regfootball

really, is cadillac needed when the world is saturated with Lux cars already? Caddy is not big in Europe or Asia. Its not like Caddy's technology is filtering down through GM anyways. Buick thrives in China. Keep that. Keep Saturn and rename it Opel. Or at least make the logos the same. Fold Saab into Opel if needed. Chevy is chevy/daewoo. I would even argue that Saab should stay over Caddy and get Caddy's resources. still i agree with GM in that don't fold brands. Consolidate dealers and sales channels (faster). I would merge BPG with chevy. although not every chevy dealer would have BPG, but I would not allow standalone BPG dealers. Then it top ends chevy and means you can get by with a much smaller BPG lineup, but still keep the brand. Buick becomes the luxury car available at a Chevy dealer. It becomes roughly what Lincoln is now. another reason to do this, then BPG dealers are not in competition with chevy dealers for similar cars since they all sell the same. I would keep Caddy separate but allow them to join with Saab if desired. Saturn Saab Caddy, only I think it would work better as Opel / Caddy. Some parts of the US would not have sales traffic for Opel, Saab, Saturn what have you. I should qualify in this idea that Pontiac has a g6 line, g8 line (including wagon), gto (g8 coupe), the solstice, and maybe a compact (to duke the WRX's of the world). The g6 line could either be alpha small or epsilon fwd/awd. g8 would be large rwd/awd. vibe dies. G3 dies. Buick I would have the Zeta Park Avenue, and then a couple of fwd/awd offerings. I don't see Buick needing a compact. I might be tempted to kill the Enclave. I would bring back the rendezvoux the size of the Lexus RX/murano. I would make a retractable hardtop 4 seat riviera coupe. that would be buick's unique roadster. seriously, if pontiac and buick each have like 4 model lines, 1 new line a year is not that much. they just need to keep it current. GMC would just to me only exist as specialty edition rebadge trucks. Acadia, Yukon, Sierra, but in very limited numbers. I would kill the canyon. I don't think caddy needs a CTS coupe. Just me. Wagon, yes, coupe, no. Caddy needs two new bookends, to be more in line with the 3,5,7 BMW trifecta. a BLS coupe, yes. The SRX can stay for a bit. I think the escalade is a stretch.

i wonder what oven mitt's take on the bank bailouts was? there you go. i think this is what is going to happen. its nice to know that at least that astra i get will still have a warranty. seriously, when someone as high profile as mitt is saying that govt will back the warranties, i think you see they do want to make sure people have the ability to be confident about the product and the company being around.....they just want to bust the union. in all seriousness, it sounds more and more like this is the deal. Make them go bankrupt, they want to do two things. Bust the union, and the events will mean Obama has a rougher start, so he can have less chance to succeed. The UAW should be very afraid. this may be their death knell. looks like the repubs want to speed up the process by letting GM run out of money before the dems can grab the reigns and go the other way. by the way, i'd still buy a taurus over an avalon the way it is. with another 2k to make it better, why is the avalon even on the radar? notice how the republican didn't bring up one other white elephant. HEALTH CARE. Mr. Republican, perhaps you could do these companies a favor by taking the health care responsibility off the employers back? Not that i neccessarily agree with national health care, i am just saying that its another disadvantage that would really help the automakers. Do you really think a republican would broach that idea?

If i recall, one of the big reasons SUV sales of a certain vehicle weight or higher were so high was because of the accelerated tax credit for buying such vehicles. Um, the government is responsible for driving SUV sales and now they are using those sales as a reason to lynch the domestics? Despite toyota and Nissan expanding their full size truck and SUV offerings immensely? Kia too? WHat am I missing?

oops! what he said, LOL the accord is not capable of lapping the nurburgring like that however,

funny how a lowly michigan built cobalt can keep up with der BMW.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/18/lkl.beatie.qanda/index.html definitely interesting reading. i have absolutely no point of view on this, but just thought it makes for a unique read. 'pregnant man'

remember, the south hates the north and the south is mad that detroit 3 didn't give them plants! also, the south is 'right to work'.

the other facet of this that is developing. the repubs are dead set to not let Obama to do what he wants with the bailout, so will vote against whatever it is he wants, so he is set to fail in office from the start.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-bl..._view_of_t.html also http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...&refer=home

I believe that there should be global crash and emissions standards but fuel economy standards would be a bear to make global. all i am saying, all cars in whatever market they are in should have the same regulation criteria.

supplier issues?

increasing the gas tax is the most sensible way to decrease use.

um, who steals car stereos anymore? that's so 1985? sorry to hear about that, stang.

no one wants to buy cars like that in the US. they only buy them when gas prices spike. or their wages suck. which both are the problem. the only reason MINIS sell here at atrocious prices, its an 'entry level BMW'. people can't get the 1 series even its too pricey. But for brand snobs, the Mini is the next best thing. I don't see mammoth A3 or C30 sales. So you can't say people want premium small cars. Gas is two bucks now. Don't think that Jetta diesel will be as in demand now. That Cobalt that was flying off the lots mere months ago (see, added shifts) now is rotting on lots too. Look at Civic sales, march vs. last month. Look in the mirrors people and say this again 20 times fast......PEOPLE IN THE US DO NOT WANT SMALL CARS THEY ONLY as a whole BUY THEM EN MASSE WHEN MONEY BECOMES THE ISSUE

then make the Japs have their cars at 50 mpg too. 50 mpg will compromise safety also. the smart car can't even get above 35 mpg real world. so you're using the national security card when it comes to mpg but the manufacturing technology and ability of our own US owned companies has no bearing on national security? so when detroit closes down, and the UAW goes with then watch those wages plummet at those transplant plants fold. funny thing, watch the jobs go back to Japan too. I read a good article today, the article where the governor got a Kia Borrego as a gift from Kia for the new plant opening (some southern state). Don't kid yourselves people. A large majority wants the Detroit 3 to go under so that car jobs will come to them in the US, and they don't care if the countries are foreign. Its regional warfare. Lots of folks feels that Detroit failing will actually benefit those in other states, particularly. People are being selfish basically. they want the failure of the detroit 3 and UAW because they assume they will benefit somehow. so if the big three are handicapped with some sort of extra rules because of this, why not put rules on all those transplants who took a bunch of government money to have their plants set up here in this country?

why should GM keep cadillac? seriously, why hasn't anyone asked this? Chevy, Saturn, Buick

x2

well, they gotta do something. all the press this year will focus on the 25B and not the cars.

lets hear your thoughts. I think the big three should pull out of the 2009 Auto Show entirely. In fact, I think that they should cancel the whole NAIAS. This might be exactly the type of message that needs to be sent on this. then the auto journalists couldn't eat free lunch and party all week, and maybe they would be laid off too (nothing to do). The big three should simply have a press conference every day at one of its manufacturing plants, low key, serve some food to everyone, take a few photos, etc. Just post that on their own web sites. Call it good. Thoughts? I think something unconventional and drastic like this would really say something.

the sheer fact is that other countries prop up their auto industries. we don't seem to want to. seems to be a double standard. pump 700B into failing banks for spa parties. But 25B to let real people's lives go down the drain. we seem to be willing to let our auto companies fail and cede our spots as major players in one of the world's biggest product markets.

can i be rich in my second life?

ABS ought to be standard on EVERY car sold now. Stabilitrak too, IMHO.

wall street is partially behind this, as they want to reduce the automakers to scraps so investors can profit off the sale of the scraps. all he says all this after this buddies got a 700B injection in funds. that alone says all you need to know.

can't say that enough.

you would be amazed at how many people i encounter that feel exactly this way. complete utter hatred and disdain for GM. but if you were going to shut down their entire industry i wonder how their feelings would change.