and (most likely) the Altima Coupe are scheduled to debut there as well.

Steve McQueen's '58 GMC Truck for Sale GMTruckGuy might want to get his checkbook ready (or depending on how Mrs. TruckGuy would feel, hide it ). Autoblog