ShadowDog

To me, the tire seems to affect the car, so the tire would depend upon the car I'm driving. That said, I've never been a fan of the Goodyear RS/A that continues to be used on GM's sedans. I've had mostly crappy experiences with them on my Monte Carlo, and other cars wearing them.

Story time: Fact, not fiction. Calgary, Alberta. My brother-in-law heads an advertising department in his company and wanted to get together to shoot the breeze and pick my brain for ideas. We decided to go to Starbucks as a sort-of treat, and for inspiration. (My idea, and you'll find out why) He's quite familiar with the place, considering his profession. Strangely, he never put any thought into its customers, or some of their oddball behavior and opinions. We order up and find a seat. Now, he's handing me pamphlets and prints, photos and slogans, asking me which one I liked and such. The pitch was for Volvo to have these pamphlets in their gloveboxes to promote their dealer service departments. I asked him what he knows about some of the people who buy Volvo's (based on the research done by the company). There's bound to be a few of them in Starbucks at that moment. He gives me some feedback, then I ask him what he thinks about his coffee. He says he likes it, then asks me about mine. I say loudly, "Eh. It's not bad, for fast-food coffee." I got about ten people to turn their heads to me with expressions ranging from curiousity-to-disbelief-to-offended. I took a look around, then said to my brother-in-law, "Gauge their reactions to what you might find by printing that slogan you have there. Will it work, or hurt?" My brother-in-law chose the slogan to present to the Volvo dealership that was the most plain, vanilla and non-offending in any way imaginable. THAT's a Starbucks experience he took to the bank.

Do you guys all live together or something? It's like a hen-house in here sometimes. *SQUAK* *squak-squak-squak* *SQUAAAAAK*

What have I done for GM? The most important thing one can do outside of their world of direct corporate influence, buy their vehicles. My family not included, though new GM product buyers themselves, I had a '95 Monte Carlo Z34, and now a '04 Chevrolet Optra5 for my wife. With little need for it right now, the truck I have planned can wait. I don't sit and complain regarding the moves GM makes; however, I don't blindly approve every decision that's come across my eyes. That said, I don't blindly approve every step BM has proposed as the perfect gift to the success of GM. My area is management in the combined operations for foods, pharmacy and petroleum sales. There is nothing overly spectacular through the operation but for what significant planning is required for day-to-day needs to maintain the most profitable levels. To put it plainly, you manage $1.00 perishables to attain the $5 million gross sales in foods alone. This means planning against (not with) every salesman who walks through my doors and having only one thing on their mind, "bookings". They all want me to sign for butt-loads of product, both immediately perishable, and with shelf-life, fighting against ever having to take 'no' for an answer. I know what's best for my operation, because I'm the one there every day doing what's best for my operation. My numbers are proof-positive. Still, their mantra is that their product is the best, and will sell like hot-cakes. In all my experience, this only works if the price is right, and the quality is such that it will guarantee a future sale, down the road, to the same customer. Very few times have I found myself with a stock issue due to purchasing questionable merchandise. This is not to say I don't take risks; however, I don't leave it up to the salesman to tell me what's best for my operation when they have no clue as to who my clientele is, and what goes on in the day-to-day status of the business. This doesn't make me qualified to run GM, or even suggest measures for their success; but it does make me qualified to evaluate what a person has to say about why GM fails, and why they have all the answers (purely from a sales and marketing perspective at that). Why is this important to know? Removing any sarcasm from the negative notions of what a 'salesman' is. BM is still better known as a salesman, but the kind that only offers what 'he thinks' you want to -or should- hear, pushing onward with ideas that do not show potential on a national (or international) scale (based on the feedback that tends to sit solidly in a realm of common-sense). His tactics and negative campaigning put him in a position more akin to politics than corporate development. Keep in mind, I certainly don't take anthing away from his postitive results in sales and marketing, but those are merely elements to assist in successful business development and not the sole grand answer to positive gains throughout; however, his negative campaign-style antics and nature are the reason his posts no longer receive any attention from me. I tend to guard myself against people in sales who tell me that my operation will only grow if their input is considered. More often than not, the ones who don't let a product speak for itself are trying too hard just to make a sale on an entirely questionable product altogether. BM's 'Return to Greatness' plan is overshadowed by his antagonistic and negative opinions. I don't think too many people can appreciate the product from a person who never has anything good to say. That said, I wouldn't feel left out if he were a salesman for whom I would never buy anything from for my operation. His attempts at character assassination within his posts have done well, against himself. Follow him if you wish. I don't care either way. My reply was because you asked the question nicely.

I'm not about to jump into any wagon that suggests an immediate business strategy on the part of an investor, regardless if that investor is another auto-maker or partnership thereof. All this talk of this engine or that transmission, like they are the holy grail to all auto-makers, isn't what this is about. Remembering the talk of when Kerkorian bought up the shares is an example, where all this same fear and speculation came up in suggested 'plots' for the future demise of GM. In the end, all Kerkorian did was sit on his shares, never remotely amounting to any kind of threat based on the doomsday predictions of individuals here. That's my opinion as well. There's nothing significant here but for what the evidence shows in how Kerkorian just wants to unload his poor investment in GM. For Nissan-Renault, it won't amount to much either, but for what they may be able to accomplish together. The way I see it, they could be investing in the future demise of a company that can't pull its pants up just to pick through and collect the pieces for themselves to benefit by...but dare I go, doomsday speculating...bad idea. Suzuki had a lot to gain in assisted development of the original GMDAT products. It is true that the Daewoo vehicles were already in successful development before GM came along, and I tend to think it's a good thing GM didn't have much input in their design or engineering. GM certainly didn't need to rebadge these for themselves; (Aveo, Aveo5, Optra, Optra5, Epica), but their entry in GM Canada has been a good thing due to the much larger small-car market that's appreciated. We'll just have to see what's down the pipe on this one. As far as I can tell, Nissan-Renault may be looking at this with tunnel vision while Kerkorian is simply trying to fast-track the deal as if attempting to unload a few hundred vacuum cleaners onto someone's doorstep in record time. I'm betting there's no real winner at the end of this...aside from what company arrangement is made between GM and Nissan-Renault for future development, if any, between them.

No habla crazy.

I tend to think the majority of people considering the G5 don't give a crap that it's a rebadge. Some people would prefer it just because it's got an arrowhead on it instead of a bowtie; but, would everyone in the market consider the Cobalt even if there wasn't a G5? I don't think anyone really loses sleep over a decision like, "Hmm, Cobalt's wonky round rear lights or G5's conventional rear lights...Cobalt or G5...Cobalt or G5." It doesn't really matter. An additional name for those stuck to Pontiac is possibly an additional sale for GM, period.

The time in my life at which I was planning on buying a nice, white Z28 model has come and gone, and it just isn't coming back.

It's in the nature of the road, but it never gets any easier when it happens. Having served on the volunteer fire department for a time, I've dealt with enough - requiring the usual councelling afterward. My experiences were nothing compared to the First Response Unit, and the crew manning the jaws of life and paramedic hauler. I hope your memories aren't causing you any grief. I still have issues with a particular incident when a male occupant of an SUV was a decap. victim. It's rather disturbing when I never saw the face of the person; yet, my mind still forces me to wonder what he actually looked like. I don't get nightmares, but the images are just annoying as all hell.

When it comes to the global cultural issues, censorship is probably worse in America than anywhere else. The first amendment is meaningless when you consider that a board, such as this one, has global viewership. That said, it doesn't matter what anyone says, it seems to only matter in the eyes of someone viewing. Sometimes a disclaimer is all that is needed. If the public understands the risk for where they choose to view content, it's up to them. If non-censored material prevents people from even accessing the site, well, that's not the site's fault. I'm not sure self-adjusting censorship settings will enable a server to render a site clear and accessible again anyway, so I'm not sure if that would work. I guess it just comes down to where it's appropriate or not to view the content.

Eh, let's try something new. "Let it ride."

...or one could simply consider it an 'opinion' and disregard it.

That's the corporate world, smoke and mirrors.

I appreciate a good thunderstorm, especially the ones on a warm and humid night that seem to last forever before any rain will fall. I can only appreciate them when I'm driving if I pull over. I can't stand to drive around the mental-midgets who absolutely must concentrate on the sky more than their driving.

There's been some interest in dropping a turbo into the 2.0 Litre Holden 4-banger, as far as going with an option that's been tried and true for over a decade with this engine; however, I think I found a better option. 108,920 HP @ 102 RPM 5,608,312 LB/ft of torque @ 102 RPM While the 14-cylinder does drink 1,660 gallons of heavy fuel oil per hour, I think I can be a little lighter on the throttle to help that. That's the inline 12-cylinder model. I might need to beef up the front suspension a tad to carry the weight. Info here: http://www.bath.ac.uk/~ccsshb/12cyl/ You think the guys at Jiffy Lube are going to hate me when I pull in with this thing (under?) the hood?

I recall that incident on the news. If it was the same incident (though sad that there are so many it's difficult to keep track) the one causing the accident was heard repeating over and over, "I'm so sorry." Save it, buddy. Your stupidity for a pointless thirll meant their daughter (or two kids, I can't remember) is now without parents. These accidents don't happen all the time, but it's not right that they should happen at all. In Canada, it really is a problem due to the lighter-side of the legal measures against the street racers. More often than not, it's high-performance cars driven by spoiled-wealthy young men that pose the greatest risk. When you're rich enough, fines and seizure of cars is considered getting off easy.

Yeah, I have a background on this one. Some senior-school teenagers were sitting on the hood of my best friend's Camaro. Now, my friend is normally reserved, exceptionally polite and kind-hearted, and would no more than simply demand it of the kids to kindly get off his car. In this case, it changed pretty quickly when the guys saw some girlfriends they knew, and one idiot got up and literally stood on his hood to shout something out to them. This obviously flipped my friend's switch, as he was already moving toward them, surprising them by chirping the door locks with his remote, then shooting for the one standing on his hood. He grabbed him by the belt-buckle, and yarded him off the car onto his side on the pavement. Now, my friend wasn't exactly small at the time, being 6'1" and 270 lbs....just ripped all over. Two guys jump off his car and poised themselves for a scuffle until they apparently got a good look at him. My friend didn't say a word, he didn't have to. He walked toward them with nothing more than a pissed off look, and they both had their arms out with unmistakable, "Whoa!" looks on their faces. They backed off and the one on the pavement swore a couple times while getting up. He didn't stick around long. There was a noticable impression where the sheet metal met the hood framework; however, it was soon repaired by a friend in the bodyshop. When we were in his car at the time, he put it quite plainly, "It isn't the damage that really bothers me, since it's just a car that can be fixed; it's the lack of respect that I can't tolerate." I told him that I was actually quite surprised he didn't run at the guy and body-spear him off his hood. His reply was rather funny, "I like these pants. I don't want to ruin them." The only thing that's ever happened to me was watching two middle-aged couples walk out of a dance club while my '95 Monte Carlo was idling at the curb (locked) while I waited at the exit for my friends. They appeared to admire the car when one of them cupped his hands to look inside (window tint) then tried the doorhandle. I watched with my unclasped remote in my hand and quickly hit the panic button. He jumped away and looked around. I didn't make my presence known and just kept watching in disbelief. His companion had some better sense and boldly told him, "Hey, let's go!"

I'll examine the positives first: I just typed it all out and weighed it against the negatives, then deleted the whole thing. I thought it all out and agreed that I have it pretty good. The negatives are nothing more than annoyances or setbacks that others might think would be absolutely nothing to complain about. That said, it could be better, but it could be FAR worse.

...teenagers...that's all I see in that photo. I guess I look toward maturity instead since physical attraction only goes so far.

Sometimes it just comes down to the packaging overall, and not just what's on the surface. Sure, it's a volume brand; but I think that actually speaks volumes because they are going to offer ESP in more of their cars than the luxury brands can make praise for their own. It's always the trend anyhow, that volume brands begin to place contraptions and gizmos in their cars today that luxury brands offered in their cars yesterday. So, okay, let's hear it: "I don't care because I don't need no ESP, ABS, Airbags, brakes, etc. I'm in complete control of my car at all times. I'm the perfect driver."

Glad to read all are o.k. The surprising detail is that she will be found at fault for all incidents of damage. In many places, each person involved striking another vehicle would end up with the deductible charge as a result of being too close to the vehicle in front of them. I mean, rush-hour is rush-hour, so it's difficult to know just when someone actually stops or how slow they're going; however, it still surprises me you all didn't get dinged for the forward impact damages. I guess that's just the lucky deal.

Soo, I gather it's safe to assume that by the time something along the lines of this all-RWD theory comes to pass, the majority of car owners will be enjoying their flying cars from Toyota?

I can see the cartoon spoof rolling in my head. Imagine a CARS rendered Jeep suddenly spitting teeth out of his grille. Seats catching fire...wow...I think there's way too much thought going toward 'what else' instead of 'what's good enough' when it comes to these extra conveniences we find in cars these days.

* in a rather monotone voice, "Like, wow...didn't see one that coming, at all."

It would look pretty good to me if it weren't for the gaudy graphics, children's stickers and chickenwire braces. At least the developer was smart enough to leave the interior alone.