thegriffon

Let me make this clear, this is not a rumor, nor is it speculation (well, maybe just a tiny bit), it is a suggestion to GM. If it makes sense to you, and you like these product suggestions then you may want to lobby GM, directly and through your local Pontiac dealer. Timing for the next major overhaul of the G6 puts it beyond the introduction of Epsilon II, and the current program may be cancelled to ensure strict adherence to the new Global platform. At the same time volume for the V8 GTO has not been high, and the new Holden coupe may diverge from NA requirements. What to do? As the G6 is currently built in a seperate plant to other NA Epsilon models (Malibu and Aura), I suggest merging the GTO and G6 sedan and coupe and switching both to a rwd platform shared with the Camaro (seperate to the much larger Global RWD platform). All three could be built in the G6s current Orion assembly plant fr maximum capacity utilisation and flexibility between the three models. The GTO would effectivly become the HO V8 version of the G6 coupe. Already both are a similar size, and the GTO would nicely cap off the coupe lineup, and make a cabrio version an easy addition to the GTO. High commonality with the G6 would support the limited sales of the GTO, while sharing the architecture with the Camaro would improve the business case for that new architecture (smaller than the new big sedans' Global Rwd–ex-Zeta).

Compared to the prior 60deg OHC V6s (3100, 3400, 3500 and the smaller v6s built in China), the new 3500 and 3900 have a slightly offset bore center \V/ to enable a wider bore and longer stroke. It's not an uncommon solution, but I can't remember off the top of my head which other engines use it outside GM.

It was one of the plant closures mentioned by GM - in 2008 I think it was. Tne 3900 was expected to get AFM (the new name for DOD) in 2006, once noise problems in the valvetrain had been solved.

Errr, the current V3 A Camry shares it's wheelbase with the current V3 B ES 330 (and the X1 A and X2 A Avalon). If this is a little longer in wheelbase, then it's not so much a carryover as you think. On the other hand it will be no more an update than GM did with successive generations of the W-body (new chassis, longer wheelbase, increased stiffness etc.).

It is insane, it's only 336 lb-ft

... whether there should be a direct replacement or should the Enclave/Acadia etc. fill the gap. They may cut it down to just the Trailblazer, and they are getting rid of the GMT 370s. They have a long-term plan - right out to the middle of next decade. In same cases it may not be the right plan, ands some details are still being worked out in regard to cost and market position. Everyone has to be reactive. In very few (if any) segments is any one company capable of defining the market paradigm and ignoring what the rest of the market is doing. Get off your high-horse before someone knocks you over.

That's not the Issue. GM is evaluating whethere there will be a direct replacement at all.

Concepts generally don't have "platforms" per se. The "nominal" platform may be very different from what is actually under the skin, since the demands of even a running concept are far different from a production vehicle. For the SS it was nominally based on the Corvette "Premium Sports Car", but of course, like Holden's Torana TT36, would have had only a conceptual similarity. This "Lower Dominant" paradigm works well for open sports cars like the Solstice and Corvette, but like BOF has weight penalties for closed vehicles like the Torana and SS.

I meant market position as the kind of vehicle, not only the price, and not the vehicles you might think they should be doing.

It is still a cumbersome translation - "something that gives pleasure" would have been better. The sense seems to match English "beauty" - a quality of being beautiful, that gives pleasure or is pleasing; that which possesses such a quality. BTW the dictionary I quoted from is the Garzanti online, from De Agostini Scuola Spa - Garzanti Linguistica. In addition to the quote from Leopardi I have seen it used in a italian-language website on beauty (in the same phrase "Cara Beltà"). Elsewhere on the site they always use "bellezza". For everypone else who insists they have only heard "bella" - "beautiful" does not mean "beauty". One is an adjective, the other a noun. Of course even in English we say "beautiful" far more often than "beauty".

:rotflmao: :bs: I doubt it would be any smaller than the out-going IS. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the one of Kanto Auto Works ideas. If it's rwd then they have to be stupid not to be thinking of a Toyota coupe to rival the rwd Nissan Fiora (the rwd Tiburon with it's V6 will really be gunning for the 350Z and Mustang)..

I could be wrong, but Yoda-speak is structured Object-Subject-Verb (together with the appropriate modifiers), as prototype66 demonstrates. "in" is a preposition modifying the object, thus "Dangerous straights the company is now in" should be 'In dangerous straits (object) the company (subject) now is (verb). Earlier language was less structured, and forms such as subject-object-verb were used e.g. ek hlewigastiz holtjaz hornam tawidjaz (I, Hlewigast Holt, (the) horn tawed (=prepared, now used only of leather). The difference bwtewen the object and subject was made clear by the use of different case forms (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive), but with the reduction in forms it becomes important for word-order to distinguish between the forms ("lady bugs ate" could mean "lady ate bugs", "bugs ate lady" or "lady-bugs ate" - presumably aphids). Some words do retain case distinction - most pronouns (e.g. nom. he, acc./dat. him, gen. his) and a few substantives - eg. nom. mead acc./dat./gen. meadow (but when does a mead actually do anything?)

The rwd sedans were not put on hold for the GMT 900s, which everybody keeps repeating. That was just media speculation. The Zeta sedans were sent back to the drawing board to better align costs and market position, although you may disagree with some of the changes. Spending on product development is increasing to get these and other vehicles to market sooner.

I still don't understand why people buy the Econoline over the GM vans. It's old, it looks duff, it has horrible engines, worse mileage etc. And you can now get the Duramax in a GM van. Guess they must be giving them away. The new Sprinter should have an impact.

Also I find it very hard to believe that Toyota's fleet sales are just 8%. It should be closer to 18%.

Mwahahahaha!!! Exactly!!!

Look it up in google and you can even see it being used. "beltà" is recognised by every translator and dictionary I've tried, usually as "beauty", although one says "it will take pleasure", which is just too long (an entire sentence in English). In Italian: Headword beltà Word division/ Pronunciation [bel-tà] Etymology From provenz. beltat, That is from Vulg. Lat. * bellita¯te(m) Definition ant. beltade [bel-tà-de], beltate, biltà, s. f. (lett.) 1 bellezza 2 donna molto bella: Cara beltà che amore / lunge m'inspiri (LEOPARDI Alla sua donna 1-2) 3 cosa bella.

The Tosca even looks like the old Malibu.

GM is in a dispute with the EPA re purge solvent at one plant, which the EPA claims is waste and which GM says is not waste but part of a closed system (i.e. it all gets re-used). Don't forget everything being wasted costs money, less waste = lower cost, and no-one can afford to throw away anything if they can avoid it somehow. Everyone is on a crusade to cut energy use and waste by substantial amounts every year, so much so that it is not news anymore.

Perhaps new engines and transmissions are coming later to address the economy issues.

It's an issue of focal length, not line of sight, and somewhat questionable. The Belta is the replacement for Echo sedan (Platz in Japan), but may not be sold in the US (at least as a Toyota). P1 A Vitz/Yaris/Echo >> P9 A Vitz/Yaris P1 B Platz/Echo >> P9 B Belta/Auris

Gee, sorry dude, but Sicilian is not Standard Italian. There is some debate over whether it is even Italic or closer to Sardinian and Corsican. "Most Italians use varieties along a continuum from standard to regional to local according to what is appropriate. Possibly nearly half the population do not use Standard Italian as first language. Only 2.5% of Italy's population could speak standard Italian when it became a unified nation in 1861." The word Toyota is referring to is beltà, which does mean "beauty" in standard Italian. The more common word is bellezza, I'm not sure which form is used in what context, both are feminine nouns. The Japanese adaptation chosen by Toyota is transliterated "Be-ru-ta". "Be-re-za" for bellezza would have worked much better, and been close to the more sonorous Be-re-sa, but require a more expensive badge. Among the languages spoken by "native" Italians are: Attic Greek Arbëreshë Albanian (Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, Molise, Sicily) Romani (Indo-Aryan "Gypsy") Vlax Balkan Sinte Upper German Barvarian Cimbrian Mócheno Walser Middle German Standard German Southern Slavic Croatian Slovenian Gallo-Iberian Ibero-Romance East Iberian Catalan (Sardinia) Oc (Camaro is probably from an Oc language rather than standard French) Provençal Gallo-Romance Gallo-Italian (In what was after all Cisalpine Gaul) Emiliano-Romagnolo Ligurian Lombard Piemontese Venetian Gallo-Rhaetian Franco-Provençal French Friulian Ladin Italo-Dalmatian Standard Italian Judeo-Italian Napoletano-Calabrese Sicilian Southern Romance Corsican Campidanese Sardinian Gallurese Sardinian Logudorese Sardinian Sassarese Sardinian

It still counts as an auto industry, and one that the government would like to protect, if only for the jobs it provides. If there's a plant in your state email the article to your local senator and ask for action to be taken. Something like "We appreciate your concern for safety, and will be equally demanding in the inspecton of the 30,000+ Belgian cars imported into the US every year. Will be happy to accept advice on how we can streamline the process and speed delivery of your products in future."

Belgium has a substantial auto industry. Ford, Volvo and Opel have large plants in Blegium. The Mondeo, Astra, Galaxy, S40/V50 and Ford S-Max are all produced in Belgium, just for starters. So go ahead, picket deliveries of S40s and V50s until they become more co-operative ;-). I'm sure the UAW could have a word with their comrades on the docks.

If you want them to call the sedan a Chevelle, you'd better start lobbying GM now. The fastlane blog might be a good place to start.