Flybrian

Cadillac loads up on safety Built in Lansing, the redone STS adds radar, cameras and computer. Scott Burgess | The Detroit News MILFORD -- Bad drivers need Cadillac's 2008 STS sedan. Good drivers will relish it. General Motors Corp.'s luxury brand has loaded up the refreshed luxury sedan with radar, cameras and an onboard computer. They collectively protect drivers from spinning out on slick roads, inadvertently drifting into another lane or swerving into a vehicle in their blind spot. The luxury sedan can even warn a driver of an approaching vehicle. But safety was only part of the story Friday as Cadillac showcased the new STS at its Milford Proving Grounds. The STS has been substantially reworked, giving it a more refined and powerful look. A larger new grille, based on the Cadillac Sixteen concept vehicle, marks the new face of the brand. The STS also has new rocker moldings on its sides, refreshed front and rear fascias and 18-inch wheels. "There was a push to address more details to show it belongs in the premium segment," said Charlie Klein, vehicle line director for the STS. Some of those details include new chrome door handles, Sappele wood and metallic trim in the interior and a new instrument cluster. While the changes add to the luxurious feel, the most important changes take place under the car's sheet metal. The Lansing-built STS will be the first GM vehicle with the optional direct injection V-6. The engine provides 302 horsepower and 272-pound-feet of torque. "It wasn't even 10 years ago, that if you wanted more than 300 horsepower, you'd have to get Cadillac's (V- Northstar, which was a very impressive engine" said John Smith, GM's vice president of global product planning. The direct injection V-6 operates at a higher compression ratio than a traditional engine, which allows it to produce more power without using more fuel. According to GM, the engine is 3 percent more efficient than the previous V-6 and can continue to run on regular gas. Additionally, Cadillac will add a new automatic six-speed transmission that was silky smooth during acceleration tests that brought the STS up to 125 mph. When it arrives at dealers in July, the STS will feature a number of firsts for the brand. It will debut the newest version of StabiliTrack, GM's electronic stability control. StabiliTrack 3.0, an option on V-8 all-wheel drive STS models, incorporates traditional monitor systems such as the brakes and suspension, but adds an active front steering technology. This allows the STS to adjust the steering wheel to right the car. If the system detects a sharp turn, it can help the driver adjust in milliseconds. The STS features a lane-departure warning system that uses a camera to monitor road lines and beeps when the vehicle starts to cross one. A blind spot alert system employs a radar to detect vehicles coming up the rear. A warning light on the side mirrors warns a driver of a potential threat. "We're really stepping out in the prestige luxury segment as the technology leader with this STS," said Vince Muniga, a Cadillac spokesman. "And we have no intention of slowing down." Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or [email protected]. Additional Image Gallery

2007 Cadillac DTS convertible 1996 Riviera with bench seats? 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity - 26k miles 1977 Chevrolet Vega GT - 44.0 miles 1999 Chevrolet Lumina 9C3 - Police Package w/Recaro bucket seats & 3800II Days of Thunder Lumina Stock Car 1957 Buick Century Caballero station wagon 1979 Buick Estate Wagon 1983 Pontiac Phoenix coupe - 33k miles

I swear its like you never left.

Again, the debate was on the legality of such a claim. I don't know what the result of any phase of this lawsuit will be. Likely, no one will, especially if it goes into arbitration and is settled for a pittance all around. Unless some court rules that General Motors is legally responsible for either retrofitting affected cars with digital systems or paying restitution, I doubt you'll see this covered in any new article and I highly doubt any court would make such a ruling. Let's look at the lawsuit again: 1) $199 cost of OnStar - This is arguable, but only for those that purchased OnStar as an option as opposed to a bundled package. One could argue that GM sold owners of 2002-2004 analog vehicles a bill of goods in that they knew such systems wouldn't function after the switch and continued selling them anyway. However, such a claim could be countered by the fact that GM didn't know for a fact that Verizon would leave them completely in the dark. That itself could be countered by suggesting that for the average person, this is true, but with GM's knowledge and agreements, it would be neglegent in not seeing this coming. So, a refund of the purchase price for original customers who bought analog OnStar as a non-bundled option and desire to continue using it in their current vehicle but cannot is contestable and may be a good end-point for a settlement. 2) Subscription fees - If I interpret this as to mean a refund of past subscriptions fees paid by analog OnStar subscribers, completely irrational. I pay you for a year's service. You give me a year's service. Our contract is over. This is literally asking to have the cake and eat it, too, and has absolutely no legs to stand on. For those who are still subscribers, GM is no longer accepting money from them as they will not be able to provide service. As far as I know, OnStar hasn't issued any lifetime service agreements either. 3) Block GM from shutting off service - Again, not rational. GM is not shutting off service; Verizon is. GM provides the equipment, the operators, and the support while Verizon provides the wireless network. Sue them or sue the FCC for allowing them to shut down analog equipment. Its a shot in the dark, but a better shot than suing GM for something they do not control. 4) $15 upgrade - We all know the actual cost in labor and equipment is much more than $15. GM is eating the vast majority of the cost, rendering this a frivilous request. What basis do I have for arriving at those conclusions? Besides watching Law & Order, none...just my common sense. I think common sense will win out in this argument, too. My personal belief is that GM owes original owners of 2002-2004 non-upgradable analog OnStar vehicles something because I think GM should have installed the new dual-mode equipment across all car lines at once rather than by model (which is what it seems like they did).

Report: Chrysler recalls 270,000 minivans for air bag fix Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group is recalling 2005 model-year Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans to fix air bags that may fail to deploy because of corroded sensors, Bloomberg News reported today. The recall includes as many as 270,958 minivans built from April 24, 2003, to Feb. 2, 2005, Chrysler told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The move covers vehicles sold or registered in 20 states and Washington, D.C., that use large quantities of road salt. Max Gates, a spokesman for Chrysler, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

ROUSH PERFORMANCE EXPANDS LINE TO INCLUDE GM PARTS LIVONIA, Mich. (May 11, 2007) - For the first time in the history of ROUSH Performance, the company is expanding into the General Motors line of autos and trucks. Up to this point, ROUSH Performance has been strictly devoted to the design, manufacture and distribution of high-performance products for Ford-based vehicles. "This is a momentous announcement for our company," stated Joe Thompson, general manager of ROUSH Performance. "For the past 12 years we have exclusively offered Ford-based products. Our engineering and manufacturing divisions already do considerable work for General Motors as well as DaimlerChrysler so the time was right for us to put this expertise to use for ROUSH Performance. The brand name is synonymous with high-quality products that perform as advertised and come with the best warranty program in the industry. All these traits will be incorporated into products we develop for GM vehicles and other brands as we continue the expansion of our line." The initial GM products are ROUSH Power Programmers and Cold Air Intake Kits which were developed by the same engineering group which has had so much success in adding horsepower and performance to the Ford line for so many years. The ROUSH Power Programmers are handheld units which can easily plug into the truck to increase horsepower and torque, change the transmission shift points and firmness, alter the top speed or engine RPM limiter, adjust the speedometer for tire and gear ratio changes and a host of other adjustments.. These ROUSH Power Programmers have a suggested retail price of $499.99 are available for a wide range of GM cars and trucks including the Chevrolet Duramax, Corvette, GM Trucks, and many more 1999-2007 vehicles. The ROUSH Cold Air Intake Kits are simple bolt-on additions that increase horsepower and torque. Installed in minutes, the Cold Air Intake Kits include all the necessary hardware and a high-flow filter that is protected from the heat of the engine by a ROUSH-designed cool air dam system. The filter is washable and re-usable, and the modular intake tube will wake up even the tamest of engines as it flows more air than the factory unit. The Cold Air Intake Kit considerably reduces pressure drop across the stock air box and filter element. It comes with a rotomolded airbox to seal to the hood to reduce leakage. Again, the bottom line is less loss equals more airflow which results in more power. Through the remainder of 2007 the ROUSH Performance GM line will quickly expand to include exhaust systems, suspension components and other accessories. Those interested can visit www.ROUSHperformance.com to see all the new products as they are unveiled, or to verify that these new parts will work for your GM vehicle. Furthermore, the ROUSH powertrain engineers are currently working on a new ROUSHcharger* which will fit the 2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

SPY SHOTS! 2008 Honda Accord sedan Link to more images @ Temple of VTEC Link to hi-res images and additional powertrain info @ AutoBlog

Booya!

Actually, you were hardly alone; many people figured this would result in some sort of legal entanglement, but the debate was over whether there was any legal basis for it. You virulently argued that, yes, there was for a variety of reasons. We'll see if the courts prove you're opinion correct or not. Similarly cute. Our local Saturn dealership is remodeling to the new look and also kicked Mitsubishi out of its air conditioned double-wide so it could expand its operation. I guess I shouldn't mention the Toyota lot that recently lost some of its unused lot space to WalMart. Anecdotes mean alot, especially when they're relevent to the OnStar topic.

TL much?

Apparently not...

Honestly...it sure looks like it was started in 1999...

I think there's a reasonable feeling of "WTF?" in cases of certain model years where the digital technology existed and was integrated into newer models but not retroactively installed in older ones. Such is the case with my father's Bonneville; while his is a 2000 and has no chance of being upgraded, 2004 models (I believe) were still being fitted with analog equipment even while other, newer 2004 models recieved the digital service. Frankly, I don't care because we had OnStar once, haven't had it for years, and never will again for reasons beyond this issue. It would take a lot more than a month of free service to convince me OnStar is worth the extra money again.

GM sued over OnStar change Sharon Terlep | Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News A disgruntled Cadillac owner, whose OnStar service will go dead next year as a result of upgrades to General Motors Corp.'s peace-of-mind roadside assistance feature, filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday against the automaker. Robert Weaver of Virginia bought a new Cadillac El Dorado in 2002 equipped with GM's OnStar, a much-advertised communication system that links motorists with live operators who can offer driving directions and emergency help. Weaver is among 1.5 million owners who will be affected when OnStar completes its switch from an analog system to a more current digital network. While newer GM vehicles are equipped with digital receivers, many older models are not, meaning they will lose OnStar when the analog service shuts down starting next year. Some vehicles made between 2002 and 2004 can be upgraded, but all pre-2002 models will become obsolete. GM says about 500,000 vehicles have analog systems that can't be upgraded and 1 million have digital-capable systems. A small number of Acura, Audi, Subaru and Volkswagen models are affected. The switch is a result of a 2002 Federal Communications Commission decision to let cell phone companies shutter their analog networks starting in February. OnStar is carried by Verizon Wireless. GM has heavily promoted OnStar with commercials featuring dramatic real-life calls between motorists and operators, such as one from a child phoning for help after a car accident. In the lawsuit, Weaver charges that GM knew it was switching to an all-digital network but continued to sell analog-only systems and failed to inform customers they were to be phased out. He calls for GM to reimburse all affected customers the $199 cost of the OnStar system along with subscription fees. The suit also seeks to block GM from shutting off service or from charging customers the $15 cost of an upgrade. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on behalf of Weaver and any affected OnStar customers. Weaver's attorney could not be reached for comment Wednesday. GM, in a statement, said switching to digital was the only way it could maintain comprehensive coverage in the United States and Canada as cell phone companies cancel their analog service. Nearly 90 percent of OnStar subscribers have vehicles that either have the digital system or can be upgraded, according to GM. For those who don't, GM will provide a year of free OnStar service on any new vehicle leased or purchased by the end of the year. The company said it has sent letters advising affected customers of their options. In addition, by charging only $15 for the upgrades, GM is covering most the cost, said Bill Ball, OnStar vice president of public policy. "It's a very frustrating situation for subscribers and for us," he said. "The engineers have done their best to try and provide a solution for as many folks as we're capable of doing."

There will be an extension.

Drive by a Lincoln-Mercury lot - black, white, and fifteen shades of tan or silver. Yuck.

But $10,000,000? Its asinine to think someone would buy such an undistinctive car like the General Lee. Real or not, reproductions are a fraction of the price and no one can tell the difference. To put this into perspective, $10 million would almost buy you a restored Futurliner ($4.3m), the 1954 Bonneville ($3m), and the 1954 Olds F-88 ($3.2m) altogether.

That's your answer.

Ahahaha...he backed out!

Base Eldorado has the 4.9l (200hp/275lb-ft). ETC (Touring Coupe) has the Northstar (295hp/290lb-ft). Nice car if in good condition. I'd love an Eldo myself.

This is from GMI and I highly doubt some of it. Other parts match what we generally know to be true.

Finally captured this beast... That's a 2007 Lexus ES350 'Diamond Deluxe Edition' driven by the world's oldest (and poorest-taste) Lexus owner. The best part is what you can't see - portholes. Nope, not generic fender vents either, but the rounded aftermarket Ventiports that you can purchase at your local Buick dealership. Worse yet, he stuck four portholes on each side. Not just a poseur, but a liar as well.

Definitely not the most attractive color for that car. Absolute worlds better than a $h!box Datsun.

1981 Bell 206B

$10,000,000 for a General Lee. What an idiot and a waste.