Flybrian

2008 BMW 535i w/Steptronic - 3703lbs 2008 Mercedes E350 - 3740lbs

Where the hell does everyone keep pulling this 4,100lb figure out of as if its a realistic base curb weight for the RWD CTS? 2008 BMW 335i - 3605lbs - BMWUSA.com 2008 Mercedes C350 - 3615lbs - Winding Road 2008 CTS (3.6 DI Auto) - 3874lbs - GM Ordering Guide Heavier? Certainly. Obese? Hardly, especially considering the CTS is dimensionally larger than the BMW or Mercedes. Perhaps a more interesting question is how compact sedans like the 3er and C-Class today weigh nearly as much as my father's Bonneville with its overbuilt chassis, fullsize dimensions, and cast iron block V6. Compared to four years ago, all of those three sport sedans have grown by ~200lbs apiece. Everyone just acts like the Caddy is a pig because of some early-quoted approximate fully-optioned AWD curb weight. And in interesting note about the 'solidity' of the Bimmer...

Lutz: Volt may be ready for tests by next spring Sharon Terlep | The Detroit News TRAVERSE CITY -- General Motors Corp. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told an industry gathering this morning that the auto maker will partner with A123 Systems Inc., one of the biggest battery developers, to develop a lithium-ion battery for the Volt plug-in electric hybrid. The Chevy Volt was a hit last winter when it was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show. The partnership is expected to expedite the development of batteries for plug-in hybrids and other alternative fuel solutions. GM expects to have the battery packs ready this fall and vehicles ready to test in the spring, said Lutz, who appeared at the auto industry's annual Management Briefing Seminars. Lutz also said the automaker pulled back too far on incentives and needs to increase discounts this month, especially on big trucks. His comments follow a sharp drop in GM vehicles sales in July. Truck sales are slumping amid high fuel prices and the slow housing market.

Oooooh an Antares, er, Aurora owner! A beautiful choice. I don't even need to see pictures to tell you that.

Mazda Mazda6 Mazdaspeed Seville Seville Touring Sedan DeVille DeVille Touring Sedan Eldorado Eldorado Touring Coupe Cadillac Cadillac Touring Sedan (Yes, CTS stood for that for about 20 seconds)

Can I interpret this as the government paying me $12,000 to drive an FCX, because that is what you'd have to do for me to be seen in one.

Tractor Supply...because real professionals buy Tundras.

I found some of these hillarious. Click on the link that reads... Celebrity photos... if they hadn't actually become celebrities. My favorite: J.C. Penney portrait of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, your Albuquerque real estate professionals.

GM to end Olympic sponsorship after 2008 Automaker says other ad methods more efficient than $1 billion investment Updated: 7:12 p.m. ET Aug 6, 2007 | Link to Orignal Article @ MSNBC DETROIT - General Motors Corp. said Monday it has decided not to renew its $1 billion sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Committee when its contract ends after 2008. The company said the move is a result of changes in its marketing strategy and came after GM evaluated the return on its advertising investment. “We have other avenues to be able to reach this same audience without bearing the expense of being an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic team,” spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said. GM is continuing to look at spending its advertising dollars in the most efficient way, including the move to digital formats from traditional print, television and radio advertising, Carney said. “Our current agreement with General Motors means that GM will be an official U.S. Olympic team sponsor through 2008,” USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said. “As to where things stand with a possible renewal, we do not comment on the status of ongoing discussions with our corporate partners.” Carney said she did not know what GM’s strategy would be for advertising related to the Olympics beyond the Beijing games in 2008. Chevrolet continues to sponsor the U.S. Snowboarding Team, and GM of Canada is sponsoring the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, she said. The decision was not made because of GM’s financial condition, Carney said. The company lost $2 billion last year but has turned in its third straight profitable quarter. It is undergoing a restructuring plan that includes reducing its hourly work force by more than 34,000 with early retirement and buyout offers, and it is in the midst of critical contract talks with the United Auto Workers. GM’s move was reported Monday by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal. GM signed a 10-year, $1 billion sponsorship agreement in 1997 to buy rights as the official vehicle-maker for the U.S. team. The deal was extended through 2008 in November 2004. The company has been involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee as a sponsor since 1984.

Its very easy to percieve that the old 4-speed Hydramatic still shifts more smoothly than a 26-speed Lexus BMX. And revisiting the Northstar argument for a second... Your mechanic charges more to fix Cadillacs because a) some parts are indeed more expensive, b) some things are harder to work on, but also c) he may find it profitable bending over Cadillac customers because they own a Cadillac. That's what one local Cadillac dealership likes to do around here; the other doesn't. Guess which one I'd rather take my car to. Actually, neither because the local Saturn dealer still services Oldsmobiles in an honest fashion. Hard to find. And, yes, I will laugh at some of these prices because its total B.S. As Oldsmoboi said, half of these things you listed having nothing to do with the Northstar nor are they 'Cadillac-exclusive' parts. I know for a fact all those prices are various levels of bull$h!. $1,350 for shocks? What kind of gold are they plated with? Replacing the front struts, rear air shocks, ride sensor, and compressor can be done with new parts for under $700. That's the entire wearable suspension system. I won't factor in labor because a mechanically-disinclined person can do much of it by themselves very simply. I don't mean any offense by this, but you do not have first-hand experience with a Northstar or Aurora car; I do. You're culling maintenance horror stories from some owner's site. Of course things look bad that way. And some of these stories are ridiculous. Someone spends $324 on plug wires? That person is an idiot. Someone got taken behind the tool shed by a dealer who chose to conceal the preventative ginger root coolant seal tab and instead charge out the ass for a whole reseal job? That is not a fault with the Northstar. Someone spent $1000 on shocks? Did he not wander aimlessly into a PepBoys at some point and noticed they were about $50 a piece? The problem is obvious - dealers and mechanics that choose to rape their customers because they own Cadillacs and somehow convince them that its going to cost them alot of money by simple virtue of it being a Cadillac. So, yes, I do laugh at the apparent stupidity of some people who choose not to spend an hour on the internet doing their own research and instead run to the dealer and then complain after they overspent. I admit, I made that mistake myself. Once. Never again. I'm aware these engines have some inherent problems as all powerplants regardless of manufacturer do. Early Northstars drip or burn a little oil, the head bolt failure was a problem until ~'96/97, most shops simply cannot work on the car because GM insists on keeping the tooling proprietary, and damaging the oil pan means removing the entire engine or cutting the exhaust crossover with a torch. However, with proper care and a little bit of preventative maintenance backed up by knowledgable forums, these engines car be extrodinarily reliable. Somone on ACNA finally ditched his 1995 Aurora (arguably the worst year for the car in reliability) after 305,000 miles. Many members have between 200-300k on original engines, too, with no major issues.

The rear driver's door also collects water. I think a drain hole is clogged, which is the number one priority I have right now. Again, it drains, but I have to stand there and shake the door like a retard. I merely spritzed the interior with some old leftover first-stage leather clear and it looks a thousand times improved. I also didn't realize the paint was a metallic, which makes me want to leave it the same color after all. In fact, I already got my first compliment on it last night from some random guy.

SAAB has missed the mark countless times. And keep in mind the kind of people who buy SAABs will refuse to buy a SAAB if it doesn't have 1980s SAAB gadgets like a panel dimmer, flimsy cupholder, or a keypad radio.

No. A) Anything resembling a ventiport or porthole found on a vehicle other than a Buick is not a ventiport or porthole; its a fender vent. B) The last thing a 300 needs is more misplaced cues tacked on to it. C) A person who glues fender vents onto a 300C is likely the same lame-o that glues tons of other junk like extra chrome moldings, mesh grilles, and 300C badges onto his ex-Dollar 2.7l Fury.

She'd like it even more to have one always in her driveway.

So, the real headline is... "After a quarter-century of attempts, Toyota looks like it may possibly outsell one version of a mechanically-identical rebadged Chevrolet." ...right?

That incorrectly presumes that enough people buy the Galant now.

Oldsmobile had some appealing cars.

RE: tarded.

Can I invite my Prius Club?

Nardelli, Ex-Home Depot, In At Chrysler New CEO will take over, LaSorda president by Paul A. Eisenstein | (2007-08-06) | Link to Original Article @ TCC He's used to getting some big payouts, but just how much Chrysler's new CEO will be taking home from his assignment in Detroit is apparently going to remain a top secret. Declaring himself "very impressed" with what he's found at Chrysler, former General Electric and Home Depot executive Robert Nardelli met with reporters at the automaker's sprawling headquarters, in the suburb of Auburn Hills, on Monday. It marked the official change in ownership, as the private equity firm, Cerberus Capital Management, formally took control of an 80.1-percent stake, with Chrysler's former German partner, to be renamed Daimler AG, retaining a minority 19.9-percent share. The 59-year-old Nardelli's appointment by Cerberus came as a surprise within the automotive community which, until this weekend, had expected Cerberus to turn to Chrysler's one-time number two executive, the German Wolfgang Bernhard. It remains unclear why Bernhard will not assume the post, especially after serving as an advisor to Cerberus during its purchase of Chrysler, but insiders suggest there have been contractual problems posed by Bernhard's most recent employer, Volkswagen AG. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Bernhard declined due to family reasons. In his new position, Nardelli takes the title previously held by Tom LaSorda. The Canadian-born LaSorda now becomes Chrysler president. Both men insisted they were pleased by that executive "partnership," LaSorda suggesting it is "more about being engaged with one another, rather than seeing who's first and who's second" in command. There's little doubt both executives, along with the rest of the "new" Chrysler team will have a lot to engage with. With sales and market share plunging, LaSorda launched an aggressive turnaround plan early this year, calling for still more cuts in production capacity and employment - which now stands at 87,000 hourly and salaried workers. The automaker is pushing for a number of concessions from the union side of its workforce. Last month, Chrysler, like its Big Three rivals, General Motors and Ford, returned to the bargaining table with the United Auto Workers; but there is concern that a controversy continuing to swirl around Nardelli could become a red flag for the UAW. He took a compensation package of $210 million when leaving his CEO post at Home Depot last year, inflaming shareholders and employees alike who had watched the once-high-flying retailer stumble in the marketplace. Asked if that might be a problem for the UAW, Nardelli said, "I hope not. The last thing I would want to be at the new Chrysler is a distraction." The executive added that the topic had indeed come up during an otherwise constructive conversation with UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. Notably, "Tom has had and will continue to have primary interface, responsibility and authority of working closely with UAW," said Nardelli. Despite aggressive questioning, Nardelli refused to disclose details of his Chrysler compensation plan. As a private equity firm, Cerberus is not required to report such details. But publisher reports suggest the former GE superstar may take a minimal $1 annual salary and then receive a large bonus package based on Chrysler's future performance. The automaker lost $680 million last year and after sorting through the various details of their agreement, DaimlerChrysler effectively paid more than $1 billion to Cerberus to take over its 80.1-percent stake in the U.S. operation. While Nardelli took pains to praise the LaSorda turnaround plan, he did not formally and completely rule out the possible need for further cuts to both speed up and slim down Chrysler. But the new CEO also made clear that it will be critical for Chrysler to focus on the customer, not just try to cut costs. "The most important thing," said Nardelli, "is to have good-looking designs. Then you have to make sure the cars you're building are of the highest quality and reliability." Where those products will come from remains to be seen. At several points during the news conference, LaSorda praised the work being done at Chrysler plants in the U.S. and Canada. But he also noted that the automaker recently entered a joint venture with the Chinese maker, Chery, which will produce a line of small cars for sale under the Chrysler nameplate. Both executives stressed that they'll be looking for similar deals, especially as they expand into emerging markets, such as China and Russia.

2007 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ - 2nd Quarter Update Suburban takes on every challenge By WES RAYNAL AND BOB GRITZINGER | Link to Original Review @ AutoWeek If our long-term Chevrolet Suburban has taught us anything in its first six months in our hands, it is this: Sometimes you find yourself in situations that require hauling huge piles of gear or a boatload of people, or both. In those cases, the Suburban has no peer. Simple, no? For proof that the Suburban is one of the more useful vehicles on the planet (and the most requested in our fleet), consider that we’ve put 17,043 miles on it in just six months. If we keep up that pace, the truck will easily rank in the top five in total mileage of any long-term car that has come through our parking garage. We have driven it all over the place, from freeways to farm fields, on pavement, gravel, snow and mud. We have piled it with people, gear and even hunting dogs and then flogged it for 18 hours straight without complaint from either the vehicle or its occupants. We’ve gone to the other extreme as well, commuting in it, solo, to and from the office. The wallowing body roll found in old Suburbans is gone. The brakes are dramatically improved. Steering is direct and linear, especially for such a big, heavy four-wheel-drive truck. With XM satellite radio, an iPod plug and a DVD entertainment system, our passengers have never been left wanting for distractions from the road. The 5.3-liter, 310-hp, 335-lb-ft V8, with cylinder deactivation that shuts down four cylinders under low-load cruising conditions, has been flawless. It runs on E85 or gasoline. E85 doesn’t seem to affect power, but we did record a significant drop in fuel economy over two tanks (13-14 mpg on the highway running E85 versus 18-19 mpg on unleaded). One staffer summed up our experience this way: “One of the amazing things about a vehicle like this is that it’s big enough to do what most people need two vehicles to do. Sure, a minivan also will handle lots of seating and cargo, but not with this kind of road-going prowess, power, stability and comfort.” We look forward to the rest of the year.

2007 Chevrolet HHR Panel LT Chevy puts an unserved niche in its crosshairs By KEVIN A. WILSON | Link to Original Review @ AutoWeek Thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte, England is often derided as “a nation of shopkeepers.” We’d wager there are far more of them here, though. The American entrepreneurial spirit and the number of small-business owners leave one to wonder why it’s been decades since Detroit built a mass-market panel wagon like the new-for-2007 Chevrolet HHR Panel. When Chrysler showed a panel version of its PT Cruiser in concept form in 2000, we thought the time had come, but the Panel Cruiser never arrived except as an aftermarket treatment. And Chrysler even has a two-door version (the convertible) that would have made a true two-door panel easier. Although Chevrolet designers drew inspiration from the styling of the 1949 Chevy Suburban, those familiar with pre-World War II automotive forms will recognize the new little trucklet as more of a “sedan delivery” wagon than an actual panel truck. In a panel truck, or the modern van form that replaced it, a person can stand in the cargo hold. Electricians, locksmiths and heating-and-cooling contractors, for instance, use such trucks as mobile workshops or parts warehouses. And we all know about custom and conversion vans in personal use. Though an HHR Panel owner could throw a mattress in back and have a private sleeping area with the addition of only a curtain at the rear, a use you might envision if you wanted an HHR as a dinghy-cum-guest-cabin to tow behind your RV, as Cory Farley did, that’s not most people’s first reaction. As with sedan deliveries of old, the HHR Panel seems best-suited to carrying stuff from point A to point B—flowers, pets that need grooming or maybe instruments and sound gear for a small band. If it’s just a duo, you could carry both musicians, too, but forget about more people. In place of the rear seat, there’s a flat load floor, in this case topped by rubber mats (a $95 option). Total cargo space of 57.0 cubic feet is only 1.5 cubic feet more than in a standard HHR with the seat folded, but there’s another 6.0 cubic feet in stowage bins that replace the seat space, lockable if you tick the box for the $25 option and big enough for laptops, cameras and other stuff you want hidden from view. Not that “view” is a strong suit of the HHR Panel. The key styling trick is that the rear quarter-windows and those in the rear side doors are replaced with steel on the outside and plastic on the inside, giving a retro look and an expansive canvas for signage or personalized graphics. Those who complain that they can’t see out of our long-term Toyota FJ Cruiser, however, probably would feel even more uneasy in the HHR Panel. Chevy provides one of those wide-angle dot mirrors in a corner of the passenger-side exterior mirror, and we think we’d pick up another at an auto-parts store for the left side, just for safety’s sake. Backing out of a parking space, particularly if you’re adjacent to a full-size SUV or pickup, becomes a bit of a creep-and-hope adventure, since you can’t shoot a glance over your shoulder. We usually think backup warning systems on modest-sized vehicles are excessive and silly (who needs a warning beep to parallel-park a Mini?), but this is one case where we’d appreciate having it. Unlike a true panel truck or sedan delivery, the HHR Panel has rear doors—they just don’t have outside handles. There are inside door handles and two buttons on the dash to open these doors, which, because they’re glassless, Chevy calls cargo doors. The tailgate is the standard one. What owners—business or personal—may appreciate is the EPA combined fuel-economy rating of 26 mpg. This is far better than you’d get in a full-size van or even a minivan, the sort of vehicle commercial users have resorted to for short-range deliveries. Now that the Ford Aerostar and the Chevrolet Astro are out of the way and gasoline prices are a major concern, it may be that Chevy has hit a sweet spot in the market. But commercial users will have to compete with new-age hot rodders and tuners, who started salivating when Chevy displayed the car at SEMA last year. Performance in the stock edition, which debuted at the New York auto show in April, is more modest than in the 270-hp fire breather shown at SEMA. The 2.4-liter version of the Ecotec four is rated at 175 hp, which is strong enough, and our AutoFile testing last year showed the Chevy had the legs of the Mazda 5 wagon at the track. And Chevy dealers have catalogs full of ways to make yours hotter still. This example had the optional four-speed automatic (a five-speed manual is standard), which brings with it remote starting, a boon on a sunny, 95-degree day when it allows you to start the vehicle and let the air conditioning go to work. The dark blue paint made the inside of that box sweltering. Speaking of paint, Chevy asked if we wanted “any lettering” on this test car. We were just joshing when we said we wanted “Roger’s Gun & Camera Shop,” because managing editor Roger Hart is serious about cameras but owns no guns, and we’d never actually seen a “gun and camera” store anywhere. When the car showed up in 24 hours wearing this nifty livery, our next thought was “Where can we park this without inviting a break-in?” Regardless, we worked up a motto for the fictional retail establishment that might work just as well for the development of the HHR Panel: “It’s Worth a Shot.”

Will Minicars come to the U.S.? They might if the General gets its way Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek Remember those cool little cars—Trax, Beat and Groove—General Motors showed at the New York show? Michael Grimaldi, president and CEO of GM’s South Korean-based Daewoo Automotive Technology subsidiary, thinks one of those cars, or at least a car like that, will be coming to the United States fairly soon. Speaking to the Society of Automotive Analysts in Detroit, Grimaldi, a GM vice president, said, “GM doesn’t sell a minicar here in North America because there is no market. If there appears to have been a shift and if we can make those vehicles economically, we can then determine if we should introduce those vehicles here.” The three concepts were built on Daewoo’s global, Korean-built, small-car chassis that underpins the Chevrolet Spark and the Daewoo Matiz. If GM does end up bringing a minicar to the States, it’s a good bet it will be built either on that chassis or a similar one. “We are going to see significant changes, in obviously not just GM’s portfolio, but everyone’s products,” Grimaldi said. “It’s going to take a broad comprehensive strategy.” Grimaldi went on to say that GM expects to invest more than $6.7 billion in Daewoo over the next four years, and that if a minicar is given the green light it could be out in as little as two years as a 2011 model.

After 9 years, Chrysler restores pentastar logo The Chrysler pentastar is back with a new look. Chrysler dusted the star off after nine years in mothballs during the automaker's marriage to Germany's Daimler-Benz. The symbol represents 85 years of Chrysler history and returns as the automaker embarks on a new chapter. The updated version encloses the five-pointed star. It will be used as a corporate logo but not in product ads or at dealerships.

DaimlerChrysler's stock symbol to change to DAI Associated Press | Link to Original Article @ DetNews FRANKFURT, Germany -- With the sale of Chrysler complete, DaimlerChrysler AG will see the symbol for its shares modified this week, the company said. Starting Thursday, the automaker's stock ticker will be changed from DCX to DAI on the DAX-30 index of companies in Frankfurt and on the New York Stock Exchange. On Friday, DaimlerChrysler transferred an 80.1 percent stake in Chrysler to New York-based Cerberus Capital Management LP, one of the world's largest private equity companies, in a $7.4 billion deal. The German automaker, which is to be renamed Daimler AG, retained a 19.9 percent interest in Chrysler. The name change is expected to take effect after a shareholder meeting Oct. 4 to vote on the move.