Flybrian

Chrysler rolls out special edition of PT Cruiser Josee Valcourt | Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News ROYAL OAK -- Chrysler today rolled out its newest special-edition PT Cruiser with design cues that pay tribute to the famous Sunset Boulevard. The latest edition, unveiled in the parking lot of Duggan's Irish Pub on Woodward Avenue, joins the Route 66 and Pacific Coast highway versions, which were launched the previous two years about the time of the Dream Cruise. The new PT Cruiser will hit the market this summer. Chrysler will produce 500 units of the 2008 Sunset Boulevard model, which will come in amber hue and will be accented in chrome. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the manual transaxle version will be $16,650; the automatic transaxle will be $17,475. A $640 destination charge is included in both prices. Although the PT Cruiser is the oldest model in Chrysler's lineup, the vehicle has accounted for sales of more than 1.2 million since its introduction in 2000. "It still has this alluring look about it," said Larry Lyons, vice president of Chrysler's front-wheel-drive product team. California, a trend-setting state, is the lead market for sales of the PT Cruiser, he said. David Rooney, director of Chrysler Marketing and Global Communications, said the vehicle partly attracts buyers because of its customization appeal. Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with marketing research firm AutoPacific in Southfield, said the PT Cruiser's retro look is no longer the main reason why it continues to sell. "The reason it works well is the package is right," Brinley said. "It's easy to get in and out of. You've got plenty of cargo space in the back and it's priced nicely."

GM may receive $5.4B from sale of Allison unit Funds will be used for costs of plant closings, employee buyouts and vehicle development Jeff Green | Bloomberg News | Link to Original Article @ DetNews General Motors Corp., raising cash for new models, said it expects a gain of as much as $5.4 billion this quarter from the sale of Allison Transmission to buyout firms Carlyle Group and Onex Corp. The sale, completed last week for $5.6 billion, may increase earnings by a range of $5.1 billion to $5.4 billion, the Detroit- based automaker said in a U.S. regulatory filing Monday. Allison, based in Indianapolis, makes transmissions for trucks, buses and military equipment, and has 3,400 employees. With the Allison transaction, GM will have generated as much as $21.4 billion from asset sales since 2005, as Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner pays for buyouts of union workers, plant closings and development of new models. The automaker had annual losses of $12.4 billion the past two years and has said it doesn't expect to produce money from operations this year. Proceeds from Allison will help GM invest in new products and technology, the automaker reiterated Monday. GM said last month that it had $27.2 billion in cash, marketable securities and funds available from a retiree health-care fund as of June 30, an increase from $24.7 billion in March. The automaker's shares rose 61 cents to $34.46 Monday in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have gained 12 percent this year. Onex shares increased 6 cents to $33.04 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Onex, Canada's largest buyout firm, has purchased 57 companies for about $9.42 billion since its inception in 1983. Carlyle has about $59 billion under management. The closely held firm is based in Washington.

Tick tock!

Movie Stars and Other Cool Cars from General Motors Featured at the 2007 Woodward Dream Cruise DETROIT - Cars and trucks with storied pasts and bright futures, starring roles in blockbuster movies and personal connections to NASCAR racing champions are just a few of the reasons to visit all three GM exhibits at the Aug. 18 Woodward Dream Cruise. For those who can't attend, GM will for the first time offer multimedia coverage of the Woodward Dream Cruise from links at www.gm.com beginning Aug. 16. Chevrolet will take over the Birmingham Triangle with a presentation of more than 60 classic and tuner vehicles, including vintage cruisers from the personal collections of some of NASCAR's biggest names. There will also be a full-line display of the newest Chevy cars, trucks and SUVs, highlighted by the new Chevy Volt and Camaro Convertible concepts. Located at the junction of Woodward and Old Woodward south of 15 Mile Road, the Chevy Triangle will offer visitors a chance to participate in interactive games, sample great food from local vendors and enjoy live music. The Chevy Racing Tour and the XM Ultimate listening Tour will also be on tap. A mile south, the Athens Coney Island parking lot will take on a Hollywood flavor as four of the automotive stars of the blockbuster movie Transformers take the stage. They will be joined by the all-new 362-horsepower 2008 Pontiac G8 rear-wheel-drive sedan and the Holden Efijy retro cruiser concept from Australia that rocked the 2007 North American International Auto Show with its global cruising theme. Located on the west side of Woodward south of 14 Mile Road, the GM Athens exhibit will also feature some of the cars that made Woodward a cruising icon, such as '57 Chevys, split window Corvettes and GTOs. GM Powertrain will display examples of the hardware that made the horsepower that put the muscle in muscle cars. Another mile south at the Royal Oak Memorial Park is where GM Performance Division will display the Chevrolet SS and Cadillac V-Series models engineered for driving enthusiasts. They will be joined by some unique vehicles that you can't buy, such as a custom Chevy Silverado created by Performance Division for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a 200 mph Ecotec 4-cylinder-powered "belly tank lakester" for the Bonneville Salt Flats. Located just north of 13 Mile Road on the east side of Woodward, the GM Performance Division exhibit will have product specialists on hand to discuss technical features of all the vehicles on display. Also, Linda Vaughn, "The First Lady of Motorsports," will be signing autographs at the exhibit from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 18. All three GM exhibit locations will be open Saturday, Aug. 18 - Chevy Triangle from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., GM Athens Coney Island from 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Performance Division Memorial Park from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. In addition, the Performance Division exhibit will be open on Thursday, Aug. 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

I'm sorry.

Not one Reg appreciation thread tonight contains boobs. disappointed

Pretty interesting to see so many classic Chevrolets in the former USSR. Shows that passion for cars has no bounds. Auto Exotica 2007 -Moscow - Click for more.

Ha. I know...just the popular conception that its a subcompact. Its sure built like one inside. Ugh.

The Yaris looks like the was designed by people who get paid to design?

My experience with a Compass was a nice test drive, but even then the CVT proved annoying. I've never been a fan of them and my three experiences (Freestyle, Murano, Compass) leave me never wanting to see one again. Though the Ford had the most refined (Ford and Nissan were prolonged rentals for me), I'd prefer a regular auto. For the entry price point, I agree the materials are acceptable. But at a loaded price, it simply needs more. Again, the 'rugged' excuse doesn't cut it in my book because this is an urban Jeep. The inside is really appropriate for the Patriot, but for the Compass, I'd rather see a more car-like level of design and material usage. You could easily drop the base-er models with crank windows and such (let the Patriot have those) and have well-refined Compasses at higher entry prices and sell them just as well. Also, how does it handle? Obviously never had the opportunity to truly drive it.

^^ Exactly. What in the American subcompact segement stands out? Punched in the face much? ZZZZ. ZZZZx2. ZZZZx3. Real classy. The Aveo does and actually has some variety to the lineup - attractive, restrained sedan; dynamic, sportier hatch.

The current semi-official Aurora record is a little over 300,000 miles from a '95. I hope to beat that.

The only car truly by you was that Caprice. Man, I miss those stories. As far back as I can remember... 198? Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Diesel 1987 Oldsmoble Toronado Trofeo 1979 Buick LeSabre Limited 1998 Buick Regal GS 2000 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi 1996 Oldsmobile Aurora 1976 Buick LeSabre Custom Prior to the Cutty, my father owned a wide variety of domestics, from Fords to MOPARs, and a few other GMs. The Bonneville, however, was his first Pontiac and one day, he'll get a Cadillac as a present.

Seriously, I like this.

I just don't understand the need for the chipmunk protrusions. Its serves no asthetic purpose, wasn't present on the concept, and looks foolish like a typical Chrysler. What disappointed me most about the Compass was indeed the interior. The entire purpose of the Compass is an interpretation of the classic Jeep look remixed to appeal to urbanites and women. Why then does it share the same throwaway garbage materials with the Patriot (acceptable there) and Caliber (acceptable because its a rental)? A simple splash of more upscale design and trim pieces would do wonders. Agreed about the CVT. Its a tiring driver because of it, IMO; the rubber-banding is especially pronounced.

Sure

Audi A0.5

Yeah. That didn't need to be posted.

I think I'd like to go back to Berwyn and Casey's Ale House and have myself another prime rib melt...

Well maybe this will make you smile. I attempted to top off the LeSabre today and the pump siphon ran out of 87 octane gas. Dead serious. The attendant told me their shipment was scheduled to arrive yesterday, but didn't. He let me fill up with 89 at 87 price, which was nice. Just one of those wouldn't-be-funny-in-any-other-car situations. P.S. Thanks for not stealing my 455 for your El Camino resto.

Ew. The hybrid is ugly inside.

Man, I'm sorry, Bob. I knew it was coming, but so soon? I'm glad I got to enjoy a ride in it, though. I could tell by the way you drove it, you loved it very much.

If anything, older folks fix their car more and complain more about problems.

Saab Black Turbo Rebjörn Saab unveils the Turbo X Celebration of 30 years at the forefront of turbocharging technology Saab to replicate classic Black Turbo models, available as a limited edition Saab will go 'back to the future' at next month's Frankfurt International Motor Show by evoking the iconic appeal of its classic 'Black Turbo' models. The Swedish premium car maker will celebrate 30 years of leadership in turbocharging by unveiling the Saab Turbo X, a limited edition performance car that inherits the visual appeal of the Saab 99 and 900 black turbos - while also introducing cutting-edge technology. This ultimate expression of the new 9-3 range will deliver standard-setting levels of performance for the brand. It was at Frankfurt in 1977 that Saab surprised the automotive world when it revealed its first turbocharged model. It set a performance trend that others were to follow. Now the innovative features of the new Saab 'Black Turbo' are also expected to attract widespread imitation. Further details of the Saab Turbo X will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show.