Northstar

Thanks for posting that AAS, the LA Auto Show site kind of let the cat out of the bag on the Solstice GXP power numbers. 260HP and 260 lb-ft. SWEET! Edit: The power to weight ratio of the Solstice GXP (assuming 2900lbs) will be pretty similar to the LS1 GTO, which does 0-60 in 5.3 and the 1/4 mile in about 13.6 at 105MPH. For comparison, the S2000 does 0-60 in 5.8 and the 1/4 mile in 14.2 at about 100MPH. Imagine the look on the owner of a $45k+ Z4 that gets dusted by a Solstice :D

Isn't it just a concept? I doubt DCX has said anything about pricing and the $28k was more than likely just a guess, and gets people's attention when it's sitting there much more than "$35k!" would.

$28k? I doubt it. You can't get a 5.7 HEMI for less than $30k in the Charger or Magnum, and the 6.1 HEMI is around $40k in the SRT-8s. I don't see the Challenger getting the 6.1 for less than $35k, and probably closer to $40k, especially if you get any options.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Vibe share whatever platform Opel comes up with for the new Astra/Ion replacement after the Toyota partnership ends.

Home. When I have a class in the computer lab at school then sometimes I see what's been going on during the day, but never post at school. Once in a while I also go to my mom and dad's office and go to C&G.

Was it C&D that tested it on some track that had a few little bumps and the Z06 got unsettled because of it, and therefore they were scared to push it any harder? I'd be hard pressed to believe the Vette would lose on many race tracks to the Viper considering that the C5 Z06 beat the current Viper around some tracks (in one R&T comparo the C5 Z06 was faster around the track). Granted, it was the convertible Viper, but I don't think that would make a ton of difference, especially considering the Z06 now has 100 more HP.

The front is good but I don't care much for the rest. I think I'll take a Camaro or new GTO.

Damn, that's pretty sweet. It sounds like he thinks he'll find a couple more rare cars in the remaining ones too.

I think the "Truck of the Year" should be combined with SUVs and pickups... there just aren't enough trucks every year to warrant an award.

As long as GM keeps selling the same amount of vehicles they will be fine. In a recent Autonews interview, Wagoner said they'll have the capacity to build 4.2 million vehicles after the plant closings. If there are 16.8 million vehicles sold, then GM will have 25% market share, but if they're 18 million vehicles sold, obviously GM won't have 25% share. On the other hand, if less than 16.8 million vehicles are sold and GM still sells 4.2 million, then GM will have more than 25% share. I don't think GM is so obsessed with market share anymore. All they're trying to do is sell about the same amount of vehicles each year to stay in business.

Hmm, well I guess it's not a 3-Series base, but it looks like a streched 3-Series to me. I'd like to see the 7-Series be a little different from the rest of BMWs. When the current one came out it was different enough, but the refresh just made it look like any other BMW. That's not a bad thing, I just think a $80k car should look significantly different (other than in size) than a car starting around $30k.

Well, you are certainly one of the few open-minded people when talking about the Aztek. I'm pretty sure no mag could get past it's uglyness, while they probably just called the Element "cute in a quirky sort of way" and didn't care what it looked like.

Not many people gave the Aztek props for being one of the most versitile vehicles, so I see no reason to do so for the equally ugly Element.

I don't think the Vette team will be playing second fiddle to anything from the Viper team for quite a while. I'm sure the Blue Devil engine is capable of putting down whatever power is needed to be the new Viper.

That's a pretty bad chop. It's clearly a 3-Series that's streched and modified but it doesn't even look bigger than the 5er. Cadillac needs to keep in mind that the ULS needs to compete with the next-gen 7-Series, A8, et al, not the current gen, because by the time it finally gets here they will almost all be replaced.

Who really cares what damn truck wins the MT TOTY. It's not like that "acheivement" is going to help Honda move any more of the ugly pigs anyways.

I'm guessing they're just killing GMX002 and then building the next Astra here as planned. Rather than waste a lot of R&D on a 2008 MY vehicle they can just use what Opel will have already develop and build it here as a 2010 MY. What they should do is import the Astra here and then build the next one here, but it might be too expensive to do. They could just re-tool the current ION production line though. Surely they'd make enough of their money back in the 3-4 years it'd be around to pay for the tooling.

I think the LaCrosse and Rendezvous have a different exhuast and maybe intake than the Cadillacs which results in lower power, I don't think it's really FWD vs. RWD. It also could be that Cadillac is above Buick and GM doesn't want the LaCrosse to have as much power as the CTS.

I'm guessing it will get the Denali's version of the new 6L V8 mated to the six-speed auto and maybe the Duramax with the 6-speed Allison. The H3 is also due for a MCE for the 2009 MY.

razor - some good points about RWD in NE, but wouldn't a low-cost AWD option solve that? If ladies buy Pontiacs for sex appeal, then why wouldn't they buy a sexy RWD G6? The Solstice is supposed to turn a profit eventually, but that doesn't really matter. If the G6 sold 120k without incentives then it would definetly turn a profit for GM.

Why wouldn't they offer the 5L as an option without the hybrid? And I doubt the hybrid will outperform the new S600 (or whatever they're calling the new AMG) or 760iL, but I guess we'll have to see what kind of power it makes.

From TCC: Look for still more products to expand the lineup at HUMMER, General Motors' off-road brand, said division general manager Susan Docherty. The addition of the smaller H3 model has resulted in a 93-percent increase in sales this year, she noted, despite the run-up in fuel prices and the overall decline in the SUV market. "There is room for this brand to expand beyond the segments we're competing in now," Docherty said. "But we have to be very sure that as we grow into other segments, it needs to be segments in which the proposition of iconic design and unparalleled off-road capabilities resonate." That would rule out sports cars and minivans, HUMMER's general manager emphasized. But, "I could definitely see people who are pickup drivers needing off-road capabilities. But we want to be very careful and plan what that growth will be."

That's an old article -Camaro-, the GTO has since been cut. If the G6 went RWD I think AWD would have to be a very low cost option. I don't think your mainstream sedan buyers (who buy the G6 now) are going to take too kindly to FWD but might be willing to pay a little extra for AWD. I'm talking $500 here, not $1200-2000 like many AWD systems.

From Forbes Dan Lienert On Autos 12.29.05 The Big Trend 2006 will be the year American automakers borrow a page from the airline industry and break their social contract with unionized workers. In order for the American auto industry to survive, manufacturers will have to cripple their unions, just as Northwest Airlines did. Delphi Chairman Steve Miller has already demoralized his unionized workers; in 2006 he will force the UAW to abandon a decades-old tradition of gold-plated wages and benefits for its workers. Following suit, General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler will begin to chip away at the power of their union workers, too. The Unconventional Wisdom People keep waiting for American automakers to decrease their dependence on sales incentives in favor of better supply-and-demand management. After all, adjusting production instead of offering sweetheart deals is what works for the Japanese. But instead, in 2006 the Japanese will behave more like Americans than the Americans will behave like Japanese. Companies such as Toyota Motor will increase incentive spending. Declining truck and SUV sales are affecting all automakers, and the Japanese have laid some eggs in the truck market--e.g., the Subaru Baja and Honda Motor Ridgeline. Because trucks account for such an enormous percentage of sales, truck-based incentive spending will increase overall Japanese incentive spending in 2006. The Misplaced Assumption People will continue, incorrectly, to blame declining SUV sales on gas prices, when gas prices will stay below $3 per gallon. Everybody seems to forget the change in the tax code that prevented tens of millions of entrepreneurs from writing off SUV purchases against their companies’ taxable income. Congress has played as big a role as oil prices--perhaps a bigger one--in the decline of SUV sales. The Watch List -- Hyundai and Kia: Sales will continue to go up, more upscale customers will come to the brands, and Toyota will continue to fear the Koreans more than any other competitors. -- Honda: Sales trends may indicate Honda does not have the same seeming infallibility as Toyota. The company’s new Civic will sell well, but vehicles such as its Element and CR-V SUVs will go down in sales. -- Perennial death watch: Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Buick. The Bold Prediction A Chinese automaker will announce a joint venture for North America with a partner such as Subaru, Isuzu or Mitsubishi. Or a Chinese automaker will buy a well-established but troubled company such as Mitsubishi.

Looks sweet man! Congrats! How is it that the TB SS, which has the same LS2 as in the GTO, get better mileage than the GTO (by 2 MPG city and 4 highway)?