Blake Noble

I'd say there's just as much of a chance of GM keeping the Commodore name for the Chevy sports sedan as there is seeing it badged as a Monte Carlo. Personally, I couldn't care less what they call it. They could call it the Chevrolet al-Qaeda D-Train Express and I'd probably still like it. Aside from the Cherokee — which I never got to use as a daily driver — and the Dakota — which I don't honestly consider to be my vehicle — all I've owned are two-door vehicles and I've never had any issues with practicality or parking. The extended length of a coupe's doors aren't just for form, they're also there to aid in getting people in and out of the back seat. I also have a habit of parking slightly away from everyone else to prevent total assholes from dinging up my car, so I've never worried about tight parking spaces.

I'll take this moment to say the next Compass is supposed to be more "butch-looking" than the next-gen Liberkee, so we'll see.

G. Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 13th, 2012 Without a shadow of doubt, Ford’s Mustang is a red-blooded, all-American icon. Since the 1960s, the stallion-badged pony car has won the acceptance of a large number of enthusiasts and normal buyers alike, its abundant presence dominating paved surfaces ranging from boulevards to drag strips. Love it or hate it, it was the Mustang that gave us other revered models like Chevrolet’s Camaro and Dodge’s Challenger, and inspired the European Ford Capri and Japan’s Toyota Celica. Facts are facts; the automotive world would certainly be a very dull place without it. However, while it has traveled to countries outside of North America like the UK and Australia as a grey-market import, the Mustang was never designed with a global market in mind. For example, the Mustang as-is cannot be converted to right-hand drive from the factory in Flat Rock, Michigan and aftermarket companies who can make it happen usually charge expensive prices. It has always been a car built by We the People, for the People and the People alone. Well, no more. If rumors circulating over at Popular Hot Rodding prove to be correct, that’s about to change with the next-generation Mustang, due for 2015. According to PHR, the next-generation Mustang will be engineered with the ability to be reconfigured for right-hand drive markets, such as the UK. In fact, word has it that Ford will aggressively export the Mustang to Europe, Australia, and even Japan, and dealers in Europe are already being told to expect the Mustang as a regular model in showrooms. That means, for the first time, overseas buyers can drive a brand-new Mustang away from a lot and not have to worry about a dealer refusing to service and support the car. It’s also worth noting that Ford Europe development boss Barb Samardzich recently spoke to German automotive site Auto-Mototr-und-Sport, and was quoted as saying the next Mustang is being developed as a part of Ford’s global “One Ford” plan, meaning that the Blue-Oval pony car would meet European pedestrian safety standards. Other than the buzz about the Mustang’s future global pedigree, additional rumors include that the sixth-generation model will likely shed weight, shrink in size, and ride on a new global rear-drive platform. It remains to be seen if that means additional rear-drive models will be built for the American market. The fact the car will ride on a new global platform will mean that the Mustang will probably join its Chevy and Dodge rivals and finally adapt to an independent rear suspension. And although the 5.0L “Coyote” V8 will remain under the hood, a hybrid powertrain may be the cards. Recent Mustangs have been styled to be modern throwbacks to the days of the vintage models from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Although the retro approach to design has been met with near unanimous approval, the next-gen car will have a fixed gaze on the future. According to PHR, Ford’s goal is to take the Mustang’s styling into the future while keeping it familiar, so that means traditional elements like the three-section taillights and scooped lower body lines will remain. We’ll find out how much of the rumors prove to be true when the next-generation Mustang debuts in 2014, in time for its 50th anniversary. Sources: Popular Hot Rodding, Auto-Mototr-und-Sport View full article

Nice simple review. Great job. It isn't just your parents Lucerne that's suffering from questionable interior build quality; my parents Aura isn't holding up the best these days either. For example, the Aura has an annoying and rather useless pop-out trinket bin below the dimmer switch. All of the later Epsilon cars have them, but on the G6 and Malibu you have to pull them out of the dash to use them, whereas on the Aura you'd push on it. I don't understand why they decided to make it worse for the Aura, but if you have tall knees you'll occasionally bump the stupid thing exiting the car and it'll flop out of the dashboard. Well, my parents took their Aura to Tire Discounters to have the tires replaced at around 68,000 miles and the dude who put the tires on got in the car to move it, got out of it and accidentally brushed the damn thing. He forgot it was left down, got back in it, and slammed it with his knee so hard it broke off. It's now jammed in place in the dashboard because the part isn't easy to find. Other than that, all of the soft-touch interior paint on high-traffic areas like the door pulls is coming off, the seat fabric is somehow creased in unnatural ways, and none of the speakers on the front left side of the car work. The gauges like to twitch when you shut the car off, the glovebox squeaks, and the A/C blower chatters like a homicidal chipmunk on speeds one and two. The car only has less than 75,000 miles. Rest easy, I'm not trying to turn this thread into a personal bitchfest, but I really wish the old GM had just spent the few extra cents they wasted on stupid things — like a trinket bin you'll never use because nothing fits in it — on generally better build quality instead.

Yeah, it's fine on the mainpage, but in some threads I occasionally see some formatting code.

If Toyota builds a Japanese Veyron, I wonder if there will be a button you can push on the dash that'll transform it into a giant robot? I know the Veyron is overhyped, but its still a hell of a supercar to beat and Toyota's price-to-performance ratio history with the LFA doesn't bode well for a potential endeavor like this. So, yeah, it had better turn into a robot.

G. Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 12th, 2012 The Opel Insignia is certainly a well-traveled piece of automotive design. Currently, the German mid-sized sedan is sold in mainland Europe as, obviously, the Opel Insignia, in the UK as the Vauxhall Insignia, and in China and North America as the Buick Regal. For 2013, you can add Australia to the list of countries the Insignia has been to as Opel prepares to introduce the brand to the market there for the first time, but before that takes place, the German automaker plans to give its award-winning sedan a bit of a makeover. Spy photographers snapped these shots of the refreshed Insignia undergoing testing in Europe recently. Although the eyeball-busting camo doesn’t reveal any small details, it is obvious that Opel will mildly update the front and rear bumpers, the grille, and the headlights and taillights. It’s also expected that the Insignia will also have some mild updates to its interior as well. At the moment, the Insignia’s styling hasn’t been touched since it was revealed in 2008. Besides Australia getting the Insignia for the first time, we have to wonder if this nipped and tucked version of the German sedan means that our Regal will be treated to the same updates in the near future. Source: CarPix via AutoBlog, CarAdvice View full article

Imagine my disgust to learn this afternoon that I was pretty much right. This time, however, Fox News wasn't content with taking down the Volt again, they decided to take aim at a car that isn't even out yet (guess which one). Also note that (spoiler alert!) they decided to use a photo of a pink Chevy Spark for the article. I highly advise that if you want to keep your sanity, keep out of the comments section.

You know what? I like how we had a story with regards to how many sedans were at the NY Show a day before most everyone else.

Jeep CEO Mike Manley has hinted at the possibility that they could drop the Liberty name in favor of Cherokee for this vehicle. As for styling, Swordfish has it right from what I understand; this Liberty Cherokee Liberkee (?) will probably favor the design of the current Compass and WK2 Grand Cherokee a bit.

Cheers. I love the Citroen DS.

G. Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 12th, 2012 There isn’t an automaker more aware of its conservative image these days than Toyota. Since the company lost interest in continuing its classic performance models like the Celica, Supra, and MR-2, it fell off of enthusiasts’ radars almost completely. From there, the rising average age of its buyers quietly earned it a reputation as a company who built ornaments for retirement home parking lots. Just as Toyota was walking away publicly from performance cars however, it was also beginning a rather secretive ten year development program for the first ever Japanese supercar — the Lexus LFA. And although it wasn’t exactly praised for its styling and outright criticized for its lofty $375,000 dollar price tag, Toyota somehow didn’t even come close to resorting to paper sacks of money balled up in gloveboxes to sell the car to buyers. While a Ferrari 599 was just as fast and considerably cheaper, the LFA proudly wore the title of “Japan’s first supercar” around its neck like a ten ton Olympic gold metal, and production was limited to just 500 examples making it quite rare and desirable. Despite the styling and cost, the Lexus LFA was actually successful — and it’s the LFA’s success, as well as Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda’s desire for the company to better utilize its performance-minded potential, that the Japanese auto giant may work on a second album to follow-up the LFA’s first. At least, that’s what AutoGuide is saying anyway. According to AG, a “well-connected” source of theirs contacted them, claiming that word was passed on to him by a top-ranking executive that plans for the next LFA are already underway and it will be more powerful, more exclusive, and more expensive. AutoGuide claims that only 100 examples will be built and it could cost upwards of $800,000 dollars, possibly even a whole million. That certainly sounds, well, utterly ridiculous coming from a company that’s still better known for its hypoallergenic hybrid models like the Prius. Based on the information suggested by AutoGuide, it seems that Toyota isn’t content with building a car that’s in the same company as various Ferraris and Lamborghinis; it seems that Toyota wants to go straight to the heart of the supercar sun while thrusting a dagger at the Bugatti Veyron. It all could be credible, but I’m personally taking it with a grain of salt. Source: AutoGuide View full article

Cheers, simply because it's within a 100 mile radius of me.

Probably not. I know the Lumina's been out of production for over a decade, but that name still doesn't exactly have the greatest equity here in America. If GM uses that name on the back of a performance car, wellllll ... draw your own conclusion on the result of that. Who knows? Maybe, like ocn said, they'll pull the Chevelle name out of retirement. Then again, they could also introduce a brand new name to the North American market.

I completely agree here. Someone who allows basic cable news networks to be their only source of news is doing a hefty disservice to their own intellect. Very little that Fox, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and NBC passes off as journalism is actual journalism and worth the attention span to give notice to. It's total anti-pedantic rubbish that attempts to stir the public by means of complete sensationalism and fear-mongering. It should probably be ruled as toxic to the human brain as smoking meth. However, when the Republican GOP jumped on the Volt Hate Train, Fox News predictably leapt with them and they both took it to the very end of the line. That's why, just saying, I wouldn't be at all suprised if they're the ones who decide to get things rolling again by using the Tech Center explosion as a catalyst. Anyway, I'm going to try and re-zip my lips about it from here on out.

If there are any, I'd expect the group of incompetent apes running Fox News to pull the trigger first. I can just see it on Hannity now ... buhhhhhhh.

I have a feeling that, in that particular situation, the buyer cross shops and buys a used certified car a good percentage of the time. Something like a certified Honda Fit or Civic or a Toyota Corolla.

The Spark and Yaris aren't too cheap. For example, to get a Spark with options that are close to what the 500 has standard, you're only spending about $1,000 less than you would on the Fiat. Granted, the Spark has two more doors and is more practical, but honestly who's going to be able to wake up and look outside at a Chevy Spark for 60 to 72 months?

I agree about Fiat dealerships taking out an ad or two in the local paper. Personally though, I'd never buy a Chevy Spark or Toyota Yaris over the Fiat 500. The Spark or Yaris wouldn't be anywhere as nice to drive, for starters. I also think the 500 is probably the best styled small car here next to the Mini. You don't mistake it for anything else on the road or anything from any other country besides Italy.

Another hunch: I don't think the Chevy Sport Sedan will be called "Caprice". I'll stop leaving random bits of nonsense in this thread now.

Another hunch: either the Chevy Impala and Sport Sedan will merge around the time the generation after the upcoming models debuts, or the two-tier strategy continues, the Sport Sedan gains a V6 version and the Impala is sold in Australia as ... well, make up your own name for that one.