Hudson

This keeps the union on their toes. If GM were to say "we've got a product ready to replace the GMT360," what position would that leave GM when the 2007 negotiations started?

The owner of the property must be compensated. So if the government were to take over the plant, they would have to pay GM...not extract money from GM.

The loss of manufacturing jobs is not an American problem, it's a global trend. Manufacturing is getting more efficient so jobs will continue to dwindle. Not only are jobs being lost in the US, but, as I have been told, in China as well. China is becoming an economic superpower and, if the Communist Party allows it, China and India will one day be the two largest consumers of goods in the world...based on population size alone. This is a good thing for American companies as more of their goods and services will be consumed by these countries. One of the things going for America is our culture. It is in demand, no matter what you see on the news or read in the papers, all around the world in nearly every country (even the Middle East). With this, being "like Americans" will continued to make our culture (and goods and services) exportable. Until Bollywood or Shanghai Cinema or African World Music or soda or shoes from East Gibip becomes a global trend, American films, musicians, Coke, and Nike sneakers will lead the way for America's continued position as a Superpower. The American economy continues to evolve, but we need to keep the pressure on so that our industries do not become complacent. It happened to the automotive industry...it can happen to others. One hundred years of history (Oldsmobile, Coca Cola, Levi Strauss, Hollywood, RCA) does not mean that the next hundred years will keep you at the top of your game. No matter which political party is in power.

The upcoming Lexus CUV will go up against the upcoming Acura RDX and the CURRENT BMW X3. Seems logical aiming at an existing vehicle and preventing a rival company from having an edge on itself. I can't argue there. But I'm anti-SUV of any size for the typical "soccer mom" and daily commuter. "No logical reason?" The logic is that if you "create a market," you get the field to yourself...boosting prices and profits. Minivans made amazing money for Chrysler for many years. When the Explorer had nearly half the mid-sized SUV market, Ford was raking in the cash. Dodge had the mid-sized pickup market to itself for nearly a decade. GM had the extra-large SUV market to itself from the late 1970s until the late 1990s. Every car company wants to find an untapped niche. It's worth a fortune...and it's quite logical.

Currently there is a GMT360-based replacement for the Trailblazer and Envoy. I believe this makes Moraine safe through 2010 or 2012 at the earliest.

Perhaps...but it's already on its way.

I'm guessing this is closer to the truth than just about anything else here. "Fat" Americans can't fit into a number of small vehicles. I get upset when I test a car and it has everything going for it except that the seat was designed for Americans' backsides. No lateral support on a big, flat seat. When fitting a Big Gulp into the cupholder takes priority over gas mileage, I get upset. While Russian big cars are used by the government, even the Russian people (only 30% of households have a car in Russia) drive much more reasonably sized vehicles like Ladas (over 700,000 are built every year). With all of the Ford Focuses and Chevrolet Vivas and Ladas, the dozen or so Zils built every year don't really matter. If America had that ratio, nobody would complain about the 15mpg vehicles driving the roads.

I have never done this type of specific research, but I do know of items that would point toward this conclusion. Oakland introduced Pontiac (both ran simultaneously for a few years). Buick introduced Marquette. Oldsmobile introduced Viking. Cadillac introduced LaSalle. Each brand believed they needed a "sister" car to their main lineup. While Pontiac was popular enough to take over Oakland and LaSalle lasted until WWII (and became a lower-level Cadillac model afterwards), Marquette and Viking didn't survive more than a few years.After WWII, each brand didn't see the need to introduce a new brand to enter a new segment (although this can be argued as well since Plymouth advertised the Valiant in the same way it would a new brand and others worked similarly).

I know that story...and I don't argue the timing. But there were "automatic" and "clutch-pedal less" transmissions before Oldsmobile. Your race winner is not as clear as you would have others think.

Is Buick starting a viral campaign for the Lucerne and using message boards to promote this car? I've heard some good things about the car from truly independent sources, but not to the level I've seen in certain chat areas online. I understand that these are typically GM-oriented chat areas...but could Buick be planting some of these messages?

I only wish the Mopar muscle car I used to own (1982 Dodge Aries) would appreciate in value as much as these 1960s-1970s era Hemis have. But first, I'd have to buy back my old car.The great thing about inflation is that one day, we'll all be millionaires.

No. Check your facts.GM is credited for developing their particular type of automatic, but these transmissions were hardly the first "no clutch pedal automatics." Where did I say that? Anyone thinking GM is the market leader in ANYTHING but market share needs to open their eyes. I'm not saying that they couldn't be, but they're currently not. Toyota (and many other REAL car companies) spend REAL amounts of money on R&D. GM should be spending MORE not less in tough times.

And you're in my garage?

Being an enthusiast is one thing...being blindly faithful is another. Did you read that original post? It was blowing smoke without the facts. What's wrong with wanting a DISCUSSION or a DEBATE instead of listing half-truths as "facts."

I've had two articles published in Collectible Automobile since 1998. I like the magazine and the people who work there. They always seem to have an oddball article that catches my attention...this issue it was the Brazilian cars article.

Were you digging through my closet again?

And this means nothing. They invented the fluid-drive type of automatic...there were automatics before that, and GM didn't invent them. Try again. It's "Aisin" and it's a different unit from the transmission used in the Rav4. Try again. Oh...wait. The Bugatti Veyron has a 7-speed handling torque that would shred any GM transmission. Try again. Not in years. Try again. Lots of GM products use Denso parts too...partially owned by Toyota. Try again. Delphi was relyiing on GM for over 80% of their business. Try again. And how many will GM sell? And why should Toyota care? Try again. See above. Try again. See above. Try again. Not in the next few years, but in time, perhaps. What's your point? And yet Toyota's Camry outsells EVERY GM car in the US, Toyota's Sienna outsells all GM minivans combined, and the Tacoma outsells the best-selling GM small pickup in the US. Your point? Try again.Do you expect the members of this site to just cower to your (lack of) knowledge? C'mon! Start a debate, not an argument. Try a discussion.

I didn't know he started his own publication...unless it was "Tom McCahiill's..." something or another, which sounds vaguely familiar now that I say it.

The review was on the air with Eddie Trunk (www.knac.com on Thursday morning 10a-1p est). Try the Queensryche website for further information (www.queensryche.com).They may have "lost their metal edge" and they definitely lost their guitarist, which may have gone hand in hand.

Good and bad.I remember when Motor Trend briefly revived "Sports Car Graphic" in the late 1970s. It featured some interesting articles including one on the Lotus Sunbeam (known in lesser forms in the US as the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon). The pictures were fantastic and I've wanted one ever since reading this article. The magazine also featured something that has been lost to time and techonogy: hand-drawn pictures. The short-lived 1990s magazine "Classic Automobile Register" was William Jeanes' (of "Car and Driver" fame) attempt at an upscale car magazine. It had some interesting features and articles, but it was a bi-monthly and apparently didnt' find a market. My charter subscription was converted into extending my "Road & Track" subscription when the magazine folded. Bad....did I say "bad?" I meant AWFUL. Ever see "Auto Phyle?" Not to be confused with the "AutoWeek" publication "Auto File," this one was self-published. I don't recall the publisher's name, but a co-worker of mine looked the magazine over and assumed that the layout for the magazine had been done on a Mac (it was a standard Mac format, according to him). The pictures are good, the subjects very good, the writing and research, terrible. I bought one issue (early 1990s) at Tower Books. The research turned my stomach. A few years later, I bought a complete set (12 issues) of the magazine at a charity auction for less than $10. I open them up whenever I need a laugh.

A misconception I got caugh in as well. Full-sized truck buyers are not homogenous. With the growth in the marketplace over the past 10 years or more, many of these buyers came from owning Toyota and Honda and Nissan CARS, not trucks. These buyers are not that brand loyal.Proof of this is the fact that Toyota and Nissan sold 200,000 full-sized pickups last year. In 2007, this number should reach closer to 400,000. Anyone not giving the Japanese credit for understanding the full-sized truck market risks being run over. Let's hope that the Big3 aren't as complacent.

I don't believe this to be the case. I think that they just went "belly-up" as so many fo the mags did at that time. Find an old (1970s vintage) copy of Motor Trend. Right on the cover, I believe it says "incorporating Car Life and Sports Car Graphic" (pardon my poor memory if it's not exact).Also, see the link below that backs up my poor memory. http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enthusiast...S216.A5749.html

I have all Queensryche albums/CDs with the exception of their most recent studio disc. I'm waiting for Mindcrime II which will be released next month and I'm ready to be disappointed (based on the one review I heard).I have studio releases with "Scarborough Faire" and the movie soundtrack with "Last Time in Paris," so they were both previously released. I don't know that I have "Dirty Lil Secret" but I do have Operation: Livecrime and Live Evolution which has most of the live tracks you mentioned.

No, they're not ignoring it. But the commercials aren't necessarily aiming at it either. You need that rugged IMAGE to sell trucks like this. By showing these trucks in that setting, it helps promote the image. Would there be as large of a demand for these trucks if they showed them how they're actually used...commuting to the office...driving to the grocery store....picking up a bag or two of mulch for the flower bed? I doubt it. I understand your editorialized perspective. But the fact remains that the Tundra (and to a lesser extent the Titan) are aimed at full-sized truck intenders who don't necessarily need a truck. It's like a Silverado or F150 with leather seats...are these aimed at people who use these trucks for work? If the full-sized truck market were so homogenous that all of them were used strictly for work, there'd be more trucks offered with three-seat benches...vinyl covered with no carpeting for easier cleanout. Instead, these trucks are offered with nearly every luxury option you can find on a Cadillac or Lincoln (even without the Cadillac and Lincoln pickups).The new Silverado will not expand its market significantly and will, at best, hold its own. Toyota and Nissan, on the other hand, will grow in their next versions....both in market share and sales. That, to me, makes them hits not strikes.

Okay...so it's your VIEW of the full-sized pickup market that makes it a strike. Viewing the full-sized market as being only for commercial uses is too narrow. When you sell over 3 million full-sized pickups in the US a year, the market is more diversified than just being for "truck guys." There are fragments that open up niches for "urban cowboys" and suburban guys who "think" they need a big pickup (mostly for image). I've seen Tundras and Titans used in commercial applications, but they're not aiming at it.Toyota has found a nice, fairly large (and growing) niche for its trucks. I can't find an honest way to count the Tundra as anything but a success. It sells...it makes money...it's being built at the plant's capacity. Sounds like a winner to me. The new model will continue and improve upon the success of the Tundra.