The O.C.

Eventually we might.....but it has something to do with the diesel fuel we have here isn't compatible with the advanced injection systems these new turbodiesels have.....(hence M-Benz is working on introducing it's BlueTech, I think it's called, turbodiesels here in a year or two that WILL be compatible...) The turbodiesels we are used to such as the VW TDi's are "old" turbodiesel technology and are supposedly compatible....but they aren't as advanced as the majority of turbodiesels overseas. If you want to read up on them, just buy a few monthly editions of the british mags CAR and TopGear......most of their comparison tests are between cars all equipped with "new" technology turbodiesels.

I'm not an engineer so I can't answer that question factually......but IMHO, I've always found OHC engines to be smoother....maybe it has something to do with the mechanicals and stuff.....I don't know.... And as you get into MULTI cam and valve engines, they get correspondingly smoother, quicker to rev, and usually quieter. Can you smoothe and quiet a pushrod engine.....yeah.....but it takes alot more work and alot more effort.... The 3.9L in the Monte Carlo I drove was pretty impressive.....for a GM pushrod V6....but ultimately, if I put it up next to the 3.6L in the LaCrosse CXS I drove also, you can STILL make a case for the 3.6L OVER the 3.9L.

Not really.....Mazda did it with the original Miata. That's what Enzl means.....give the marketplace a Chrysler minivan, Ford Mustang, or original Mazda Miata.....

We won't REALLY know if the marketplace is a level playing field until GM has a lineup of cars and trucks that, in total, are truly competitive with the class leaders. They don't have that now.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I feel the same way about GM versus it's competitiors. I WANT Toyota, BMW, Honda, and others to CONTINUE to improve their products....for a car enthusiast, that makes life much more fun....and makes the industry WAY more interesting to watch. At the same time, I'd like GM to be able to get IN THE HUNT and compete mano-a-mano with each of those guys with competitive or superior products....

The W-body/GM-10 BASIC architecture is the SAME as it was when it was introduced in 1988...... ........the current Corolla and Camry architectures are significantly different than their predecessors.....

Go read my post under "C&G Feature Articles" about a David E. Davis Jr. column he wrote back in October, 1988..... GM has had 18 years to "catch up" and they STILL haven't turned the corner....you think anything will change with them in the next three years?

LOL.....wrong-o..... For a vast number of consumers out there in the marketplace, many of Toyota's models are totally "gotta have." Camry's overall sales success says it.... I know many Toyota truck and SUV owners that would have nothing else.... Lexus buyers would surely argue with you that their cars and trucks were "gotta have" for them....

A 34-day turn is nothing to sneeze at....in fact it's still downright impressive......60 days is usually the target in this industry.

Example.....since the new Impala came out, in southern California I've seen one (1) SS and one (1) LTZ. EVERY single other Impala has been a rental with a bar code in the window.....and I've seen literally TONS of those on the roads around SoCal. On the other hand, every single new Camry I've seen has appeared to be a retail unit with no bar code in the window, or it's been an upscale SE or XLE (usually not put into rental fleets.) NOW...obviously Toyota does fleet and rental units also....but the percentage is so much lower, the Camry is not seen as a "rental queen" as most of GM's compact-to-midsize products are. I'd rather have a "bland Camry" than I would a "rental queen Impala."

Oh, I have bitched about the Solstice....it's one of my major gripes because Mazda HAS been able to provide adequate trunk space in a package that's about the same size. But as far as the G6, there's NO way 1.8cu ft (G6's trunk space per Pontiac with the top down) would have held all that I was carrying.....the clothes themselves, piled up, were at least a foot thick, and that's not counting the shopping bags.....and the C6 trunk was pretty full....and it's alot bigger than 1.8cu ft. I would not mind GM (or Volvo, or VW) doing the hardtop if they didn't sacrifice so much usability for what, IMHO, are minor-league advantages in the whole scheme of things. Just look at XLR.....it suffers hugely in comparison to its platform mate (and softop-equipped) C6 convertible......have you ever compared the trunks of the two cars? I have....XLR has like no trunk with the top stowed.....(and no back seat to carry bags and stuff.)

What we can ALSO agree on, is that the general car-buying public, especially those with more than a casual attraction to imports, have the opinion that pushrod engines like the 3.5L are old-tech and uncompetitive. Once AGAIN......GM is trying to change a major perception problem with their products....so why WOULD you offer the customer a choice of an "uncompetitive" drivetrain such as a pushrod V6 and 4-speed automatic in a car such as the AURA? Those customers may be biased by the media, or drinking import-kool-aid, or whatever else you want to label them as.....but the point is, GM has to begin drawing them back into the showrooms....they can't survive on just appealing to GM-loyal consumers anymore.... And that leaves companies like Saturn with very little wiggle-room when it comes to product decision. Excuses don't go that far with these consumers......

I had a chance to spend three days in an Alfa Romeo GT Coupe with a 6-speed manual and 1.9L TDi.....while I was in Franfurt for the show. It was an AWESOME drive! However.......the fit-and-finish seriously sucked.....lacked far behind GM, Ford, or even the Koreans. The actual materials were nice...and the styling was nice.....but the actual fit inside AND outside was atrocious. (The GT Coupe is a "last-generation" Alfa design compared to 159 and Brera.) I'm positive these are issues that Alfa has been working on.....and that is what has delayed their return to the U.S. The new 159 and Brera should have resolved those issues because when looking at those cars in the auto show, they were executed to a MUCH higher standard than the GT Coupe rental car I had. That being said, I haven't driven a more charismatic automobile in a LONG time. Even though we won't get turbodiesels, it really made me a believer that IF we had these kinds of TDs in the U.S., american drivers WOULD buy them. These European turbodiesels simply can't be compared to say, a VW Jetta or Passat TDi (what WE would be most familiar with)....they are in an entirely different class...... This car was fast, punchy, and revved quicker than many petrol engines (although only up to about 4,500rpms....Ha!) I kept running into the rev-limiter in the lower gears. With all that TD torque, the car had minimal-to-no torque steer.....impressive in its own. The car was buttoned down, but had a nice ride on its low-profile tires. Most impressive was how the car was so eager to run at an indicated 200kph (124-125mph) on the autobahn. It has that same kind of "natural" driving feel that BMWs and others are known for. I'm truly excited about Alfa's return to the U.S......and I hope this article is more truth than rumor. They won't be cheap....but will compete with VW on the low end, and BMW and Audi on the high end. In fact, they will probably be priced more like the BMWs and Audis than the VWs....

Let's all not forget what GM's REAL problem is these days...... Consumer Perception of their Products. When you are in a hole as big as GM has dug for itself over the decades, you sometimes have to look past the bean-counters and focus-groups and do something that may not make AS much sense, but will do ALOT more to enhance the perception of your product in the minds of the consumers you are trying to woo back into your dealerships. And as MUCH as you guys hate to admit it, wooing the Car & Drivers, Motor Trends, and Road & Tracks of the world is not such a bad thing.....seriously good press from them goes along way....and if GM presents a finely-executed product, those guys HAVE shown in the past they will not hesitate to praise it.

Don't you see? It doesn't matter if it's DED Jr., or the Detroit News, or the LA Times, or Car & Driver, or James Healy.... The cars are simply not good enough to pull GM out of their hole. The market is proving that. Sure....a Lucerne is a nice car, and is getting good reviews. Is it going to bring people back into GM showrooms looking for a roomy, comfortable, stylish, powerful (with V8) sedan in the $30-$40K range? Chrysler showed how to do it (300C)......but GM insists on not competing on the same level. You think a Malibu or Impala has ANY realistic chance of making ANY sort of dent in the eyes and minds of anyone seriously considering a new Camry or Accord? Sure.....as GM enthusiasts, we like these cars.....and even critical bastards as myself can admit that I like the Impala....even the SS model. BUT, I will admit that car is no where NEAR the kind of product GM needs to do the job. Unfortunately, it's FAR from it..... DED Jr's comments from 18 years ago told a story that we should NEVER be revisiting in 2006. That's what I found interesting in his column and what I found chillingly ironic.....

The ONLY volume product GM offers that is TRULY class-competitive/superior is the GMT-900s...and they are REALLY good..... The Sigma Cadillacs aren't. STS, while a "nice" car, is a dude in the competitive landscape....and CTS, as good as it is, still has issues that haven't been resolved (mostly poor interior trim quality compared to its upscale competition at BMW, Audi, and M-Benz.) The others are much smaller volume products.

Prime example......I drove the C6 to the mall the other day to pick up a couple of new shirts and some other stuff.....put the bags in the trunk....(with the top down.....it was a beautiful afternoon.) Then, I went to the dry cleaners and picked up about $160 worth of dry-cleaning for myself and the sig other.....and also was able to cram all that, laying down straight as not to wrinkle, in the trunk next to the shopping bags. Alas....if I was in the G6, all that stuff would have been in the back seat or passenger seat....with all the dry cleaning bags and shopping bags whipping in the wind....rolling around....and getting ruffed up by the wind from driving 80mph on the freeway and stuff.....and who knows if some might have blown out...???? Does anyone NOW get what I'm trying to say???? I didn't have to compromise driving my C6 with the TOP DOWN on a beautiful day just because I was out running errands....

It's like polishing a turd. G6 and AURA might be attractive, but their bodies hide an overweight, wieldy architecture and uncompetitive powertrains. The Camry, attractive or not, is a well EXECUTED product through-and-through. Sheer competence lends its own sort of attractiveness to the equation......

I'm retyping this from an editorial written by David E. Davis, Jr., in the October '88 issue of Automobile Magazine.....almost 18 (!) years ago.....about General Motors..... He starts......."When was the last time you heard anyone suggest that General Motors was a dangerous monopoly that should be broken up?" ....and continues......"Never mind, General Motors has come a long way. All of the car divisions have spiced up their product lines, and some great saves have been made. We've seen an Indianapolis victory and a 200-mph Corvette. The Lotus connection is bubbling happily, and lots of exciting projects beyond the ZR1 Corvette are in the pipeline. Some very good executive moves have been made as well. A number of men with excellent hands-on automotive experience have been moved into key jobs in the past year. Obviously, General Motors is making a major effort to turn itself around." "Unfortunately, it is still a corporation very much at odds with itself. Share of market is still down. The public still has doubts about the corporation and its products. The EDS acquisition has turned out badly, offsetting the Hughes Aircraft acquisition, which has been a big success. Internally, there are a lot of hurt feelings, bitterness, and management paranoia about what is characterized as GM bashing....the constant round of bad news and critical comment that's come from the national, enthusiast, and business press over the past ten years. One runs into senior GM guys who look at the world with the thousand-yard stare of people who've been in combat too long, guys who've been so gun-shy that they interpret comments about the weather as GM bashing." "Deeper in the ranks, there's a growing morale problem among GM's best and brightest engineers, designers, and planners. They've heard all the corporate rhetoric. They want to believe. They're ready to play their parts in the great turnaround that must come soon in GM's core automotive businesses, but they see no evidence that the eighteen or twenty men who actually run GM have yet developed a vision of the automotive future, a clear-cut idea of GM's automotive mission. GM's future leaders are feeling a bit like Captain Yossarian in Catch-22, struggling in vain to save the life of the tail gunner dying in the wrong wound. They see themselves dutifully doing what they're told, making splints and rolling bandages for a patient whom they fear is suffering from advanced arteriosclerosis." He concludes......."I think they should take another look. Perception always lags reality, and I believe that the midsummer round of management changes at GM will have an important ventilating effect on the corporate intellect and help the corporation through this process of redetermining who it is and why it's been put here. As mehitabel used to tell archy, when the things got grim, 'There's a dance in the old dame yet.' " ---------- I was thumbing through some old Automobile mags.....and came across this issue and got major goosebumps reading his editorial. It felt like I was reading something that very well could have been written TODAY.....almost two decades later! It really makes you wonder if GM will EVER turn around. For all the changes, for all the new product, for all the Lutzs and Wagoners......What really has been accomplished in the last 18 years???? It's sad.....and scary....

If you want an interesting listen on this topic, go to this link..... It's the "John and Ken Show" from KFI-640am in Los Angeles. Click on the audio archive for "John and Ken on Fox 11." John and Ken host a highly-rated afternoon-drive-time talk show here in L.A. discussing current news events, both political and nonpolitical. They are outspoken and opinionated....but always provide solid facts and logical commentary to support their discussions... This was an interview Fox News did with John and Ken about the May 1 "boycott" rallies and on the illegal immigration issue in general. http://www.johnandkenshow.com/audio.php?offset=0&per_page=15 The next audio archive down, "Linda Swope, CES Inc" is another good one to listen too...... You can also access the "audio archives" by simply going to "johnandkenshow.com"

Come to California (or Arizona for that matter) and see how illegal immigrants have impacted our state...... It's a WHOLE different world from N.C..... It needs to stop.....we need to prosecute companies and individuals that employ them....and we need to spend money on interior enforcement to start sending them back. And PLEASE realize....there is a BIG difference between "legal" immigrants here and "illegal" immigrants....even amongst the hispanics. Come see how once powerful cities like Santa Ana (population 300K + and 75% hispanic) have been turned into a downtrodden hispanic-extension of Mexico. I never gave it another thought until I started living here and experiencing the effects for myself....

It's better built with nicer materials than Impala.... But it just looks WAY too GERIATRIC..... 'Nuff said, unfortunately....

I predict the G6 convertible will be a marketplace DUD..... Let's revisit this in say 6 months and look at sales figures..... I'll be more than willing to accept an "I Told You So" but somehow I don't think I'll have to worry about that.

For one, the G6 (which shares the same architecure and chassis points) IS engineered to accept a 6-speed manual with the 3.9L engine. The ONLY thing I can assume is that we don't see a 3.6L/manual combo because there must be added cost in engineering that combo for FWD use.....(CTS offers it in RWD use with longitudinal mounting of the engine.) BUT that's no excuse...... GM needs to be ahead of the game.....and offer the potent 3.6L/6-speed manual combo in the AURA. Accord offers it (now in the sedan nonetheless) and Mazda offers it. If nothing else, such a combo might not sell in big numbers, but it would probably give AURA some great press.....C&D and MT would love that car.... Also.....SAAB 9-3 is engineered to accept a 6-speed manual/2.8L turbo combo in their FWD version of this architecture....and we all know that dimensionally the 2.8L HF is similar, if not almost the same, as the 3.6L variant.

Reg, you her..... I've always though of "Jillie" as being SERIOUSLY out-of-touch with reality in this business and her comments about the "6-speed tap shift automatic" providing a "true experience" for a person wanting a manual transmission only proves it. Only something with a third pedal and a shifter that you coax through 5 or 6 different cogs through a shifter in the console will give ME a "true manual transmission experience." Why don't people understand that? Automatic transmissions will NEVER give you that....no matter how deftly you design your "trademarked TapShift" paddles.....and SMG transmissions won't EVER give you that either.....