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GMC Acadia Images Real-Life pictures: 2007 GMC Acadia - Overview 2007 GMC Acadia - Specifications

ALL-NEW 2007 GMC ACADIA RAISES THE BAR IN THE CROSSOVER SEGMENT The all-new 2007 Acadia is GMC’s first crossover, bringing a smooth, responsive driving experience, athletic design, a spacious interior and a comprehensive safety package to the fastest-growing vehicle segment in the United States. “Acadia is a natural extension of the GMC brand,” said John Larson, Pontiac-GMC general manager. “Its combination of smooth, responsive driving traits and SUV versatility embody GMC’s professional grade philosophy. Acadia is a great looking vehicle that will attract customers who’ve never visited a GMC showroom.” The smooth ride and agile handling come from a four-wheel independent suspension system mounted to a rigid body-frame integral (BFI) structure. The structure enables a lower center of gravity, while the independent front and rear suspensions, combined with a precise rack-and-pinion steering system, provide sharp and immediate response to driver input. Acadia’s agility is complemented by responsive performance from a 3.6L V-6 VVT – a high-feature engine with variable valve timing that is designed for good fuel economy, low emissions and exceptional smoothness. It is rated at 267 horsepower (199 kW) and 247 lb.-ft. of torque (335 Nm).* The engine is backed by a new, fuel-saving Hydra-Matic 6T75 six-speed automatic transmission. Acadia is available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models. Acadia offers seven- or eight-passenger seating configurations. All three rows comfortably seat adults while simultaneously allowing generous cargo space behind the third-row seats. Third-row entry and egress are eased with very wide rear doors and GM’s exclusive Smart Slide second-row seat. The BFI structure also enables a lower entry/exit height for passengers, which makes entry, exit and cargo placement easier. Despite the vehicle’s SUV-like front-end height, the front door step-in height is only 18.9 inches (480 mm); the rear door step-in height is 19.8 inches (503 mm). Smooth ride and responsive handling Acadia is built on a body-frame integral (BFI) structure that is reinforced with high-strength steel. It rides on a long 118.9-inch (3,021 mm) wheelbase, with wide 67.3-inch (1,709 mm) front/rear tracks – a combination that lowers the center of gravity and enables agile, stable ride and handling. Acadia’s driving reflexes are supported by independent front and rear suspensions. The front suspension features a MacPherson strut design, with a direct-acting stabilizer bar and aluminum steering knuckles. Isolated mounting points help reduce noise and vibration. The rear suspension uses a compact, state-of-the-art linked “H” design, which has an isolated mounting system that reduces noise and vibration transmitted to the passenger compartment. This design enables the handling prowess that comes with an independent suspension, but with minimal floor pan intrusion – a feature that helps the Acadia offer generous passenger and cargo space. Acadia features standard power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, with variable-effort steering available. StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with rollover mitigation technology and traction control is standard on all models. The available, intelligent all-wheel drive system provides increased traction on slippery roads and other driving situations – such as freeway ramps – where increased traction would enhance handling. The system works by always delivering a controlled amount of torque to the rear wheels. There is no driver intervention; the system automatically decides how much torque to apply and delivers it to the wheels with the best traction. Efficient powertrain GM’s 3.6L V-6 with variable valve timing (VVT) and a new Hydra-Matic 6T75 six-speed automatic transmission is the Acadia’s standard powertrain combination. The engine’s four-cam phasing operation of the variable valve timing system ensures linear delivery of torque across the rpm band, while features such as electronic throttle control deliver crisp, immediate response and feedback. The engine uses electro-hydraulic vane-type phasers, allowing infinitely variable combinations to optimize performance and efficiency. A new Hydra-Matic 6T75 electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission backs the 3.6L V-6 VVT. It is an advanced transmission with clutch-to-clutch shift operation for front- and all-wheel-drive vehicles. Clutch-to-clutch operation allows for reduced complexity and compact packaging. A wide, 6.04:1 overall ratio helps the transmission deliver both performance and fuel economy, enabling up to 8 percent improved performance and up to 4 percent improved fuel economy when compared with current front-wheel drive four-speed automatics. Fuel economy for FWD models is estimated at 17 mpg in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway; AWD models are estimated at 17 and 24 mpg. Acadia can tow up to 4,500 pounds (2,041 kg), when properly equipped. Athletic design The Acadia features athletic styling that underscores GMC’s professional grade philosophy. The design is highlighted by polished aluminum roof rails, select bright work and large, prominent headlamps that flank a detailed GMC grille. The headlamps use projector beam technology to deliver bright, precise lighting and are mounted in houses that have a crystal-clear appearance. High-intensity discharge lamps (HID) are available. The profile of the Acadia is sleek and aerodynamic, with a sporty, tapered roof line. Distinctive LED taillamps and a rear spoiler enhance the vehicle’s sporty appearance, as do large 18-inch wheels and tires (19-inch wheels are available). Acadia has a coefficient of drag of just 0.361 – which reduces wind noise and enhances fuel economy. Acadia is available in nine exterior colors: Summit White, Gold Mist Metallic, Liquid Silver Metallic, Red Jewel Tint, Deep Blue Metallic, White Diamond Tricoat, Blue-Gold Crystal Metallic, Carbon Metallic and Medium Brown Metallic. Spacious, refined interior Acadia’s interior reflects style and refinement.. The instrument panel design enhances the feeling of openness in the front-row seats and provides a commanding outward view. The instrument panel and other interior elements feature high-quality, low-gloss materials and attention to fit, finish and flushness. Additional professional grade features include thick door glass, flat-blade windshield wipers and strategically placed sound deadening material, which minimizes road and wind noise. The versatile interior includes three rows of seating and can be configured for seven or eight passengers. The front row includes two bucket seats and the standard third row features a 60/40-split bench seat that accommodates three passengers. The second row is available with either a 60/40-split bench (three passengers) design or two captain’s chairs (two passengers). Leather seats also are available. Acadia’s wider rear doors make entry and egress easier, with the rear door width enabled by the vehicle’s long wheelbase. Engineers maximized the door opening by reducing the space between the rear door and leading edge of the door opening. The Smart Slide feature is standard on all second-row configurations and also eases entry to and egress from the third row. With Smart Slide, the second-row seat cushion flips up while the seatback slides forward, effectively compressing the space occupied by the seat. It operates with the pull of one handle and also has adjustable fore/aft positioning of the second-row seat. When adjusted rearward, the second-row seat provides more legroom for taller passengers; when adjusted forward, it provides more storage space or additional legroom for third-row passengers. Acadia also offers generous cargo room, including an estimated 117 cu. ft. (3,313 L) when the second- and third-row seats are folded. In fact, Acadia even offers an estimated 19.7 cu. ft. (557.9 L) of cargo space behind the third-row seat when in the upright position – capacity many other SUVs and crossovers cannot come close to matching. Also, Acadia’s second- and third-row seats fold flat for even more cargo-carrying capacity, and a covered rear cargo convenience center allows items to be stored out of sight beneath the rear cargo floor. Rounding out the appeal of the Acadia is a wide range of useful optional and standard equipment, including heated outside mirrors, tri-zone heating and air conditioning system, intermittent rear wiper, ultrasonic parking assist, power liftgate, extended-range remote vehicle starting system, heated windshield washer fluid, an oversized dual SkyScape sunroof, DVD entertainment system, a DVD-based navigation system, Bose 5.1 Surround Sound Audio system and GMC-exclusive audio controls located in the cargo area. Acadia also offers an exclusive head-up display that projects instrument readouts and other features onto the windshield for easy, eyes-on-the-road reference. Comprehensive safety system The GMC Acadia has a comprehensive safety system designed to protect passengers before, during and after a crash. Its strong structure and four-wheel independent suspension system enhance safety by providing stable ride and handling characteristics. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes, StabiliTrak electronic stability control system – with rollover mitigation technology – and GM’s tire pressure monitoring system are standard. Acadia is equipped with six standard air bags: two dual-stage frontal air bags, two seat-mounted side-impact air bags in the first row and two roof rail air bags that cover all three seating rows. Complementing the air bags is GM’s rollover sensing system, which will activate the roof rail air bags if sensors determine a rollover is occurring. Because rollovers are typically longer events than non-rollover crashes, the roof rail air bags stay inflated longer to provide increased occupant protection and containment. Additionally, first-row positions feature safety belt pretensioners, which activate at the moment of a crash to take up any slack in the safety belt and hold the passengers in place. Acadia comes standard with OnStar Generation 7 (with a one-year Safe and Sound plan), which features the Advanced Automatic Crash Notification system. If the crash activates an air bag, the OnStar system automatically notifies an OnStar advisor, who immediately calls the vehicle and/or summons emergency help. Acadia also is equipped with OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation, the first factory-installed, fully integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar. Turn-by-Turn allows consumers to talk to a live advisor, who in turn sends complete step-by-step directions to customers' vehicles through their OnStar system. These audio directions automatically play through the vehicle’s stereo as needed, triggered by the OnStar system’s GPS capabilities. This enables drivers to be led to their destination while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Accessories Acadia owners can select from a variety of GM accessories available through GMC dealers to personalize their vehicle for style and convenience. Just a few of the accessories include two 19-inch wheel designs, a stylish front fascia extension, convenient side step bars and helpful, integrated roof rack cross rails. All Acadia accessories can be purchased through GMC dealerships. For more information about GM Parts, GM Accessories or GM Performance Parts, visit www.gmgoodwrench.com. *Preliminary, pending SAE certification. A new voluntary power and torque certification procedure developed by the SAE Engine Test Code committee was approved March 31, 2005. This procedure (J2723) ensures fair, accurate ratings for horsepower and torque by allowing manufacturers to certify their engines through third-party witness testing. GM was the first auto manufacturer to begin using the procedure and expects to use it for all newly rated engines in the future. # # # 2007 GMC Acadia - Specifications 2007 GMC Acadia - Images

I don't want more Renaults stinking up our streets. The forty-two Alliances left are enough.

That's a pretty stupid statement in itself, too. If you want to go into that deeper and murkier 'domestic impact' route, you have to take into account dozens and dozens of other variables, such as taxes paid to various levels of government, local community, benefits, etc and those are near impossible to quantify. Note also the cars I mentioned are pretty decent volume sellers for their class, but, you know...no one cares. Maybe Mr. Szkakaldfisfiafsiafasfhsaly doesn't, but I do.

The rhetoric in the article implies that these ares are the 'most American,' yet factors in sales, which has no bearing on a car's content/assembly, making this 'list' spurrious. The Buick Lucerne, Lincoln Town Car, and most of Cadillac's lineup should rightfully be on this list as well, among others. As is, this it not much more than a list of the top-selling cars in the U.S., minus one or two models. Nice job, Cars.com.

Source: Gaywheels.com Gaywheels.com Top 10 Vehicles: GLBT Consumers Loyal to Gay-Friendly Auto Brands ATLANTA, GA – The sporty new 2007 Saturn Sky two-seat convertible has generated the most interest among gay and lesbian car shoppers and enthusiasts, according to Gaywheels.com, the first automotive website specifically targeted to the GLBT community. Revealing for the first time specifically which vehicles the GLBT consumer is considering, Gaywheels.com has released its list of Top 10 Most Researched Vehicles. "There are many stereotypes about what we as a community drive and to a certain extent, stereotypes are based on the most visible members of our community. The reality is that we live and work everywhere in the U.S. and we are as diverse as the rest of the population," says Joe LaMuraglia, founder of Gaywheels.com. "With that said, the vehicles that the Gaywheels.com user is researching is markedly different than that of other automotive research websites, while still reflecting the diverse interests in our community" Gaywheels.com Top 10 Most Researched Vehicles 1 Saturn Sky 2 Toyota Yaris 3 Dodge Caliber 4 Volkswagen Jetta 5 Toyota Camry 6 Audi A3 7 Toyota Prius 8 Saab 9-3 (sedan and convertible) 9 Pontiac G6 (sedan, coupe and convertible) 10 Mazda MX-5 Although information, specifications and pricing on all new car and truck models are available on Gaywheels.com, each vehicle on the Most Researched list is from a gay-friendly brand. Gaywheels.com classifies all vehicle manufacturers as gay friendly or not based on their corporate policies for offering domestic-partner benefits to their employees in the U.S. "Gay consumers as a group are more loyal to companies that demonstrate fairness and equality to the GLBT community," LaMuraglia emphasizes. "Gaywheels.com's Top 10 vehicles – and even Top 20 for that matter – are all from automakers that are gay friendly. This clearly shows that when armed with facts about vehicles and the companies that build them, gay consumers are more likely to shop and spend with brands that support their community." Supporting the assumptions that the average gay person has a higher discretionary income, no children and is more apt to purchase a sports car, there are four convertibles on the list, and a two-seat roadster in the #1 position. "But notice that there are also inexpensive and fuel-efficient vehicles in the Top 10 – most notably the Toyota Yaris and Dodge Caliber," adds LaMuraglia. "The data also challenges the generalization that we as a group are only interested in luxury vehicles. There are only 2 luxury brands in the Top 10 and only 5 out of the Top 20 are luxury makes." The Most Researched list is based on website statistics gathered from April 1 – June 30, 2006 from Gaywheels.com New Car section powered by Edmunds.com data. ------------------------------ The Yaris is #2. I thought you guys had taste!

Mitsubishi

Can you guys relay these "Super Fancy" dealership memos to Lexus of Clearwater, which is currently between a wastewater treatment plant, a bowling alley, and 'Madame Lipstixxx'

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: What a classic!

And this is just as bad... Instead of saying you're retarded for not recognizing the invasions of over a half-dozen countries by allied German/Soviet/Italian forces, I'll say you're retarded for not realizing Germany declared war on the United States first on December 11, 1941 even though it didn't even have to under the Tripartite Pact. How exactly is this different from the Imperial Japanese government doing the exact same thing with its own citizenry, only instead of this perceived 'injustice'(??) from the First World War, it was racial hatred of the Chinese and Koreans mixed with fears of imperialistic US/UK expansion into East Asia? I could write a book on how stupid this statement is. US-Japanese relations were deteriorating for years before the attack on Pearl, mainly due to a serious of oil and scrap embargos against the Japanese showing our protest for their invasion of Manchuria. Rather than and unprovoked attack, its more realistic to see Pearl Harbor as the result of a long line of low-level political and military conflicts between the US and Japan. Also remember that Pearl Harbor was one of a series of near simultaneous attacks by the Japanese that included the Phillippines and Wake Island. As far as Pearl Harbor goes, we were stupid enough to ignore copious warning signs for hours, days, months, and years...even a full decade prior to the attack. Also, the entire Pacific Fleet was on general alert in the waning months of 1941 because we suspected there may be a Japanese attack coming. The Japanese never did formally declare war, but they broke off diplomatic negotiations with the US prior to the attack. And we all know you don't have to declare war to go to war. Not every life lost was accounted for by any one nation. That's just impossible. However, it can be said that while Germany as a nation has more or less atoned for their sins, Japan hasn't. I've said this before in other threads and maintain that the Japanese goverment still needs to be more forthcoming in apologizing the to the victims of its own Asian holocaust The difference between Stalin and the Holocaust and Japanese 'rapes' of China is arguably the brutality involved. Stalin killed alot of people frequently and consistantly while the sheer nature of how the Germans and Japanese killed many of their internees was beyond compehension. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sure seems like you're trying to make Germany less culpable than Japan for its actions during WWII. If this is true, I can only shake my head. As for Yellow Dart's original statement, its true (and sad) that Asians are the most foreign of foreigners and America's treatment of those of Asian descent is equally deplorable in many regards to the treatment of blacks, hispanics, and other minorities.

That's like seeing Nessie, isn't it? The current Lancer is a pretty woeful car, at least where styling is concerned. Only the current model yeard looks presentable - 5 years and countless makeovers to get it right.

Tuesday, 07/11/06 GM seeks 750 temps to replace 1,300 Spring Hill early retirees 150 down, 600 to go as automaker scurries to train new workers By BUSH BERNARD Staff Writer General Motors Corp. will hire as many as 750 temporary workers this year for its Spring Hill plant, to fill spots left vacant by workers taking early retirement and buyouts. The company has 150 on board now and plans to add 600 more as it loses more than 1,300 longtime employees as part of a work-force reduction. GM is shutting down a half-dozen assembly lines — including one of the two lines in Spring Hill — to bring production in line with shrinking sales. The company won't need the 5,000 people it has now on the assembly line in Spring Hill when production of the Ion ends later this year. But it will need more than the 3,600 that will be left after all of the people opting for buyouts are gone. GM has already begun training temporary employees to fill in. "We anticipated there would be a significant outflow of people," GM spokesman Dan Flores said. It's a process under way in almost all of GM's plants, where more than 35,000 employees nationwide have opted to leave the company as part of GM's restructuring plan. "It's a significant process," Flores said. "We've been working on this for several months." Technically, the temporary workers don't work for GM, although the company is dictating how they are screened and trained. The only way to get a temporary job at the plant is to be recommended by a GM employee. That's a system that has worked well for the company in the past, GM spokesman Tom Wickham said. The idea behind employee referrals is that people who work on the assembly line will recommend someone who will do well on the job. Otherwise, it looks bad for the person who recommended them, Wickham said. "We get excellent referrals." The temporary workers will get paid $18-$19 an hour, significantly less than the $28-an-hour base pay most Spring Hill assembly line workers get. Temporary workers won't get any of the company's benefits, such as health-care insurance or retirement. They're being hired through Developmental Dimensions International, a Pennsylvania company that's handling temporary workers at all GM plants. Temporary workers are a growing trend in the automotive industry. Most automakers hire people part-time during the summer, when vacations thin worker ranks. Nissan North America, for instance, hires college students who are children of employees to fill manpower gaps on the production line at its Smyrna assembly plant during summer months, Nissan spokeswoman Vicki Smith said. This will be the third time the Spring Hill plant has hired temporary workers, said Mike Herron, chairman of United Auto Workers Local 1853, which represents hourly employees at the plant. The first time was in 1995, when more than 300 workers were hired. "After they were in the plant for a year, we basically demanded they be made permanent because they were no longer temporary employees," Herron said. "They'd been there for a year. They were doing the work of regular team members. The only thing they were lacking was benefits." Another 200 workers were hired in late 2001, to help the company start production of the Vue. That time, the company took applications from the public and got more than 2,000 job seekers in one day at a state jobs office in Columbia. The workers were let go after a few months, Herron said. There's no chance that the temporary workers hired this time will become permanent, Flores said. "We have been very clear with the temporary employees that these are just temporary jobs and as of right now, we have no plans of hiring any new employees. They are definitely being brought in on a temporary basis." •

Glengarry Glen Ross

Japanese Nuclear Weapons Program @ FAS.org Also note the Japanese ISAS' (space program) M-5 rocket is strikingly modeled after our Peacekeeper ICBM. Its also one of the few space exploration rockets today that is solid-fueled, which provides the advantage of remaining dormant for longer periods of time and then launched in a moment's notice. Keep in mind that many of our early space rockets were derived from ballistic missiles, so the reverse is not out of the question at all.

Seen it! Mid-90s sedan.

I guess they're called 'shells,' but yes. Makes me wonder why you wouldn't just buy and Explorer/Suburban instead.

Negative on the Sukhois, Ghostrider. That's right, the only new jets they've gotten as of late are the Chinese Chendgu variants of first-generation MiGs. Its a very pathetically-equipped force. Lord knows what percentage are combat-ready.

I'll relegate this to inappropriate things I've actually seen. 400lb man in a Miata. Exterior bicycle rack on an F-150. Tercel with a spoiler. Camper top on an Avalanche and a Sport Trac.

My mistake. I neglected the Block 60 F-16s and Strike Eagles they do have in addition to the F-5s and F-4s. Though, I think even the F-4s would fare well against the North's air force because they'd be fighting against the same jets they did in Vietnam!

I think the Camry and ES keep plenty of people from getting an Avalon.

Honestly, I feel bad for the North Korean populace. Remember, all these people know is what their government tells them. Even during the Cold War, many Soviets and Chinese either remember or began to see what the West was really like. In North Korea, the people are not afforded such opportunities. People live in a constant state of destitution while schoolchildren are paraded through museums proudly displaying half-century-old wreckage of American fighters as if this happened yesterday. They view the South as their brothers forced against their will into an evil alliance with the Americans, who are bloodthirsty and rape and pillage. The leadership knows the truth, but the people do not. South Korea could easily defend themselves against any invasion by the North. They're equipped with variants of second-line American jets and a highly-trained and regimented military force. The fear I would have for North Korean is their marketing of missile technology to other nations in the Middle East. Themselves, they are a hollow threat. Consider these recent launches of medium-range rockets to be demonstration flights for Syria, Iran, Pakistan, and Lybia.

Toyota to undertake costly airbag switch fix in Tundra David Shepardson / The Detroit News Link to original article @ DetNews WASHINGTON — Toyota Motor Corp. will spend millions to deactivate front-seat passenger air bag cut-off switches in nearly 160,000 Tundra pickups to avoid having to install a costlier child safety seat anchoring system. The Japanese automaker is taking the action after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week on June 28 rejected Toyota's petition to waive a federal safety regulation that requires most vehicles built after September 2002 and equipped with the cut-off switch to also have a child seat anchor system known as LATCH — for lower anchorages and tethers for children. The regulation was meant to ensure that child seats stay in place in a crash, especially in vehicles with smaller rear-seating, such as pickups. At the time the regulation was adopted, 600 children under the age of 5 were killed every year in auto crashes and another 70,000 were injured. Children are at high risk of death or injury from airbags that deploy. That's why child seats aren't allowed in front seats that don't have an airbag cut-off switch, which activates the airbag only if it senses an adult is in the passenger seat. Deactivating the switch means the air bag will always deploy, making it unsafe to ever put a child in the front seat. Toyota will voluntarily recall the pickups, beginning in mid-September, after completing engineering of the parts to deactivate the air bag cut-off switch, spokesman Bill Kwong said Friday. "We always recommend that child seats are used in the rear as children are safest there," Kwong said. Owners will get notice of the recall in September, he said. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said Toyota shouldn't be allowed to simply deactivate the switches. Toyota's failure to provide the latches "is not merely an incidental statistical artifact but a clear and present danger to the children who ride in child restraints in the front passenger seats of those vehicles," said Henry Jasny, general counsel for the Washington-based group. Kwong said there may have been some engineering issues that make it impractical to add the latches rather than deactivate the airbag cut-off switch. He said the exact cost of the recall isn't known — only that the fix is expected to require two hours of labor. At more than $100 for labor, it could cost more than $16 million if all vehicles are serviced, he said. It isn't known what the parts will cost since they are still being designed, he said. In its ruling, NHTSA took no position on whether Toyota could comply by simply deactivating the switches. Kwong said beginning in the 2006 model year, Toyota deactivated its front passenger air bag cut-off switch to satisfy the regulations. In June 2005, Toyota acknowledged that 156,555 Toyota Tundras from the 2003-05 model years didn't comply with the child seat anchor safety regulation. The automaker asked NHTSA to waive the regulation and spent more than a year trying to convince the agency it wasn't required to install child-seat anchoring systems. Toyota lost the debate last week, when NHTSA rejected the company's final appeal. Toyota noted that it hadn't received any customer complaints and that there were no injuries reported as a result of the lack of the anchoring system in the front seats of the trucks. Tundras have compliant child safety latches in rear seats. "However, the fact does not render the absence of the anchorages in the front seats inconsequential," NHTSA chief Nicole Nason said in a June 28 notice published June 28. Small children's safety "depends on proper installation of the child-restraint systems in which they ride." NHTSA also noted that parents with vehicles built before 2002 who mistakenly believed their vehicles complied with the regulation have "used seatbelt latch plates, drilled holes through the nylon webbing of the seatbelt" in an effort to use the front seat. You can reach David Shepardson at (202) 662-8735 or [email protected].

FOR RELEASE: 2006-07-07 Saab and Chevrolet Set New Sales and Market Share Records in Europe Link to press release @ GM *Saab European sales grow by 24.3 percent in first six months *Chevrolet shows strong growth in Southern and Eastern Europe *Opel/Vauxhall implement improvements in quality of sales *GM Europe share stable at 2005 CY level *GM first-half sales exceed 50,000 units in Russia Zurich - General Motors (GM) sold 1,070,508 vehicles in Europe in the first half of 2006, a slight increase of 2,058 vehicles over the same period last year (1,068,449 vehicles). GM’s share of the growing European market was again 9.4 percent, consistent with 2005’s full-year share. In June 2006, GM Europe sold 195,268 vehicles (2005: 205,834 vehicles), achieving a market share of 9.6 percent in a declining European market. In Russia, GM sold 52,699 vehicles in the first half of the year, increasing its sales by 17,016 vehicles or 48 percent year-on-year to outstrip one of the world’s fastest growing markets (up 20 percent). “It is very encouraging to see the growing success of Saab and Chevrolet sales around Europe. Setting new volume and market share records for both brands in the first half of this year was a real bonus. Chevrolet, one of the top three global automotive brands, is now making its mark in Europe and I expect to see this continue. For Opel and Vauxhall, GM's biggest volume brands in Europe, our financial turnaround is built on being increasingly selective about which sales we pursue and driving higher per unit revenues. We are pleased with how this plan is playing out,” said Jonathan Browning, GM Europe Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. Cadillac, Corvette and HUMMER perform well General Motors’ luxury brands, Cadillac, Corvette and HUMMER, performed well in their respective niche markets in the first half of the year. Corvette sold 733 cars in the first six months and Cadillac’s European sales grew by 30 percent, from 1,301 to 1,690 vehicles at the end of June. HUMMER sales of the H2 and H3 increased to 801 vehicles, from 223 vehicles in 2005. Saab achieves record sales levels in Europe Saab's global sales set a new record for the first half of the year, with 70,846 cars sold, up 11 percent from the previous year. The largest growth was in Europe where 50,695 cars found new customers, an increase of 9,924 cars or 24.3 percent vs. 2005. The U.S. remained the number one market globally for Saab, at 17,274 cars. The U.K. was number two, with 14,873 units sold, and Sweden closed the month and the year to date as Saab’s third biggest market, with 13,382 registrations and a market share of 8 percent. The Saab 9-5 BioPower was again the number one 'green vehicle' in the Swedish market. Outstanding growth in the first half of 2006, compared to the year-earlier period, was achieved in a number of markets across Europe: Denmark (+ 43 percent), Sweden (+ 54 percent) and Finland (+ 43 percent), the Netherlands (+ 55 percent) and Switzerland (+ 44 percent). In June, Saab sold 9,875 cars in Europe, up 1,895 cars or 23.7 percent from June 2005. Opel/Vauxhall growing in Northern Europe, Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe GM’s biggest volume brands in Europe, Opel and Vauxhall, achieved total sales of 855,857 vehicles in the first half of the year, compared with 880,805 a year earlier, for a share of 7.5 percent. The biggest sales gains were realized in the Nordic and Benelux regions (+ 5,900 vehicles), in Ireland (+ 2,100 vehicles) as well as in Central and Eastern Europe (+ 6,900 vehicles). The growing reputation of the Opel brand led to market share gains in the following markets: the Netherlands (from 8.8 to 9.8 percent), Denmark (from 4.4 to 5.5 percent), Ukraine (from 1.3 to 2.3 percent) and Poland (from 8.4 to 9.4 percent). Zafira and Meriva in the first half of 2006 lead the monocab segment in Europe, with Zafira sales (127,000 units) recording a 27 percent sales increase (+ 34,000 units) compared to the first six months of 2005. With the recent introduction of the Astra TwinTop and the up-coming launches of the new Corsa and the new Antara SUV, Opel’s product offensive continues. A record sales volume was achieved for Opel/Vauxhall commercial vehicles, selling 98,000, an increase of 2,600 vehicles or 3 percent. Vivaro alone reached record sales of 37,000, an increase of 4,000 vehicles. Vauxhall's strategy of pursuing the more profitable retail market in the U.K. continued to be a success, with the brand taking an impressive 8.8 percent share of sales to private buyers compared to 7.9 percent in the same period last year. Total market share is also continuing to show positive trends, with a total of 13.2 percent for the year so far, compared to 12.7 percent for the same period in 2005. The success was pushed by a strong performance of Zafira and Meriva, both of which led their segments. Vectra also had a very strong month, especially in the retail sector where it outsold it's closest rival by almost two-to-one. Chevrolet shows strong growth in Southern and Eastern Europe Chevrolet continued its strong growth across Europe in the first half of the year, with record sales of 160,732* vehicles, an 11.2 percent increase over the same period a year earlier (144,517 vehicles). After 1.33 percent half-way through 2005, Chevrolet’s record share of the total European market has now reached 1.42 percent. At the same time, Chevrolet Europe opened its 2000th sales outlet. Russia again performed very well, with sales of 44,760 cars and a market share of 4.9 percent in the first six months of the year. Strong growth was recorded in Italy, where sales were up 23.3 percent, to 20,487 units in the first half of 2006. Chevrolet Spain increased sales by 10.6 percent, to 15,028 vehicles. Chevrolet also achieved outstanding market shares in Greece (2.2 percent), Spain (1.5 percent) and South East Europe (2.5 percent). With the launch of Epica and the diesel-powered compact Captiva SUV, Chevrolet aims to continue its growth offensive in Europe. Chevrolet sold 29,438 vehicles in June 2006, and reached a market share of 1.4 percent. *This figure includes 19,548 vehicles produced by GM Avtovaz for the Russian market and 546 vehicles of US production. General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 33 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2005, GM sold 9.17 million cars and trucks globally, up 2 percent and the second-highest total in the company’s history. In Europe, GM sells its Opel, Vauxhall, Saab, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Corvette and Hummer ranges in over 30 markets. It operates 11 production and assembly facilities in eight countries and employs around 64,500 people. GM operates one of the world’s leading finance companies, GMAC Financial Services, which offers automotive, residential and commercial financing and insurance. More information on GM can be found at http://media.gmeurope.com and http://www.gmeurope.com.

A faction in Japan's government desperately wants to rearm in a serious fashion, even to the point of developing atomic weapons. Such would not be technically difficult for Japan because of their advanced breeder reactor technology; its said that they could field usable nuclear weapons in under a year, if they haven't secretly done so already. During the '60s and '70s the Japanese government all but made it known that becoming an offensive nuclear state is a matter of choice. A North Korean attack against any outside nation would certainly result in total and complete devestation for what's left of their country. As insane as they are, they know this and its much more reasonable to saber-rattle to get their way in terms of monetary aid. Even the Russians and Chinese think DPRK is nuts. China has been sending them aid via rail and lately, the Koreans have been keeping the locomotives and all while sending the engineers back, claiming the equipment was part of the aid package. North Korean diplomats have been arrested in New Zealand or Australia for traffiking heroin. This stuff is completely off the wall for any normal country.

Safety, structual integrity, and wind noise.