hyperv6

The problem time is running out for the Zeta as it is. Time to focus on the Alpha.

There were G8 TV spots were ther. There were G8 specific ads in magazines. The G8 was used as a pace car at the Daytona 24 Hours. But then again they were only importing 40LK or less cars. THis was a low volume deal. Show me one ad, tv spot or place the Astra was the only car in the marketing.

Few people knew about he Saturn Astra since it was never really marketed. How can you sell a car when you seldom mention it's name in print or on television. I think you will be suprised how good the new car will be and two how many never even knew it was a Saturn. As for what the Magazines say that is what good marketing is for. Seems we have not had much of that in the past and that is about to change soon. Lutz pointed out how many more Malibu's they sold vs the Aura do to the better marketing alone. Way too often the Saturn spots showed a show room of cars but never really singled them out and showed anything about them. The Saturn marketing was the worst of any GM did try. THe only thing worse was the silents of not saying anything on many models. Here is a little play on words from a Detroit boy that understands maketing. If the product looks good they will see it. If it sounds good they will hear it. If it's marketed right, they will buy it. But ...if it is great car they will feel it. Building cars like the Astra is for the future. As for the G8 it would only be a couple years. Selling the G8 here as a Chevy looks good on the surface but GM needs to build today to where they need to be in 10-15 years. That is what got them into this mess to start with. The efforts would be best used to make a RWD that will live more than 5-6 years. One that can be built here and uised for more than one model here. We need to do like GM and look long term not short term.

Sorry I just class the F body hatch in the big RWD class where hateches are not well liked vs trunks. I was thinking more in a sport coupe like some imports FWD 4 Cylinder and more Honda CRX or Sirocco like.

Like an F body????? More like the new Opel Astra hatch. Opel offers this in 4 door, 5 door and 3 door. It is a given for the 4 door but I would not be suprised to see a three door to compete with the likes of the Mini and other small FWD and AWD coupes. This would also play well vs VW GTI. Think this only sleeker and with only 3 doors. I do not see this 5 door here as it is more a Euro thing. It would be easy to replace the Opel emblem with the trishield. If you want Buick to convince people they changed a car like this could really help. Something of quality and fun to drive that your grandfather would not want sends a good message. Besides to make this a Buick fast and cheap would not take much money or time. If it tanks the cost get written off on the sales in China or with Opel where it will be their best seller. There is much to gain and little to lose with this deal as long as it is not like the Cruze.

I thought at one time you only needed a mailing address and to be registered in Deleware. Note many Corps just give PO boxes there. That is why I was kidding about the Penske rental truck. I would suspect that Saturn will be in DE. But now many companies are now under a LLC registration. I am not fully aware how that one works yet.

An Opel Astra based 3 door Buick with a LNF 260 HP turbo option would be sweet.

One has to use care with dreams on the web as they often get translated into false rumors. Roger may just need part of the parking lot to park a Penske rental truck on to to have an address to call it his Saturn Corp Headquarters. It is Deleware you know.

The bottom line is this car will be more than a new grille on a Cruze. I saw some photo's of the 3 door Buick in China and it looked very sporty and nice. It had a very Euro look to it.

Sorry I should have said in a market segement that will explode. To which I mean smaller more efficent cars. I see a need for high mileage higher end cars. I too see no improvemt for the over all car market and I expect Oil to either go up or the Fed Gov to jack the tax on gas up. They have to find more money to pay for all they are spending as it is not all going to come from the rich. I see smaller efficent cars being looked at as well as well appointed ones. SOme of these people paying higher taxes will have to go slumming in smaller cars but that does not mean they have to be uncomfortable. As for the industry as a whole it will take years to see growth in the auto market. I expect to see companies like Toyota to keep burning cash reserves. They may sell a lot of Prius but they need more than that. They have added a lot of debt with the money they spent on larger trucks and SUV's and never made a dime on them.

My HHR SS back seat folds flat and will hold a 6 foot soap box derby car with no issues or a 9 foot ladder with the front seat folded down. That is nothing new to Chevy. The key to the Orland will be the price. As it will lose the HHR crowd that account for 100,000 units a year. Chevy will have to compete on price with other similar vehicles. I could see replacing my wife car with a Nox but I could never replace my HHR with this. As for 3rd row seating how often do you carry more than 5 people. The third row would be in the way more than a help.

Your best bet is if they make the next Kappa and Vette on the new Alpha platform and built in the same plant. Make a smaller 4 Cylinder Turbo and then offer a little larger V8 Vette based on the same platform. This way they could share cost and support each other. Also this would eliminate the need for the based cheap Vettes they still offer. But with what GM has on their plate right now the 2 seater cars I would say are not on the top of the to do list. They have some more important things to address right now. I may be wrong but Kappa as it is now will be dead and gone from this point on.

What many seem to foget here is everyone is going to be in this market. With CAFE going up everyone is thinking small. Lincoln Mercury just anounced down sizing and even Aston Martin is working on a car to be built on a Nissan platform to sell in the $30K range in europe. I have seen pictures of the 2 and 3 door versions in China. THe three door is an Astra and looks good. The Sedan is not just a rebadge of the Cruze. I suspect form what I have been hearing this car will be built in Lordstown. Both cars will do well in a market that will explode in the future. The Astra failed at Saturn for two reasons. THey were more expensive in relation to the cars they replaced and GM never marketed them. Few people knew anything about them. I have had several people see the 3 doors and told me they never know Saturn sold them.

I would not put much into this yet. You know how plant rumors run wild. The problems I see is that Roger would not sell the car as it is. He would want to fix the flaws like the trunk. But to fit things like that would take a major rebuild. The Renault based cars have more Nissan in them than Renault. I see them being built in Nissan plants here more than a very old GM plant. As much as I would like to see this I just don't see it working for a low volume car. Roger needs a replacement for the Vue and Aura more than anything else to set himself free of GM.

The sad part is when I was at Lordstown last fall playing on the shut down assembley line. I still cant berleive they let us mess with the cars. They has built a G5 Turbo. The plant built one and they use it on the grounds to run around. I am sad to say that when it's time is up it will be crushed. So if anyone should ever ask there was one G5 Turbo and most people will neve know it was ever built. The good news is that GM is loking to use the LNF or variations of it in many new cars. This will not only give GM the MPG they need to add but a very advanced and techinical engine. Imagine a Malibu with this engine that woulf give a little more HP and more MPG. Or even in a Nox over the V6. All I know is I said years ago I would never buy a 4 cylinder but today I own one a love it. Sad to say it has more power than the 72 Big Block Chevy I had.

If Pontiac had been given the LNF Ecotec Turbo and used it in the G5 and G6 then let GM Performance Division tune each of their cars in the line that would have sold more cars than anything. Pontiac would have been a contender vs pretender in the performance group. Imagine a G5 with the Cobalt SS drivetrain. That could be bought for $20K. Leave off all the cradding crap and offer it with a big wing and one without. The real killer of Pontiac was the fact it was a performace division with little to no performance. Unless you wanted a big sedan or a 2 seater you were screwed. A great FWD performce car would have been better than nothing and the Cobalt SS is one sweet car to drive. Just check the lap times at the ring and at VIR vs a Mustang GT. Pontiac with no performance cars is like Cadillac selling cars like a Cavalier. And we know how that turned out.

Poor Eric. At least he is well paid.

My firms sells Goodyear Racing and Street tires but I buy mine from the Tire Rack. They are always cheaper than even my discounted work price. Add that to a buddy with a $25,000 tire machine that will not nick my wheels and I am set. I order them and the next day they are at the door. I can even use my Family Goodyear discount throught them. My last Triple Treads with the Tire Rack price, Rebate and my Discount I was able to get them in 16" for $74 each. If anyone is looking at Goodyear tires watch their rebates as often they will take $40 off a set of 4 tires. That is anywhere you buy them.

Maybe that is not Eric Stevens and really is PCS. This guy looks like he acts sometimes. Who took my Stapler!

Hmmm! On July 14th PCS Quote on C&G. I suspect GM will fail, they will liquidate within 2 to 3 years ... To July 31 PCS Quote on C&G Oh by the way the Teutonic Börger Biatch is back. I start at the new General Motors Company on September 1st. I look forward to my new responsibilities, not sure everyone will be as happy as I am about it though ... Guess things were not as bad as you thought?

I was not a fan of the red jewel coat tint when my mother picked out her car. In the showroom it just did not pop. We drove it out of the show room and into the sun the car looked so much different. Everyone make a big deal over her car now. Every time she goes some place they all make a big deal over her Malibu.The big 18 inch wheels and color give it a stand out look with taste.

It has a little less edge to it.

THe GM orange is a love hate color few are passive. I am not a big fan but I saw a new Camaro SS in the Orange with Silver stipes and it look good. Not enough I would buy it but enough to admire it.

If I recall it was the first one built and the one BJ sold. It was to be the only one that color and was part of the deal when you bought the first public one.

I replace a set of Factory BFG Comp VR tires on the wifes GTP that only got 24,000 miles with the Goodyear Triple Treads. we got around 50,000 miles out of them. The wife is hard on brakes and tires due to agressive driving and my speed on cruving off ramps also is not wear enhancing. I just installed the second set and have no need to worry about them for a good while again. Put a set on my Mom's old Buick and she got 60,000 miles on them and they were on the car when she sold them. They are still ruinning. I out a set on my steel wheels for winter on my SS. I took off the 18 inch tires for 16's. THe ride improved and turn in was a tick off but the performance compared to the Pilots were not very much. THe wet traction improved and the Snow traction was outstranding as it was on my GTP. I have pushed snow with the front air dam up my street and never got into the traction control. The triple tread as an example of the kind of tires Goodyear is now making. They have put their money back into developent and it is showing with each new tire coming out. The New Eagle GT that came out last fall is so good they should have named it something else. For then money it has proven to be a great tire. They have more new models coming and are rebuilding their line up not unlike GM. Robert Keegan is their Bob Lutz and he had changed them in a very positive way. It used to be Family members who worked there would tell you what not to buy now they have product they can and will tell you what to get.