Flybrian

I think we've seen this at SEMA shows or around in general, but I saw on their website they're now taking preorders with the top being available in January of next year. EDAG Solstice hardtop Looks nifty for only $2499. Dealers would be smart to order some, I suppose. And for Roger, coming soon...this one looks far better, too...

Iraq is not a nation as we know it. Want to blame someone? Blame the politicans who drew the boundaries on English and French maps over a century ago.

Might improve the mileage!

Uhhh...the H and G-bodies took over the fullsize car market for those divisions. The W-bodies supplanted the RWD G-bodies of the 80s. Your lamentations remind me that people also complained about another downsized car claiming to be fullsized but really not being so. It was 1977 and they were talking about the B-bodies. Chevy, well, sorry, but fullsize Chevies haven't been appealing for decades. Leaving Chevrolet with the FWD Impala as its mainstream flagship - a car, by the way, that people actually bought - is fine with me since Chevrolet wouldn't have known what to do with a G-body if one fell on them. In any case, you're forgetting that cars today are generally 'better' in every tangible aspect compared to cars of the past. Contemporary Impala SSs and Regal GSs will outhandle and outaccelerate most of the factory Impalas and Wildcats of yore. They are more comfortable, far more economical and efficient while increasing in performance. They are also filled with the luxury features only dreamed of on showcars of the past at an extremely reasonable price.

That's really...lame.

Don't Copy That Floppy! I think this is the only time Oregon Trail has ever been in a rap song.

Because 80% of all Chrysler products after 1960 looked like crap

Don't you mean...

The MINI isn't realistic for more than two people. Plus, its expensive in comparison. This is very Consumer Reports-like in grouping.

Agreed with Oldsmoboi.

:rotflmao:

This highly depends on the person driving. Some people can drive, talk, eat, and shave at the same time. Some can barely drive. Those folks don't need to talk.

Now, if only you had someone to call... -or- Now you have an excuse to climb that cell tower!

Enjoy a real holiday classic. Rusty Chevrolet

:rotflmao:

This is true. No one is trying to be F. Scott Fitzgerald writing these reviews.

SPY SHOOTS BACK -An Editorial by Chris Doane (CD/BP) For the uninitiated, read the story of VetteGate here. - Flybrian It is not uncommon for the prototypes we see in spy photos to be deceiving. Some cars may be comprised of fake body panels, others may be covered in rolls of tape that appear to be inspired by a zebra. Sometimes even the entire shell of a current model car is shoehorned over a chassis that’s still in development. On Friday afternoon, word started getting around on several automotive websites that something was awry with a few current spy photos of a silver corvette purported to be the Blue Devil “super vette.” When these photos first hit the web some weeks ago, I knew something wasn’t quite right with them. The most glaring issue was the lack of a manufacturer license plate. To me, something also didn’t look quite right with the camouflage material. As it turns out, an online automotive magazine, Winding Road, fabricated a mock-up of a test car and drove it around the metro Detroit area. I’m struggling to see the point of this stunt. I’m sure I will get responses like “Lighten up, it was a joke,” but hear me out. If you read the story in the Jan 2007 edition of Winding Road that tells the tale of the fake prototype, the point of the ruse was to deceive other publications into running the photos. The story also chides "Irresponsible speculation has been put forth by Corvette fanatics, magazine editors and competing manufacturers." If I had to guess, Autoweek, Motor Trend and The Car Connection aren’t laughing. All of these outlets published the photos of the fake car on their websites believing it to be an authentic GM prototype. It was, after all, a fairly convincing forgery. Needless to say, this obviously doesn’t make those outlets look good in the credibility department. Some of you may think these media outlets don't have any credibility to begin with. That’s fine if you think that, but we’re talking solely about this particular incident. I know competition gets fiercer by the day among the various automotive publications, but purposely tricking your competitors borders on something that is less-than-professional journalism. It’s certainly not a trend I want to see continue to the point where we have magazines warring with each other much like election time, TV attack ads. In the end, however, whether this stunt is equally or more “irresponsible” than printing speculation is up to all of you to decide. The bigger issue for me, however, is that the fake corvette hurts the credibility of people like myself, Brenda and others who make their living shooting prototypes for everyone’s enjoyment. It didn’t take long after the fabrication was revealed for people to start asking if the photos of the black powertrain mule that I photographed back in October were fake as well. Let’s answer that right now. No, they are not fake. We have very credible information that this black prototype I shot is a development car for the “super vette” program. For all those worrying that the program is a pipe dream, rest easy. It’s very real and it’s very loud. The black car I shot wore a typical blue “Michigan Manufacturer,” license plate, was with a large group of other GM test cars and was driven by a person I know to be a GM engineer. Needless to say, we certainly don’t want people in the automotive world getting the idea that we fake our spy photos because that is something we NEVER do. If our clients thought we were giving them fabricated photos, we obviously wouldn’t be in business very long. We were even offered photos of the fake silver corvette test car by someone via email, but we passed knowing something wasn’t quite right with the car. I’m sure it may sound a little funny to hear someone who spies on large corporations for a living talking about his ethical business practices, but we do play by the rules. That is something even the OEMs themselves would tell you. On a lighter note, the Winding Road crew did a pretty good job making a convincing mock-up. If I’d seen it go past me on the road, I would’ve turned around to shoot it. I just wouldn’t have sent the images out after I got a good look at it on my computer screen. The spy photography business puts me in the unique position of being able to shoot first and ask questions later. Overall was this meant as a joke? Yes, I think so. I hope so. Were there some unforeseen negative effects? Unfortunately, yes. Hopefully Winding Road and I can agree to disagree on the staging of this prank. I’d hate to lose them as a client. Especially since I’m selling a kidney tomorrow... how else can I afford the plane ticket to Australia to photograph those Camaro prototypes? -- Chris [email protected] Chris Doane is a spy photographer who works with Brenda Priddy & Co. scanning the globe for the latest, greatest cars that have yet to hit the showroom. Brenda Priddy is the queen of the long lens and one of the most accomplished spy photographers in the world. In the interest of full disclosure; Autoweek, Motor Trend, The Car Connection and Winding Road are all our clients. ------------------------------------- Response by BRENDA PRIDDY - Courtesy of Autoblog AB: What was your reaction to hearing that the Corvette prototype in these spy photos was faked? Priddy: I was a bit disappointed when I heard about the "prank". Frankly, my major concern was that our actual "spy photos" would lose their value - their creditability. I've already had dozens of e-mails from readers questioning our Blue Devil / Stingray photos, which are in fact actual General Motors' prototypes. AB: Do you think the prank will negatively effect your business in any way? Priddy: I think publications will be more careful with "reader's photos" -and several may no longer want to deal with them anymore. It will be harder for the guy down the block to sell a pictures to XXXX Magazine in the future, as the publications will likely only want to deal with the professionals in the future - hoping to avoid such issues. AB: Why didn't your company buy photos of the Vette in question when they were offered to you? Priddy: Let's just say that we carefully examine each and every image that arrives in our mailbox. And although we want to distribute more images than any other company, we tend to be rather selective on the photos that we agree to work with. AB: What do you want auto enthusiasts know about the way you take and screen spy photos before they're sold? Priddy: When "spy photos" are offered to us by other photographers - professional or amateurs - I ask a lot of questions. Basically I want to make sure that the pictures weren't taken "on the other side of the fence" - and I want to make sure that no laws were broken - such as trespassing. Depending on the circumstances, I tend to ask a lot of questions! As for the photos we personally take - again, we never trespass. Nor do we ever touch the vehicle, or break any laws while getting the perfect shot.

I think Sixty8 has a new idol to look up to.

You guys know my opinion on car insurance.

6-passenger cars today have bench seats usually designed for comfort or convenience. I will quickly attest to the convenience of a bench seats in many situations, and not just the one you're thinking of now you sick, sick, correct people. As far as all these exaggerated safety issues, that doesn't seem to stop foreign-market cars like the Multipla from having two-row six-passenger seating.

Well, welcome to the group!

I still think these are good-looking cars.

The bedrail system really impressed me and my father. Its a practical alternative to getting an expensive and cumbersome hardshell or tonneau cover or a clumsy, permenant metal toolbox. The fact that some of the accessory kits can be removed and used as toolboxes themselves is impressive. GM trucks have always been about the details. They may not have the most dynamic styling or the upper dash texture, but they have always been excellent trucks.

It strikes me funny that the Redline would even share the exact same engine with the standard V6 VUE. No turbo, no further DI, no nothing. I don't understand diminishing a credible performance package into an appearance upgrade.

Its even more absurd in a compact CUV. My car weighs 3998lbs, which is heavy for its class and how it manages to top the scales like that confuses me, but its a big car. This is a bit odd.