Drew Dowdell

Why do you keep saying that the CTS does not have a V8? The CTS in fact famously has a V8. I like how you cherry picked your comparisons between the CTS and the 5er. Base price for the 535xi is 51k. The absolute top of the CTS line I can build on Cars Direct is 47.5k. However you can get a CTS 3.6DI AWD for about 34k msrp. This is interesting because a 528xi is a full $8k more and would get positively spanked by the Caddy in terms of performance. Again interestingly, the only way to get the 20-way power seats is to select options that push the 535xi over the $55k mark. In fact, in order to match the most loaded CTS V6 in price you have to opt for the 528xi with no leather <leatherette is not leather>, no Nav, 230hp, base stereo, no heated seats, 17 inch wheels <CTS comes with 18s at this price>, No satellite radio, No DVD entertainment system.... All that for $47.5k and it'd still get spanked by the better performing, better equipped CTS at the same price. The moment you pass the $51k mark at BMW I'm into CTS-V category. Bringing a 535i up against the CTS-V is like bringing a pistol to a tank fight. But I'm sure that blue and white rondel on the hood makes the car feel more luxurious.

The point is, we're still over 2 years out and this announcement just shows progress towards the goal. No one here was claiming that these were the batteries that the Volt was going to use. Edit: Indeed the Volt has created a race among battery manufacturers to get their products to market.

Chrysler should cut the PT Cruiser, Sebring, 300 models other than the C, Aspen, Crossfire and Pacifica. Dodge should cut the Caliber, Avenger, non 5.7 Magnum and Chargers, Durango, Dakota, Nitro, Sprinter and should redesign the Ram. Jeep should cut the Compass, Liberty, Patriot and Commander That will leave them with just their competitive vehicles.

Clearly what your garage is missing is a 1966 Toronado Deluxe in black...... that's the only glaring omission.

Ya know, it's a lot easier to put these penis waving transmissions when you can charge 15k more for them. The new CTS is so close to the 5-series at this point saving that amount of money on just a transmission makes it a huge bargain.

These 7 and 8 speeds don't add gears much over the existing overdrive ratios. It just adds more gears between 1st and top gear.

Not that I don't believe you.... but what examples do you have?

Which really makes me continue to wonder about the results. I mean really are there any common problems with any of the GMT-900s or 800s? The EXT is an extremely low volume vehicle for GM. There is nothing significantly different between an EXT and a regular Escalade or Avalanche yet neither are reporting problems like that.

Prada, gray, all you....

Just for that.... I'm gonna cause a server error!

Why don't you and I take a walk over to Prada to get you a new pair of shoes.

Sheesh.... all this focus on the pony. I did demand a Toronado Caliente also..... Focus Concentrate people!

Interestingly, Scion's sales still plummeted in September

In a press release today Toyota Executives are jubilant about "Best Month Ever"™ movement in their reliability rankings when calculated using absolute value.

I just saw the Altima coupe from behind for the first time today. GAHH it was ugly. The side and front profiles are nice, but that tail end from straight on is hideous!

Societal and Family pressures. I'd guess that most of them know it by their 20s. They usually just aren't willing to admit it. Big difference.

5-series also costs a good 10k-15k more. This will only worsen as the dollar falls.

The only way you *really* need and 8 speed is if you're adding a gear ratio on either end of the spectrum. If you're taking the same spectrum of gear ratios and just slicing it up more frequently, you're not really improving much. If GM does an 8 speed, I'd really like to see them keep the first 6 gears the same as they are now, but label 6th as low overdrive, 7th as medium overdrive, and 8th as high overdrive. Most of GM's engines are good for low rpm torque, so having a 3.6 liter V6 cruise along at 80mph turning 1500rpm would be pretty sweet.

The Cobalt, W-bodies, and G-bodies were too far along or too old to get the 6-speed..... and let's be realistic here, does anyone really think that putting a 6-speed in the Grand Prix, LaCross, Impala, Lucerne or DTS would have improved sales? Lucerne is already outselling everything in it's class except the 300, would putting a 6-speed in there mean that it outsells the 300? No, as long as GM continues to put the new transmissions into it's new models, I have no problem with the method of their rollouts. All of the models that currently have only a 4-speed available are due to be replaced in the next 2.5 years. Then you can start harping on GM for still offering "only" 5 speeds. As for them doing something special... they've put a 6-speed auto in a mid priced family car and have it NOT cough up two of it's gears. That is "Moving Forward"

It's actually fairly simple. You're told your entire life that you are heterosexual. Think of all the "icons" of your childhood. Kermit and Miss Piggy, Barbie and Ken, any Disney movie..... Homosexuality is usually covered up and hidden from kids. It takes people so long because they don't understand why the feelings they are told are "right" don't feel "right" to them. I was very very sheltered as a kid. I really didn't know what "gay" was except that it meant a guy who liked to dress in women's clothing. It was a trip to London and meeting "normal" gay people when I was 17 that opened my eyes. Once I knew what "gay" was... I knew I was gay.

The current 6-speeds went into development in 2003 and rolled out in the Aura, GMT-900 SUVs, STS and XLR in '06, Lambdas Malibu and CTS in '07. It's just me, but it looks like they usually wait for a model/platform redesign before they put the 6-speed in.... though I don't know what year was the first year for the G6 with 6A. 3-5 years turn around time isn't bad for something as complicated as a transmission.

much more than 6 speeds and you're better off spending development money on CVTs. Even under normal driving conditions, the tach on my 5-speed CTS only swings about 500rpm.

it'd have to be a fairly fabulous shade of purple though....

OMG! C&G has been SHELVED!!!

most of the bulbs in Wilmington are dim already....