Northstar

If GM is already getting 40 miles per charge, they should be shooting for 50 in a couple months, then somewhere around 60 eventually. They still have a long time to develop the vehicle, why not overachieve? No reason to stop at your goal with so much time left to improve the vehicle.

The grille could be a bit better, but overall it's very nice.

x2

I believe it is the new Tremec that has been getting pretty good reviews in the Viper.

In 20 years, we will be able to look back on this thread and see how the death of the once greatest company in the world occurred, I fear. I'm with others here saying there's a certain European automaker or two I wouldn't mind buying cars from... If GM gives me no reason to buy their vehicles, I'm not going to be so loyal as to blindly spend my money on a vehicle I don't want. GM doesn't realize what it's doing, apparently. Trying to make everyone either buy a Cadillac or Chevy (or Hummer or Saab) will not work. People will defect elsewhere, and at a lot higher percentage than they think.

So next time around Holden will be using the platform that was developed elsewhere, rather than Holden developing a platform that is used elsewhere, as is the case now? So now Holden is just becoming another brand like Vauxhall... I guess that is ok provided the product from GME/GMNA is as good as it is from Holden. The change would make more sense to me if GME was already the one that did Zeta, though. Why change the global RWD homeroom from Holden to GME/GMNA if Holden is already doing a world-class job? I don't see much difference between these two corporate structures: 1: Global FWD (mini, small, mid): GME Large trucks, SUVs, crossovers: GMNA Small to mid-size trucks, SUVs, crossoovers: GMNA/GME Global RWD (Alpha, Omega): Holden 2: Global FWD (mini, small, mid): GME Large trucks, SUVs, crossovers: GMNA Small to mid-size trucks, SUVs, crossoovers: GMNA/GME Global RWD (Alpha, Omega): GME/GMNA You still have the same amount of platforms to develop, it would seem to me, and having more stuff done at one place (GME) seems like it spreads resources rather thinly, unless more people are hired/moved from Holden or elsewhere. It's not as if Holden currently has a RWD platform and GME has their own RWD platform of similar size and the two are going to be consolidated into one (in which case moving it to either GME or Holden would make sense). Just moving it for the sake of moving it seems unnecessary, especially considering the job Holden has done with RWD.

About a year or so ago AH-HA posted that, which was our first hint of Alpha. Perhaps it was the first hint of Omega, as well.

Obviously Chrysler is planning on making some of the money back with fines and fees if you don't pay your bill on time.

I could see multiple coats of sealer waxes causing a problem, but if you clay bar in the spring before your first wax you ought to be ok, I think (clay bar should strip off the wax).

Wax helps to protect the paint from stains (such as bird crap), among on things, so yes, I'd say there's a reason to wax most any car if you care about how the paint looks.

I'll be detailing the GTO sometime this week. I usually use Meguirs, but we had some 3M stuff at the dealership that was really good stuff, I might look into trying some of that (you can get it on ebay for a decent price). REDO1GPGT: Do you put the carnauba wax on by hand or use some sort of applicator?

The Astro/Safari is incredibly durable. Last summer I worked as a construction inspector/surveyor and the company I worked for used mostly Safari/Astro vans, also had a Colorado (POS) and a Silverado and Sierra. Anyways, those vehicles get the crap beat out of them and just keep on running. I think one of them had over 300k, a couple over 200k, and this isn't just mileage going down the road, this is mileage on job sites where pipe is being laid, concrete being poured, etc. (ie, no roads, off-road driving that beats the hell out of them). I can't think of one time that any of the vans had to go in to the shop to get fixed. All of them were well past their oil change dates, as well. Some of the dirtiest vehicles I've ever seen, not very well cared for... but they just keep on running.

The hybrid point is a good one. Perhaps already being in partnership with BMW on the 2-mode (I believe they are working on 4-mode now) hybrids probably gave BMW a reason to try to help GM out while GM helps BMW out. The cost of the 2- and 4-modes and new V8s can be split and developed much faster, most likely. The Northstar is definitely out of date by now, and it's time for a completely new engine. I don't think luxury car buyers are going to be accepting of a small block, either. Too bad the UV8 program was apparently such a mess, but there's nothing wrong with developing engines with BMW.

It doesn't look like GM is going to have any need for the BMW V8 until either the CTS moves up in class (2010) or the DT7 or whatever they call it arrives. SRX is dead, STS is dead, XLR I suppose could use it though... still that's like 4k engines per year, not very much. BRX won't need it, BTS or whatever it is called won't need it. The super sedan that's rumored to be above DT7, which doesn't make much sense to me (3er=BTS, 5er=CTS, 7er=DT7) could also use it, but who knows when (if) that will ever happen. Anyways, what I'm getting at is maybe GM is trying to do some sort of partnership with BMW on the next-gen V8 for both companies, because it doesn't seem like Cadillac has much need for BMW V8s unless they plan on using them for a year or two in the SRX, STS, and XLR, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, especially sense those products don't sell very well.

That's the way I see things possibly turning out. Perhaps the Lucerne could move to a bigger EP II platform, but I don't know how much bigger. Once we see the interior dimensions of the LaCrosse/Invicta I think it will be more telling whether or not there is a need for a Lucerne. If the LaX/Invicta is the same size inside as the Lucerne, then I think it's pretty clear there's no need for a bigger Buick.

I thought that the deal was for BMW's V8?

I thought it would get to 210+ the way it was climbing in the 190s, but 207 is nothing to be ashamed of.

Yes, but this time they actually will have quite a few new cars out. Only the Malibu is really the only new product for GM right now, aside from the low-volume G8 and Astra, and Astra is like 3-4 years old. The Malibu will be the oldest car in the lineup in 2 years, which is pretty good if GM's oldest car is 3 years old (I can't think of anything that won't be replaced aside from the Impala that is already mostly fleet and the Lucerne, which may end up dying with the current Zeta question marks). Oh, G6, actually, but it is supposed to be getting an MCE... guess it depends how substantial that MCE is. Still, GM replacing the majority of their cars in 2 years is quite good. So did you officially move to Vegas?

And this explains why they need 20 models cars and crossovers that are midsize or smaller how? Unless 20 models means if the Astra has a 3-door, 5-door, sedan, Astravan, and convertible, that that is 5 models right there. Corsa has 3-door, 5-door, and Corsavan, 3 models to make 8. If this is how models is counted than 20 does not seem like so many... but if that counts as 2 models, then 20 is way too many and there'd be lots of cannibalization. If you look at it that way Opel already has 17 models...

How is a Cadillac Alpha and Buick Alpha going to work though? Just because there is a 9-3 doesn't mean that a) the Buick wouldn't sell fine and b) that it makes sense to have a Buick and Cadillac competing for the same buyers.

How big is the European market? To have 20 new models and only 10% market share seems like too many models for only 10% market share. Chevy only has 16 models (14 if you don't count Cobalt coupe + sedan seperate and Aveo sedan and 5-door seperate), and they have the Avalanche, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, and Trailblazer, all vehicles Opel doesn't have anything similar to. So, Opel is going to have 20 vehicles in the same areas of the market that Chevy has 9 (or 11, depending on how you look at it)? Seems excessive. I wonder how many of these models will make it over here as Saturns? Saturn need not grow bigger than 8 or 9 models. You can have the Corsa (Fit competitor), Astra (Civic), Aura (Accord), Vue (CR-V), Sky (S2000), Outlook (Pilot), and the only Hondas you don't have a competitor for are the Ridgeline and Element, and that's only 6 models. Saturn doesn't need anything bigger than the Aura, and I don't see how GM could justify them getting such a vehicle when Buick is having a hard time getting one, so there's no need for any more cars, other than an electric vehicle as the article talks about. So, add an electric and you're at 7 models, perhaps a mini-SUV (smaller than Vue) and you'd be at 8. There's absolutely no other vehicle that Saturn could need, and this is the same market that Opel is going after. I don't see how Opel needs 20 models. Only thing I can think of is Opel is developing vehicles for other brands (Chevy) in other markets.

Buick is getting an Alpha? Dumb. Give Buick a Delta II vehicle (which they are already getting in China) if they want something smaller, and give Pontiac the Alpha for the BPG brand. The Buick can fight the TSX while the Pontiac targets people who'd love a G35 or 3er but can't afford one. Giving Buick an Alpha when Cadillac already is going to have one is not a good idea. The Buick won't be undercutting the Cadillac by much assuming the Cadillac starts around $30k. The Buick would be like $26-40k, I would think. Pontiac could offer it $22-32k or so and it wouldn't affect the Cadillac. Unless you meant Buick is getting a Delta II and it's being built at Lordstown.

Actually, you'd be off by around 5% if you look at it from the daily selling rate (what really matters), but whatever. Either way you'd lose everything What other nameplates are you talking about? GM's car lineup is terribly old, wait for another year or two and they'll have a new Cobalt, new LaCrosse, new Aura, new Astra isn't too far off. If those cars do not sell well then GM is in huge trouble, but right now you can't expect the current LaCrosse, Cobalt, and Aura to be lighting up the sales charts when they're mediocre products at best. GM also is going to have the new Equinox and GMC counterpart out in not too long, which should help truck sales. Also, don't forget the Volt and the addition of more hybrid vehicles. The Prius sold 21k this month, there's no reason the Volt can't be doing 150k/year or more depending on price. Like I said, if GM's next round of cars are not good, they're in huge trouble. But signs point to them being good (see Invicta concept, and the new products GM has put out over the last year or two), almost all of them are competitive with the best vehicles in their classes.

Agreed they should have had a group of cars to compare. That's odd you can get that big of a mileage difference, unless it's highway vs. city. In the GTO (almost all city) I can get 18MPG if I drive like a grandma and don't hit too many lights. If I drive like a leadfoot I can get as low as 13, but that's nothing like your range at all.

Even those that buy 4cyl family sedans? I can see some of them having leadfoots, but the vast majority of them aren't going to be getting anywhere that fast even if they leadfoot it. I wish they would have brought an Accord, Camry, Altima, Fusion, etc., along to compare.