hyperv6

Well according to the so called experts the oil prices will remian low for a good time longer than expected. One conflict in the Middle East can change that quick. Large vehicles will vanish just because of the CAFE laws inplace to large truck sales will be limited and no one will ramp up any plants already set to shut down. The question really will be this. Will People pay the price differance for a Volt vs a Cruze. If gas is in the $2 range I don't see many paying the large amount of differance in price. Say if the price for a Cruze is $30K and the Volt is $45K then less a goverment tax rebate how long if ever would they make up the cost savings. I know there some of those who will buy to save the enviroment but lets face the truth, most buyers are looking to save money. Everyone complains about Walmart but everyone shops there to save money. For the Volt to work it needs to save people money and do it before the car is worn out or the battery needs replaced. Everyone talks of CEO and Banker greed but lets face it the consumer is just as greedy to keep their money to spend on themselves. One other thing that would help the Volt is a fuel and oil shortage. I now own a Tubo 4 cylinder as I know in the future it will prove to be the wise move for a daily driver. But in the general public the majority of people live for today. They have little wisdom on planning ahead. This is why there are few people with savings accounts and credit cars charged over $10,000 and little hope of paying them off. It is the tomarrow will never come sydrome. Lets face it for the Volt to make it it needs to be as cheap or cheaper to buy and operate over the ownership time of the car. It is not going to make it just as a status symbol alone. I feel if gas does not go above $4 or higher I feel it will be a hard sell after the first intro buyers.

My take on this is Oil will go back up but to be honest no one really knows. I know the geenies and technos will buy this car but GM is counting on more people than the odd ones in the crowd to support this car. GM needs the mainstream people to accept this car and buy this car. The Prius did ok at intro then died off only to regain popularity with the increas in gas prices. We can not judge the Volt by the EV1 either as that was only testing the waters and was never a car that was expected to be production. Also if the Oil goes up on a bad economy no one will have the money to buy one. Kind of a Catch 22.

None of us can predict what will happen. Just six months ago high gas and oil prices was here to stay. Well as we know we are just under $2 in my area. Truck sales are up again and Cobalt sales that were booming are now sitting on dealer lots. If by chance the oil remains down due to deflation. Chevy then brings out the Volt at just under $50,000 Just who will buy them? Will it just be the Ed Begly Jr's of the world or a Politician trying to make a statment for his image. GM's timing has been as bad as it can be with product timing. It is nothing they could have done of late it was just happen stance. But they need to Volt to sell for all the money they have in this program. How can they move cars if gas remains under $2. We may be back at $5 by then but it is something they are going to have to deal with. This car needs to be more than a novalty. Bama I fear will pass some laws that will increase the price of all energy I fear and I suspect this may be a non issue but I just was thinking low gas prices are the worst thing to move Volts. Will the technology win out on the short commuters who want to be on battery all the time and not have to buy any gas? Just something to consider.

98% [Dennis Kucinich has to be accounted for] of those in Washington understand . This is where the greed and power come in. They are the ones opposed to it till they are given something they want in exchange that will benifit their lobbiest or get them re elected. Most have graduated from Havard, Yale or other highly ranked collage. It is what's in it for me that is the hold up not that they don't understand. Me before country is the problem.

None of this is new to anyone who has watched any WW II shows on the History channel would know this. Detroits work in both WWII and even WWI made a difference. Too bad they don't really teach any real history anymore ein schools. Those who do not learn from their his history Are doomed to repeat it. The sad part it is not just Detroit and the auto industry. Even here in Akron we built not just tires, Sumb chasing Blimps and ballons but Complete FU Cosair Fighters and many other things form Caskets to munitions for the allies. Even in later years Goodyear Aerospace was involved with Satilites, unrainum centifuges and even put some of their work on the moon. We lose our industry we lose out strenght. Westly Clark Is not a Genious with a ground breaking vision here, he is just pointing out the obvious to the clueless. "Those who do not learn form their history are doomed to repeat it!" As far as I am concerned WWIII has started but it being waged with Money and not Bombs. Read up on what China and Russia are doing to control different markets. They have learned money is power and if they control many large markets they will marginalize our control and power in the world. Putin's control of the Gas out of Iran will give him power and money to control Europe. China is doing what Japan tried to do and dominate the world with money and products. Japan did not have the man power or natural resouces to do it but China does. We controled the worlds markets but we no longer do. Who ever weathers this down turn in the world economy the best will become the leader. If we are to make it we better hope and pray those we electred have a handel on it. From their past track records it is hard to tell as they have no experience to show us they know or not. Time will tell.

Jobs would have to face challanged that he has never faced before. URW, Too much production and too little need for it ETC. Also Jobs has had his missed in the past too. Apple has had as many or more failed products as winners. With inovation come a greater risk of failure. In his industry if you fail you just come out with a new product next year. In the Auto industry you just wasted several billion on a new vehicle and it will take you 4-5 years to replace it. Jobs is like Edison. Edison did invent many great things but failed at 4 times as many. He could afford to as he had the income to be inovative and take chances. With GM and the Auto industry they can not afford many misses if any. THere are few people out there who can fix GM let alone do it in a couple years. To do it in one year is a pipe dream. GM needs to trim down and get back to its core product cars and make them the best there are. The real trick is triming down with out either going under protection or getting the gover ment to fund money to help trim the size down by buying URW people out.

I have seen air bags fail now and then. I saw a Mazda 5 that got hit in the side and the side airbags failed to go off even thought the drivers seat was pushed into the console and drivers seat. It was in the body shop and the shop manager said there was not reason it should had not gone off. Mine went off when the Cell Phone Idiot pulled infront of me and I just buckeled the front facia airdam. It was just enough to set the sensor off but not do a lot of damage other then just to the lower facia. I would have walked away in hurt if the bag had not cut and burned me.

How many years did it take Bill to get out of the job he should have never taken? 2 Years? Every time a Ford has run the company they have run it into the ground. This includes Henry when he would not let go of the T model. Also Edsel Died before ever got started. He was the only Ford with a clue.

Unless you can bring someone in that can do any better becareful of what you wish. Rick could have done better but with both hands tied behind his back with limited funds and union rules you just can't do what you need to do when you want to do it. Also some of the moves looked good at the time they were done but Monday moring quarterback always see the errors better than the guy calling the shots. Is there someone better out their? I am sure there is but untill you find them you better hang onto what you have as Rick has made some Mistakes he is not a Bill Ford.

As much as I want to see the drop top GM has more important things to get out. GM needs the Cuze like last year. They need to get back to the basics and build high volume profitable cars. It may be boring but it pays the bills. Play time will come after the hard work is done.

GM will survive in some shape or form. They will be cut down in size and leaner. GM also will be to its core market only as they shead off all non car and light truck enterprises they have already not sold off. They are a car company and will only build cars. For a company in this kind of trouble they have to take 3 steps back, make a few right moves and regrow the business. I can see a GM with only a few divisions world wide and those product sold will be the same world wide. If they are to develope electric and Hydrogen vehicles and or any other new technologies they can not aford to make 51 flavores of them. They will be the same world wide. Also if GM wants everyone the world over to know they have changed they are going to have to show they have changed. Just making good new models is not enough anymore. GM will have to prove they are a lean eifficent company able and willing to make a excellent product and the bottom line turn a profit with them. GM is not playing horse shoes anymore and close is not enough. They need to be leaders in new productsa and stop just meeting or matching the compititision. As boring as Honda is to the enthusitst they are a model of what GM need to be to convice investors to plop down their money again. Thes Chinese fire drills of the past near 35 years will not cut it with Wall Street anymore. They don't care if the ZR1 stops in 93 feet from 60 MPH. Wall Street want to see them sell car in great numbers to the unwashed masses of people just getting to work and home while making a profit. Not only will efficent and aulturnitive fuel cars be important, but with the slow economy not going to recover soon selling a cheap car will be very important like the Beat. We will be lucky at this point if the economy recovers in two to three years if nothing bad happens. We are one terroist attack away from a market crash. If 911 happand today we are screwed and the bad guys know it. We have had more close calls than thay have told us and they have done a good job the last 4 years. The new administration will be tested and we had better hope they don't fail.

Hmmm We have the HHR SS , Cobalt SS STS V, XLR V GXP Solstice and Red Line Sky. I see two and 4 cams on these GMPD cars John only worked with what he was given and with what the ZR-1 is doing two more cams would have just added more nose weight. This is sad as it is people like him are what GM needs to make a recovery. If he is replace with a less capable person GM as a whole will suffer because of it. The GMPD is one of the few things GM has been doing right. They should have given them control of each car not just to hot rod it but to tune it to a world class car for what ever class the car was in. If you want to be the best you have to be the best no matter what the task. It also is not a good sign when GM loses John and others like Tom Wallace. It is a sign of how bad things are yet to come.

Nice plan but they will pay for all of this with????? I see often a lot of realignmenmts of GM proposed but even with the limited goverment bail out realignment is not going to work. GM is going to have to trim down and get lean and mean. They will have to concentrait on the core divisions that are making money. I have seen Goodyear do this in the last 5-8 years. They do not own the belt and hose division, they do not make a lot of other rubber base products. Their headquarters is a shadow of it's self right now but they are beating Wallstreets expectations unlike the other tire companies by concetraiting on their core line of tires. We are far beyond just saving Pontiac right now it is more about saving GM. They need to work with core car models that can be sold world wide. Developing cars for each market is a thing of the past and right now it is a requirement for a struggling company.

What scares me is not just Obama but the House and Senate under Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi going unchecked. That is like leaving a signed blank check on the counter at the local gas station.

I can see Nissan being part of the break up of Chrysler is a deal with GM is struck. Nissan my be interested in plants, the Hemi and trucks GM has not interest in. GM could raise cash by selling these things off to them.

To anyone who thinks all the men who has run for office has been a common man since Truman you have got to be kidding. Harry was one of the few who held the office who was what you could call common. Even Washington was a very wealthy man and was far from common. The two we have before us are neither common or poor. At least one does not claim to be common or poor, besides it is his wifes money. While I don't agree with Mccain on every thing Bama scares the hell out of me. He is great when he is on script in his delivery but once he is off he has whoppers and the real Bama comes out like with Joe the Plumber. It almost makes me wish Hillery was back and I can't stand her, she may be crooked but at least she some clue with out someones help. Lets face it anyone who would want to be president has to have screw loose. I know people want change but they better be carefull of what they wish for as they may just get it. Just ask the people who voted in Hugo Chavez in.

The Stage 2 Kit will be dealer installed and have full warranty if dealer installed. The warranty codes for the dealers have already been issuesd. This kit will also be available for the Cobalt SS, HHR SS Auto and 5sp and Sky. I expect the coupe GXP to recieve the 2.1 Tubo in 2010 that will have around 300 HP as well as the other 2.0 turbo cars in GM's line up. Unless they are delayed by the money problems.

I kind of think it is funny how we all try to figure out how GM can save Pontiac when GM has not figured out how to save GM yet. Right now with the new product freeze and Pontiac in dire need of new product I see little reason for those who have not entered a Pontiac dealer to go now unless they want a good deal on a G8. I saw one advertised the other day at $25K Its a shame Pontiac can't even give away one of the best cars sold in this country.

Lipstick on a pig. It is an improvment but the car needs upgrades in more areas. Just a wild thought here but could the Saturn look be the first step to combine Pontiac, Saturn and Opel? All GM's Divisions have plans on world markets except for Pontiac and GMC. The G8 is their only link. With the lack of future Pontiac products we know of this could resolve some of their new product problems and make Pontiac a world market product. I know this is unlikely but like I said just a wild though.

They are very pro any fringe group that gives them money. If youi want change becareful of what you wish for as you might get it. Just ask a older Cuban or someone who voted for Hugo Chavez. This problem is not something a president will settle it will take the treasury, Bankers and everyone in the Capital to find a way out. I would give alittle nod to Mc cain on trying to save GM because he at least he drives GM cars. Other than that neither of these guys are spending any time worring about this right now.

GM and Pontiac could learn from this statment. "That which is good or great makes itself known, no matter how loud the clamor of denial. That which deserves to live—lives."-- The Penalty of Leadership Cadillac Motor Company advertisement, 1915

It could be worse. The redistrabution of Chevy products as Pontiac snd then charging more weakens both brands and is not working. Better to repair Pontiac vs pentalizing Chevy because they are making money. Pontiac is now a smaller brand now that it is combined with Buick but GM is not taking advantage of it. This is more than just power it is more about interior comfort and quality along with better tuning of the suspension. Pontiac just using the available GM engines has plenty of power but it needs the things we touch and feel in and on the car to be more Audi and BMW like vs Malibu like. Now that Chevy has raised thier game on interiors Pontiac need to step up and away from Chevy. Also when I say tuning I don't mean the old Pontiac of lets slap some stiffer springs and bigger bars on it. I mean let get it tuned to it rides and handels along the lines of a European car. Big G numbers are useless if you fillings are getting pounded out. My HHR SS handels great but it also rides much better than most past GM performance vehicles. This is due to GMPD and their whole package approach. I still see the need for at least two models of each but they would be good and best but there is no need bot base here anylonger.

The only way you can save Pontiac with rebadged Chevys, a Holden or two and a Toyota is to give each model and let the GM Performance Division tune each and every model. If you preach performance but you give a rebadged Aveo what does that say? Pontiac is saying the right things but are not backing up their claim as a performance division other than with a couple GXP cars [not counting the G6] and the G8. It is time to back up their claims! If you don't have a G5 that can run with a Cobalt SS and a G6 that can't out run my 72 year old moms 08 3.6 Malibu something is wrong. If they don't fix this even on the present models they may as well call Pontiac the We Build Boring Division. As it stands now my HHR SS is more Exciting than 2/3 the Pontiac line up. Pontiac has become what the Chevy SS was emblem cars out side the Solstice and G8.

None of us here should be suprised if this does come about. We all know the Zeta has a limited time even with the Camaro on the market. Also the Kappa has just not been profitable as well as they had hoped. If times were better they may work more with Kappa but the money needs to go to projects that will save GM and not just halo Pontiac. What worries me is the lack of any future anounced or rumored product that is fitting of the Pontiac name other than the G8 ST coming. If they do not do at the least an Alpha a couple more exciting non rebaged Chevy cars they may as well shut them down. If the G6 ends up being the best they offer is it really worth damaging the name to the point so you could not pull it out and use it again at a later date. One look at the Autoweek new car guide I got last week said it all on Pontiac THe G8 and Solstive were great, the G6 was good but not outstanding and the G3-5, Vibe and Torrent really should not even be Pontiacs. I still stand to call for GM to park Pontiac till they can better use the name at a later time. Right now the Pontiac name is becoming what Packard became in the 50's. There is a risk it may never return but is the worse than a Aveo G3 Pontiac? I do not say any of this to provoke anyone but they are just my own personel feelings. I hope I am wrong but right now GM has not shown me any reason not to change my feelings. At the way things are going we will be lucky if there even a Chevy to even rebadge.

I have paddle shifters on the 04 GTP and also a Malibu 3.6 6 speed. I always thought the wheel shifters would be much more fun with the 6 speed but it is so smooth it really is not much fun at all in the Malibu. If Pontiac plans on using this it they need to make it shift firmer in manuel mode than in the Malibu.