AAS

There's also one with Howie Long making fun of a guy using the 'man-step' on his F-150 to get in and out of the bed.

There doesn't need to be an assumption on the ICE being as optimal as the plug. Designing the ICE charging system to run at an optimal RPM is good/smart Engineering. The whole point of using the plug, besides it possibly being more efficient then the ICE, is that that electricity doesn't have to be produced using petroleum ('foreign oil') based energy sources. It means that there is a FACTOR OF SAFETY! Once again, good Engineering will include a factor of safety (some level of over-Engineering, for the rare occasion that an application demands it).

Read the full article here

There's a So Cal Ford dealership (Galpin) selling new (pre-update), well equipped Mustang GT's for ~$18k

The wooden spoons that come with some cups of ice cream.

I think he means unique like the Camaro (and CTS i guess). Aside from the steering wheel (if that), nothing in the interior looks like something from another GM interior.

Yup.

Definitely not something that would cause problems, but they do flex a bit more. Like I mentioned before, I put sub-frame connectors (and a strut tower brace) on my car, and it doesn't have T-tops. So, I guess I just didn't want any of the creaks I experienced with the '96 and '98, regardless of T-tops. Personally, I wouldn't mind having a second F-body, 98-00 V6 manual, with T-tops...

Hmm... I (6'3") fit comfortably in the back of my brothers 3dr GTI, and I recently started looking into the MINI and was just wondering how it compared.

How's the back seat of the MINI compared to the Rabbit?

Price is good, car looks clean, and it's not bare bones (has power locks & windows, CD, fogs i think, looks like no traction control). T-tops are cool (had them on our '96 and '98 Z's), but you lose chassis rigidity on an already not very rigid chassis. Things will creak. I had sub-frame connectors installed on my SS, I'd definitely install them on a car with T-tops.

Are you referring to the under-hood filth? I thought the same when I saw that, but then figured the "climate controlled" storage could have kicked stuff up.

Because it's priced as a premium product. And probably because it isn't even optional. It's not just the "econo-boxes," it's a $250 option on the Mini Cooper (non-S).

That's what I also thought, until I snooped around on saturnfans and saw (can't find the thread now, but I remember linking to it in a past thread here) how OnStar connects to a different place on the head unit. So, the real reason there is no aux port is the cup holder, and possibly not being able to program the NA head units to register things plugged into the aux port (assuming somebody got the adapter etc.).

Also, there are rumors (as reg has probably seen on saturnfans) that the US Astras have the aux-in wiring that goes to the cup holder. People have been able to purchase the part to connect the wiring to a usable jack, and they have figured out what needs to be programmed in the radio, but I haven't read about it all working, yet...

Good point! After posting that last comment I started to think how the new Astra could be like a mini-Enclave (spy shots have shown curvy front and back fenders), which could look pretty good.

That's a bummer... I could almost see myself driving a Saturn Astra, but definitely not a Buick "Astra." Nothing agains Buick, I really like my mom's Enclave, but it just doesn't seem to fit.

Original article can be found here.

It's not about the `driving' part, it's in `parking' that dent resistant panels are more appealing. I'm glad my Camaro has plastic (or whatever) door skins and front fenders. Who knows how many morons have hit them in a parking lot...

Some (Corsa, Astra, Zafira(?)) are already sold as Chevrolets in Mexico (at least?).

So the guy I spoke to in the Chevy display at NAIAS was right... I was surprised he knew so much, most of the time the people at car shows rarely know the cars they are showing, let along the company they represent.

They offer at least one, that I know of. It bases in the low $40k's, and only seats two.

I don't get why people keep saying that GMC can go away because it is re-badges. What you guys are missing (and others have pointed out) is that GMC might be full of (almost) re-badges, but they sell despite that! People will always buy GMC and Chevy trucks, so why alienate one of those groups of buyers?

Why is it undesirable if you can design the charging system to operate at a constant, optimal RPM for gas engine efficiency?

I've walked in while some guy was having a telephone conversation while on the crapper. Very disturbing... I won't even text from the toilet.