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hyperv6

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Everything posted by hyperv6

  1. hyperv6
    Chill out dude you are acting like some of the wacko's that pop in once in a while. First off you do not even know what his last car was because I don't even know. It was a casual conversation with a mutual friend and it was his own personal observation. Have you even considered that he may not have just not used much gas with the last car and he may have a all natural gas house with a low electric bill. Hell he may not have AC for all you know. If is bill was only $80 a month and it may have increase it $80 month. To you and I that may not be much but to him that is double. Who are you to judge for him? Second don't get pissy with me on this as I like the Volt and love the concept. It is the only electric Vehicle I would consider buying on the market. My only point of the statement is that someone who really drives one and charges one that likes the car saw a large jump in the electric bill no more no less these were his words, his personal observation and his statement. If you like I can call and see if I can get a number for you to call him and bitch to him about it. I am not going to argue with you as I don't really care so pick a fight with someone that cares.
  2. hyperv6
    First off you have to consider this and this is the biggest difference. The CUV is not an off road vehicle. The AWD is just for people who can not drive in snow ands added profits. I own a Terrain and the last thing in the world I would do is lift it or even think about off roading it. I can tell you first hand that few people who own CUV do much to modify them. For most all they are street cars that look and feel like a Truck or SUV. As heavy and narrow as my Terrain is the last thing I would want to do is hobble it with an added 6" of top heavy. I could see that one on it's side very easy. Even on the Tahoe we get few people lifting them and doing big mods. We sell almost every lift kit known to man and 90% are trucks and Diesel trucks anymore. I do not know if it is the cost or what but that is what we see the most of anymore. Used to be in the old days it was pretty even. I think the big issue is the cost of lifting the new trucks properly is a lot more. Also the cost of most SUV's are $50K-$80K and many unless they have unlimited funds want to do the changes unless they really need it. Most of these in the past did not go off road anyways. In the past you could lift a truck with some blocks but today you need to change out members and other parts to get it right, Also you void warranties and run the risk of other issues with Air Bags etc. Body lifts took off for a while but many will not offer kits for Air Bag trucks due to liability and other issues on the new trucks. I see some guys cranking on the bars and adding blocks but they eat up tires and end up breaking bars. The SUV market has changed as with the CUV many people who were not real truck people have left the SUV market. Most are the stereotypical Soccer moms etc. Also cost of fuel and the SUV have driven many done to the CUV. Most do all of their driving on the road. Few pull more than a small boat. CUV also has taken in many Mini Van owners too. Take a look around and see how few Mini Vans are at the mall and how many CUVs are now in their places. The Trailblazer will make it so you can lift it easier and use it more like a truck. It will have more off road ability but I do not expect many lifted. Even the last trailblazer was one you seldom seen lifted I suspect due to he axle through the pan. I sis see many 2wd lowered and lots of wheels. Just a view from a Terrain owner and some one in the aftermarket.
  3. hyperv6
    I hope that Kool Aide is Cherry. Wind is like the EV car and it will supplemental but it is in no position to replace the main systems we have any time soon. I also like how you know so much about the guy in the Volt since you had never met him. talk about prejudging. You do not know how much he drives, how much electric he uses and how much the car is on gas. Buddy you had better get al the facts before you prejudge someone. You of all people here should know more than that. Keep in mind he in a day uses all the electric and does use gas. He also likes the car. I just had a conversation with him and he said the electric bill made a large jump and he looked at the cost it would have been over the car he had before and there is no great savings. Also the fact is there is a great concern that if the coal plants are forced off line the charge for power will increase. This is a legitimate concern by many. Sorry the guy has an informed opinion and is driving the car and has a right to it. I am merely passing along what was told to me by someone who drives one daily.
  4. hyperv6
    Drew he is not a troll as he loves the car but he is glad he is not paying to charge it. The dollars spent on green programs are not returning much back. At least with programs like NASA there was over site and fear of failure as it cost lives. The green companies get the money run and fail regularly. As for wind Europe invested in them long before we did and they are now looking for alternatives. Many coal plants do not need replaced as many had t be replaced or heavily modified and reconditioned to meet the new standards. Now on the other hand you have nukes like San Luis Obispo sitting silent because it is in need of replacement. As of now there is not any way we can replace coal with wind or Solar unless you are willing to become Amish. I have no issue cleaning things up if there is a real plan but there are so many lies out there that try to sell us on these programs and they cost us billions and the companies fail and take the money. They even fool the president as he brags them up and they close up soon after. Gives me faith in the Government. I have one side pushing wind and solar with that will not do it at this point and then I have the other side pushing grain fuels that drive up fuel prices and harm older cars. Neither one as a solid solution. As for the gulf it is to the point anymore oil over there matters little. The fact that we have radicals willing to come here and kill people will keep us in the deal. Like it or not we are on one planet and we can not isolate our selves from it. They tired in WW1 and WW2 but in the end these are now global issues and this one is based on radicals now. A for Coal we are increasing our production cost here by eliminating it while the Third world and China thumb their nose and continue to burn it unfiltered. We will never be on a economic level to compete. If there was an easy answer to all of this we would already have it. The fact is it will take all of the tools we have combined to make it into the future. To eliminate anyone would be a major mistake. All options need to remain on the table.
  5. hyperv6
    I will wait till I see more. For sure it will be better than what they had but I need to see more before I praise or condemn this. An informed opinion is the best opinion.
  6. hyperv6
    We can agree there are no absolutes. I Just spoke to a guy who has a Volt for a company car. He is glad the company is supplementing his electric bill as It has raised his bill more than expected. He loves the car but voice a concern that if the removal of coal for generating power is removed how much will it increase the cost of electric power and the cost to operate any electric car. He feels if the cost of electric energy goes up it may hinder any move to electric cars if gas remains stable in price. I thought this interesting observation.
  7. hyperv6
    The key here is Coal is the cheapest and easiest fuel to find and use right not and the are cutting it off before we have a real alternative. CNG is cheap now but the price like oil can jump. The Oil line from Canada looks lost and that would be key to a steady cheap supply that will end up in China if we do not change the thinking. Not all of us are lucky to have damns for Hydro. Nukes are behind in building and many we have now are old and having issues to the point of many closures. Windmills just are not cutting it and solar is not cheap or practical in many places. Storage is not easy for the lack of better batteries. I am ok with green energy development but do not take the cheapest and most abundant energy away till you have a real replacement. The plants are not dirty anymore and we are no choking to death here. If you want to clean the air talk to China.
  8. hyperv6
    Most Unibody can handle most of what these smaller BOF can do. The key here is there were a lot of people who were on BOF vehicles that have gone Uni and the real question is how many will come back. It is hard to tell yet since I have not seen the Trailblazer in person but will GM grow the segment or just split up what they have. I just have to wait till I see the real thing in person to really pass judgment on this. Don't get me wrong I love the TB but I no longer represent the average person in the market like so many others here. These things are hard to call anymore as little Buick Encores are out selling expectations and CUV's like the Terrain and Nox are increasing sales every year vs. the normal decline. It is a crazy market these days and the CUV/SUV market is all over the place anymore. Every company is looking for an edge and it is not a Ford.
  9. hyperv6
    What I would be more concerned about the killing of coal with little to replace it. I am fine to replace coal but the fact is there are no real replacements for coal at this point. We are already short power in many areas and if the grid fails we will see a collapse like we did in 1993. A tree branch took out the grid that was already over loaded. Where are most of the electric cars targeted? Places already short on power. This talk of green energy has a long way to go before it can effetely and affordable replace coal. There are no wind mills and solar panels that can replace it no matter how much money you spend right now. It like the batteries for the Volt need more time and investment that is not wasted like so much already. Brittan now has some people trying to remove fossil fuel vehicles buy 2040. Nice idea but if there is no real replacement what are they going to do? If they make it so they can not bail they are screwed.
  10. hyperv6
    The Captiva is taking the Fleet hit for the Nox. Chevy dumps these on fleets and they get dumped on the market and do not affect the Nox Resale as past GM models did like the Impala and Grand Prix. Resale on the Nox has been good. Now the Trailblazer will do fine but just were will all the sales come from? How many defected to the Tahoe? Traverse? Nox? Will GM draw in conquest sales from Ford since they are now FWD based with the Explorer? There is a lot to consider here as While the Trailblazer will do fine who will get hurt by it being here? I think GM has more to gain than lose but It will be interesting to see just who the buyers will be and will they buy in numbers like they did in the past now there are many other choices out there in the CUV lines that get better MPG and cost less. Many of the past Trailblazer buyers were not hard core off roaders and just wanted something truck like that sits up higher. The market has changed dynamics and it will be interesting to see just how many will return because they like this kind of vehicle better and how many stay away as they are happy with the Nox or Traverse. GM has little risk here since they are already selling it globally and even then I see little risk anyways. This is not one deal where a product planner will lose much sleep. Again here is another model they will not sell here at into but ends up here later as most of us expected.
  11. hyperv6
    The new ELR I suspect will show some of the new second gen Volt technology. I see it will have around 55-56 more HP, Not sure how they figure it as electric or gas but it should be more fun to drive. The Volt is not really a slug to start with. I am not a big spending guy and I would shut down most of the crazy government spending that is going on. They just toss it around like garbage. But the investment into this line of cars is the only way they will grow to the point people will like them and it will make them to the point where they may make a difference in your wallet. Also the fall out from the investment into the electronics here will reap benefits elsewhere. Now for the spending on all these other programs for the study of slugs and other many other issues I would axe in a heart beat. Too many people with their hands out expecting the government to do it all where they have no place being. The Ethanol would get cut right away. It not only is damaging to cars but it also drives up grain prices some years to increase food cost. With the lesser MPG etc. I just do not see a need for these blends other to make a few companies happy and farmers. At least with the Volt and other electric cars you have a choice if you want them and if not don't buy one. Later on even if you do not own one you will reap the benefits they have learned from the investments in you other cars in aero dynamics, tires and electronics. I think a lot of new ideas will be applied to even gas cars with lighter materials.
  12. hyperv6
    Again this is about more then numbers. You thinking is always so narrow. The last sentence sums it up for now. The real picture here is to create a market for these cars and let them advance and grow to the point that they cost much less and get more efficient. This is like the space program. Shooting a chimp into space may not look like a big deal but it and satellites were the first steps to the moon. This is where the real point comes in. The whole thing was not really landing on the moon the whole thing was about developing technology to do it. This is what propelled up into the future with electronics and other systems and medical things we never would have had. In fact we all would not be here now discussing this. I understand why the government is doing what they are doing and why GM is investing so much into this. With out a market the suppliers can not and will not invest in the new and improved technology. I can see a lot of good coming from improved Batteries and other electronics and not just cars. I am not a global warming guy and really have little interest on this end but I can see a cell phone battery that may need charged once a week. I see a smaller electric motor that may one day replace my heart and run the pump to keep me or someone in my family alive when no donor heart is available. It is endless. The fact is the government squanders many more trillions than what they are doing here. The fact is they are not going to cut the pay outs to the voters as they have been buying votes for years. They will continue to increase our taxes too. While this may not be as exciting as the space program I think we can reap similar rewards long term here. Lets face it since they axed much of the space program we are behind the 8 ball on technology growth. Today we need some kind of program to bring this new technology forward. The company who cracks the battery issue will become the new Microsoft or Apple.
  13. hyperv6
    The batteries would not fit in the Spark. They already have to remove the engine to get in what they EV version will do. I wish GM would put a full battery pack in the Volt or ELR and make an EV version then make it do anything the Tesla can do at 1/3 the price.
  14. hyperv6
    I think GM and Mark have learned from Lutz that it if it is not right spend the time and money to make it right before you release it if you can. In this case they are in good shape to make it right where as the Malibu was just a victim of delay with the chapter 11. I still believe as fast as the changes came GM already knew and had them on the way and just wanted to beat the Fusion out. Anyways it was Lutz who came to GM and made them fix the GP in 04 and delay the Lacrosse as he did not like them that much. He said the hard points were set so there was not a lot they could do to fix them but they did what they could. He also added the extra chrome around the windows on the Impala when the stylist was afraid of going over budget. He told him better to add it and fail than to fail in not adding it. It made the car look more up scale than without. This is the kind of thinking Lutz put into GM and I have seen it carry on with many who he left behind. He covered a lot of this in his book on GM. The new way of doing business at GM looks to be holding with the examples we have had post chapter 11 like the Impala, ATS and C7. I hope this continues. To be honest it is nice to see them get to the Sonic this soon as the Old GM would have had a poor selling car and delayed it even longer.
  15. hyperv6
    They had one in the early years. Around 1920 but it vanished for many years in the 30s-1970, Here is a video I found I love 1933 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FcPvhg9Grk The wreath has come and gone over the years and was not used every year. So it may be time for another vacation for it. .
  16. hyperv6
    Hmm, does not look naked here. Matter of fact it looks quite hansom here. Update it to modern crest and angle the V to fit the Arts and Science and it would do just fine.
  17. hyperv6
    I would not use CR for toilet paper as over the years I have had to repair and deal with so many of their recommended cars but that is another story. I am glad as this report will help a car that is a very fine car. The Impala hooked me the first time I saw it in photo's and took me in to it's grip even more when I got to sample it in person. GM hit the segment just right with this one. They go the styling the interior and the ride and handling just right and they are not attempting to make it more than it really is with some SS emblems. This car is so much nicer and better than the Taurus and dare I say the non performance Charger. The refinement Cadillac did to this platform did a lot for Chevy as it carried over and made the Chevy a better car by all they did. I see this also happening with the Camaro and all other Alphas due to the Cadillac investment. This is just supposed to be a good all around FWD sedan and it hits high on all marks. It is not a car for someone wanting a true sports sedan and it does not try to be but it handles well and rides better. Too often GM has tried to make cars be more than they really are and they end up Half Ass as all they do. Letting the SS be what it is and Impala is a great advantage for GM. When my Taurus/Shelby Mustang owning buddy came to me and said he saw some new Chevy that looked like a really expensive car. He went on how nice it looked and said if he had not just bought the Taurus he may have been a GM owner. That is when I knew GM hit a home run with this one. He normally is a I hate GM kind of guy but had to break down no this one as said they got it right. The lesser LT models still look good and not cheap as some more base models did in the past. I know sales may never hit the fleet discounted numbers with this model but I expect this one to be much more profitable many times over. While the CR reports mean nothing to most people in the automotive know they will do things for GM with the many who have no clue that follow ever CR word. This segment was out of reach for so long and these people do what they are told and it will help GM market this car so much more. More important this will get people into the dealers that would never have gone to a Chevy Showroom. The dealers need to get their acts together and show these people they as good to deal with as the dealers they are used to and like. Also this car will open the door to other models in the GM line they may see on the visit.
  18. hyperv6
    To me many of those with their retro thinking would have never approved of Harley Earls X and Y jobs and how he was trying to advance design. He shocked many with things like lower cars with no running boards and other things. Many back then hated it but they advanced design in so many positive ways once they were incorporated into the future cars. I for one like cars with as little use of emblems as needed. Cadillac is only losing the Caesar look here and it does look date and the round shape really does not fit the car well. Lets face it the car is more edgy and lined than round. With that said the V would better fit the shape and lines on the car. Also It could help them remove the emblem from the center of the grill to the top center or other location. To me the round Shape like this is a limiting factor on a car that is living on the Arts and Science edge styling. I will reserve my final approve to be based on what they really end up with as an informed opinion is the best route. I expect they will have a full take on this and may offer a good option.
  19. hyperv6
    It could be but you can not go too low as you have to account for the hood engine clearance that is required in so many markets now. Also if the hood clearance was that much of an issue you can lay a Eco over it you like. Many companies will lay inline engines over for lower center of gravity or for hood clearance. Hood clearance on a pushdrod V4 would still be lower than the DOHC I-4... and in that picture, it looks taller than the ATS. So, starting with the ATS hood height, which is relatively low, a V4 should be able to be even lower. Agreed it is a lower engine but my point is the Eco also can be laid over for more clearance if deemed needed.. It has been done by many in OE market and racing with in line engines. In fact in some cases the engines were laid flat. So to be that is a wash for both engines.
  20. hyperv6
    It's really not that complicated... If you have a four cylinder engine and you remove the front and rear cylinders such that it becomes a 2 cylinder engine, does the center of gravity change? No, it doesn't. However, the nose can be shortened by about the length of one cylinder and the transmission is moved forward by amout one cylinder. Simple? That same goes for when you chop a V8 into a V4. A Smallblock V8 is about 23~24 inches long not counting the accessories. Chop it in two and you save about a foot in overall engine length. Half of that goes towards moving the firewall and transmission forward. The other half goes towards shortening the nose. If you say so. If it is that good of an idea they could never pass this one up and I am sure the thought has never crossed their mind. You get GM to build this and I will agree you are right. Deal? As for the car I peg this at a 75% chance of a business car being approved on what GM is already looking at. The key will be how they can leverage the platform out over other brands and types of product that they can do to offset cost.
  21. hyperv6
    It could be but you can not go too low as you have to account for the hood engine clearance that is required in so many markets now. Also if the hood clearance was that much of an issue you can lay a Eco over it you like. Many companies will lay inline engines over for lower center of gravity or for hood clearance.
  22. hyperv6
    Would be interesting to see this as I have not noticed this on Fusions around Seattle nor on my Aunts Fusion. Look for the up level package cars with the openings in the rear panel. I have see 5 here like that. Nothing is really wrong but it just does not look good and has that diesel or oil burner stain look about it. The Lacrosse that have a similar set up have a thinner panel under the pipe and it does not show. Buick either noticed and fixed it or they just got lucky.
  23. hyperv6
    To me the Fusion is like they targeted my 08 Malibu and Chevy then changed the car. I do notice Ford has messes up on the exhaust. The up scale cars have the exhaust in the bumper. the Di is leaving soot running down the bumper and it look horrid on the lighter color cars. It must not take much as the cars are clean and two black stains running down. I noted the Lacrosse is not showing this.
  24. hyperv6
    I was interested in the K tech engine and did some digging. The engine is not really half a LS 350.They like to think of it as a 3/4 version. In the story I read it said it appears as a half a LS but in truth it has was inspired by three engines. The LS, the Honda 1300 V4 and the Ducati Desmosedici. The truth is other then some of the general lay out the LS really shares little here. The only shared part is the Cam gear. It shares similar lay out of the ports and valve train but the engine has all different spacing and measurements. Other thean the sprocket it has no shared parts or specifications. This was intended to be a light weight bike engine and not really anything for a car. They did use a VW dune buggy for testing and I can see a use for this in a sand buggy. Check out the story in the Sept 2011 Hot Rod as it was the best story on this engine. It is interesting but I think it shows how that to do this right you really need to do more work than just lopping off 4 cylinders. They even explain the odd firing of this engine as being better to help the rear tire recover between each of the 2 cylinder fires. Take time to read the story as it is neat what they did. Also I can see why GM is not involved as it was not their project or really their engine.
  25. hyperv6
    That is exactly why you want a very short engine. The transmission is widest at the bell housing. Keeping the center of gravity of the engine where it is, if the engine is very short, half the the reduction in length goes towards moving the transmission FORWARD which widens your foot well space. The V4 is basically a foot shorter than the V8 or an I4. Half of that, about 6 inches, goes towards moving the entire firewall forward giving additional foot well width and depth. The other way of course is to move the transmission to the back and use a rear mounted transaxle.The problem with that is that for most cars the height of the rear bench and or the width between the rear seats are simply not suffcient for that. In a vette this is not a problem because you have no rear seats and an elevated rear platform, but this isn't so four most 2+3 or 2+2 configurations. Another bad thing about a rear mounted transaxle is that you need to carry your engine torque to it with a fast spinning torque tube going the length of the central tunnel. This, like a heavy flywheel, reduces the rev response of your engine. Not much of an issue for a 465lb-ft V8, but in a smaller engine that needle will rise and fall at a slower rate affecting performance and driving experience. You move the transmission forward you move the engine forward and you then add length to the nose. Transmission bodies are wide and the bell housing is only part of the problem. The only thing thin on a tranny is the tail shaft. Sorry this is not an options and defeats the main reason you shortened the engine. Gee I wonder why you are not working for GM with all these odd Ideas?
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