The O.C.

That's why I like Orange County. Here near the coast, we have the typical feel of a suburb in many spots but with a surprising and unexpected amount of culture, nightlife, high-end restaurants, shopping, and commerce/business. The O.C. has just about all the amenities one would expect in a major city center.....just spread out a bit more as opposed to being centralized. The TRUE southern California "bedroom" communites that truly suffer are, for example, the cities out in Riverside and San Bernardino counties (the "Inland Empire") Here, people have moved (an hour from the beach) to where the land and houses are less expensive and commute (many to O.C. as well as L.A.) 2 hours or more ONE-WAY. For example......whereas in Orange County a high number of high-end, distinctive, and culturally unique restaurants abound.....in the Inland Empire, your choice of dining doesn't extend much further than the usual chain restauarants. Even in spread out O.C. we are seeing an unusually high concentration of high-rise condo projects going up.....in places like Irvine, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, and Anaheim.

You guys are all F-ckers....... I totally fell for it too.....

Actually.....my understanding, as I've been told, is that the Book of Koran states explicitely that Islam is to be accepted as the sole religion....anywhere.....and those that don't convert to Islam or live in it's beliefs, are to be "wiped off the face of the earth." THAT is what the Book says.... SO you could argue that the muslims, over here for example, that are relatively peaceful are the ACTUAL extremists....because they are ignoring the basic belief and principle of Islam as spelled out in the Koran......

Damn straight it is. Coming from someone that experienced 11 years inside the General's hallowed walls....it IS the corporate culture at GM, no matter what your management level, to push blame onto outside sources such as "the media" or the "uneducated consumers." It is a level of arrogance you truly cannot believe.

Alas.....OCCarnut and I saw a CTS today outfitted almost EXACTLY like the DTS in your picture..... With a grey-haired old geeser driving it. However, giving credit where credit is due.....you DO see the occasional CTS here in southern California with a HOT, young dude driving it. It's like there's no grey-room.....they are either hot and young guys driving CTSs, or they are old geesers.....nothing in-between......

When I was thinking of ordering my CTS.....I went to a bunch of Caddy stores just to look..... First of all, today is 8-12-06.....and NONE of the Caddy stores I've been to have '07 CTS brochures. The car has been on dealers' lots since JUNE....(it was an early '07 build/introduction) and they STILL don't have '07 brochures. That's inexcusable.....coming from someone that's been in sales and marketing all his career...... Also, I had the sales gal at a Caddy store tell me that there's no way you can get a manual transmission in a CTS unless it's a v-Series. I corrected her....but admitted that probably dealers didn't stock it 'cause of demand....and that I needed to special order it. She STILL argued with me that you can't do it (instead of doing the intelligent thing and going inside and researching to actually see if I was correct....) Then, another store.....I just wanted to see a Sport CTS in person. When I asked the salesman if they had any, he pointed me out to a lot where there were a ton of leftover '06 models (with 16-inch wheels, etc.) that had plenty of lot-rot on them (dirty wheels, dusty exteriors, yadda, yadda.) I asked where the '07s were, and he said "another lot" and said they don't show those because they are trying to get rid of the '06 models. FINALLY, there was the guy that tried to convince me that I really didn't want a manual (because of traffic, etc.) and tried to shove me into a car he had on the lot.....when obviously a manual transmission was a REQUIREMENT to me and I told him so. I said....."so you mean to tell me that you won't even take a custom order from me for a CTS Sport with a manual transmission?".....and he danced around that saying they are "tough to get" and he doesn't know when the order could even be placed..... Newsflash....I ordered my CTS MANUAL on 7-10-06 and it was shipped from the factory on 8-4-06 (less than a month....you dip$h!....)

Well, early on, I was. That was until I saw the payment..... With the miles I'm going to be putting on the lease, it was looking like ~ $900/month. The CTS will run me ~ $650/month (with 24K miles per year making the payment alot higher you understand.) The start-up company I went with is well-funded......I don't forsee any issues.....but I thought since it was so new, I should be more conservative in what I'm paying for a car.....in case something bad happens and I'm stuck with a car payment....... Maybe in 2-3 years, as everything is (hopefully) going well.....I'll upgrade to something else. I'd REALLY like a 6-series truth-be-told..... I strongly considered a loaded 330i.....but you know what? It seems that EVERY secretary in Orange Country drives a 3-series.....they are SO commonplace here, that I felt it would be more fun to drive something....."rebellious"......like the CTS. Plus, I like the car.....especially with this new "Sport" package/model......AND I can get a manual transmission in it! Think of it.....I'll be one of the ONLY people in California with a CTS (non-v-Series) with three peddles!

SOMEbody doesn't like Hyundai........em'kay?

NO! Estimated date to arrive at the dealership is 8-18 (next Friday.) I'm of course hoping it hits earlier....but it probably won't make it by this weekend....so hopefully sometime next week. I've tried calling Cadillac Cust. Assist. to see if they can pull up in the system and tell me if it's.....on a rail car....on a truck....where exactly the car is. When I was a District Manager at Buick, I used to be able to determine ALL of that....but so far, Cadillac's been unhelpful. All they tell me is that it's "In Transit." OR they say...."Please contact your dealer for more information....."

Awwwww......I'm just messin' with ya, sweets..... :AH-HA_wink:

Well.....it IS....relatively speaking. At least Suzuki made some significant improvements over the GM offerings.....like the powertrain and the interior.

Nah..... But I have had this fantasy about a young, hot, leather "daddy" (like say < 30 yrs old) strappin' me up and takin' advantage of me.... Maybe BV could fit that bill? (he may be a bit too young....)

You know what they say! Once you go BLACK......you never go BACK......

I bet they've got nukes too....they just haven't used them yet. One thing is for sure.....if they set something off over here, and from what I've heard it would be nuclear....but much smaller than what we imagine.....not something big enough to destroy L.A./Chicago/NY....but big enough to say kill 100K or so.... ....we'll wipe that part of the world clean in a matter of MINUTES. These guys aren't worried about MAD "mutually assured destruction" like Russia and the USA were back in the Cold War....they actually WANT to die...to accomplish their religious motives. My parents fly from Miami to London tomorrow morning..... ....I hope everything will be okay for them.

Spring '09..... Does this mean it will be an early '10 model....or a late '09?

I agree.....as much as I love this news, I sincerely hope that General Motors is anticipating where they will assuredly need to update this car and this design..... What's hot now may not be as hot in 2.5 more years..... I'd have been way more excited with a spring '08 introduction instead of a spring '09 intro.....but there's no use crying over spilt milk.

Great story...... I was driving a Mustang GT (got to borrow one for a couple of days) and I was in the fast lane on the 405 during the early parts of rush hour. Next to me, in the carpool lane, was 5 hybrids in a row.....Prius, Prius, Civic, Prius, and Prius....all with single drivers and their cutesy little yellow "carpool lane" stickers. Funny thing was? The carpool lane was JAMMED with traffic......while the fast lane was moving at a decent clip. I OH so enjoyed outpacing those smug, single-occupant-driving-in-the-carpool-lane-'cause-they're-cool hybrids....all the while looking at an "average mpg" on the Mustang's trip computer of 14.8mpg....

See what I get for not reading all the way to the bottom?????

Awwww....... Deep down, you just don't give me enough credit......

When did you see me and my fish? Did I post that one before?

Actually.....I agree with Bimmer325..... They won't give up the tagline......and "Ideas" is probably just an ad campaign.

I EVEN added F.O.G. as a "friend"

Here's my link........it's a work-in-progress, so be nice to me! http://www.myspace.com/chrisintheoc I just started....and I'm low on my "friends" number.....so you guys all help me out! LOL

I added you as a friend! :-) (Chris) with the big fish.....LOL

I actually wanted to take pics of it next to the black C6......somewhere scenic.....you know?