!!!TED!!!

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/200...7-08-news04.txt Where the Rubber Meets Downtown by Ryan Vaillancourt The L.A. Auto Show Is Back and Greener Than Ever The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid vehicle made by General Motors, will make its North American debut at the L.A. Auto Show this week. Photo courtesy of the L.A. Auto Show. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - The economy is in a tailspin and Detroit's Big 3 automakers are in peril. If there's good news for drivers, it's that gas prices have plunged lately, but few expect that trend to stick. So it's not exactly the financial climate that lends itself to consumer excitement about flashy new cars. Still, organizers of the L.A. Auto Show, which returns to Downtown for its 101st edition this week, aren't letting the gloomy economy spoil the party. Instead, they're featuring a growing selection of new cars that try to capitalize on price- and fuel economy-conscious consumers, said Brendan Flynn, the Auto Show's director of communications. "I think more than any other year we're seeing the environment and the economy really play a role in what we're seeing on the show floor," Flynn said. "If there's a theme to the show this year, it's that the auto industry is responding to the consumer wanting more choices." That means that visitors to the Los Angeles Convention Center Nov. 21-30 will find more cars with smaller and more efficient engines, more alternative fuel-powered vehicles, more hybrids and a sampling of cars that are just plain small. Take Nissan's highly anticipated Cube. A favorite small car in Japan since the early 1990s, a new Cube will have its United States debut at a pre-event show on Thursday. The latest version in Japan measures about 12 feet 3 inches, or more than 18 inches shorter than a Volkswagen Rabbit. While Nissan has kept the 2009 Cube specs close to the vest, the new model is likely to stay true to character, said Darryll Harrisson, a Nissan spokesman. The Cube is one of more than 20 models making their North American debut at the Downtown Los Angeles showcase, and nearly 20 more vehicles will have their world premiere, Flynn said. Also making its North American debut is the Volt, a plug-in hybrid from General Motors. The model's unveiling may come with a cloud over its head, since GM's financial condition is so grave that the company recently announced it only has enough cash to run its global operations until January. GM had planned to send its vice chairman, Bob Lutz, to unveil a new Buick model at the show, but canceled in a cost-cutting effort. But the Volt, hoped to be a game changer for a company whose bread and butter has been in the truck and SUV realm, will still be on hand, Flynn said. Eco-Friendly Evolution The streets of Downtown are no strangers to environmentally friendly vehicles. Hybrids have been cruising the city for about eight years, and since 2006, their drivers have been permitted to zip along freeway carpool lanes even when they're not carrying a passenger. But the driving force behind demand for green cars is changing, said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and greencars.com, which will select a Green Car of the Year at the L.A. Auto Show. Whereas early demand for green cars stemmed primarily from environmentally conscious consumers looking to minimize their carbon footprint, today's green car market includes a larger group of buyers thinking first and foremost with their pocketbooks, he said. Hybrid and electric vehicles, for example, tend to be more expensive than their all gasoline-powered cousins, but with gas prices bouncing, drivers are looking to get more bang for their buck at the pump, Cogan said. "Very few people would step up and pay extra for a car that happened to be green, and relatively few people had environmental performance or fuel economy on their shopping list," Cogan said. "That's changed, with fuel prices being what they've been. That's what's driving interest." One example of buyers and makers alike eyeing fuel economy is the emerging trend of "clean diesel" vehicles that burn a diesel fuel engineered to meet emission standards in all 50 states. Such cars have, on average, about 30% better fuel economy than traditional gasoline engines in similar sized cars, Cogan said. No matter how much consumers are paying attention to fuel economy, the L.A. Auto Show wouldn't be the same without a hefty dosage of horsepower, plenty of V8 engines and futuristic bells and whistles. Those who attend the show just to ogle will be able to feast their eyes on cars like the new Ferarri California, the famed Italian maker's first retractable hard-topped convertible. Its price tag is estimated at a cool $200,000. "We always find it challenging to communicate that the auto show isn't a place to go shop for your next car," Flynn said. "It really is a fun thing to do whether you're fantasizing about your ultimate dream car and you want to get up close to it, or just have fun with the family." The L.A. Auto Show runs Nov. 21-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St. More information at laautoshow.com. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at [email protected].

You have a nice Lumina Mustang84! Raised white letter tires for the win! I'd say you got your moneys worth too. Euro 3.4's are rare. There was one for sale near me when I was looking for my Achieva. I was tempted, but it needed alot of maintenance, including all the brakes. It was bought by someone, and it was for sale again a few months ago on craiglist (the new owner must not have had the stomach for the repairs) It would make a helluva sleeper. 3.4 with dual exhaust, in a plain-jane sedan wrapper. If I recall correctly, it was fairly low milage too. Heres the car:

Its also much quicker than others.

If you know the location, drive by and see it. If you don't, 411 her phone number (google is your friend), and it may give you her address. No need to trespass, just swing by and have a looksy.

My deepest condolences. May your father rest in peace.

Old pics from Aug 5th... This green Achieva is 5 streets down from where I live.

That was my first thought. 1970 Trans Am. I love when they dip into heritage colors/themes. Honeycombe wheels and skirts in front of the wheels would rock the look even more.

I said I would eat my shoes if gas went to 90 cents (when it was a dollar). It dipped to 90.2, and has since gone to 91.4 in my area of Toronto. My shoes are safe for the time being.

My current dream girl is restoring a 1984 Camaro Z28 (her third 'maro). It just went into winter storage, and she now drives a 1997 Nissan Sentra winter beater. Doesn't bother me one bit. Both stick BTW.

There ya go. Much better choice! And with an indestructible 3800!

I wouldn't. You can do better. My car was twice that price, but is 3 years newer, in much better shape, and with 40000 less miles. I would continue searching. Car prices are super low right now.

Stick-on fender vents!!!!

And make simular sites for other divisions? Awesome effort on PDFing brochures!!!

I would love to get AH-HA's take on this whole story. :AH-HA_wink:

How about RoboCop the series. Toronto as Detroit (end credits even have him passing a streetcar!). Everytime a Taurus police car (second gen cars used for the series) gets damaged or blown up, the car taking the abuse is a first gen!

Well, the Canadian election came and went. Same government as before minus a few Liberals. Short and sweet, not a drawn out pagent as in the States. Gas came down to 99 cents a litre (most recently has hovered in the $1.20ish range), which brought a tear to my eye. LA autoshow is comming up quick, and the leakage will start soon [edit] One leak already: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/18/la-prev...ini-e-revealed/ Then after that the floodgates open up leading to that most joy filled event, NAIAS! Production Camaro's for everyone!!! Word association will never end!

It reached under a dollar per litre in Toronto! First time in a year!!! :sign0200: Drive it like ya stole it!!!

Achieva update: On September 24, the Achieva rolled over 175,000 Kilometers! You can watch this magic moment Today was not a good day though. The water pump seized, causing the tensioner to seize, causing the accessory drive belt to snap. Limped it to Active Green+Ross (5 min from my home, and 5 min from where the belt snapped). $610 later, and its all fixed (and an oil change!). My poor money. Total Achieva cost+repairs (not including insurance and fuel) is still below 3 grand (my initial car budget), so no harm done. Runs like a champ now. I did have to endure mocking from the youngest service guy about my "10 minute stripe job".

Hot pictures, especially this one!

This lovely Buick is right around the block from me.

A moment of silence for the GMT360.

Thanks, they are a recent addition. Clicky: http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...c=25238&hl=

My 1995 Oldsmobile Achieva S: