ShadowDog

Many people I speak with regarding the Volt have this major misconception about the engine. This car is not a hybrid, so its engine does not power the car but the generator for minor electric charging until it can be plugged in again for a full re-charge. Sources that indicate the 1.4L 4-cylinder that "powers" the Volt are creating this misconception. Some people even go so far as to tell me that GM is misleading the public by saying the car runs entirely on electricity without ever having to use a drop of gasoline. It can if you don't discharge the battery too far, but they don't understand this. Quite frankly, I'm surprised the engine even needs to be this big; however, I'm sure all efforts for efficiency and bean-counting are being considered. I'd have thought that a simpler 4-cycle engine supplied by another facility would have done the trick.

Interesting how easy it is to see that when conduct like this occurs, nothing gets accomplished and everyone suffers... but it would be GREAT for the UFC PAY PER VIEW FANS!!!

My bad, sorry. Apparently things became civil in this thread a little over half-way through. I was just about to do a major edit on my post a minute ago but it was too late. There's my apology anyway. So my reply is better said, "I think this will work."

Traditional Americans don't have the slightest clue what lengths the Administration goes to in order for this happy feeling-guise of "freedom" to continue. Your idea of "freedom" goes too far into the imagination; that you should be free to choose for yourself whether the environment, natural resources, economic tie-ins and old-industry is at risk or not just so you can, what... enjoy yourself? This whole notion of 'Today it's this, tomorrow we'll be overrun with constant terrorism' style argument has been said for generations, well before Communism, even Colonial times. If we didn't allow for change, would black people still be sitting in the back of the bus? There is no denying how much opposition there was to allowing black population the power to vote. How did we fair with that decision? Is the world not still turning? I use this as an example because it was an extremely volatile social problem that was laced with ethical consequences if the wrong decision was made. How funny that bigots and morally-inept racists thought their way was right, too. The world is dynamic, having to make for change that can accommodate as much as possible for the greater good for not only a nation, but a global environment. The Administration under Bush, as well as your argument for "freedom", is largely antiquated. Developing global relations starts with moves such as what Obama proposes. To continue with policy that closes doors and ignores simple ethics and basic human rights places a nation in danger of MORE conflict, not less. *clicked the wrong damn button* Anyway, when it comes to empowering the States with these policies, the steps appear flawed for any sort of reasonable expectation for the automotive industry to accommodate. Even if a policy is derived from, oh let's just imagine, a combined agreement developed from all States as an AVERAGE, it's likely the national goals will still fall short from their target... that is, unless the whole idea is to place the entire policy in the hands of the States to develop so that they can come to a conclusion as to their own 'appropriate' GREEN expectations. This sort of move, placing the decision-making in State hands creates a great deal of political power, right down to the citizens (IMHO, where it should be). It makes for a great way to let the voice of the people speak.

There's something not quite right about men getting in line to be impregnated by a car. Otherwise, despite there being hardly anything done to make this a special car, it is quite the pretty beast.

Well, first you buy your tinker-Toyo-hum-drum and then spend eleventy-thousand dollars putting stickers and non-functional holes on/in/under/through it. VIOLA! You now have a SPORTY tinker-Toyo-hum-drum!

Perfect for the lazy, mechanically uneducated import owner never to worry about something going wrong. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 23. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 22. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 21. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 20. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 19. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 18. Hmm, WTF, my WTF likes to pull to the right a lot. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 17. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 16. Wow, this thing sure is slow lately... and what's that grinding noise. Good thing I have a warranty. Oh, it says one of those wheel motor thingies is broke... oh well, I still have 15. Darn, it won't move. How do I call a tow truck again? This isn't right, it was supposed to last 100 years without EVER having anything go wrong with it. What did I pay for? It's going to cost HOW MUCH to fix ONE of those wheel motor thingies?! How many of those wheel motor thingies are broken?! Typical GM garbage! LEMON LAW!

Or in GMs bean-counter case: 2X2=+/-4(moreplastic)

Nothing sparks a kids delight until they go through the Christmas Wish Book from Sears. I remember how much fun it was as a kid to go through the book and make a checklist of things I'd like for Christmas. Ordering from the catalogue was so effortless and rewarding for people in rural areas not having a Sears retail store for hundreds of miles. It was like having one on your doorstep. Now, it can all be done by e-shopping; however, shipping charges are ABSURD if you purchase for delivery from BB (Future Shop, etc.). At least Sears was always cheap for that.

Well, in my experience, we had to choose between a '05 Caravan, SUVs (in fairness, we also looked at many different model SUV's, particularly bigger ones like the Trailblzr), and sedans. The massive convenience of Stow-n-go, underfloor storage, full length roof rack and other additional family conveniences of the van made it a clear winner. My wife drove GMs new vans for customer pickup and delivery at the service center, so she had enough experience in the van to know that it, unfortunately, was just not good enough. Long story short, one major decision breaker for all sedans was the fact that the rear seats would be filled with baby-car seats, etc. There wasn't much room left in the trunk after the stroller. Entry and egress for kids was difficult in our other car when it came to lifting and lowering into a car seat in a sedan, so that was difficult on my wife. The van had seating for an additional 5 people with the seats installed. An SUV was hardly any better than a sedan for room, so for our travel needs, the van clearly won. Maybe this gentleman was looking at things like this... maybe he's a dolt... who knows, right?

So I gather, "The Source" retailers in Canada, formerly Radio Shack, owned by Circuit City, are done? Found an article anyway: The Source is protected

Everybody has different needs, different wants. Personally, I don't see what it matters. How many people get to pick out a car for free, much less whatever they want from the lot? I know that if my needs outweighed my wants, I'd make a practical decision as well. To each their own folks, to each their own.

I'm not reading that CAFE put a stranglehold on RWD platform development; but that it is placing restrictions on GM for where their money is better spent on development of all vehicles to meet CAFE requirements. There's not enough to go around, so RWD must suffer for the greater good. For the sake of those thinking it's a RWD vs FWD fuel-economy battle, is this not how the release should be interpreted?

Niche vehicles for fans will not bring in the gross profits so desperately needed, but would waste resources required to arrange a lineup that could produce long-term sustainability. This car would have been nothing more than a display of market positioning and image. Even the best car ever made in the world sold in extremely limited numbers would not help to save a brand, much less GM. Without the involvement of the government to this point, GM would already be closed for good. There is far too much reading into these business decisions. I agree that it is only going to get worse before things start to get better. Sticking to a game plan developed prior to the financial crisis would be a disaster; yet, so many around here are crossing their fingers in the hopes that their favorite model, platform or development will 'make the cut'. So many around here also have a reason why such cuts to their idea of GM's path to success would be a bad move. So who has the right answer? All or none? I'd save the crying towels to keep them dry in order to be used as wound-dressings later.

It's finished, so just market them RIGHT and sell them... as many as you can make. There's no room, time, money, patience or clue with the public anyway. Get on with it. Dealers take note: LEARN your product and LEARN your competition. Buyers of this car will weigh all the options and positives, so figure them all out and find the right selling points. If there's one thing that pisses me off about salesmen, it's that they THINK they know what you want without actually telling you about great things you didn't even know about. Why is this important? Simple, really, this is a FABULOUS automobile by looks and stats. Consumers need to be forced to realize why not to ignore it. Don't just make them see it and 'ask' them to find out more at their nearest Buick dealership, TELL them about it right away so they know how it stacks up against its competition. BTW, I don't care what else it looks like. That's pointless discussion.

Overall sales volume of Chevrolet vs. sister models from Pontiac provides a sizable answer. Fans will not provide stability for GM, buyers will.

I'm of the opinion the historic names were shed as a move to wipe the slate clean for image-sake. The name of a model may just as much be connected to as many bad experiences as good ones. Nobody can associate a new model name with the past images of older model names to look back on. The ambition was to draw the attention of buyers from imports. I feel the only way this was to happen would be with just as they did by removing the past associated with Pontiac. The quality of the new models was vastly improved. Recognizing this required more than just simple marketing, it required an overhaul. GM required new buyers, the ones traditionally keeping their eyes on imports as their next purchase. How many of these buyers actually have any idea of Pontiac's past model lineup names. Quite frankly, even if the old names were slapped on the new models, I don't believe it would have made any improvement. In fact, I believe the opposite would have been the result.

A government loan by the Bush administration has little to do with the care for the auto industry, but of the economic impact to the country to be without a major industry that provides income to hundreds of thousands of citizens. I don't believe this loan will provide any measure to make a dent in the future viability of the company; however, the stipulations imposed upon the company empower them to make changes that would normally be inappropriate to the union and the creditors. In a nutshell, it provides an excuse. "Tough times call for tough measures. We're 'forced' to make these changes as a condition of our loan agreement. You have a problem with that? Take it up with the government." Do not mistake this loan as a patriotic nod, one coming from kindness or a pat on the back to say, 'We give a crap about your cars.' No, this is done in the interest of the economy and politics. I should also point out that the $3B+ the Canadian government and the province of Ontario are kicking in to the Canadian industry has been specifically said to assist in preserving income-stream and the economy.

The article appears to be British. Two specific references can confirm this: 1) aluminium; and 2) tyres.

Look to a small lineup of entry-level rebadges for Pontiac. GM won't have excess to play with for R&D on niche vehicles. Mass production has always meant shared platforms for reduced costs, so building what would essentially be considered a new brand would be too expensive right now. All I can imagine is taking the cars we have and installing bolt-on performance items, call it a Pontiac version and move on to the next one.

Hmm, this just provokes thoughts on how much cheaper a Chinese-GM car would end up costing if the labor-rate for production is nothing more than a loaf of bread per day. I could own a brand new ChiVette for a third the price! I will prefer to wait and see.

Clarify?

Now, when I see a small K-car belching blue smoke from its tailpipe as it clatters off the line at an intersection, I won't be saying, "Wow, what a piece of $#it." Oh no, I'll be changing my tune and saying, "Wow, that piece of $#it helped save Chrysler!"

Apparently, this is a shot of the very twister that visited the boy scout camp:

Small-car sedans aren't exactly known for style and flair. Heck, the Civic is brutal in 4-door form. It would seem most cars with a sense of style tend to provide more form than function. The Mazda 3 has some nice visual features, but you can't expect every car maker to hit on a trend-based design and make it work for everyone.