hyperv6

I took abuse by many for saying the 200 and Dart were doomed to failure. Here is the problem. You can not just revamp a Fiat product with a nicer looking body and expect it to be right. Fiat and Sergio has raped Chrysler and doomed their car lines. They are taking the profits from their Jeep and Ram trucks and putting it into the other Fiat brands which is like flushing money down the toilet. They should have funded Chrysler to do their own cars and funded a new RWD platform that should have been out 3 years ago. As it is now they are still looking for a partner that I suspect at some point may be a Chinese automaker just because they will want the Jeep and Ram trucks. They will pick the bones and not much more will be left in the end. The fact is FCA can not abandon the small car segment. It will be needed in the future even if it is just for CUV models. A partner could offer this but there are so few takers. In the end I feel this whole deal is going to be a much bigger mess in the future. The new regulations will kill them before it is all said and done. Even VW now with the money trouble is not interested in Jeep and Ram.

More or less no news here. The high strength steel mostly in the cage area of the unibody. Generally if it is hit hard enough to do damage to it most times the car is totaled out. Frame Racks can only go so far to repair damage anymore on these as the cost to bend it back and the labor for the other repairs are over the limit anyways. Funny how they make an issue here when the Ford Aluminum body is more likely to be the recpient of minor damage that will require full body panel replacement. Get hit in the quarter panel and you have to replace the entire panel. Door Dings are limited to paintless repair as Aluminum has no memory. Cracks and the ability to get it right is not as easy.

Sorry but CR ratings are pure BS no matter if GM did good or bad. They rely mostly on a limited slice of owners that happen to be subscribers to give them feed back. Hardly scientific. Also the fact Buick sell a limited number of models and cars also has to be factored here. here. Limited numbers, brand loyalty and ratings done much like an Amazon review are not generally a clear picture of what is really going on. I am glad Buick had a good showing but even like when GM is condemned I must remember the review from them are generally bogus. If you want real feed back you need it to be consistent and from people that really know the subject. My mother reviewing a Buick is no real review. Nor are test from people who specialize in testing toasters as well as nose hair trimmers. CR is a real racket and they have a good thing going and make a lot of money doing just what the reviews on the web do. Half these people never even cracked open the owners manual or know how to change a tire. Actually many of these models do well due to bias brand loyalty by the owners. We are all guilty of this just as these owners are in many cases.

For sure with Chevy at some point. GM has Chevy dealers that need to be cut in the worst way. They are small and underfunded. They have their good point but bad also. Many of the smaller dealers are getting bought out by larger networks just as some Ford dealers have. The MFG are always going to support the stronger larger owners as they provide to be the best partners in the long run no matter the brand. That is why MFG like the Penske, Hendricks, Spitzer, etc dealers that go nation wide. Large dealers like this take on the task of distribution and save the MFG a lot of money. Many import dealers have operated like this for decades. You want a red car they go into their inventory and get you one with the right options as you could not order most of their models from Japan.

Here is the deal here as it appears many here just are not familiar with what this car will be. It is a new version of a tall wagon Opel has sold for years. It is popular in Europe and can be sold here rebadged as a wagon in numbers based on demand. Not really any risk here. The tall wagons take on the flavor of a Forester and a little SUV as they butch them up a bit. VW is entering this segment too with the Golf SUV model too. The past Regal was an old platform and GM was not going to invest much into it. Yes Opel offered a T V6 in it for Europe but it also cost around $60,000 there. It was difficult enough to sell a small Regal here at $40K plus. GM was waiting for the new platform so they could tailor this car more for the American market. I rather doubt there will be a SUV between the Envision and Encore. On the other hand when the Colorado based model arrives I could also become a Buick too as a premium package. Buick will become much more Opel like with many models and give us what they call White Space models we normally would not see GM do outside Europe. the New Regal performance model is expected with a TT V6 an even more advanced AWD system than the Haldex they already use and a remote possibility a 10 speed Duel Clutch set up. Now be forewarned you will not be buying this car for the $44K of the present model either but it will not be like the car that is leaving and will be a major step up. As for the Regal name it is not damaged but it also does not reflect well the true nature of the present car. It had been decades since the Regal was really the darling of some buyers. Also the GN and GNX names are not good to represent a TT V6 AWD Euro sedan. The GN means Grand National and that was for when Buick was in NASCAR. Well Buick is no longer in NASCAR and even NASCAR does not call it Grand National anymore. It would be like calling a Camaro an IROC but there is no IROC and a Camaro was not even one of the last tow models they used. There is a point to let go even to the good things in life when they no longer fit as well. As long as they keep this wagon much like the Opel they have had they should do well with it as it had just enough SUV to attract CUV buyers but also enough sport to attract car buyers. Either way it will do well in the intended market of Europe and anything here will be add on sales. I also expect it to do well as an Opel in Australia. Now if they can just keep the damn fake wood grain off of it and not call it an Estate. LOL!

i did not vote you down here but Buick has offered a good AWD on the Regal and Lacrosse for years.

My point is simply that because they are not perfectly flat that they are not rendered useless as many assume. I assumed and found different even myself. I expected issues but it has not been an issue. Ideally flat is the best but the slight incline has created no issues and in my case been found to be a benefit. There is tons of room for batteries. the problem is the tall profile and large frontal area. Drag is the killer for range on batteries and a tall vehicle as this it would cut into the range. Note even the Tesla X is a short SUV or a little taller car. They kept it low and the frontal areas is very reduced. Until ranges increase I do not expect much with the Volt or Bolt to be used in a CUV. Even the Bolt because of the upright profile has been called a train wreck for aero numbers on an EV car. But they were willing to compromise for better utility.

I though the same thing too when we bought it but I have found it to help in long loads and not even be an issue on other loads. What appears to be an issue turned out to be a non issue and even benefit when ever I haul the derby car and countless loads of 2x4's. I guess this could be classified as one of those don't knock it unless you lived with it.

Jerry take the pen! That is my point and as funny as the clips are they are closer to the truth than we would like to see. The customers that the dealer closing will hamper are just like these who buy the retirement Caddy and die. Also the old adage also applies here too. You can sell a old man a young mans car but you can not sell an young man an old mans car. The is always the odd ball but generally that is how the market works today.

Note too where there is a German dealer there will be a Cadillac close by. No one will have to drive farther due to less dealers. If your customers only buy from you for convenience they are not spending enough. Here are the types of customers that will be affected.

The fact is times have changed, cost are higher than ever and the way of doing business has to change or you will be out of business. We have yet to see the last automaker fail and we will see more. Development cost are so high we are seeing things like Ford and Chevy working together on transmissions not because they want to but because they have to. Companies just can't offer 14 variations of the same kind of car any longer as it is too expensive unless it is sold globally. Volume of each model needs to be high today as it is difficult to survive moving forward selling only a small volume at a low cost. Generally customers and even people here on the web sight do not understand the cost of doing business today in making autos. They may see a loss of a division but a Corporations see it as a way to make more money and cut cost. Profits have to be up to pay the bills and to develop new and competitive product. If not you die. I am still a die hard Pontiac fan but I fully understand why from a business standpoint why they were killed. knowing how the new global market works Pontiac fell too far behind not going global and holding volumes much too small. The inability of GM to understand how to Run Pontiac caught up to them. In the end they got Pontiac to a point in 2003 with no real RWD performance option for the GM performance division. Yet we had the Aztek? Globally Pontiac was a mystery to most and really had no global market outside the Holden based cars that came way too late to help. As to back to the topic. Driving farther is not going to be an issues as most customers will have to drive as far to find a Audi or Benz dealer as it is. My buddy had to drive over an hour to a Porsche dealer and that was not an issue to him as it was a good dealer {Penske} and he was willing to do it because he wanted a Porsche. We had a local one but the market was so small it was removed and placed in Cleveland with the existing dealer as even Porsche cut the number of dealers. This is not just a GM thing. Our Benz dealers also merged or sold out too.

See I like the small town service where you can wonder back to the back of the shop and really talk to the guy working on your car. Few dealers will let you wonder anymore. Today many customers are all about get me in and get me out while giving me a Danish and few WiFI.

It is simple. You can have bunch of dealers that sell a few cars and make for a weak network system of dealers competing for a fewer number of cars. Or you can have a fewer number of dealers selling more cars and making more money being able to better serve customers with better facilities and better staff as they will be more profitable to provide this. The 400 dealers here sell much less than 50 cars a year and only account for 9% of sales. The for the most part are not making money and can not provide the service standards Cadillac would like to see their dealers supply. Also the small number of sales would go to the stronger dealers and provide more income to the strong dealers that can serve the customers better. It is more not so much about decoration as it is level of service and the ability to afford it. The weak dealers selling 1-2 cars a month are a parasite that hurt the entire network vs. helping it. Ford and GM both have way too many dealers than they need. Years ago you could get away with multiple dealers on every corner but no longer. There are strenght and profits in larger dealers with volume and less competition between dealers on transaction price. Even at Chevy vs Toyota the Chevy stores per small metro area can number 5-10 and Toyota 1-3. Ford in out area has helped cut the number of dealers with buy outs from Super Stores that own dealers in many cities. Some stores closed and others were enlarged but are part of a network that is working under one owner. This has helped their stores be more profitable. While some may not be happy driving farther it has not hurt the Mercedes, BMW and Audi dealers in out area. The numbers even low have declined here too. There is now only a couple in the Cleveland. Akron, Canton area. They are all large new dealers with top level service vs. the past where they were just tagged in with another brand and only selling 1-2 cars a month as a part time dealer for all intents. GM would like to kill off about 1/3-/1/2 of the Chevy dealers too but the cost would be too great to buy them out. This is not much different than the killing of Pontiac and Olds. GM also had too many divisions for the number of cars they sold. With cost going up it was more and more difficult to make so many models and market them at the lower numbers and show a profit. Ideally today one volume brand and one Luxury division is appropriate. In the Case of GM Buick is a non factor since China keeps them alive. The key for them is to use them for the low end Luxury and not let Cadillac worry about that. It is a case where a liability can be turned into an advantage as BMW and Benz try to work for more numbers with lower end cars in North America.

This is a long over do move. If you want a stronger dealer network you must make them stronger. GM has too many dealers period and Cadillac was one that was the most effected. To make them stronger you must weed out the weak and under performing dealers. In many cases selling Cadillac's was apart time job as they were also selling Chevy and Buicks. The dealers here all sold less than 50 cars a year. In many cases some were selling one to two a month. Cutting the number of dealers will move more sales to the stronger dealers and make it easier for more stand alone dealers going forward and for them to be able to better take care of the customers. Most metro areas only need one dealer and an area like LA could use a couple but there are many places there is just no need for a dealer. Also if customers are remote and not close to a dealer GM can fall back on the other dealers to fix cars if needed. In a pinch they can help arrange a customer repair at a dealer that is local if the customer is ok with this. This is not unlike the Chevy dealers now taking care of the Hummer Customers now.

Yes some of the weigh is due to over all size coming down. But the interior should have close to the same usable room due to better packaging. We like ours but it is not packaged well due to hard points. The price should fall a little since it dropped a size class just as the Acadia. The rear vent and heat are the greatest improvement. As for folding flat. To be honest it has helped me more not folding flat as I can carry 2x4 with the front seats up and lay them over the console as the rear seat holds them up. Same for the Soap Box Derby car as the tail fits over the console and between the seats. It would never do that flat. I expected it to be an issue but to be honest it has been a blessing more often.

The XTS make sense as long as it remains profitable. If it should ever descend to the level of the town car that ended up selling to fleets at a discount then it will disappear fast. The key to the XTS at this point is it is selling in fleet sales and still remains with a viable profit. Not to mention Cadillac would also rather spend money where money is to be made right now on SUV and CUV models. They are like printing money and can not be ignored no matter if you like them or not.

Looks good and should remain Chevys second best seller. It appears much better packaged than the present and the loss of 400 pounds is impressive. The two tone interior is a welcome sight. It should really help in a segment where so many just offer dark and darker interiors. I am glad they went with the 2.0 as it is a great engine. The loss of the V6 is not a big deal as the weight loss will keep the performance about the same or better with more MPG. I just hope they added the ceiling vents to the rear like on the Acadia. The present model has poor AC and Heat.

What the problem is that Porsche is not GM, nor are they Chevy, nor is the Corvette a 911. Now if Corvette had been a stand alone MFG and division this would make sense but with Chevy sitting right there with a full line of product that is pretty much identical to anything GM would do with Corvette it would be a foolish move. The Corvette has become an Icon as a sports car and has a loyal following. Many owners own not just one but several of the cars. They also buy and trade often. Most sports car owners are not always like this in this price range. Is Cadillac known as a sports car company? No! Does Cadillac have a great history with 2 seat sports cars. No! So making number three here at this point of time when they are still sorting out their core product would end in total failure. You would sell a few cars. The Values would drop and leave people regretting they ever paid $200K for a Cadillac making it even more difficult to get them to buy a $100K TT V8 CT6. The thing about the Corvette is it does something few cars can do. It not only attracts Chevy fans to the brand but there are many people that care little for Chevy but they own Corvettes. This means this car can lead a life as a Chevy and Just be called Corvette with no issue. First I would let Chevy reveal the car and the plan before we jump the shark here. As for the hard cores LOL! These are the same folks who cried when the trunks were removed in 63. They also were the ones who wailed in 68 when the C2 went away. These are the same folks who bought the 75 C3 with no power and a Vega steering wheel. They were upset with the C4 till they drove one. Hated the C5 because of the big but. Yet they lined up and purchased. Pop up head lamps vanish and they said no more Corvette for me yet sales were still strong. About the only thing that slows and kills sales of new Corvettes is where they change too little and they keep a platform around too long. The simple fact is the same people who gave us the excellent C7 are working on the C8. They have done a hell of a job on the last two gens and I do not see them dropping the ball now. The bottom line to do this car as a Cadillac at this point and time would be strike three. Make a sedan and SUV that is world class first and earn the public's trust first then give them a car to attract attention. That is how Audi did it. Making Corvette suv and sedan models. We already have that . It is called Chevy. You prostitute the name too much and it will damage it. Protect our good name is a primary goal. Finally let them finish this car and show their plans. This is far from doom and gloom as we hear at every C platform change. If we had left this to the hardliners who hate change the Corvette would never have lasted. Take a look at every C change. 50% hate it and 50% love it and in the end 95% like it and sales take off. It is a trend we have seen many times and it is something Chevy knows. In the end time to stop comparing the Corvette to Porsche and Cadillac to the Germans. They both have their won paths that they need to follow.

Well you have to factor the increase of cost of any new C model. Each one has had a jump in price. Also you have to factor what a Corvette will cost by 2019 too. I expect the $50K models days are numbers no matter where the engine is. As for the two models. This has been around for a good while. Word is the Stingray will remain in production for about 2-3 years. Once they get the first expensive model out they will focus on bringing a lower priced coupe out and a convertible. GM generally does not do all models at one time anymore due to development cost. If they killed the C7 all at once it would leave them with no cheaper model or a convertible that counts for a high number of sales. Even Mclaren did not do a convertible the first year of production or the cheaper model in the first two years. The last ZR1 was almost $130K loaded. They were able to redo the car in the new Z06 at $100K and a Grand sport with many similar features starting in the $60K range. Now this shows the flexibility to do a lot with a little. It has nothing to do with the engine being up front either. Now as for the engine I expect it to be a the Supercharged LT with more power. This engine has not even shown all it can do yet as the present car can not make use of what it is able to do. The ZR1 engine with a less advanced supercharger and no DI could do 725 HP all day according to the GM engineer that told me. It had passed emissions and warranty test and only needed to be installed if they wanted it. The DI engine is much more able and can easily do 750 HP with little else needed. Word is they have tested it much higher. As for DOHC they may get to it but not at first. GM and the Vette seldom into a new engine and car at the same time. Again development cost. They are in a good place with the engine and it can come later. As for the future of the Vette. There will be several models and all prices to how fast you want to go. You can just have fast at a based price in the future once the C7 goes away. Then their will be a mid priced model with many Zora like features much like the present Grand Sport. Then there will be the Zora. In the end I would expect a pure track car like Ford has now to take advantage of the rules in IMSA. The key to all of this is that if the C7 goes away there will be a car in a similar price range even with Mid Engine to replace it. The Corvette was always a good sports car for the money. It made it a sports car for the common man. The future has to hold to this but today the car has become a great sports car no matter that it is still relatively affordable to most people. As I have pointed out the other makers are creeping down in price to garner more support for volume. Corvette has survived on volume and much of that is due to price. Most sports cars at low volume or too low of price last 5-10 years at best. If you do not charge enough you do not make enough money to make over the car very often. It then dies. Or you charge a lot and you sell too few then it dies because no volume. We saw this with the Viper. The Vette has had a good balance and I see Tadge protecting that. In the future too when Cadillac is ready the platform sharing could also be a great help. Even an Icon like Harley while they offer high end bikes that cost over $40K they still offer their bread and butter Sportster that even a collage kid can afford. The Corvette will be similar. To be honest I would love to see them keep the front engine Stingray. Chevy had looked at doing a smaller cheaper roadster with a V6. Transform this car into a model much like this. Just call it a Stingray. It could make a nice club racer or even a car to step up from a Miata. With Super cars moving down market the Corvette is not closing in on them but the others are moving down. With an Mclaren in the $150k range they have moved away from just doing cars like the P1 at over a Million and focused more on the low end. As for the improvements just do the physics. It is simple and easy to understand. It is not just 50/50 balance but the need to center the weight that adds grip and ease of handling. Shut off the computer on the present Z06 and see how lap times fall off. It is much like the F117 that can only fly with a computer.

Why can't Chevy do an affordable mid engine and Cadillac once they get their house in order do a Super mega priced low volume car? Right now Cadillac is struggling to get their core models they are known for done and successful. Doing a hyper car would be great but they need to get their core product right first and the SUV models out making money. They would be better off first with a $60K roadster like a BMW with a trunk for weekend trips on the PCH. Mazda has a nice little roadster that men and women like and it is cheap. Not a bad car but far from being able to challenge the best per lap time. 911 is a car unto it self. While it is still a rear engine car it had been totally re engineered and is no where the same car it once was. Corvette on the other hand has changed much though the years. It started as a 6 cylinder with a 2 speed auto, It had no crank up windows. So they put a V8 in it. They then changed the body to have no trunk. Who would think a car in the 60's with no trunk or opening to the back would work? Well it did. How about pop up lights that often failed. They still bought the car. Next the Stingray. It was a nightmare to see out of with fender bulges and c pillars that were extended just enough to block a semi. Wiper covers that did not open and other issues. A body style that stayed too long and was cheapened up with things like a Vega steering wheel and little power. Yet they still sold. The C4 with quality issues and other engineering issues like stiff ride at first and cross fire injection. yet they bought them. C5 quality issues but yet they bought them. Removed the pop up lights and the C6 was still a hit. Today the C7 is limited performance wise by the pure physics of its drivetrain. has more performance to give but not enough grip to put it down. Yet they buy. Next they will buy it with a large wing just to plant the car for better lap times. The reason for the move is pure physics. While we all understand the car is a near perfect balance of 50/50 it still has a lot of mass on the ends of the chassis. Move that mass more centered and it makes the platform much more efficient. If you are no following take a bar bell and move the weigh to the ends. Now twist it up and down. It takes a lot of effort on the wrist to rotate the mass. Now move the weigh to the center near your hands and twist. It takes so much less energy and make it more efficient. This is what makes a car handle better and provide better grip. The more the mass is to the center and lower it is the better the platform behaves. To do this does not have to cost a lot of money that even Mclaren has shown of late. If you think GM can not use their resources and beat Mclaren at this you are sorely mistaken. Time moves on and if you stay with tradition too long you will pay a price. Many of you should know this with the mess the C3 became over the years of little change and effort to meet the markets best.

Why not? Moving the engine back and the cab forward needs not be an expensive adventure unless you want to make it all carbon and only make 400 units. The Corvette is already a trans axle car and the center torque tube could easily be removed. Cooling is easy with two stainless tubes to the front and a couple extra hoses. AC just needs longer lines. As for price I never said $50K . First off even if they keep with the present car the price is going to move up so it will be in the $60K-70K range in a few years. Hell the Camaro is close to the Corvette now. You will see the expensive car first if what I have heard is right. The first model will be high end and about $170K-200K. They will string the Stingray along and then replace it with a cheaper version that will be much more affordable and also offered in a roadster. Just going mid engine does not necessarily make a car expensive. Generally it is because many are pre planned low production cars of a couple thousand or less. They at that low volume add many high end materials because they put a price point that requires it and can contain it. Companies like Ferrari also do not want to sell 10K 488 models. Part of the exclusivity is part of the price. Fiat, Pontiac, Toyota, and others have all offered affordable mid engine cars in the past. Generally because of the low volume and ultra low price they suffered parts bin parts. Corvette in this mid range will be able to use parts bin parts like the LT engine and still use Corvette only parts else where. They can use similar suspension parts as with the present Stingray. Word has been they had considered basing a front and mid engine on the same platform. GM has some real leeway here that the other do not have. Also it is reported the Vette will start with the LT engine but will make use of a DOHC engine in the future. Emission will kill the two valve as they keep upping the regulations in many areas. Just not enough adjustment in the cam in block to meet the emissions. Also they will not need the smaller engine due to no cowl height issues with the engine in back. Might note others like Mclaren have gone to offer lower priced models than just the high end cars. They are still saddled by low volume but they have a 540c at $165,000 now http://www.theweek.co.uk/63402/mclaren-540c-unveiled-126k-car-is-the-cheapest-mclaren-ever Audi R8 starts at $162,000 with a very expensive V10 so why could Chevy not beat that price with a Corvette with a very much less expensive engine and some less expensive bits that the Corvette never had in the first place. Heck we now have a Z06 that has carbon fenders and Large Brembo brakes and it still comes in just over $100K. So these same brakes and engine with a little carbon why could it not be prices similar? to the others or less? You really have to look at what is in these cars and the marketing as to how they offer so few they have to charge a lot and they can do it because people will pay it in many cases just for the name. I was at a show with 35-40 Lambo, Audi and Ferrari's on the field. I can tell you now few of those cars ever turned a wheel in anger. they were guys 30-55 average that wore Puma shirts with the Prancing horse that were letting their 10 year old kid sit in the car reving the engine. Yes I saw that going on. You did not see that in the Corvette row. This car will break ground like the C4 did by offering parts, low price and performance you never saw in a mid engine at this level. Now I am sure their will be the ultra ZR 06 something down the road that they will only sell 1200 of and Rick Hendrick will buy the first one at a very high price. Why will they do it because a few will pay the price and it will help pay the bills in fewer numbers of models than the civilian version. If they will buy it is good business. Also you can make some parts legal that Pratt and Miller may like on their race car. Porsche does this with the 911 as they have the low end model and then they have the GT3 RS Keep in mind the Corvette only has to keep a model affordable but they have show in the last few years the ability to sell several variations at some high prices. They also have leverage as they have a much larger customer base and can sell 25K cars a year and not damage their exclusivity. In America a Vette owner is still admired even if there are two more in the same parking lot. As for them globally they are seen as exotic since so few were exported. Ford started to do the same thing Chevy is going to do with the last GT. They kept the price down and built more than most expected. To be honest they should have kept that going as the new one even with the added models is going to be rare and few will ever be driven. But at the high price they will not lose money and there is less risk as they are limiting things. Also the platform an plant here will be seen at Cadillac at some point in a very different natured car. Much like the Lambo and Audi share but are much different models. This will drive the cost down and make the Corvette even more affordable.

Why so glum? If they can provide a car with better weight distribution yet retain the convertible top and a price in the same area they are in now what is wrong with that? Also additions like AWD would be easier and the cockpit would be much more roomy inside. While doing all this the lower profile would provide a lower center of gravity and better aero. The only reason most Mid Engine cars are expensive is because they are made in such low volumes and they can ask the price. Ferrari, Mclaren and now the NSX are all moving to models in the mid range that Chevy can challenge at half of or even less the price. GM has the ability to make a very competitive car for around the same price as what they sell now and with a mid engine they could even offer some higher priced models that people would not have bought any other way. The other 800 pound gorilla in the room is that the Corvette fan base is aging. Younger buyers have gravitated to the more modern and advanced models. I was just at a car show last week with over 35 Ferrari and Lamborghini in attendance. Over half were owned buy men under $35 involved in advanced technologies. Most paid little attention to any of the many rare Corvettes or the new Z06 on hand. Tadge has seen this as a problem moving forward. FYI I got to sit in a friends Miura that was freshly back from Pebble Beach. It is an amazing car. Hard to believe he drove it there being valued over $2.5 million. I would be terrified of some old person drifting into my lane. Anyways I am not picking on you here. I am courious what legitimate reason not to move forward could be presented with no argument to counter it for the new car. The one I find most give is the car has a balance of 50/50 already. What they fail to account for is that balance is good but centered weight is even more desirable. You cut the polar moment of the car down and it makes a massive improvement in handling. This is what Tadge is chasing as the C7 went to a longer wheel base to move the weight more centered. At this point how much longer wheel base can they go? If you look at the mule the engine is going to be very centered with the longer tail

The point I ponder on this car is how I expect it to be much more than many have even considered. It is clear this car was in development back almost 10 years ago and they never stopped working on it. Bob Lutz delayed it from the C7 to the C8 but they never stopped work on it. This should really have given the time to get the details right and had more time for funding to do the things that get left behind in shorter development times, It will be interesting on the details of cost and if they keep the Stingray for a while or longer. I have seen reports at some point the entry level car in the future will be $70K and the high end touching $200K. While it will not effect the hyper million dollar cars this car could turn the mid range Mid Engine class on its ear. I expect better performance for half and less the price of many of the others. I think Tadge will surprise many with what he will bring to the market. Take the present car and center the mass more then add the higher HP of a LT engine and it will be amazing and yet still affordable to many.

Here again it was a great option well before its time again. The 4 wheel steering worked great as I have driven it but it removed load capacity and added a lot of weight at a time GM was removing the weight from their trucks. Not to mention it was very expensive to add to the truck and even made it wider in the back. While it makes the truck easier to drive in tight places it also was not something most truck owners were worried about. I would expect to see it again someday if they can make it lighter and with more capacity but till then it matters little. By the way GM did market it well as that is how I got to drive one in one of their ride and drives where they were really pushing it and they even had TV spots they had on often. If you had made it standard many would have hated the added cost as it was far from cheap and the marketing would have taken a big hit from the others for their more capacity. Finally you would have had a truck as heavy or more than the already over weight Ford. 4 Wheel steering is not a fix few are asking for anywhere. Even in the cars it has never really done well. Also like Blu said people in trucks look for reliability and cost as so many are used in industry and business. They are looking at how long it will last and how much is it going to cost me per month and year to keep on the road. If their guy has to back up to make a tight turn they are ok with it as long as it did not cost them more.

They really need to get the new platform in production and up to Challenge the others in the segment in all levels. These special cars are cool but the money is made on the volume models. My worry is the Alfa platform has had it's issues when it became an Alfa. I hope they let Chrysler take it and do it right. My other worry has been the rumblings that the Hemi may die and they will only be going with the TTV6. While I am sure it will be a great engine the buyers of the Hemi will be disappointed. If this happens it will be FCA failing not Chrysler's. I want them to make a better car because it make GM work that much harder. A strong three car segment will drive them harder to do better than if it is only a two horse race. Coupes will continue to be a difficult sale moving forward as they will continue to get more expensive. and lower volume. I expect the CUV and small SUV segment to get bit by the performance bug and we will see more options here. While it will not sit well with some it will add much more income to the company's that do go this path. Give a CUV a Raptor/BMW M like treatment and you can slap on a hefty increase in price and people will buy them. Not saying I like it but just have that feeling it is over due now and they will be moving this way in the future. Chrysler has done it with the larger SUV models now the smaller ones may see similar upgrades.