Robert Hall

Yes, assuming that's what the Euro gas taxes go towards... the extensive and on-time rail system is one of the things I've really enjoyed on my vacations in Europe.. I'd support higher gas taxes to invest more in our crumbling infrastructure as well.

True...things that may have been considered luxuries in past times are now viewed as the basics or totally mainstream... it's easy to forget that there are people out there (even in the US) that don't have those material items or services... For example, I'll admit that I take for granted having things like a laptop, an iPod, a modern car with power everything, high speed internet, digital cable and HD, lots of local retail choice (multiple Targets, Wal Marts, etc, Best Buys, etc Starbucks every few blocks, oodles of restaurant choices), ---to me, these are perfectly ordinary, normal material details of upper middle class suburbia and not luxuries but the basics in my mind..but I know there are alot of people out there that don't have them (but I don't know such people, as I will admit that tend to only associate IRL with other tech industry folk like myself).

I've seen 2 '80s Monte Carlos lately with Buick oval fender vents...wierd. They had blingly wheels also.

I can relate... I'm 37 (will be 38 in June), grew up between eastern Ohio and S. Florida. My first car was my folks' '84 Ford Escort diesel--52 hp and a 5spd manual..drove it in high school and college. I did drive their '85 Lincoln Town Car occasionally (like to prom and on dates). My senior year in HS, my folks bought me a new '87 Mustang GT as an early graduation gift. I didn't take it to college, though, didn't want it to sit outside (it stayed at home in a heated garage and I drove it in the summer between semesters)...still have that car, only has 63k miles now. (not that I felt more priveliged than my peers---my GT was one of 9 GTs or LX 5.0s in my senior class, which also had 4 IROCz, 3 Trans AM GTAs, a couple Monte SSes, a Buick Grand National, a couple BMW 3-series, and a Porsche 944..., out of a class of 64 students). We had a few kids with old cars also--a dark blue '68 Charger, red '68 Road Runner, 3-4 '65-66 Mustangs, a couple '68 Mustangs... it will be interesting to see if anyone still has their HS rides (my 20th reunion is in July).

Pretty much every time I've been cut off it's either been a woman in an SUV (on the phone, most likely) or some dumbass in a monster truck (Dodge Ram, Ford Super Duty, etc) with an NRA sticker or other bubba crap (truck nutz, etc).

Amazing..have they finally awaken from their overdose on obese trucks and SUVs?

This morning while waiting at the end of a metered freeway ramp--in front of me was a car with the AZ personalized plate 'IMPALA'. Guess what kind of car it was...NOT a Chevy, most surprising. ...it was an early '70s FJ Land Cruiser...must have been an Africa reference (since Land Cruisers and Impalas (the bird) are known to inhabit the Savanna..

Yeah, I guess I get repetitive harping about GM's mediocrities...

Different styling and interior trim, but still the same, stale meat underneath...4spd automatics and dated pushrod V6s...

It seems like the Saturn message got lost after the 'Different kind of company, different kind of car' era....in the '90s Saturn marketing was a big part of their distinctiveness, a lot of people didn't even realize they were part of GM. Now, they are just one of many GM brands and have their best product to date...it's going to take a new approach (not sure what) to get the word out..

Nah...it was a 'D'oh' moment for me.

You are right..I'm tired..I forgot about the various supercars that have CF bodies...

I'd seriously consider a diesel Rabbit as a commuter car.... an Audi A3 w/ a diesel would be perfect!

Coming out of the office today, I saw a met. orange 350Z roadster parked nose-to-nose w/ a black Sky. At the end of the parking lot, was a dark gray 911 GT3 (with rollcage)....opposite it was a silver CLS 55 AMG. In traffic, I saw a black CLS 55 AMG and a black SL 65 AMG. Damn, I love working in Scottsdale...so many hellacool cars...

'Mama's Room' and 'In the Clouds' by Under The Influence of Giants.

Interesting...are there processes to paint carbon fiber so it looks like a normal plastic or metal panel? I find the woven look of raw carbon fiber disgusting.

Those were a great example of platform sharing done well.... some common dirty bits (frame, floorpans, firewall, inner body panels) and things like glass and roof panels on some bodystyles, but a lot of differentiation where it is visible..(not to mention brand-specific engines). A lot of people on here some to confuse the concepts of badge engineering with shared platforms. A shared platform is like Epsilon, the B-bodies (or even the mediocre W-bodies), G-bodies, etc...multiple models that have some dirty bits in common with unique sheetmetal, interiors, etc. Badge engineering is like the late '90s Malibu and Cutlass. The current Cobalt and G5. The Corsica and Tempest. Most anything Dodge and Plymouth in the '80s-90s. Cars that differ only in plastic trim pieces and badges.

The 4 speeds would have been fine 10-15 years ago, but automakers have clearly moved on to 6-speeds and beyond...

A G8 GXP version would make a great Magnum SRT8 competitor...

Happy Birthday! Cheers, Rob

Yes...those are some of my favorite driving roads in the country, and I've driven backroads in many states.. I've had a lot of fun on the twisty roads of Ohio in a variety of interesting cars--several Mustangs, a 350Z, a Focus (even in rental car form, the '02 was a great handler, IMHO), several Town Cars and Grand Marquis, my M3..

That's one thing I've never figured out..esp. in subcompacts and compacts, hatchbacks are superior to sedans.. I certainly wouldn't want a small car with a small trunk. Hatchbacks are way more practical (and usually look better than their sedan counterparts---i.e. Focus, Mazda3, Golf vs. Jetta, etc).

Interesting idea... I'd like to see GM offer more hatchbacks in the US...way more useful (and usually better looking) than their sedan counterparts...

Some of us do enjoy windy country roads, it's not all freeway driving in the US... I've long enjoyed a drive on the twisty mountain roads in Colorado or Arizona, or driving the winding backroads of eastern Ohio... Not all Americans are as narrow minded as you are..

What a magnificent design...one of GM's finest, and my favorite Oldsmobile. I'd have one in my dream car garage, along with my other favorite vintage GMs---a '67 Eldorado, '63 Riviera, '71 Riviera, '71 Grand Prix, '67 Corvette...