Bimmer325

PM sent.

The rims hint at those used on the Graphyte concept. Maybe other cues will translate into the Acadia as well? Pure speculation.

Is anyone surprised by this?

Acura's design renaissance seems to be fizzling with these latest models. The RDX is the wrong model to be pulling cues from.

How anyone at Toyota could approve giving us the lame-duck styling instead of this is beyond me.

Is that even English?

That looks more next-generation RSX than exotic luxury supercar.

The Maxx was a Malibu wagon.

The Escalade had clear-lense taillamps in spy shots as well. I wouldn't expect these to make production either. As for the front-end, it looks DTS-inspired. Wrong direction to be moving in if you ask me.

Wouldn't 'Super V' conflict with Buick's upcoming 'Super' line?

I'd tint the windows to match.

Shouldn't Mission Impossible III be paying Pontiac $20,490 to blow up a Solstice?

Good move. Save it for cars, no sense diluting the V-Series badge.

A former rental car? Are you aware of how people treat rental cars? Come on now, the Fit isn't that bad.

Auto sales fall in March Only BMW posts gain; figures for rental cars, fleets should boost the domestics. Josee Valcourt / The Detroit News U.S. consumers bought 13 percent fewer new cars and trucks during the first 12 days of March, a disappointing sign for automakers as they enter the important spring selling season, according to a survey released Monday. J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network said every major automaker, aside from BMW AG, posted a decline in retail sales during the period. The survey tracks sales at more than 10,000 dealers nationwide and doesn't include sales to fleet customers. Detroit's automakers fared worse than their top competitors. The Chrysler Group's sales fell 14 percent, and General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. fell 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively, according to the Power Information Network. GM's retail market share fell to 21.3 percent from 23 percent before its new "March Madness" incentive program began. Ford's market share dipped to 16.3 percent from about 17.6 percent, and Chrysler slid to 12.7 percent from 12.8 percent. Luxury carmaker BMW was the only manufacturer to see a gain, with retail sales up 8 percent. Toyota Motor Corp. fell into an unusual position. Its sales dropped by 9 percent but its market share jumped to 16.8 percent from 16 percent. Honda Motor Co.'s sales were flat. Hyundai Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. saw double-digit declines. "It does not mean that the total month will end that way," said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at Power. "By the end of the month, the manufacturers generally add in their fleet sales. The domestic automakers have a disproportionately higher fleet mix, so that will bring up their share." Paul Taylor, economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association, said fickle weather, particularly in the Midwest and on the Eastern seaboard, has kept people out of showrooms. "The weather hasn't been conducive for most of the month," Taylor said. "As a consequence, you'll see a stronger outpouring of customers when spring (temperatures) arrives." Auto sales are up 3.8 percent this year, but analysts expect full-year demand to be flat or slightly weaker than 2005, which was the third-best year ever. Although customers have trickled into Detroit-based Jefferson Chevrolet to check out GM's "March Madness" incentive program, the shift from mild to cold weather has dampened sales. Showroom traffic this month has been "very sporadic," said Brian Tellier, general manager at the dealership. He's counting on spring's warmer breeze for a boost. "Consumers will be a little more apt to kick some tires," he said. ---------- Early look at sales How retail sales in the first 12 days of March compare to the same period a year ago: GM -20% Ford -19% DCX -14% Toyota/Lexus -9% Honda/Acura Even BMW/Mini +8% Hyundai -17% VW -2% Nissan/Infiniti -12% Total Industry -13% Link: http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603210387/1148

Geely Marching Forward to ’08 Chinese company still wants to be the first to land in America. Geely, the ambitious automaker that wants to become the first company to sell Chinese-made cars to American consumers, is still on track to enter the U.S. market by the fall of 2008, says the fledgling company's top American executive. John Harmer, Geely USA's chief operating officer, said during a visit to Detroit last week that Geely had followed up on its appearance at the North American International Auto Show with an extensive survey of the impact of the media coverage on American consumers. The study showed that Geely had made an impression on consumers but that Americans also had concerns about the quality of any vehicle made in China. "There seems to be a bias in the U.S. against the quality of Chinese-made products," Harmer said. Geely, however, is now moving as quickly as they can to address the issue, Harmer said during an appearance at the Society of Automotive Analysts in Detroit. Geely, which is privately owned, is acutely aware of the fact that the Chinese government wants to make sure the first Chinese cars sold outside the country measure up to contemporary global standards, he added. "We don't care who's first. What we do care about is when we do come, we want to be found a worthy competitor," he said. "Geely is the only Chinese manufacturer that has made a specific commitment to the U.S. market," added Harmer, who also said that more than 200 dealers have contacted him since the Detroit auto show to ask him about handling Geely-made products. However, nothing that has happened at or since the show has altered Geely's plans to bring a low-priced car to the U.S. market in the autumn of 2008 in time for the 2009 model year. The 2009 Geely would sell to dealers for around $7500 and would come with features such as power windows, air conditioning, and a one-disc CD player as well as a radio and would meet all U.S. crash and emission standards. Harmer added Geely has already put in place an aggressive engineering effort to deal with the quality and customer satisfaction issues, he said. Geely's plan is to aim at the economy end of the U.S. market where the Japanese and South Koreans first started. The goal is to sell a relatively modest 25,000 units its first year of operation and expand the sales to around 100,000 within five years, he added. Geely also is looking for opportunities to purchase components from American suppliers and is particularly interested in safety and emissions equipment. After the panel discussion, Harmer told reporters that one of his jobs now is to build up the infrastructure Geely will need to sell cars in the U.S. He is already looking at deals with ports in Long Beach, Calif., and Jacksonville, Fla., and also is looking at possible locations for a new headquarters. As a practical matter, Geely has to begin expanding its American headquarters soon in order to deal with regulatory and logistical issues and begin coordinating actives with dealers. Harmer said he originally hoped he might be able to keep Geely's headquarters in Salt Lake City where his home and law practices are based but he soon found that that Salt Lake, for all its amenities, isn't on automotive world's map. Consequently, Geely is seriously considering locating its headquarters in Southern California, Detroit or Memphis. Detroit emerged as surprising contender when Harmer discovered that there are more 1500 Mandarin-speaking engineers living in the Detroit area. This potentially an enormous asset for a company such as Geely that is trying to learn about the American market, he said. Detroit's global reputation as an automotive center and the fact that other international automakers such as Hyundai, Toyota, and Volkswagen all operate inside the Detroit metroplex also make the region attractive. Memphis also has made a strong pitch for Geely's headquarters. Link: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/...175.A10162.html

2006 Cadillac XLR-V Pushing the lmits? by Paul A. Eisenstein (2006-03-20) If there's been any bright spot for troubled General Motors in recent years, it's the nascent revival of the automaker's once-formidable Cadillac Division. There was a time, not that many decades ago, when Caddy called the shots in the luxury market, but in recent years, the "Standard to the World" has had to take a back seat to more posh import contenders, like Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Yet with the introduction of its edgy "Art & Science" styling theme, Cadillac showed that it might be down, but it certainly wasn't out. Though it's by no means a world-beater, the first production model, the CTS sedan, is one of the luxury segment's most distinctive designs. Then there's the angular XLR, the production version of the GM brand's striking Evoq concept roadster. Cadillac's first hardtop convertible, the XLR was unabashedly aimed at the likes of that roadster benchmark, the Mercedes SL. Now the 2-seater is being served up in a more sporting trim. Boasting a big boost in power, along with some exterior and interior refinements, it becomes the most expensive Cadillac in history, planting the flag at precisely $100,000. Dubbed the XLRv, it's the newest in a growing line-up of products Caddy calls its V-Series - along with the original CTSv and the new STSv sedans. One might be tempted to take a dismiss tone, labeling the Vs little more than AMG wannabes, the latter being Mercedes' super-high-performance brand-within-a-brand. But where the German maker has clearly decided to go for all it can get, slapping an AMG badge on anything it can beef up with a bigger engine and stiffer suspension, Cadillac is playing it a bit more cautious. One of the most basic rules for the new performance line is that anything wearing the "V" will have to deliver 0-60 times of under five seconds. So forget a DTSv. You're not going to get those numbers out of the lumbering, front-drive sedan. Nor will there be a V-powered Escalade, screaming down the freeway on the big SUV's optional new 22-inch wheels and tires. So, for now, at least, there will be just three V-Series models, with XLRv the flagship. A sharp eye will quickly spot some of the performance roadster's design changes. The hood now has a more sculpted look, the power dome wrapping around the supercharger mated to Cadillac's trademark, Northstar engine. There are the V-Series badges, and the wire mesh grille that has become an industry-wide signature for performance editions. Inside, the visual tweaks are modest, with a bit more Zingana wood detail carved into the car's center stack, and new ultra-suede inserts added to doors and seats, where they have the functional benefit of providing more grip in hard turns. And that's something this new Caddy can do. Let's get to the hard numbers: the base roadster's 320-horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque have been bumped up to 443-hp and 414 lb-ft. That's enough to launch from 0-60 in an impressive 4.6 seconds - making this the fastest Cadillac ever. And Caddy claims the new roadster will deliver 0.94 Gs on the skid pad. To handle all that power, there's a new, 6-speed automatic (the standard XLR has a 5-speed), pushing power into the rear wheels. The V gets inch-larger 19-inch Pirelli run-flat tires. And to scrub off speed equally fast, the front brakes measure 13.4 inches, the rear an even 13 inches. To make it all come together, Caddy has done more than just bolt on a blower. Displacement has actually been downsized, from 4.6 liters to 4.4, to stiffen the block. The cooling system has been significantly enhanced, and there's a freer-flowing air induction system, along with a low-restriction exhaust. Surprisingly, the XLRv makes 26-hp less than the STSv sedan, largely the result of functional restrictions created by the roadster's cramped engine compartment. Virtually all suspension and ride componentry have been tweaked and tuned to handle the extra power and give a more dynamic ride, including the variable-assist magnetic steering system and Caddy's MagneRide suspension. On the road, the payoff is noticeable. The standard XLR provides a good, solid ride. It's nimble and quick, but you'd be more likely to describe it as "sporty," rather than a true sports car. Not so the XLRv. At 3804 pounds, the XLR is a bit heavier than we'd like to see, and you do feel it a bit, but it's not enough to ruin the fun, especially with its weight distributed 50/50. During a day of driving through the mountains bridging San Diego and Palm Springs , we found the updated roadster to be exhilaratingly capable. It's blindingly fast, and able to do just about anything you tell it to. It handled the sharpest corners with barely a peep from the tires. And better yet, the MagneRide system proved surprisingly adept at holding the road without jarring our fillings lose. So, what's not to like? Unfortunately, a number of things. Like the original XLR, trunk space is minimal, at best, barely half as much as one gets in the Mercedes SL. And the interior, though arguably Cadillac's best ever, is still a long way from what you'd call benchmark. There's too much plastic, and the wood doesn't quite look real, for one thing. We also noticed a few fit-and-finish issues, though they were admittedly minor. Overall, there aren't quite enough visual cues to tell the world what we're driving. The XLR is a stand-out, sure, but we want the V to be equally distinctive. And there's that nagging question of money. Okay, the V version comes with everything, absolutely everything you could ask for on the roadster, from the new, standard-edition XM radio to the Active (radar) Cruise Control system. But you're still likely to gulp at the $100,000 price tag. Sure, you'd pay $127,875 for the SL55 AMG, but despite recent quality problems, Mercedes has earned its premium. We're not sure many Caddy customers are ready to swallow the nearly $28,000 bump up from the base XLR. That said, there's little question that the automotive world needs to take notice of the XLRv. Caddy is, on the whole, getting better with each new model. It has more work ahead before it's on a par with the best, but while this high-performance roadster isn't quite where it needs to go yet, it's darned close, and you certainly wouldn't have to apologize for owning one. Link: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Vehicle_Re...184.A10168.html

Pictures really don't reveal the full-extent of the damage. The undercarriage suffered severe damage due to rocks when I swerved off the road. It's only slightly visible in the first picture, but the frame also looks to be bent. In person, there's a noticeable lift in the body forward of the A-pillar. The pictures do show the fluid leaking from the engine. The windshield is broken (I only vaguely remember hitting it), and both driver's side wheels are bent.

The "tooth" in the grille has likely seen it's day as a Nissan trait. I wouldn't expect it to make an appearance on the Altima, especially since the new Sentra is without it.

Well guys, here she is. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. More to come.

It's like the xB, only cooler.

Vee-Dub howldin' it dohn, yah?

The V-6 M.

Lively bunch!

As Northstar stated, the AWD comment could hint at RWD becoming standard. GM wouldn't switch it's number-one selling car to rear-drive without providing AWD as an option for snow states.