Flybrian

Haven't seen it. Might check it out, though. Law & Order hasn't been the same since Jerry Orbach passed away. Dennis Farina was pretty darn awesome, but now he's gone, too. WTF, mate? SVU is my new franchise fav, mainly because I remember Dann Florek from his old school L&O days, the general awesomeness of Richard Belzer, and the total hotness of Mariska Hagarity.

The premise of this show is similar to an episode of Law & Order. In fact, if you're watching something on TV involving crime, the police, rape, or murderers, chances are it was on Law & Order.

Pontiac and Virgin Megastores Team Up for Co-Branded Promotion Auto and Music Retail Leaders Join Forces to Reach Joint Consumers December 05, 2006: 08:00 AM EST DETROIT, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Pontiac is expanding its strong relationship with music and entertainment retail leader, Virgin Megastores, by teaming up on a co-branded marketing strategy. As part of the promotion, Pontiac is launching its first ever in-store merchandise towers in all of the North American Virgin Megastores. In exchange, Virgin Megastores will become Pontiac's musical experts by licensing at least 30 songs a year to the auto giant for use in Pontiac commercials and online promotions. The rollout of the Pontiac Towers in all of the U.S. Virgin Megastores will begin in early December, which will include key markets such as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. The 8-feet tall Pontiac Towers, created by Leo Burnett Detroit and Virgin Megastores, will feature items such as the Pontiac sponsored Virgin Recommends CDs, CDs from emerging artists previously featured in Pontiac advertising, Pontiac branded merchandise and interactive LCD TV screens where customers can view Pontiac Garage concert performances. In addition to the Virgin Megastore retail presence, Pontiac will also continue utilizing Virgin's deep and diverse knowledge of emerging new artists and music search capabilities to find the best music for future Pontiac marketing venues including TV spots, Pontiac Garage performances and more. To date, Virgin Megastores have licensed music for Pontiac by several key musicians including: Kinky, Robi Draco Rosa, OK Go, POD, Wolfmother, Kasabian, Jet, Dandy Warhols, Hawthorne Heights, All American Rejects, M83, Deus, Viva Voce, Ringside, The Hives, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Razorlight, Eagles of Death Metal, Muse, Citizen Cope, Mercury Rev, Larocca, Alias and The Teddy Bears. "Music plays an incredibly important role in getting consumers excited about the Pontiac brand," said Mark-Hans Richer, marketing director at Pontiac. "I think brands and bands can make each others' products better, so the goal is to find opportunities that benefit everybody involved. Pontiac's in-store Virgin presence is just one more way we're providing a tangible brand experience that consumers can enjoy." "This marketing strategy is a great way for both of our brands to reach out to the same group of consumers," explains Dee McLaughlin, senior director of marketing, Virgin Entertainment Group, North America. "We've had great success working with Pontiac for the past two years on our outside venue opportunities such as the Virgin Mega College Tour and the Pontiac Garage concerts. We're excited to expand the relationship to include Pontiac merchandise in our stores and Virgin's voice making a stronger impact in Pontiac's advertising campaigns." In addition to extending the music into LMG advertising, the Virgin Megastore-Pontiac relationship also includes concerts that can be held in the Virgin Megastores. Last June 21, in celebration of the one year anniversary of the Pontiac Solstice, five Pontiac Garage stages were established at five Virgin Megastores featuring Virgin emerging artists. These stages are now being utilized by local Pontiac dealers to market direct to consumers in an effort to sell more Pontiac vehicles.

Yup. Direct from GM Media. I'm personally hoping for a more complete lineup of a sedan, convertible, and Red Line by 2010.

Well, nice guys do occasionally get the beautiful girl, though this is probably irrelevant to some (most?) of you.

Relay Production to End this Month December 5, 2006 Link to Original Article @ SaturnFans.com Saturn has confirmed to SaturnFans.com that production of the slow-selling Relay will cease at the end of December. Year-to-date sales of the minivan were down 55.2% through the end of November to 6,755 units. Late last month, GM announced that it has canceled plans for a rumored 2009 Saturn minivan. The Relay will effectively be replaced by the all-new 2007 Saturn Outlook crossover sport-utility, which is just starting to arrive at retail facilities around the country.

Thank you, Griffon!

FOR RELEASE: 2006-12-07 Saturn Astra To Join Lineup In Late 2007 New small car to complete turnover of vehicle lineup in less than two years DETROIT - Saturn confirmed today that it will add the Astra compact car to its lineup late in 2007, marking an important stage in its product revitalization plan. When the 2008 Astra joins the Sky, Aura, Outlook and all-new Vue, no Saturn will have been in the market more than 20 months, giving the brand one of the freshest product lineups in the industry. "The Astra is a great fit for Saturn, with its European style and driving dynamics," said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn general manager. "It also signals our efforts to get new vehicles to market quickly and reinvent the entire Saturn product lineup with unprecedented speed." The Saturn Astra will be nearly identical to the 2007.5 Opel Astra, unveiled this week at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy. It will be sold in the United States and Canada in three-door and five-door configurations. The Astra is part of the larger collaboration between Saturn and Opel. By sharing resources from throughout GM's global network of design and engineering centers, the two brands can develop strong, broad product lineups that will attract buyers to the brands both in North America and Europe. Early examples of this collaboration include the Saturn Sky and upcoming Opel GT, as well as the Opel Antara and 2008 Saturn Vue. "The Astra enables Saturn to occupy a unique position in the marketplace and to strategically broaden its appeal with consumers who usually have import brands on their shopping lists," said Lajdziak. "Saturn's partnership with Opel is a natural way to expand our lineup with relevant products that will attract new buyers into our showrooms." More information will be available when Saturn unveils the 2008 Astra at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2007. About Saturn Saturn, a division of General Motors Corp., markets vehicles in the U.S. and Canada through a network of about 500 retailers, with a focus on providing innovative products with solid value and excellent customer service. In 2006, the brand has undertaken a major revitalization of its portfolio with four new vehicles: the Sky roadster, the Aura midsize sedan, the Vue Green Line hybrid and the larger Outlook crossover. Next year, Saturn continues its aggressive growth plans with an all-new Vue compact crossover (Spring 2007) and the new European Astra small car (Fall 2007). More Astra Photos

Sure its not for NAIAS 1977?

My favorite part comes towards the end where it says that they give you permission to copy this video.

Surprisingly good condition (or so it seems). Be wary of the electrical gizmos; they are reliable cars if taken care of.

If you buy a Chevy, chances are more likely than not your next automotive purchase will be a Chevy (truck, van, SUV, car). If you buy a GMC, chances are more likely than not your next automotive purchase will not be yet another truck or SUV. The problem with this survey is that its does not take into account corporate households, i.e. one who buys a Chevrolet, Pontiac, or Saturn and moves up to a GMC, Buick, or Cadillac. I really question Scion's placement because it doesn't make any sense that a brand that only offers three models - all compacts - would have a high retention rate since those that buy entry-level cars are more likely than not to skip around to different brands. All the other high-scoring marques are either mass market or offer full lineups of luxury vehicles.

I could also point out equally goofball V6 Mustang "5.0s", IROC Camaros with molding falling off the sides, jacked-up Dodge Ram I Have No Johnson Editions, and innumerable lame-ass Impala SS wannabe fools with Caprices painted black, Impala glue-ons, and pasted-on quarter window shades that imitate a dogleg. The aftermarket has nothing to do with the manufacturer, especially since Civics have fallen off the tuner charts circa 2001. The fact is Honda has done beaucoup innovation in terms of engine technology. Their cars are generally boring as hell, but this has nothing to do with the vast inventory of engines and related equipment they manufacturer. Honda's prowess in powerplants is similar to GM, though Honda thrives from the automobile down (mowers, outboards, etc), GM built or currently builds world-class engines and powertrains for armored vehicles, tanks, ships, aircraft, and locomotives. Imagine the juggernaut that could exist of Honda and GM cooperated more in this field - it would be a glorious new age of smooth-shifting ATVs and high-mileage armored recon vehicles.

Honda is very much an innovator if not so much in cars as the others but in powerplant design. To not respect - or at the very least, acknowledge - that fact is missing out on alot. Mazda has had its fair share of practical innovation when it comes to rotary motors. Nissan admittedly hasn't done as much. Toyota may very well be considered an 'innovator' in hybrid technology, but this ignores the fact that their biggest skill lies in marketing it as well as hybrid technology's preexistence. GM, for one, was building diesel hybrids long before modern Toyota was even formed.

What it lacked in grace it made up for in innovation. Balthazar pointed out some of its features. The Franklin motor could be mounted in the rear or in the front if desired. It also incorporated early safety features like copious amounts of glazing influenced by aircraft greenhouses, protrusion-free door panels, and a dashboard set far forward of the seats. The doors also cut into the roof to allow easier access along with hip-level seats. It claimed 160mph and 30mpg in tests because as dumpy as it looks, it was very, very aerodynamic. Also, the ADF-style radio loop was there for a mobile phone system that Beech fully intended to include as standard equipment. Some engineers at Boeing also pitched a car design but it was decided against because of the highly-competitive car market and the pickup in military and civilian contracts.

Yup.

Hey, how about a place to stay for one night?

You guys realize 'Buick' is the symbol of a huge, massive, tanklike American car, right? i.e. 'Big as a Buick' 'Weigh as much as a Buick' 'Strong as a Buick.' What other car would you like this to happen to? As far as humor goes, Letterman rocks, Leno sucks. Leno shoves the punchline in your face like you're a retard or as a sign he has no idea how to tell a joke.

Insert witty comment here

St. Petersburg has a very limited fleet of SUVs. If you separate the ones used for special service like SWAT, adjutant duties, mobile command center, etc, the vast, vast, vast majority are plain cars. Both Tampa and St. Pete have marked Expedition units and Clearwater has unmarked ones, but again, the majority are cars - Crown Vics and now Impala 9C1s. In fact, there is one city around here that has a 100% SUV fleet and that's Belleair Beach with 2 Expeditions making up its two-car department.

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Welcome to the Choppin' Competition #31 Voting thread! Remember, artists who entered must vote for someone other than themselves. Those that do not vote or vote for themselves will be asessed a two (2) point penalty. Voters, please nominate three (3) entries in this format: 1st place 2nd place 3rd place Each first place vote earns 3 points, each second place vote 2 points, and each third place vote 1 point. Voting begins now and will end Friday, December 15, 2006 @ 11:59PM. Only those votes cast during that time will be counted. Remember, the 1st place winner will recieve a special GM-related prize from Cheers and Gears! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 VOTE----------------VOTE----VOTEVOTE----VOTEVOTEVOTE--VOTEVOTEVOTE-- -VOTE--------------VOTE---VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTEVOTEVOTE--- --VOTE------------VOTE----VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTE---------------- ---VOTE----------VOTE-----VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTE---------------- ----VOTE--------VOTE------VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTEVOTEVOTE---- -----VOTE------VOTE-------VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTEVOTEVOTE---- ------VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTE---------------- -------VOTE--VOTE---------VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTE---------------- --------VOTEVOTE----------VOTE----VOTE--------VOTE--------VOTEVOTEVOTE--- -----------VOTE----------------VOTEVOTE----------VOTE---------VOTEVOTEVOTE-- Good luck to all who entered!

<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>And the winners are...</span> 1st place - NOS2006 - 33pts 2nd place - Yellowjacket894 - 29pts 3rd place – Gizhost - 26pts 4th - ToniCipriani - 10pts 5th - MRDETROITMETAL - 9pts 6th - MRDETROITMETAL - 7pts 7th - MarioBro88 - 0pts Congratulations to NOS2006 for his first place win in this contest and to everyone, of course, for entering and thank you for your submissions! We look forward to seeing you all next go around! Check out our next Choppin' Competition of the new Saturn VUE. Let's see some cool entries in this one, too!

<span style='font-size:19pt;line-height:100%'>Welcome to Choppin' Competition #32!</span> Fresh from the Los Angeles Auto Show, we bring you the new 2008 Saturn VUE. Not yet released, some have criticized its design already as being a little on the tepid side, differing greatly from the dynamic 3-door Antara concept. Now is your chance to work a little magic and give it a new VUE. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to modify the 2008 Saturn VUE in any way you see fit. Some possibilities include a more true-to-concept 3-door VUE Sport, what the Red Line version will look like, or modify it to fit a different division. How much or how little you modify the VUE is up to you. Please use only the 2008 Saturn VUE for your entry. <span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>Some Picture Sources...</span> -Autodeadline* -FamilyCar.com Size guidelines remain at 800x600, so please size your entry accordingly. Please do not submit your images as Bitmap (.bmp) files. Also, please use only images from those aforementioned sources for your starting image. Any other image will be disqualified. The winner will recieve a Saturn-related prize from C&G! Deadline is Sunday, December 17th @ 11:59PM your local time. Good luck and have fun! <span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>*Instructions for accessing high-resolution images through AutoDeadline: Replace the bold, orange section of the URL... <span style='color:red'>(http://gm.wieck.com/forms/gm/*query?<span style='color:orange'>silverado</span>&Source=all)</span> ...with the make/model/etc you're searching for. Replacing 'silverado' with 'lesabre' will bring up downloadable hi-res images of the Buick LeSabre.</span>

lol thanks, dude. More inconspicuous is what I meant. Bleh.