Flybrian

The future sucks. Give me a time machine - a Delorean with an actual hood - and take me forever back to a time when cars had style and proportioning, not oddly-shaped monoboxes. Siegen's right; I can never get used to this look. And its not just the general slope of the hood, its also the IMO bad overall shape. The Civic has a short hood, but its rather attractive to me because it has decent proportions. This thing looks like a horrible van-like deformation of the current Fit. Don't even bring up the smart; that thing is an embarassment to be seen around.

I'm in the process of convincing a friend to buy a VUE over a RAV4. Value, looks, and refinement are winning. She already thinks Hyundais are junk (they are), so that makes it easier.

In other news, Toyota has just hired Jon Lovitz to replace Jim Press as head of NA Operations...yeah...that's the ticket.

I thought I'd give this Reatta for sale a free plug because I just feel bad for it... 1988 Buick Reatta - 63k - $7563 See, that car has been for sale at that dealership for over four years. I remember because I was showing it to a friend of mine shortly before I graduated high school in 2003. Back then, it had 62 and change on the clock and was listed at $10,000 even. I guess it accumulated ~500 miles from being moved back and forth between their two lots so much. Today, it was up in Palm Harbor again. I've seen it on eBay four times. I think they're still charging too much for it; $7500 seems pricey for a first-year Reatta hardtop in the all-too-common shade of red, but who knows? So. Yeah. I feel bad for it and if I had an extra $3500 (because I wouldn't pay more than that for it out the door - KBB MSRP is only $3010), I'd give it a home with three fullsizers, but alas...

Actually, thinking about it, I bet he's absolutely correct that there are no happy people in Iran.

Yeah Reatta. 16 way power seats give that away.

Oh...that'll buff right out. Seriously, you know what we always say about being replaceable; I'm very glad to hear you're okay. The airbag cough will go away soon, too. Accidents do happen, my friend; this was one of them. There's no shame in it. Just be thankful you're okay. Good luck truck huntin'.

Again, I don't understand the rationale of making it look so strange. No hood. Headlamps on the A-pillars. WTF?

He wishes he was a true dictator but he never will be. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot - all had easy the spell, easy to say names. Amadjjeidnamgnhsyhyedfammwonvwnvwjhjdiad? Yeah, no way. Sorry.

Pinellas County makes do with these...

V7

But does the UAW's actions here encourage GM to stay in America or look elsewhere?

Haha. Wow. And here's it today, totally not looking like a homeless guy peed on it. I have no idea what the hypothetical next owner's intentions were, but I have a feeling it would've had a less dignified life. No new underhood pics yet. You guys also haven't seen many pictures of the underhood of the Bonneville or the Aurora in general for a little bit. Those are surprises for the coming weeks. :AH-HA_wink:

GM strike costing 760 vehicles per hour Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:59pm EDT | Link to Original Article @ Reuters DETROIT (Reuters) - The strike at General Motors Corp. will cause U.S. production losses of 760 vehicles per hour and could shut the automaker's facilities in Canada and Mexico within three days, a leading industry analyst said on Monday. Michael Robinet, an auto industry analyst with CSM Worldwide, said the United Auto Workers strike called Monday could have a cascading effect on GM production elsewhere. Initially, the shutdown of GM's U.S. plants will cost the automaker production of 12,200 vehicles per day, he said. If the strike continues for more than 36 hours, that would hurt GM production in Canada and cut production of another 4,000 more vehicles per day, he said. If the strike were to last more than 72 hours, it would begin to disrupt GM's supply chain and affect the automaker's production in Mexico, Robinet said. That would mean a total production loss of about 18,100 vehicles per day. "It is our view that this walkout will not be protracted -- past more than one week," Robinet said. As GM's inventory currently totals more than 80 days of sales for key vehicles such as its full-size pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles, the strike will not have much immediate impact on sales, Robinet said. "It's not as though people are standing on their driveways waiting for these vehicles, but if it goes longer that could start to have an effect," he said. Robinet said GM would feel any pinch from the strike first on new "crossover" vehicles such as its Buick Enclave and small cars such as the Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR where it has comparatively lower inventory.

Hargrove: Up to 100,000 Canadian workers could be idled by UAW strike 1 minute ago | Link to Original Article @ The Canadian Press TORONTO - Tens of thousands of workers at General Motors of Canada and in the Canadian auto parts industry are being immediately hit by the impact of the strike against GM in the United States, Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove said Monday. "It's not inconceivable that by the end of this week we could have anywhere between 80,000 and 100,000 people unemployed - mostly in Ontario, some in Quebec - as a result of the dispute," Hargrove said. The walkout by 73,000 United Auto Workers members, with the UAW saying talks were hung up on job security, originates in the automaker's effort to shift the pain of "unfair" imports onto workers, Hargrove told a news conference. And he indicated he suspects GM will take a similar approach in negotiations with its Canadian workforce next year. "Our car plants will be impacted almost immediately," Hargrove told a news conference about 2½ hours after the U.S. union's walkout began. He said GM Canada's No. 1 car plant in Oshawa, east of Toronto, will stop producing Chevrolet Impala sedans at 3 a.m. EDT Tuesday, and the No. 2 Oshawa plant, assembling the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Allure, will shut down at the end of Tuesday's day shift. The Oshawa truck plant, he said, has enough parts to keep building Silverado and Sierra pickups for about three days. The assembly plants are affected by shortages of parts delivered on a just-in-time basis. Meanwhile, the GM transmission factory in Windsor, Ont., has already closed and a small powertrain-component plant in St. Catharines, Ont., will also soon wind down because of lack of U.S. demand for their output. Hargrove also estimated as many as 40,000 workers at independent parts producers could be laid off "within the next few days" if the GM strike continues for long. He said there are 80,000 workers in the Canadian parts sector and GM buys about half of their production, and other jobs could be affected at companies dealing with the parts makers. Given the tough talk from UAW president Ron Gettelfinger, "I think this thing's going to drag on for a while," Hargrove said. "I don't know how long at this point. That'll become more clear over the next few days." He said the UAW bargainers put in an "incredible effort," but "General Motors appears to be saying to the UAW - and probably to us next year - that the troubles they're experiencing because of imports and the transplant production that doesn't make the same commitment in terms of investment and jobs in Canada and the U.S., that they're going to try to make the UAW members and their families and communities pay." Hargrove said imports from Japan, Korea and Europe account for one-quarter of the North American auto markets, and another quarter is held by vehicles made in North America by foreign companies.

The fog is getting thicker. And Leon is getting laaaaarrrrrrger

Gettelfinger: UAW was 'pushed over a cliff' Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News DETROIT -- United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said he expected to resume negotiations later today with General Motors Corp. to try to reach a contract agreement and end a strike called at 11 a.m. "The company has indicated they want to meet, and we will be going back to the table today," Gettelfinger said at a news conference at the union's Solidarity House headquarters. Earlier Monday, the UAW ordered its members off the job after setting a strike deadline Sunday night that passed without any agreement. In his first public comments since contract negotiations began in July, Gettelfinger said union officials felt as early as Thursday evening that the prospects for an agreement were dimming, with GM appearing indifferent whether an accord was concluded by the deadline. "The company walked right up to the deadline as if they really didn't care, and as a result of that, we called a strike." Gettelfinger, surrounded by Cal Rapson, the UAW's top GM negotiator, and other members of the bargaining team, said the union was concerned about the automaker's financial well-being. "Obviously we're very concerned about this company. We've done a lot of things to help that company," he said, listing the health-care and other concessions agreed in the past two years by the UAW. "We were disappointed in this round of negotiations to discover that it was a one-way set of negotiations -- it was going to be GM's way at the expense of the workers." He said no one wanted a strike. "Who wins in a strike? But again, you can be pushed off a cliff and that's what happened here." Gettelfinger said his objective now was to resume talks with GM. But, "as these negotiations progress, it has to be a two-way street." Gettelfinger said the strike was not related to the effort to establish a VEBA, or Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Association, a health-care trust that GM would fund and the UAW administer. A VEBA has been at the core of negotiations since the UAW sat down with GM on July 23. "Job security is very important for us. Without going into the specifics, that is one of the open items," he said. He added that the open topics included investment, job-creation, the commitment of new models to plants and other economic issues that affect UAW members. "I don't think our retirees have any reason for concern," he said. As for active workers, "we'll reach a fair and equitable agreement for them." Gettelfinger has often pointed to the enormous discrepancy between workers' and executive wages at the U.S. automakers. "It does seem odd to us that as much as workers do, they can't do enough, and as much as executives get, they can't get enough." Doug Cramb, a 51-year-old welder at GM's Pontiac plant, leaned into a pick-up truck on the picket line to hear Gettelfinger speak. Cramb said he wasn't surprised to hear the union president reporting that GM was refusing to budge in negotiations on several key issues. "It's all this posturing, to see who throws the first punch," he said. He said that he and others picketing were fighting for workers rights throughout Michigan, since other companies may look to their contract to determine wages and benefits for their own workers. "This isn't just for us and GM, it's for the whole state," Cramb said. "If we start giving back everything, then, say, suppliers are going to start giving back to their employers," he said.

GM signs deal to export $800M in Buicks to China David Shepardson | Detroit News Washington Bureau | Link to Original Article @ DetNews WASHINGTON -- General Motors Corp. signed an agreement today to export more than $800 million in U.S.-built vehicles to China. GM and its Shanghai General Motors joint venture announced the multi-year agreement in the nation's capital today. It lets GM export Buick Enclave crossover SUVs to China beginning next year, as well as auto parts and other vehicles. The Enclave is built at GM's Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. "Shanghai GM has become a leader in the production and sale of passenger cars in China, driven largely by the success of the Buick brand," Shanghai GM President Ding Lei said. "These new Buick premium sport utility vehicles will strengthen our lineup and enable us to continue to meet the changing needs of our growing base of customers," GM said the agreement will last three to four years and will lead to the export of about 5,000 vehicles annually. The deal was signed at GM's Washington office at a meeting attended by China's Assistant Vice Minister of Commerce Chen Jian, Chinese Embassy officials, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Israel Hernandez and John Middlebrook, GM's vice president of Global Sales, Service and Marketing Operations and Shanghai GM Executive Vice President Robert Socia. Buick has a long history in China; the vehicles were first sold in Shanghai in 1912. As GM noted in a company blog on Buick's history: "To respond to growing demand for its products, Buick opened a sales office in Shanghai in 1929, and a 1930 Buick advertisement claimed that 'one out of every six cars (in China) is a Buick,' and that 'Buick owners are mostly the leading men in China,'" wrote Steven Shannon, Buick's general manger. The last emperor of China, Pu Yi, owned at least one Buick in the 1920s. Buick is the best-selling brand in China, and GM the best-selling automaker. In 2006, sales of vehicles by GM and its joint ventures rose 31.8 percent on an annual basis to a record 876,747 units. GM said this year it would surpass the 1 million vehicles sold mark in China. In May, GM signed a deal to export $700 million worth of Cadillacs and automotive components to China, the fastest growing auto market in the world. GM's China operations have already imported about $3.5 billion worth of vehicles, components, equipment, and machinery from North America over the past 10 years. "We appreciate the support that we received from the Chinese and U.S. governments for this program, which will benefit both countries. It will take the value of GM sourcing contracts from the United States for the China market to more than $1.5 billion this year," said GM China Group President and Managing Director Kevin Wale said. Jian praised the deal. "The Chinese government will continue to work with the U.S. government and enterprises to create a better market environment, ensure a smooth channel for U.S. companies' business development and actively promote American exports to China for more balanced trade," Jian said. Enclave will be imported by Shanghai GM and sold through its network of nearly 400 Buick dealerships across China. GM sells several Buick models only in China.

What GM's Strike Means to Car Shoppers Link to Original Article @ KickingTires At 11 this morning, the United Auto Workers union went on strike at American GM plants. This basically shuts down production of many new GM cars, trucks and SUVs for the foreseeable future. But does that mean you won’t be able to find that new GM car, truck or SUV when you go car shopping in the immediate future? According to the latest inventory numbers, GM on average has enough vehicles for 67 days at the current rate of sales. Some hot vehicles like the Buick Enclave — built in Lansing, Mich. — only had a 26-day supply, which is roughly 3,600 vehicles, as of Sept. 1. Trucks and SUVs like the Chevy Silverado (90 days) and GMC Yukon (139 days) won’t be hard to come by, however. Another big issue is how new cars built at striking plants will suffer. Those new cars include the 2008 Cadillac CTS, on which GM has already spent millions of dollars in advertising and marketing. If the strike drags on, the CTS could be hard to find, especially because it has received so much positive buzz. GM is also heavily betting on the all-new Chevy Malibu, which was set to begin production next month. We’d guess the strike will be resolved by that time, however.

How does a second plate add security? Twice as expensive for the driver/state, unnecessary, clutters up the clean look of most cars. Front plates are more government waste and make it even lazier for police to do their jobs.

I don't think professors and teachers understand that sticking hard and fast to a predetermined style template really stifles the creativity and expression of an essay. It is so easy to take a truly interesting subject and bleed the ever-lovin' life out of it because of rigid essay structures.

Striking now... Video @ ClickOnDetroit (Local News 4)

They really don't realize they're sealing their own fate, do they?

"I know but this guy has no flying experience at all. He's a menace to himself and everything else in the air...yes, birds too."

You never paid your C&G member dues...