Oracle of Delphi

5 3 10

I actually like your lineup, minus the Escalade.

Oh on a side note, if you see a 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix, send me an E-Mail. I still haven't found, what I'm looking for (Hey that sounds like a good song title).

I always loved the Chevy Apache name. On a side note, one of my sister-in-laws lives in Hudson, FL. I visited her and the lovely Mermaids of Weeki Wachee the last time I was in Florida.

I prefer to call it SEXM (SXM), and yes. :AH-HA_wink:

No Buick Hotline ringtone? I'm surprised. What if Buick needed to speak to you? Hmmmmm?

Is that in North America?

Again, Pontiac will never get any Opels of any kind. Alpha from my understanding will not be going to Pontiac.

On my cell my ringtone is (867-5309 Jenny ...), when my wife calls me, my ringtone is Smack My Bitch Up by Prodigy.

That actually appeals to me.

Not bright enough for me, I like lemon yellow, orange orange, oh and grape. Yes I use to eat Trix as a kid.

Do you think we could have a section for XM? For those of us that may want to discuss shows on XM etc. Just a thought. I listen only to XM in the USA and stream it to my computer everywhere else I may be.

As I get older, 39 now, it seems like yesterday I was just 19. I feel like I blinked my eyes and 20 years went by. With that in mind, I do more things with my family, I take time to smell the flowers along the way, because I know I will blink my eyes again and I will be 59, another 20 years gone. Kind of scary when you think about it.

Jamie LaReau Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET Cadillac's wings have been clipped. While General Motors wrestles with financial problems and analyzes higher fuel economy rules, the automaker has put on hold plans to develop a stylish Cadillac competitor to the mid-sized Mercedes-Benz E class, as well as the future of the Escalade SUV. On the plus side, the CTS car will get more versions, a redesigned SRX crossover is on the horizon, and GM's high-mileage Volt technology likely will filter over to Cadillac. Small sedan: Second time's the charm? The BLS sedan and wagon, developed on the front-drive Saab 9-3 platform, are sold in Europe but have been dismal failures. Few luxury-car buyers in Europe equate Cadillac with Mercedes-Benz or BMW. Cadillac's next luxury small car will be built on GM's new rear-drive Alpha vehicle architecture. And this time, the BLS, if the name is kept, will be sold in North America. The small Cadillac sedan will arrive late in 2010. CTS: The 2009 and 2010 model years are all about creating a CTS model line. The 556-hp 2009 CTS-V sedan — V is Cadillac's performance designation — packs a supercharged, 6.2-liter V-8 engine that generates 551 pounds-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard. The 2010 models will debut in the spring, highlighted by the CTS sport wagon. The 2010 CTS coupe will go on sale in the late summer or early fall of 2009. The coupe concept debuted at the 2008 Detroit auto show. A CTS restyling is not expected until possibly the 2012 model year. DTS: GM had planned to end DTS and STS production around the 2010 model year, when a new flagship sedan was due. But that plan is on hold, so the DTS will "soldier on," as one source put it. STS: Like the DTS, the STS will stay in the lineup unchanged. Big sedan: Eventually the DTS and STS will be replaced by one model, a rwd sedan that will be more competitive with the Mercedes E class and BMW 5 series. While the car is certain, the timing is not — it may appear around the 2013 model year. XLR: GM executives are debating the future of Cadillac's two-passenger sports car. Blame CAFE, high gasoline prices and disappointing sales of the current model. The XLR has been freshened for the 2009 model year, but the planned redesign for the 2012 model year is uncertain. Plug-in hybrid: Sources say GM is studying the possibility of Cadillac's sharing GM's Chevrolet Volt technology, scheduled to debut in late 2010. The Volt will use an electric motor to propel the vehicle. Unlike a conventional hybrid, a plug-in can be recharged overnight by connecting the batteries to a power outlet. If the owner drives no more than 40 to 50 miles a day, a plug-in can run solely on its battery pack. If additional distance is needed, a small engine recharges the lithium ion batteries while the vehicle is in motion. GM thinks Cadillac buyers are more likely to accept the steep price, estimated at $40,000 for the Chevrolet model. The car is penciled in for the 2011 model year. SRX: The redesigned crossover will debut roughly in mid-2009 for the 2010 model year. It will be smaller — between the 2009 SRX and the Saturn Vue — and seat five instead of seven, as the current model does. The redesigned SRX essentially will be a production version of the Provoq concept, introduced at the 2008 Detroit auto show. Unlike the fuel-cell-powered concept, the production version will have a V-6 engine. The 2010 SRX will be developed on a blend of GM's new Theta and Epsilon vehicle architectures, called Theta Premium. Unlike the current SRX, developed on a rear-drive architecture, the redesigned vehicle is on a front-drive platform. Saab's new crossover also will be developed on this architecture. Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT: GM's Two Mode hybrid powertrain is available for the 2009 Escalade and is identical to that offered in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids. But the hybrid powertrain is not offered on the Escalade ESV or EXT. The Escalade family's future is on hold until GM determines how the new regulations for corporate average fuel economy will affect GM's GMT900 truck program. One option: By the 2013 model year, one or two of the Escalade versions on GMT900 could be replaced by a model or two developed on GM's fwd Lambda platform. The Lambda architecture — now used for GM's mid-sized crossovers, such as the Buick Enclave — would be stretched to develop any new models. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250306

Jamie LaReau Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET High gasoline prices, tougher fuel economy regulations and limited product development funds are forcing Chevrolet to reinvent much of next decade's product line. Gone are plans for a rear-drive Impala. In question are the big, once highly profitable SUVs, which may be replaced with smaller vehicles. Waiting in the wings is the ballyhooed rear-drive Camaro, arriving in February. On the horizon are a redesigned Aveo, the new Cruze economy sedan and the pure-electric Volt. Several years away is a minicar with excellent fuel economy. Aveo: The subcompact will be redesigned for the 2011 model year. The 2011 Aveo could draw design cues from the Chevrolet Groove or Trax minicar concepts shown at the 2007 New York auto show, but the Aveo will be longer and wider than the concepts to meet federal safety regulations. GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. will develop the redesigned Aveo in South Korea with assistance from an international development team in Shanghai. The car will be developed on GM's global Gamma platform. The U.S. version likely will be built in GM's plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Cruze: A Paris auto show unveiling is planned for the 2011 front-drive compact sedan, which will be sold globally. The car is being engineered by GM Daewoo. The Lordstown, Ohio, plant will assemble the North American version, with production beginning next year. The car is being developed on GM's new global Delta vehicle architecture. GM's new 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which will power the Cruze, will be used globally in several brands. A turbocharged version is planned. Cobalt: The Lordstown plant is scheduled to assemble the current generation of the compact through June 2010. After that, GM may keep a Cobalt coupe in production and shift assembly to Mexico. Malibu: The scheduled restyling for the 2010 model year has been canceled because of cost constraints. Depending on the new fuel economy rules, the overall length and wheelbase of the next-generation Malibu might be trimmed. If so, the restyled and re-engineered car might debut for the 2012 model year. Volt: GM's lithium ion battery technology will debut in the 2011 Volt, a fwd plug-in hybrid with its own styling. The automaker is following the pattern set by Toyota with the Prius, a separate model to highlight hybrid technology. The Volt's battery-powered electric motor will be capable of propelling the vehicle about 40 miles before a gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the battery. The Volt will be built on GM's Delta architecture and assembled at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant. GM wants the Volt sedan to be on sale by the third week of November 2010. Impala: The mid-sized car was scheduled to be redesigned as a rwd vehicle for the 2011 model year. But the high price of gasoline and stiffer U.S. fuel economy regulations have persuaded GM to leave the Impala fwd. The new plan: The Impala will be redesigned for the 2012 model year on GM's new global mid-sized vehicle architecture, previously known as Epsilon. The new Impala is expected to be slightly wider and longer than the 2008 model, with possibly shorter front and rear overhangs. Camaro: The 2010 coupe will go into production in February. The convertible might be pushed back to the 2012 model year because of cost constraints. The Camaro was developed on GM's global rwd Zeta vehicle architecture, which was created by GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia. V-6 and V-8 engines will be offered. GM insiders say the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine once mentioned by product chief Bob Lutz is likely too weak. GM will build the Camaro in Oshawa, Ontario. Corvette: GM has launched its 200-mph-plus 2009 ZR-1, which starts at $105,000, including shipping and a gas-guzzler tax. The hand-built, 6.2-liter V-8 is rated at 638 hp. Chevrolet says the car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 205 mph, making it the fastest Corvette ever made. Production of the redesigned Corvette is to start in April 2012 for the 2013 model year. Despite talk of a midengine model, the front-engine layout will be maintained. HHR: The redesigned 2011 wagon will abandon the retro styling theme and become what one insider called "radically modern." It also will be bigger, with possible seating for seven. Essentially, it will be a mini-minivan, based on the replacement for the Opel Zafira. The vehicles will be developed on GM's next-generation Delta vehicle architecture. A concept may be revealed this year. Equinox: The 2010 crossover will be restyled and re-engineered. Those who have seen the new Equinox say it has lots of chrome, a new interior, larger wheels and a revised chassis. Traverse: The 2009 Traverse is the fourth and final crossover developed on GM's mid-sized Lambda vehicle architecture. The Traverse will be assembled at GM's Spring Hill, Tenn., plant, which formerly was devoted to Saturn. TrailBlazer: GM is phasing out its SUV, planning to replace it with the more fuel-efficient Traverse. The Moraine, Ohio, plant, which builds the TrailBlazer, is scheduled to close in 2010, but some speculate the factory might stop assembling the TrailBlazer sooner because of poor sales. Tahoe, Suburban: The full-sized SUVs were scheduled to be restyled and re-engineered for the 2012 model year, but those plans are on hold. GM executives say high gasoline prices and stiffer fuel economy regulations may mean that the Tahoe and Suburban will be replaced by models developed on a stretched version of the Lambda platform. Avalanche: A scheduled restyling and re-engineering of the SUV-based pickup for the 2012 model year is on hold. The Avalanche may switch to the Lambda platform. Colorado: Will an optional 300-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 help the 2009 Colorado become a big player in the small-pickup segment? Chevrolet promises 0-to-60-mph acceleration in less than seven seconds for the V-8-powered version. The 2009 Colorado's brakes have been re-engineered. A redesign is on hold pending an analysis of new fuel economy regulations. The redesign had been scheduled for the 2012 model year on GM's GMT700 vehicle platform. Silverado 1500: GM launches its Two Mode hybrid Chevrolet and GMC pickups for the 2009 model year. Silverado 2500, 3500: The re-engineering of the heavy-duty models has been pushed back, possibly to the 2011 model year. Uplander: The slow-selling minivan eventually will be replaced by the new Traverse crossover, but GM will continue building the Uplander into 2009. Express: No significant changes are expected. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250307

Jamie LaReau Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET DETROIT — The world in which General Motors operates is a very different place from what it was a year ago. Gasoline prices are at unprecedented highs, the green movement has gained momentum that likely won't be reversed, the slump in housing has killed the demand for high-profit pickups and SUVs, and the Detroit 3 are running out of cash. Add to that strict new federal fuel economy regulations. Although GM has vowed to not let those factors diminish its future product lineup, they are affecting how many products the automaker will build. Economic conditions turned so severe that in June, GM put its Hummer brand up for sale. The company already has killed the idea of large rear-drive cars and deferred development of its next-generation pickups for several years. That means the Chevrolet Impala remains a front-drive sedan. And it means the push to get small, fuel-efficient cars, such as the Opel Corsa, to the United States could be ramped up. Likewise, full-sized SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon may no longer exist in their current form. GM could replace them with mid-sized utilitylike vehicles. Here is a look at what to expect out of General Motors over the next few years, with the caveat that it could all change if the market continues to erode GM's sales and cash supply. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250309

Richard Truett Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET DETROIT — General Motors' heavy investments in powertrain technology are beginning to pay off in terms of better fuel economy. -- GM is slowly building its hybrid business and will launch one new hybrid per quarter for the next four years. -- The company has just opened an advanced powertrain testing laboratory in suburban Detroit. -- The automaker is rolling out engine technologies that maintain performance while lowering emissions and fuel use. -- GM has been adding gears to automatic transmissions, reducing the weight of its powertrains and designing engines capable of being mass produced with high-tech features such as direct fuel injection and turbochargers. The template for GM's future engine strategy is already on the road in cars such as the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line. The engine used in those roadsters is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with direct fuel injection and a turbocharger. Horsepower is 260 — the most per liter of any production engine GM has ever made. But Tom Stephens, executive vice president of GM's global powertrain, says more improvements are needed. "I've got to make the lightest possible engines and transmissions," he says. "I've got to improve my combustion technology." Future tech Here are the plans for GM powertrains. -- Direct injection, turbocharging and advanced valve actuation are being rolled out on smaller gasoline engines. -- Automatic transmissions will have 6 speeds; GM will introduce dual-clutch transmissions. -- HCCI and fuel cell technology could be ready by 2012. Here's a peek at some of GM's upcoming powertrains: Diesels: Two new diesel engines are in the works, one for trucks and one for cars. About a year from now, GM will launch one of the most radically new engines in its 100-year history: A 4.5-liter diesel V-8 will be offered in light-duty versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and in SUVs. Because of the design — which eliminates the heavy cast iron exhaust manifolds and bulky intake manifold — GM cut about 75 pounds of weight, compared with a conventional diesel. A Silverado with the new engine should deliver a 25 percent fuel economy gain over the standard 5.7-liter gasoline engine and enable the truck to get around 26 mpg in city and highway driving. There's also a V-6 diesel that GM is designing with VM Motori in Italy. The engine will be offered next year on European Cadillacs and could end up in North American vehicles. Gasoline engines: Smaller and more powerful is the mantra at GM. In January, the automaker canceled its UV-8 (Ultra V- — a state-of-the-art, 32-valve V-8. The UV-8 would have replaced Cadillac's Northstar, a 4.6-liter engine with 292 hp. Cadillac's new 3.6-liter V-6 has direct fuel injection and is rated at 304 hp. Higher-performance versions could get a turbocharger and horsepower around 400. In 2010, GM will launch first in Europe and then North America a new 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 120 hp. The engine will be used in the Chevrolet Cruze small car. Hybrids: GM's hybrid powertrain architecture is set for the near future. The rear-wheel-drive Two Mode being used in the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade gets software tweaks in 2009 to improve fuel economy and performance. Also in 2009, GM adds Two Mode versions of its pickups. A front-wheel-drive Two Mode hybrid will be available next year in the Saturn Vue crossover and could be used in most fwd vehicles. GM also plans plug-in hybrids. The Saturn Vue is expected to debut first around 2010. In November 2010, GM plans to launch the Chevrolet Volt, which uses a different type of gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. The electric motor alone drives the wheels. The gasoline engine powers a generator that recharges the lithium ion battery pack. Technology: GM hopes to be the first automaker to launch a vehicle with an HCCI engine. Homogeneous charge compression ignition enables a gasoline engine to run like a diesel at idle and at cruising speeds. The result is about a 15 percent fuel economy gain and dramatically lower emissions. HCCI also is a key technology in terms of where GM wants to take gasoline engines before they start to be replaced by electric motors. "Downsizing (displacement) with boosting is awesome," said GM powertrain exec Stephens, referring to the Solstice and Sky 2.0-liter engines. "But combining this with HCCI is really where I want to get to." Fuel cells are also in GM's near future. The company is launching test fleets of Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles in North America, Japan and Europe. GM's latest generation of fuel cell can fit in the space of a four-cylinder engine. The company expects to have fuel cells ready for mass production by 2012. Transmissions: Nearly all of GM's automatics will be six-speeds. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250310

Jamie LaReau Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET DETROIT — General Motors' product lineup will be dramatically different next decade. "It's clear that the size of the American vehicle is going to shift radically, for all kinds of reasons — fuel economy; legislation; the gasoline price, which may or may not come down and may go up over time," Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of product development, told Automotive News. "So the U.S. fleet is going to be downsized, and I think the U.S. consumer is no longer going to associate size with luxury and price." GM's small cars will be developed on two global platforms: the Gamma and the slightly larger Delta compact architecture. The designs and engineering for those front-wheel-drive platforms are done in Korea. GM also has a global minicar platform, but vehicles on that platform will not meet U.S. safety standards for at least five years. Bigger Aveo Chevrolet is the logical place for many of GM's small cars. For the 2011 model year, the brand will get a longer and wider version of the Aveo that picks up styling cues from one of the three minicar concepts that GM unveiled at the 2007 New York auto show. The Delta architecture, which underpins the Chevrolet Volt, could be the basis for several more vehicles for North America, Lutz said. But immediate plans are for replacement products that are slightly bigger than their predecessors because of safety regulations. For example, for 2009 Chevrolet will further tweak the Cobalt before it eventually replaces the car with the Cruze. The Cruze is due to market in mid-2010 and will be built simultaneously with the Cobalt for a while. Both will be built on Delta. Small Caddy? GM also is considering small cars for Buick, Saab, Cadillac and Saturn. "We are planning a lot of vehicles that sort of assume American customers are going to be willing to pay fairly high prices for very well-done small cars that are premium in every way — styling, power, execution, ornamentation, interiors — and that would naturally carry brands other than Chevrolet," Lutz said. This year GM added the Opel-based Astra hatchback compact to Saturn's lineup. The small Opel Corsa subcompact or a small minivanlike vehicle based on the Opel Meriva could join the Saturn family as well. But sources say a small Saturn would not come to the United States until 2013 because of safety regulations. GM revealed a small Saab 9-X hatchback concept at the 2008 Geneva auto show and a 9-4X crossover concept at the 2008 Detroit auto show. The automaker plans to build the crossover in 2009, but the hatchback is at least four years out. Cadillac will get a car priced around $28,000 and sized below the CTS for the 2011 model year. Cadillac will likely debut a "baby" Cadillac concept soon. The car would be a small, rear-drive sedan built on GM's new Alpha architecture. Finally, GM's board has green-lighted the Chevrolet Volt — a plug-in electric sedan — for production in November 2010. There is talk that Cadillac will get the next vehicle to use the Volt technology. Stay tuned. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250314

Jamie LaReau Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET The oldest car in Saturn's lineup is the Sky roadster, which debuted for the 2007 model year. For the future, an entry-level car is likely, but when or which model is still a work in progress. A mini-minivan also is penciled in, but the timing hasn't been decided. The redesigned Astra hatchback is on the way. But with GM's budgetary constraints, Saturn's remaining product line may be in showrooms for a long time. Small entry: An entry-level model positioned below the Astra is under consideration. Still to be decided is whether Saturn will offer a version of the redesigned Opel Corsa, a European subcompact, or a different model. The car would be developed on GM's global Gamma vehicle architecture. A year ago, product chief Bob Lutz told reporters that a Corsa could come to the United States as soon as the 2010 model year. But with the changing U.S. regulations for corporate average fuel economy and GM's ever-changing product plans because of financial problems, a Corsa is unlikely to hit the States until the 2013 model year. Astra: The Opel-based Astra compact will be re-engineered and restyled for the 2011 model year, developed on GM's next-generation global Delta vehicle architecture. The current model is assembled in Belgium; the next generation will come from GM's new plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Aura: The re-engineered, restyled mid-sized car has been pushed back to the 2012 model year, at the earliest. The new Aura is based on the Opel Insignia, which will go on sale this year in Europe. For the 2010 model year, the Aura likely will get a freshening. Sky: The roadster is expected to receive a reskin in the 2011 model year. After that, any changes will be depend on how viable the car is in the marketplace. If it survives, a redesigned Sky could arrive in early 2014. Entry crossover: Saturn is considering a small, entry-level crossover off the global Gamma architecture, possibly for the 2012 model year. It would seat four people, be smaller than the Vue and be priced under its larger sibling. Vue: The Vue small crossover gets a Two Mode hybrid in the 2009 model year and a plug-in hybrid the next model year. The Vue is scheduled to be redesigned for 2014. MPV: The mini-minivan planned for Saturn has been delayed, possibly until the 2011 model year, maybe longer. The vehicle essentially will be a version of the redesigned Opel Zafira that will be sold in Europe. The minivan will seat six or seven, but the back row is essentially for children. Outlook: Unless sales of this crossover improve, GM likely can't afford to do much in terms of restyling or re-engineering. Bottom line: Its future is in doubt. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250313

Jamie LaReau Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET At Buick, it's nearly all about China — the brand's biggest market. Buick's redesigned mid-sized car will be sold here and in China. A small sedan created for China may be sold here. A stylish, rear-wheel-drive sedan went on sale last year in China and was penciled in for the United States. But GM's financial plight scuttled the U.S. plan for the rwd sedan, as well as production plans for a sharp-looking coupe concept that debuted last year at the Shanghai auto show. Small car: General Motors is likely to bring a redesigned compact sedan to the United States for the 2012 model year, a front-wheel-drive vehicle built on GM's new global Delta vehicle architecture. That car will be sold in China. Still to be decided is whether Buick or Pontiac will market the car. No decision has been made on where that car would be assembled. LaCrosse: The Invicta concept car, unveiled this year, is essentially a mildly camouflaged 2010 LaCrosse. The Buick sedan is being developed on GM's new global mid-sized, fwd vehicle architecture. The car was co-engineered and co-designed with GM's China operations. Lucerne: Buick's top sedan gets a new lease on life. The fwd cruiser had been scheduled to be discontinued during the 2010 model year. A redesigned 2011 model was planned, with the Lucerne switching to GM's global rwd Zeta vehicle architecture. But "serious fuel economy issues" killed the rwd Buick sedan and rwd Chevrolet Impala, says one GM insider. The Lucerne will continue as is with only minor upgrades. How many years? As long as its size and fuel economy fit into U.S. federal regulatory standards, says one GM insider. Interestingly, China already is selling that rwd Buick. The car is assembled by GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia and exported to China as the Park Avenue. Riviera: GM no longer can afford to develop the car that would have added some excitement to the product line. Plans for the sexy two-door coupe based on the highly praised Riviera concept are dead. Enclave: In terms of styling, the popular crossover essentially will remain unchanged for several years. The Enclave may get a freshening for the 2011 model year. The changes in corporate average fuel economy and GM's financial problems make more extensive changes unlikely for some time. All of GM's Lambda-based crossovers are candidates for a Two Mode hybrid. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250305

Jamie LaReau Automotive News August 25, 2008 - 12:01 am ET The dreams of making Pontiac into an exclusively rear-wheel-drive brand have been put on hold, possibly permanently. Small front-drive cars will make up a significant portion of Pontiac's future product line. And like most everything in General Motors' stable, Pontiac's future lineup is affected by new corporate average fuel economy requirements and GM's tight cash supply. The bottom line: It will be difficult to create a unique identity for Pontiac, separating it from Chevrolet. G3: An entry-level car based on the Chevrolet Aveo is likely to be imported for the 2009 model year. The G3 would be developed on GM's global Gamma architecture. Sedan: A sedan sized between the Aveo and Pontiac G5 is under consideration for Pontiac or Buick for the 2012 model year. Because Pontiac and Buick are sold under one roof at most dealerships, only one brand will get the car, which likely would be imported. Sedan: In light of high gasoline prices, a Pontiac based on the 2010 Chevy Cruze may arrive as early as the 2011 model year. The car would be developed on GM's new fwd Delta global vehicle architecture. It likely will replace the G5. G6: GM management has flipped-flopped product strategy on this model several times. Initially, the automaker planned to restyle and re-engineer the G6 around the 2011 model year. The car was scheduled to be developed on GM's next-generation Epsilon vehicle architecture. Then, in an effort to distinguish Pontiac from Chevrolet, GM decided to make Pontiac a rwd brand. The redesigned, rwd G6 was slated to debut around the 2012 model year. GM's new rwd Alpha architecture was expected to be used. G8: The G8, assembled in Australia, is the first car sold in the United States that was developed on GM's global rwd vehicle architecture, known as Zeta. The car went on sale earlier this year as a 2008 model. Pontiac will expand the G8 line with a 2010 G8 sport truck, the G8 ST. The truck, a niche product also out of Holden, is reminiscent of the Chevrolet El Camino, which featured a small pickup bed. Solstice: The 2009 product line is doubled with the addition of a fastback coupe. The Solstice line will get higher-horsepower engines, but not a V-6. The car is a candidate for GM's new 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. What happens next will be based on Solstice sales and whether GM can afford a next generation. Vibe: Pontiac launched a restyled, re-engineered Vibe for the 2009 model year. The hatchback likely won't be due for a freshening until the 2011 model year. Torrent: The Torrent crossover ends production in 2009. That leaves Pontiac a car-only line, which is what GM wants it to be as part of the Buick-Pontiac-GMC sales channel. Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20080825/ANA03/808250312

Robert Snell / The Detroit News DETROIT -- Turns out General Motors Corp.'s employee discount isn't for everyone. The automaker, which last week temporarily extended the perk nationally to anyone in a bid to boost sales and clear out inventory, simultaneously filed three lawsuits alleging fraud as the company cracks down on employees, retirees and widows giving discounts to nonrelatives, according to court documents. Along with other recent lawsuits, the automaker is suing for more than $450,000 plus costs and attorney fees. "What an irony, huh?" lawyer John Pieri said. He represents a retired autoworker in Buffalo, N.Y., who is being sued for $45,501 and accused of giving discounts to 13 people from 2004 until April 2007. Several retirees and lawyers said the lawsuits are an attempt to raise cash by a financially troubled company that lost $15.5 billion during the second quarter and provide insight into an unconventional way GM is trying to recoup revenue amid the slowest sales climate in more than a decade. It was unclear Friday how many cases have been filed nationwide and a GM spokesman did not know how often the automaker files such cases. GM's lawyer, Michael Clawson, could not be reached. There have been at least nine cases filed in circuit courts across Metro Detroit in recent months. The timing of the lawsuits, three of which were filed on or after Aug. 20, the day GM extended the employee discount to everyone, is coincidental, company spokesman Tom Wilkinson said. "In decades past, GM was so wealthy, I think probably a lot of these types of abuses might have been tolerated," he said. "We're obviously in a competitive situation and you get more focused on watching your costs." The employee-pricing program, which ends Tuesday, is a perk offered to employees as part of their benefits package. Any eligible employee, retiree or surviving spouse can use the discount to buy or lease six new or used vehicles each year, or extend the discount to relatives. Almost anyone on the family tree is eligible, from children to same-sex partners, in some cases, but GM is accusing the employees of profiting by giving the discount to people who they knew weren't qualified and for their own "financial gain." In the lawsuits filed by GM, the discounts saved buyers $1,000 to almost $9,000, depending on the vehicle's sticker price. GM periodically audits dealership records for violations. If one is found, an employee could lose his or her discount for five years for each violation, and permanent suspension for subsequent violations.GM uncovered the sales in question during a routine audit and asked the workers, retirees or their spouse to verify the buyer's name, address, date of birth and relationship. When they failed to respond, GM's lawyer made another attempt before filing the lawsuit, according to court records. GM hadn't filed any similar lawsuits in Oakland County Circuit Court in the past two years, but this year has filed two cases there and at least seven others across Metro Detroit. The nearly identical lawsuits accuse people, including a former employee in Charlotte, N.C., and a widow in Gallatin, Tenn., of fraud and misrepresentation, conversion and breach of contract. Retired Roseville electrician Omar El was sued in June for $87,095 and said he agreed to repay GM $7,500 to settle claims that he gave unauthorized discounts to 14 people. El, who retired in 2001 after 32 years, said he doesn't know the people who received the discounts and did nothing wrong, but settled to avoid possibly having to pay a larger amount. With the court case behind him, El is not sure he'd ever buy another GM car. Either way, he can't use his employee discount. He's been suspended from the program for 16 years, he said. "It's not fair," El, 62, said, of GM extending the discount to everyone while suing some workers and retirees. Pieri, the lawyer for retiree Russell Battaglia of Buffalo, N.Y., shares a view held by others that vehicle salespeople are using an employee's identity -- on file from an earlier sale -- to give away discounts to customers and close deals. "Why wouldn't an unscrupulous salesman do that?" Pieri said. Joe Serra, a dealer who sells a variety of brands including GM vehicles and is a former president of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, said he has never heard of another dealer or salesperson using an employee's discount without permission. "God, I hope that doesn't happen," he said. "It's just unethical." He also has never heard of GM suing an employee for violating the incentive program. GM is not suing any dealers, spokesman Wilkinson said. The automaker's decision to extend the employee discount to everyone, timed to coincide with the automaker's 100th anniversary, has been successful, Serra said. "But when it's stretched outside of (a limited promotion), that's not what GM signed up for," he said. The timing of some lawsuits also coincides with aggressive moves by the automaker to raise cash and trim expenses. On Friday, GM confirmed that it offered early retirement incentives to salaried workers. "I just think because the economy is so bad, and if they think they're being ripped off to the tune of $450,000, every little bit counts," Mount Clemens lawyer William Staugaard said. He represents Warren retiree Kenneth Curfman, an octogenarian who Staugaard said is being sued for about $40,000. Staugaard said two of his client's 15 purchases are legitimate. The rest are suspicious. "I'm willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that I'm going to find no connection whatsoever to my client," he said. "I'm really narrowing in on that somebody was abusing (Curfman's) number." Ford Motor Co. also monitors the use of employee discounts, but if anything, has encouraged employees to give away their discounts and boost sales. A year ago, the Dearborn automaker allowed its active and retired workers to extend the discounts to as many as 13 friends and family members, five more than previously allowed. Link: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...UTO01/808300368

I start my new job September 1st, CPF picked it especially for me. So back to Germany I go. It's kind of like a giant GM game of Where's Waldo?

I saw the original in German.

WW II