Flybrian

I will rebutt that the Northstar has proven to be extremely reliable and dependable if - like all modern engines - proper maintenance is done. I cannot argue with the lack of attentiveness or service given by Cadillac dealers to Olds owners, but that's more a condition of the dealer, not the engine.

Well...you couldn't pay me to sign up for OnStar at this point. I actually wouldn't get the tintcoat paint myself, so my SS would be even less.

You didn't vote

Same reason why the European Cadillac Sales thread was in the HUMMER forum...I'm retarded.

'Less than 30K' is newspeak for $29,595 or thereabouts. You should know that. I would be surprised if it were any less than $27.5k. $23,455, including extra cost paint, sunroof, 18" wheels, and 6-disc in-dash CD changer Isn't that the truth. Speaking solely for GM here, Corvette pacecar special editions don't promise any performance upgrades, merely a cosmetic package with special wheels and trim. However, MUGEN is a well-reknowned engine tuner and a MUGEN-badged Honda that has zero powertrain enhancements is just as disingenuous as those n/a 3800 Monte Carlos wearing SS badging. No doubt. Fools are plentiful in any marketplace.

I also remember an article about a year ago wherein rental agencies were bitching and moaning about domestic cars having low resale value. Got what they asked for now, eh?

And the winners are... 1st Place Blackviper (28pts) 2nd Place Burns (23pts) 3rd Place Mxpx4jem (17pts) 4th - Peugoet 206 - (14pts) 5th - C.H.U.D. - (13pts) 6th - MRDETROITMETAL - (6pts) 7th - Mariobro88 - (3pts) 8th - Scarlett Swordfish - (0pts) 9th - Bowtie Dude - (-1pts) Congratulations to Blackviper8891 for his winning entries that show a wide variety of Aveo bodystyles and possibilites. Are you listening, GM? The more variety, the better! Congratulations also to Burns for his hot hatch and sedan entries and special recognition to Mxpx4jem for his high 3rd place finish with his very first entry in our competitions. Hope to see you (and everyone else) back again next time. Thanks to all who entered! Remember to enter your talents in our current Kappa Deux, Part I competition, which started recently. Use your imagination to design the next generation Solstice or Saturn SKY! Get you sketch or rendering in before the August 13th deadline and make the second-gen as good as the first! The 1st-place winner receives a GM-related prize as well as having their concept featured on the Cheers and Gears homepage and Design Showcase! Check out the Showcase for all out past winners. Congrats and thanks again!

Personal Audio Link iPod Adapter Now Available on GM Vehicles Cobalt, HHR, G5, Solstice, and Sky feature new accessory DETROIT – General Motors today announced its all-new “Personal Audio Link” iPod® adapter for Chevrolet HHR, Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky is now available from all Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn dealerships. Because great cars and great tunes should travel together, the Personal Audio Link accessory was developed exclusively for iPod and specifically for use with the factory-installed audio system in GM vehicles. Affordably priced at only $159 MSRP, plus dealer installation, the system has undergone extensive validation testing to assure that it delivers the seamless performance iPod users expect from their devices. The Personal Audio Link iPod adapter, not visible to the customer once installed, uses software, and is integrated through the radio’s digital XM Satellite Radio band. This provides improved sound over FM modulated systems, and better control and display over FM modulated and CD changer interface units. The system displays song title, artist, time and track position on the radio display, and allows song selection by genre, play list, artist and album. A unique feature of the system also allows users to easily search alphabetically through artist, album, genre, play list, podcast or audio book. And, shuffling music is a snap with Personal Audio Link. Podcasts and audio books are no problem. Personal Audio Link enables the user to store, sort and select their favorite Podcast or audio book by title. In vehicles equipped with steering wheel audio controls, those controls will also control volume. Once the device is installed, the customer plugs the iPod into an interface cable in the glove box, where the player can be safely secured and stowed. The device also charges the iPod while the vehicle is operating. GM expects to make the device available on many of its models by the end of 2007 – meaning GM will offer one of the widest ranges of vehicle applications for iPod integration in the industry. Because the accessory was developed and validated by GM engineers, owners of these cars can be assured that the Personal Audio Link iPod® adapter from GM won’t compromise their GM vehicle’s performance. The Personal Audio Link is also fully backed by GM’s New-Vehicle Limited Warranty, when installed by a GM dealership at the time of new vehicle delivery. If installed after delivery, coverage is for the balance of the New-Vehicle Limited Warranty, or a minimum of 12 months/12,000 miles, whichever comes first.

An interesting concept, but keep working on it for Kappa Deux, Part II. This specific competition is for the next-generation Solstice and SKY only.

Slow Caddys in Europe Brand cuts sales goals following weak sales By WIM OUDE WEERNINK | Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek | Published 07/23/07, 5:05 pm et General Motors will sell fewer Cadillacs than expected in Europe by 2010. "We have reduced our sales targets for Cadillac in Europe to 10,000 units short term and eventually 15,000," GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster told Automotive News Europe. In 2003, GM gave the Dutch dealer group Kroymans the exclusive Cadillac distribution rights for Europe. At that time, GM's sales target for the brand was 20,000 units by 2010. But sales have been weak - despite the addition of the BLS sedan, which was derived from the Saab 9-3. The BLS is the first Cadillac in Europe to offer a diesel engine. During the first five months of this year, 1,314 Cadillacs were sold in Europe, up from 1,280 during the same period last year. In addition, earlier this month, GM's United Kingdom unit took over sales, marketing, distribution and aftersales for Cadillac, Corvette and Hummer in the United Kingdom from Kroymans. The United Kingdom unit already handles those duties for Chevrolet, Vauxhall and Saab.

SPY SHOTS! 2009 HUMMER H3T Link to Original Article and More Spy Shots @ WorldCarFans At the Los Angeles Auto Show in Dec. 2003, Hummer showed its H3T concept truck. This was a 2-door pickup targeted at truck enthusiasts who wanted the Hummer image, but in a smaller, pickup truck configuration. Now this concept is making its way to reality as these photos capture a prototype undergoing hot weather testing in Death Valley, California. The most obvious difference between the concept vehicle H3T and the production model is that the concept was a 2-door, but the prototype shows that the production model will be a 4-door. Completely covered in the prototype is the short pickup truck bed, about 4 feet long, which will probably be outfitted with an optional assortment of locking storage boxes as shown in the concept vehicle. Engines will probably be a choice of the 242 hp 3.7 liter inline 5-cylinder, or the new 295 hp 5.3 liter V8 as used in the H3 Alpha. The new H3T is expected to be introduced in late 2008 as a 2009 model.

Japan Certifies Toyota Plug-in Hybrid for Public-road Tests Link to Original Article @ The Auto Channel Tokyo July 25, 2007; TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that it has developed a plug-in hybrid vehicle and become the first manufacturer to have such a vehicle certified for use on public roads in Japan. The TOYOTA Plug-in HV — certified for public road-use by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport — uses, like earlier TMC-developed hybrid vehicles, both a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine and an electric motor. But increased battery capacity gives it a longer electric-motor-only cruising range and a battery-charging device allows users to replenish the batteries using household electricity. These features enable the vehicle to run more often in gasoline-free, electric-only mode, such as on short trips in city driving. The resulting fuel efficiency improvements mean lower CO2 emissions and less fossil fuel consumption and, therefore, less pollution. Also, charging the battery with less-expensive nighttime electricity lowers total running costs, providing an economic benefit to owners. Although challenges still exist in the development of pure electric vehicles such as a limited cruising range and issues related to cost, TMC still views plug-in hybrid vehicles as a promising technology for allowing electricity to serve as a viable power source for automobiles and is committed to their continued development as a key environmental technology. TMC plans to conduct public-road tests in Japan with eight units of the TOYOTA Plug-in HV to verify electric-motor-only cruising ranges and optimal battery capacity. While doing so, it plans to provide the government with data for formulating testing methods for emissions and fuel efficiency and to consider TMC's measures for promoting plug-in hybrids and the use of electricity. There are also plans to conduct public-road tests of the TOYOTA Plug-in HV in the United States and in Europe.

Is Hybrid Fever Cooling? Interest wanes as mileages come down by Bengt Halvorson | Link to Original Article @ TCC | (2007-07-24) Are some customers less willing to consider hybrid models once their optimistic high-mileage expectations become more realistic? A new study from J.D. Power and Associates suggests that the answer is yes. The firm's 2007 Alternative Powertrain Study found that among all new-car shoppers polled, 50 percent considered a vehicle with a hybrid powertrain. In 2006, 57 percent said that they considered a hybrid. J.D. Power found that hybrid-considering shoppers this year are willing to pay an extra $2396 for a vehicle with the technology, but they expect to receive an 18.5-mpg improvement in fuel economy over a similar-size non-hybrid vehicle. The firm noted that consumer consideration for diesel vehicles has risen sharply, from 12 percent in 2006 to 23 percent in the 2007 study. Those considering diesels are willing to pay $1491 for the option and expect an improvement of 15 mpg. The study also found that interest in hybrids may be waning especially among the youngest age group. Among those 16 to 25 years old, 60 percent considered a hybrid this year, compared with 73 percent in 2006. "In the 2006 study, we found customers often overestimated the fuel efficiency of hybrid-electric vehicles, and the decrease in consideration of hybrids in 2007 may be a result of their more realistic understanding of the actual fuel economy capabilities," said Mike Marshall, J.D. Power's director of automotive emerging technologies, in a company release. Over the past year, the subject of real-world fuel economy from hybrid vehicles has seen heavy coverage in the mass media, including claims by vocal hybrid owners that they aren't able to meet EPA fuel economy regulations. For instance, a group of Honda Civic Hybrid owners is suing the automaker in California for publicizing the Hybrid's fuel economy ratings of 49 city, 51 highway. The federal government's testing method for fuel economy is widely known to result in numbers higher than those achievable in real-world driving, especially for hybrid vehicles. However a new testing and calculation method being phased in for the 2008 model year will provide a more realistic estimate, with estimates falling an average of 12 percent in the city and eight percent on the highway. Several hybrid models have been affected far more dramatically: Toyota Camry Hybrid - 40/38 ('07) | 33/34 ('08) Honda Civic Hybrid - 49/51 ('07) | 40/45 ('08) Toyota Prius - 60/51 ('07) | 48/45 ('08)

2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class: What’s New Half as many return for 2008 by Marty Padgett | Link to Original Article @ TCC | (2007-07-24) The R-Class "sports tourer" was introduced in 2006 as an all-new model. It resembles a slightly sportier and more aerodynamic wagon with conventional passenger-car doors - not unlike the Chrysler Pacifica. For 2007, Mercedes added a high-performance R63 AMG with 507 horsepower and a diesel-powered R320 CDI to the lineup. For 2008, the R63 AMG and R500 versions have been dropped, leaving a V-6 diesel or gas version from which to choose. The R350 model is now offered in rear- or four-wheel drive. Both versions are fitted to a new seven-speed automatic transmission with TouchShift capability. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are included, as is stability control. Both the diesel and gas engine R-Class vehicles come with the AMG body kit and 18-inch wheels. The R-Class offers a roomy passenger cabin that seats six or seven adults in three rows of seats; the two rear sets of seats can fold flat to accommodate various cargo configurations. Side-curtain airbags are included and span all three seating rows - and a rollover sensor can deploy the seatbelt tensioners and the curtain airbags if the vehicle senses that a rollover is about to occur.

Maserati reports first profit Sports carmaker has been a loss maker since Fiat group bought it in 1990 By LUCA CIFERRI | Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek | Published 07/24/07, 11:28 am et BOLZANO, Italy -- Maserati announced today its first profit since it joined the Fiat family 17 years ago. In the second quarter, Maserati showed a 1-million euro trading profit, up from 7-million euro loss during the same period last year. Trading profit/loss is operating profit/loss before one-off items. In the first half, Maserati broke even, which is a big improvement from its 26-million euro loss in the same period last year. The carmaker expects the second half to be even better. “This year, Maserati will definitely be in the black for the full year,” Maserati Sales Director Raffaele Fusilli told Automotive News Europe during the press introduction for the new Granturismo coupe here. Maserati is confident now that it will report positive financial results this year because of the arrival of the Granturismo, a new four-seat premium coupe that goes on sale in Italy later this month and in the rest of continental Europe in September, and the success of the Quattroporte Automatica upper-premium sedan. The arrival of a new automatic transmission in the Quattroporte has helped boost the car’s European sales 39.6 percent to 783 units through five months. Maserati expects the two new cars to help increase 2007 unit sales to 7,600 from 5,600 in 2006. Next year, Maserati plans to sell more than 8,000 cars.

Renting a car is getting pricier As Big 3 cut fleet sales, agencies keep cars longer, pass increases on to consumers Sharon Terlep | Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News Rental cars in lots across America are becoming more expensive even as the loaner rides are getting older and harder to come by -- a trend for which perturbed travelers can blame Detroit's automakers. Detroit's automakers are selling fewer cars and trucks to daily rental companies, a strategy designed to help boost resale values and cut back on profit-killing rental fleet sales. The tactic is popular on Wall Street and appears to be producing results for carmakers. But it's causing headaches in the rental car industry, where companies are being forced to pay more for vehicles, and passing the added costs on to consumers. "It's a price increase in our single largest cost item," said John Barrows, spokesman for Avis Budget Group Inc. "It's a very significant challenge and it affects everyone in our industry." The cost of renting a car jumped more than 20 percent in the past two years and could rise another 5 percent this year, according to a report from New York-based Abrams Consulting Group, which tracks the rental car industry. At the same time, rental companies are keeping vehicles in their fleets slightly longer and buying more vehicles from foreign automakers to help offset the rising costs. Last month, investment firm Morgan Stanley downgraded its ratings for Avis Budget, Hertz and Dollar Thrifty Automotive, citing the automakers' rental rollback as a chief concern. Meanwhile, other car makers are moving in to fill the gap. Kia Motors Co. has already moved up production of vehicles slated for rental companies by a few months. Other Asian automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. also are picking up the slack from domestic automakers, analysts say. Only a lucky last-minute cancellation made it possible for Detroit's Kevin Ransom to snap up a Chrysler minivan to rent for a recent family vacation. "We were lucky," said Ransom, who returned his rental van to L & S Car Rental in Warren last week after taking his wife and their two daughters on a trip to New Orleans. L & S buys used vehicles from auctions rather than new models from dealers or automakers. Even so, the rental crunch is affecting the company's business. "Price-wise, they're up quite a bit," supervisor Sandra Gabryel said. Minivans have been especially hard to come by. "There's not much we can do -- we just have to go with it." In the first half of 2007, General Motors Corp. pared back sales to daily rental companies by 96,000 vehicles. Ford Motor Co. made an 89,000-vehicle cut. Both companies cut back in 2006 as well. Chrysler's reductions have been less steep so far, but the automaker said in April that it plans to reduce fleet sales by 70,000 a year through 2009. U.S. automakers have long used fleets to boost monthly sales numbers and keep plant lines running even as demand in the retail market dwindled. But too many sales to rental fleets can tarnish a vehicle's reputation and cuts its worth on the resale market. "If you go to an airport and every time you go, you're given a Taurus, you have a certain impression of what kind of a company Ford Motor Co. is," Ford sales analyst George Pipas said. "It's that they make rental cars. "You don't want to be America's rental car company." GM says its strategy to cut back is working. Marketing Chief Mark LaNeve told reporters earlier this year that residual, or resale, values have improved in every segment for GM. The average transaction price for a GM vehicle is up 4.8 percent since 2004, he said, compared to an industry average 3.8 percent. Not only are automakers trying to sell fewer cars to rental companies, they're trying to sell better equipped models with such features as high-end stereo systems, leather interiors and chrome wheels. Such perks not only drive up the price of vehicles, they also help make the vehicles more attractive to consumers whose rental experience could influence their next new car or truck purchase. "Our goal is to remain a competitively priced value provider," said Christy Conrad, spokeswoman for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the nation's largest rental company. "We are paying more than we like."

I will say with all due respect to Dodgefan, a Prizm/Corolla is not in the same league of a vintage Monte Carlo in that guides like KBB do not take the collectable aspect of such a car into account. A Prizm - no matter the year, condition, or rarity - will never have that level of collectability. Right now, you don't know what their assesed value is. Wait on that.

The cost of entry for the Camry Hybrid eats into that potential fuel savings in the future in additional to the other compromises the Camry makes you deal with. That's why there's been some cash on the hood for the '07s and some decontenting for '08.

2008 Honda Civic MUGEN Si Sedan Preview Honda promises a lighter, tighter Civic sedan by Marty Padgett | Link to Original Article @ TCC | (2007-07-23) Honda's longtime tuner colleagues at Mugen have tricked out the Civic Si sedan for the 2008 model year, with a specially tuned suspension, forged aluminum wheels, aero body add-ons and new tires. Honda says the biggest changes to the stock Civic's suspension tuning have made it quicker around the Twin Ring Motegi track in Japan. Mugen tuners have lowered the Civic's ride height by 0.6 inches, and have boosted the damping on the front and rear suspension. The forged wheels are lighter-weight aluminum even though they've been upsized to 18-inchers, and the tires have been swapped out for new BFGoodrich g-Force KDW 215/40ZR-18 treads. There's no boost in horsepower but the Mugen edition does get a freer-flowing exhaust and an aluminum shift knob. Outside, the Mugen Civic Si Sedan gets a whole body kit including a rear spoiler and air diffuser, a front spoiler and side sills. A special exterior paint color, Fiji Blue Pearl, is applied to the exterior along with Mugen badges inside and out. Honda promises a base price of less than $30,000 for the Civic Mugen when it goes on sale in mid-October, 2007. At most, Honda says, a thousand copies will be built.

Is There More for Fiat's 500? Sporty model and convertible planned; wagon, SUV studied By LUCA CIFERRI | Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek | Published 07/24/07, 3:45 pm et TURIN, Italy - Fiat wants to capitalize on its sales leadership in European minicars by turning the new 500 into a full model range. Beyond the known variations - a three-door hatchback now, an Abarth performance model later this year and a convertible next summer - Fiat is considering a three-door station wagon and a four-wheel-drive SUV based on the wagon. Fiat has said it may sell the Abarth 500 in the United States after 2010. The company has not yet approved the new 500 station wagon. Nor has it approved a program to create an SUV by combining the station wagon body and the 4wd system from the Fiat Panda. "By the end of the year, we expect to decide on the 500 and SUV," a Fiat executive told Automotive News Europe on the condition of anonymity. But a wagon concept appeared in a video shown at the 500's media introduction in June. During the video, Fiat 500 designer Roberto Giolito displayed the wagon version of the new 500. Like the original 500 Giardiniera launched in 1960, the potential new model shown in the video is a three-door wagon. Fiat built 3.9 million units of the original 500 between 1957 and 1977. About 372,000 units were Giardiniera wagons. Following Mini Fiat has used BMW's Mini brand as a model for the 500 launch. Broadening the product range is yet another parallel. The second-generation Mini is available as a three-door and convertible. Mini will add the Clubman station wagon this fall and is considering a crossover model. Similarly, Fiat has committed to three versions of the 500. Fiat launched the minicar in Italy on July 5 as a three-door hatchback with a choice of two gasoline engines (a 69-hp 1.2-liter or 100-hp 1.4-liter) or a 75-hp, 1.3-liter diesel. The hatchback will be the only choice when the 500 goes on sale in France this month. The first derivative - the Abarth sporty version - will debut either in October at the Tokyo auto show or in December at the Bologna auto show in Italy. The Abarth 500 will be launched with a 135-hp turbo version of the 500's 1.4-liter gasoline engine. Still under development is a hotter Abarth 500 SS (an abbreviation for Super Sport) with 155 hp. Convertible is next Fiat already has approved a 500 convertible derivative that is scheduled to debut next summer. During the video at the 500's media introduction here, designer Giolito sketched a pillarless 500 convertible with a canvas top. Sources familiar with the matter told Automotive News Europe that Fiat has not decided on the final configuration of the 500 convertible. A pillarless version is under consideration. Creating demand If all the 500 derivatives are approved, Fiat thinks it could have annual demand for nearly 200,000 units by the end of the decade. Initial demand is strong enough that Fiat is considering increasing its production schedule. The original plan was to build 58,000 units of the 500 this year and 120,000 units in 2008. Fiat group CEO Sergio Marchionne said the company already plans to increase 500 output to 150,000 units next year. On June 1, Fiat authorized Italian dealers to start placing orders for the 500. "By the end of June, we had already received more than 25,000 dealer orders," said Luca De Meo, Fiat Automobiles CEO. "If Italian orders continue at this pace, we might delay the new 500 introduction outside Italy."

VW plans to sell China-built car in North America A people's car from the people's republic By ALYSHA WEBB | Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek | Published 07/23/07, 11:37 am et SHANGHAI - Volkswagen AG and its Chinese partner plan to assemble a car in China and sell it in North America and China. The car, a reworked version of the next-generation Passat, will be assembled by Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., which revealed the plan here last week. Details of the plan, such as timing and sales goals, have not been decided, said spokesmen at Shanghai Volkswagen and Volkswagen. Shanghai Volkswagen is owned 50-50 by Volkswagen and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Gu Huan, Shanghai Volkswagen spokesman, said his company will be responsible for the car's exterior and interior styling. Models for North America and China will be largely the same, said Gu. "Tastes in China and North America in the main features are similar," he said. "There will be some differences in the smaller details, though." The car will be built on VW's next-generation Passat platform that will be developed in Germany, Volkswagen China spokesman Kai Grueber said. "We will first focus on the China market," Grueber said. In a similar deal, Chery Automobile Co. has said that it will assemble cars for the Chrysler group for sale worldwide, including the United States in mid-2009.

Yaris, SAAB 9-3 Most Researched Link to Original Article @ Gaywheels.com ATLANTA, GA - Gaywheels.com, the sole source of information specifically targeted to and about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) car-shoppers, today announced its list of the Top 10 Most-Researched Vehicles during the second quarter of 2007. For the fourth straight quarter, the entry-level Toyota Yaris maintained the top position, while for the first time ever, a Nissan product, the Infiniti-branded FX sport-utility vehicle, joined the list. Gaywheels.com Top 10 Most Researched Vehicles -April - June, 2007 1. Toyota Yaris 2. Saab 9-3 (sedan and convertible) 3. Mazda MX-5 4. Volkswagen Jetta 5. VW EOS 6. Dodge Caliber 7. Toyota Camry 8. Audi A3 9. VW Rabbit 10. Infiniti FX

Clicky!

Well, yeah...that was my point. 25hz car > likely a 2hz car (not really, but maybe).

SAAB has improved the 9-3's turbo response since 2005...