Flybrian

'Buy A Car, Get A Free Transformer' Chevy Promotion Saturday, August 25th, 2007 9:30AM CDT | Link to Original Article @ Siebertron So were you thinking about buying a new car, and wondering how in the world you could work it so you could get a free collectible toy out of the deal too? Look no further. Apparently Chevy is having a promotion and all you need to do is buy an Aveo and you get a really cool new and exclusive Transformers Autobot Swerve (new mold!!!) limited to only 2000 pieces. We have two links for you. One is to AcToys showing all modes and a size comparison to deluxe movie Concept Bumblebee. Autobot Swerve on AcToys And the other is an auction... Exclusive Autobot Swerve Auction Let's hope there is a way to get this that does not involve shelling out tons of money. Or those of us who are Transformers completists will also be driving brand new Aveo's shortly.

Being a GMC, a Caballero can... - Command a higher pricetag. - Legitimately have a sport and luxury model in one (Denali). - (If production is constrained) be distributed fairly among a smaller dealer network.

Wow. Great car, great settings. Lots of awesome American iron in those shots. Welcome to C&G!

6 7 3

And then make boats.

I find that funny because both names are Spanish.I, for one, welcome the return of the Caballero nameplate. It sounds upscale and is certainly a better choice than Sprint, especially given its similarity to that dopey van.

I'd like one that says '8 MPG' for my LeSabre. Or, "I support higher fuel economy mandates. More gas for me."

Except its not intended to operate as a full manual shift mode. Its purpose is to allow the driver the ability to downshift into lower gears for towing, inclines, and the like. Its no different than a regular automatic that allows you to shift from overdrive to third to second to first by moving the column or shifter except its not practicable to have all the gears of a 5- or 6-speed transmission laid out like that. Plus, the electronic button is easier. Plus again, most people simply don't futz with the different gear ranges anymore. Its just not meant to operate like TAP-Shift, which actually holds the car in gear and won't downshift or upshift. This was clearly explained to me by the VUE brand manager at back in April because I was wondering what the hell the difference was myself. Plus, I don't think Enclave drivers in general would fancy such a thing, nor even use it. Speaking of Enclaves, a middle-aged couple that came out for a hot air balloon ride today has a beautiful Diamond Tricoat Enclave CXL FWD with ev-er-ry-thing, including the navigation system. The lease on their Lexus (dunno what model, maybe a GX) was up and they wanted something more comfortable to ride in. Stunning car.

Ventiports...

Welcome to the Choppin' Competition #43 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 two (2) entries in this format: 1st place 2nd place Each first place vote earns 2 points and each second place vote 1 point. Voting begins now and will end Saturday, September 1, 2007 @ 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 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!

Welcome to the Sketch Competition #20 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 Saturday, September 1, 2007 @ 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 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!

Don't stop...believin'! Okay, on first glace, very Mitsubishi-ish for some reason, but strangely attractive. Kudos to Chrysler for their first good interior since the 1970s, with my only issue being with the blatent cut-and-paste looks of the gauge cluster. I realize this car is destined to be exported with RHD necessitating symmetry, but I hate that sort of symmetry and wish for a more integrated look. That's not a Dodge-specific complaint, but one aimed at everyone who does it so obviously. At least make me feel special for living in a country that drives on the correct side of the road. But surprisingly...I like it. Oh, and the name. Its okay. Crew was absolutely lousy, this only marginally so because its not a 'Dodge'-sounding name. However, I do like Journey, so I accept it.

Its the absolute height of the aero styling trend, before some models started getting...weird. Yes, there were 'rounded' cars before and after, but the subtle details set it apart. The are no oblique cutlines; body panel seams flow into molding seemlessly and wrap around the car completely. There is wasp-waist contouring that smoothly bulges around the fender wells without sticking out too much. There are alot of complex curves in the design when viewed from different angles and they all flow together perfectly. 'Flow' turns out to be a good word to describe the styling elements here. Alot of the curves and treatments are things I haven't seen on any other mass production car. The interior is likewise very sculpted to match the exterior and then there's the powertrain, which was a remarkable engine for its time. The MX6, Lumina, Continental, Mark VIII, and some other cars were also designed in such a fashion, but the results aren't nearly as organic as the Aurora. You look at cars like the Taurus/Sable and the second-generation LHS and you see where aero styling goes waaay too far and falls flat on its face. The LHS especially looked melted and gloopy. In my opinion, even the sister Riviera missed the mark because of poorer proportioning. I would say the Mazda 929 was closest to the Aurora in advanced styling for the time, but some of the detailing spoils the car. Plus, I wouldn't want to constantly fix electrical gltiches. And I've always thought this since I first saw the original show car; I didn't buy it, like it, then deem it a classic. And also you can't make people see the subtle nuances I described; you either see it instantly or you don't. That's what it seems anyway. And among those that see it, the Aurora will always stand out. It looks like no car on the road before it or after it and it certainly cannot be confused with some completely unrelated model like so many automobiles today.

I'm speaking only of cargo room, not interior spaciousness. From Edmunds... Roadmaster Luggage Capacity: N/A Maximum Cargo Capacity: 92 cu. ft. Taurus Wagon Luggage Capacity: 37.8 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 81 cu. ft. Dodge Magnum Luggage Capacity: 27.2 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 72 cu. ft. Again, I understand why the Magnum isn't as caspacious - its not supposed to be; its supposed to be a sportwagon that. But by traditional wagon standards, its by no means fullsize nor utilitarian. Sadly that seems to suit everyone in this country just fine. I think Dodge could've carried off aggresive styling without having to pinch the rear hatch so much and included a glass liftgate to make the Magnum even more useful. On the other hand, Mercedes' wagons are even worse (69 and 64 for the E- and C-Class). I will say though that the 2008 restyle makes it more attractive and I'd take it anyday over a 300, which is far to common for me to enjoy.

Well, looks like I'm the first person on C&G 3.0 to breech the 10,000 post mark, so horray me. What makes it interesting to me is that several members are hot on my tail with posts in the 7, 8, and 9,000s. Also, keep in mind these number are somewhat skewed by the fact that this version of C&G has only been up for part of our near-6-year history - let's hope we don't have to start over again! Another thing that stands out to me are our relatively 'small' membership numbers, close to 4,000 now. Again, those numbers are skewed because of database crashes, but it seems like if you register for an account here, you intend to post. And chances are that if you post, you post...a LOT. It's a real good thing to see such an active membership, many of whom have been around since darn near the beginning. That's a testement to the quality and the fun of C&G if you ask me and that's something I hope never changes. I'll also take a moment to say that we have some plans on the horizon for the site. I'm working on one little angle right now that will be of incredible importance to C&G if things work out. The other staff members know what I'm talking about...hopefully, you too will also know before the end of the year. So to you all and thanks for all the fun!

I'm just going to add one more thing - that blue is the same shade of blue on the bristles of my toilet brush. No, I'm not posting pics.

Auroras are a standout in design and engineering for its time, perhaps the high watermark of a two-decade period for GM and the styling is certainly unique. Classic doesn't necessarily imply '57 Bel Air, but something that will be recognized as a significant car in certain circles years to come.

Like the MAXX to the regular Malibu sedan, the Magnum makes an adequate utility companion to the Charger sedan, but 'tis no real wagon with real wagon spaciousness. The very last Taurus wagon had more cargo room.

That's not even a midsize wagon...

Gonna be talking about this tomorrow...

Thing is, though, a collectable is only worth as much as someone wants to spend. I'm constantly amazed at these fools blowing several hundreds of thousands of dollars on a low-rung Charger or Camaro at an auction.

That needs to be burned.

The lack of a true-to-concept coupe as well as the ridiculous 'value adjustments' hurt early Solstice sales. People act as if its all about the Pontiac image and while that plays a role in it, its not the sole cause or even one of the main ones for somewhat slow initial sales.

The Suburban is truly the unmatched jack of all trades and master of all. When all other SUVs whither and die, the Suburban will still remain.

Many of GM's 2006 models have the one-touch lane change function on the signal (Monte Carlo, Impala among them). One-twist ignition has been around since at least 2000 as our Bonneville has that.