91z4me

I don't think it is exactly a Zeta studio as much as Chevrolet studio.

Production Volt? Stretch out the Volt vertically, taller headlights and greenhouse. Then add a larger grill and make the windows stop at the beltline. I think it is a possibility. Or an MCE Cobalt. Both would be quite interesting.

So pretty much Fleet & GXP then. Interesting.

Excuse me Rick, Bob, and Fritz could you all take about 3 steps to the right? Because

Much closer to reality.

That is a good change. Hopefully commericals will emphaisis this change. So what models are left? GXP & GTP?

Apparently manufacturers can do that, according to CD.

Me likely. That engine bay is screaming for something a little larger in there. I say a turbo PFI Caddy swap. Or maybe throw a modified turbo setup onto the stock V6.

Why couldn't the 3.9 replace the 3.5 as the base V6? Give it a 6 speed auto and the mileage diff from the 3.5/4 speed combo should be negligible. The tooling and design is paid for. Use it until you get the production capacity up for the 3.6 HF.Heck you couldn't really complain about GMs V6s being down on power then if the base V6 is offering 240 ish HP and a high output is putting out 260+.

All the evlauation SD Ford trucks & Explorers I saw in Louisville had Blue Michigan manufacturer plates on them. I never saw a Toyota car from the Georgetown plant or the Toyota plant in Souther IN.

Seems to happen a lot when I go against you.

I saw it over there as well. We just keep going back and forth. I will copy as well.It just seems like a stretch to me. Consider me cautious.

What angle that GM is American? It hasn't worked for them. But it works for Toyota. Tell me how that makes sense.The 'green' angle? GM's hybrid trains and busses save FAR more fuel and emissions than Toyota's Prius, Camry hybrid, Highlander hybrid, or Lexus hybrid ever will over the couse of their lives. Yet they can get no credit for it. GM is like the Rodney Dangerfield of cars they get "No Respect." Of course. Nothing I can EVER say will save GM. Only GM can save GM. And Toyota is doing some pretty questionable advertising. That is why I don't like them. They are trying to have it both ways, import perception and homespun values. Give me a break they are and ALWAYS will be an import. Which they are doing! If people would just pay some freaking attention! Your right and that is the freaking problem! Everyone only cares about themselves. That is why Walmart has put tens of thousands of small businesses out of business, so someone can save a few bucks on cut rate clothing. That is why our trade deficet is larger than it EVER has been. That is why we are a nation of individuals with no savings and no accountability! GM is the #1 provider of health insurance in the nation! Supporting directly well over 1 million people as active employees and retirees. Add in their family and the number is likely over 2 million. Add in Ford and Chrysler and all the supporting suppliers and the numbers are staggering. Yet in order to compete the Domestics have to reduce costs on an almost daily basis, which gets them slammed by the media. They have to ship jobs overseas, which gets them slammed by the media. They have to do all these things to stay competitive and yet all you hear from the media is that it is GM's own doing.Everyone only cares about themselves. They care about the all mightly dollar. That is the damn problem. That is why we are a nation of consumers where once we were a nation of producers. That is why this country is going to hell in a handbasket. People can't look far enough into the future to see that the me, Me, ME attitude is only going to lead to their and everone else's eventual downfall. Customer service is practically a thing of the past. Stores that do actually offer knowledgeable sales staff have to lower pay and fire people because someone else is paying cheaper for lower quality staff. Then the store paying less has to lower its quality further to fight online stores who have no sales staff who only have people loading the shipping containers. THAT IS THE f@#kING PROBLEM [/rant]

GM's products fo the 80s were sub par in quality and the perception grew from that. Their models from the early 90s-00 were typically large/more substantial than their Toyota/Japan Inc counterparts. Leading to a perception of GM/Domestics being less fuel efficient. As the Toyota/Japan Inc cars have grown over the generations this is generally not true. The only reason a CAFE deficet exists b/t the Domestics and Imports is because of the mix of product sold. And if the market wants a lot of large SUVs I see no problem in providing them. Positive reinforcement by a bias media has led to the expanded perception of this 'quality gap' that in reality doesn't exist.

Since you asked to be called names I choose "Tinkerbell."Legacy costs are GM's commitment to its former employees. GM is locked into contracts and can't just not pay them. GM made a promise and is living up to it. The problem is that Toyota et al came in and started 'domestic' factories MUCH later. So they don't have retired employees so they have no legacy costs. This reduces their fixed costs and decreases their cost per car. Around $2000 per vehicle by most accounts. Now add in that most of their engineering is being done overseas at lower rates AND in all their overseas plants they have 0 health care costs b/c of socialized healthcare (not something I want to see happen here at all!). So now they have another reduction of costs per model. Lets say that is another $2000. If you add in the lowered value of the Yen, which typically makes Toyota b/t $2000-$5000 per car *by some estimates, you get to see how they are so profitable. So lets see they save around $6000 per car compared to their domestic counterparts! No wonder they can have a nicer interior. No wonder they can have a sophisticatd aluminum intensive multilink rear on the Corolla while the Cobalt and Ion make do w/ a twist beam. And the reason many of us on here percieve Toyota as being the bad guy and arrogant is because they are! They benefit from the 'Japanese is better' mentality and thrive off their 'green' image. But they try to have it both ways and start advertising themselves as American. In SE Indiana there are billboards showing how Toyota has 10 plants in the US, compared to GM who has over 50! They also consider themselves 'green' and do things like give Prius' to celebs for awards shows. And constantly advertise the car, even though the production is limited and they can sell every one of them they make. But that isn't what chaps my ass. It is that while living the 'green' image they are producing large trucks and SUVs like everyone else, except the Koreans and Honda. The Sequoia gets worse mileage than a Tahoe, actually worse than a Suburban as well. It is on level w/ the H2! The new Tundra is HUGE and yet Toyota gets a pass from the media on it. Nobody has said anything about it taking away some of the 'greenness' of the company (except those environuts at NY).

No, Delaware is a Mid Atlantic state. I very much doubt to many people from Delaware would consider themselves Southern. Just because members of a state supported the Confederacy doesn't make them Southern. Well does Opel offer plant tours?Also just a small aside question: are the Opels sold in Mexico and Central/South America made in Europe or in the Americas?

Never heard the adage but I will remember it. Now lets consider taking the H3 into the element it was designed and engineered for: Offroad. Drive one in really rugged terrain and tell me it is a joke.

Huh? I don't really get the point but OK. KY voted to stay w/ the Union and it definately had TONS of slaves. Tobacco is still the #1 legal cash crop of the state and is still VERY labor intensive to produce. And Lincoln was born in KY, no matter what you hear from the "Land of Lincoln" (IN) or Illinois, he is one of us! Is the BG plant the only GM plant to regularly operate tours?

Being a KY native I am predudice I guess but there's nothing like Southern hospitality. Seriously when I went on my tour I got to see the XLR-Vs before they were on sale and got to see the C6 Z06s shortly after sale, at that time ever 5th Vette was a Z06. I also got to hear a Z06 on the rollers, it was SWEET! All the guys on the line/on break/ were really cool and didn't seem bothered by it. Though the tour guides didn't know much.Does Willmington give plant tours?

My guess is that it has some aftermarket/custom stuff on it.

Whoa! More favorite than the Y-body plant in Bowling Green?

It ain't though. It is a KY dealer plate, like every other dealer plate in the state. Sorry unless this is a full production car, which any consumer could buy, and is for sale I sincerely doubt this is an 08. Why didn't someone get a pic of the VIN? That would have been 100% undeniable, but this is not.

I don't believe these pics 100%. Why would a preproduction car have DEALER plates vs manufacturer plates?!

Good job Chris! 1st the H3T now the HHR SS. Guess you are eating good this month. :AH-HA_wink: