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It's a sunny day in our nation's capital ...

^ You're speaking, I will hazard to guess; about the Inauguration today?

I saw a refreshing and appropriate level of humility and dignity all across the board, and for the whole world to see, today. I felt relieved. It was a good thing.

On THAT note for Chicago and Washington from Montreal. Dear Miss Harris, you are an inspiration to all of us! And Im proud that you have got a little bit of Montreal with you as well!!!

Daimler brought back Maybach as a stand alone model before killing it again due to poor sales and then making it a package option on stretched S class sedans.

Corvair volumes were very solid- over 300,000 in some years (not including the Corvair truck lines). Honda doesn’t move that many accords now.

If that Delorean from a popular movie really could take you back to the fifties though....

People were saying exactly same thing when Porsche made their first Cayenne. Now Lamborghini and Aston Martin making crossovers as well. Personally, I am not happy they will be using names like Corvette or Mustang for crossovers, and yes here is naming not the same as Porsche or Lamborgini is using. But for GM and Ford Corvette and Mustang represent almost like a separate brand. If selling those crossovers will make sure GM and Ford continues making sports cars like Corvette and Mustang in the future, same way Porsche, Aston Martin and others are paying for 911s and such, I am ok with that. That is today's reality, the majority of people want practical vehicle and spending a lot of money on development of low volume sports car becomes harder and harder. I would rather see them sell Mustang crossovers and make real Mustang pure sports car that associates less with rental low end Mustang.

But...ironically, The non-911 sedan and the non-911 SUV AWFULLY look like a 911... And the reason is...as to look as closely possible like a Porsche (911) as possible. The models I posted above that failed...oddly enough, did NOT look like a 911. The models that HAVE succeeded, even more strange, is that they DO look like a 911. Coinkidink? I think not!

Im trying to find out but nothing concrete. Its assumed to be an emissions test device.

Indeed I am, sir. It has been a long time since we've seen people in important roles act the way they're supposed to.

@oldshurst442 Any further info on the box on back.

I have to give props to RR. It's entire history it was a heavily dated, noncompetitive throwback... but the current re-imaging has really stuck it on the top shelf. Bentley has very appropriate interiors, but absolutely lousy exterior design. Both are head & shoulders over the badge-job maybach.

Which really hasn’t changed as far as their models go. Has always been nothing more than a stretched out S-Class that could never compete with Rolls Royce or Bentley.

Seems the 2021 Cadillac Escalade Reviews are coming out and they say Cadillac has taken back The Standard of the World for Luxury SUVs. Cross shop it with the Mercedes brand and Cadillac wins. ? Quote I can totally agree with: Drivetrain-wise, I think it's time to make this truck electric. Big V8s have plenty of power and this particular 6.2-liter works well with GM's 10-speed transmission, but I now wonder how much faster, quieter and efficient it could be if it cribbed from that new GMC Hummer EV's playbook. 2021 Cadillac Escalade Review: The Standard of the World Takes Back the SUV Crown (thedrive.com) The question and answer section had a good question about comparing Cadillac Escalade to GMC Yukon Denali. Here was the response from the writer. Quote The Cadillac gets metallic switchgear where the Denali does not, and indeed most (all?) of the other switchgear in the interior is different. The climate controls are completely different and have nothing in common with any other vehicle on the platform, and the Denali doesn't get an infotainment controller like the Cadillac does. Really, it's hard to spot similarities between the two, besides the steering column which I mentioned previously. Really, the more I look for similar areas, the less I find. Heck, even the glovebox is different on the Cadillac, something I would expect to be carried over. It's not even worth trying to say what's still the same, because so much is different. And for the record, It doesn't feel like a cheap car from the inside, so changing all of this stuff really does pay off. The seats are also much nicer in the Escalade, especially with the optional leather.

It's 'Bel Air', by the way.

This is why companies like Rivian are so important. Electrics I think Long term (think 20-50 years) will keep people driving vehicles they want to drive. Why ve3hicles like the 4 Runner and Grand Cherokee are so good....they are a true dual purpose vehicle that can go out and play in the woods.

Yes, it's really the form factor that has taken the auto market by storm--two box tall wagon-ish hatchbacks...regardless of whether it's a FWD/AWD car underneath, or a dedicated SUV platform or BOF truck based...

SUVs are one thing, but the bulk of small & mid-size CUVs are merely cars.

It most certainly is dulling the brand when said brand is supposed to compete with the likes Rolls Royce. and the Bentley is irrelevant as it is not essentially a stretched out A6, unlike the Mercedes-Maybach S 560 4MATIC Sedan. The same logic you use to criticize vehicles like the Escalade (calling it a dressed up Tahoe) applies to Maybach when it uses a dressed up S-Class, end of discussion. Again, you simply refuse to apply the same standard to Benz that you apply top literally EVERYONE else! That, in and of itself, kills any criticism you have to make towards GM and what they decide to do with the Vette name. And the Hummer example does not apply here since it does not exist by itself anymore. It would be a more convincing argument if Hummer did still exist by itself and GMC decided to that.

Seems all the gains from EVs in reducing carbon emissions has been negated by the 42% change to SUVs across the globe and especially more with trucks in the US. Trucks and Especially SUV/CUVs are gaining popularity across the globe as car sales sink. Carbon emissions fell across all sectors in 2020 except for one – SUVs – Analysis - IEA

They didn't call it that but they faced the same criticisms of brand dilution. That is what you are not understanding here in your quest to, yet again, bash a domestic car.

Will the Maybach name die because it decided to go with a lesser priced S-Class as its base? "respect" wasn't my point although I see what you're saying. And you're absolutely right about dad parking a Vette SUV right next to his mid-engine monster.

GM can try anything they want IMHO...I would rather see them try to innovate and fail rather than see them rest on their laurels. Early 60's corvairs were a wild bunch of vehicles with a billion variants. They were a sales failure, but creative. Being in a creative mindset brought us all kinds of awesome GM cars that were profitable. ' Rather than whining and wringing my hands, I am going to sit back and watch the show.

Watering down your brands is watering down your brands. AMG and M is a staple brand of their respective companies. Also, Mercedes-AMG GT and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe are actual car names. An AMG is an actual car now and so is an AMG A35.

Yes...911 is a brand. Although Porsche hasnt whored out like Ferrari has, Porsche is banking on the 911... There is a 911 watch for practically all 911 trims... Yup...its a brand. How would I feel for a Corvette SUV? This is not about me whether I want to see a Corvette SUV or not. Ill humour the question though. I dont like ... I LOATHE ANY SUV that is NOT a Jeep Wrangler (or GC). Or a BOF full size from GM or FoMoCo. If that gives you a clue as to how I feel. But remember, this just goes to show you ONLY how I feel about SUVs in general. In my statement above, there is no mention about my feelings towards battery electrics, so dont assume anything about howse I feels about Mustang and a possible Corvette BEV SUV... Me despising SUVs does NOT necessarily make me despise Mustang or Corvette branded BEVs. I may or may NOT like that idea... A gentleman does NOT kiss and tell...

No! They look like the 911... Porsche's IMAGE... Porsche's #1 brand.

1. You're splitting hairs / playing semantics with 'model / brand'. 2. Making a distinction between SUV and 4-door sedans is more of the same. Sedans are going the way of the tailfin and the twelve-cylinder. No one was buying 911s, the BRAND had to build SUVs. A sports car-only brand building bloated SUVs. Still a perversion... but the way of the future. Taycan is a 911 in everything but badge and door count (and motive power). Porsche took a 911 and stretched it into a long sedan. IMO, as part of a mega conglomerate, Porsche should've stuck to only sports cars to preserve the heritage. But that's not the Way of Things anymore. Corvette is also a part of a mega conglomerate, but there's far less pressure there to dilute. I don't think there's a more heritaged and pure model/brand in existence, than the Chevrolet Corvette. - - - - - On another note; how's life, smk? Tell us a story.

^ Sorry about that, sometimes the reply / editing on this site confoozles me. EDIT :: fixeded!

Worried to see what they actually do to the brands. Let’s hope that they find differences....

I imagine in a few years all these products are going to be pretty similar. Stellantis is going to come up with a couple transmissions, a few engines, 1 infotainment system, and regardless of which brand you buy from, most of the car will come from the same parts bin. So whether the car is called Dodge, Chrysler, Opel, Peugeot, etc, it will be similar with the exception of the styling on the front and rear fascias.

IMO, a brand that has a vehicle in the #1 sales spot for FORTY-FOUR YEARS has more 'cache' than MOST other brands. Sales = best, remember? With your metric again stated, how is Mustang Ford's #1 model? Wouldn't they have called the Bronco an 'F-100' or the like if they wanted a name-inspired sales boost? I do tend to agree that I don't care for the Mustang naming connection with the Mach-E, but it certainly looks a ton more appealing/ interesting/ aggressive than the Model Y.

Sandy Munro took delivery of a 2021 Tesla Model 3 and will take it across the USA to see how well (or not) it performs as compared to the last Model 3 he had when he and his company tore it down for cost analysis. He will do a cost analysis on this one too to see how Tesla changed its manufacturing on it. The road trip will also conclude about battery loss in cold weather. He is skeptical on the whole thing (on certain resources on BOTH sides). Some folk say battery degradation is at 40% or so while others say its as little as 15-20%. Well...HE wants to see for himself what is the reality of it all. There are 3 other episodes before this one. The 3 previous are his INITIAL thoughts on the visual cues on differences of his last Model 3. Panel gaps are still a problem...and it bugs the shyte out of him. (And the shytiness of closing the frunk) but mainly he says that panel gaps are REALLY not a big issue over all and that the Model 3 is really a fantastic EV over all. Paint issues are all gone too.

An electric Corvette would be cool, if it is a C8 body and not an SUV.

It has not been an easy go for the organizers of the Detroit Auto Show. Last year, they had to cancel the revamped show due to concerns about the growing COVID-19 pandemic. The hope was to launch the indoor-outdoor event that would sprawl various parts of Detroit for 2021. But with COVID-19 still a major issue, organizers this afternoon announced the 2021 version would be canceled. Automotive News reports that a new, outdoor program called Motor Bella will take its place from September 21st to 26th at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac - about 40 minutes north of Detroit. The new program "will bring next-generation mobility and exciting vehicle debuts to media, show-goers and the automotive enthusiasts," according to a statement released by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) - the organizers of the show. Plans are to have "1.6 million square feet of dynamic vehicle and technology display space," along with the 1.5-mile road course for technology and vehicle demonstrations. “The pandemic has caused changes in our society and world in ways not previously imagined, and we all should be looking for new and highly creative ways of doing business. This new event captures that creative spirit. It will provide new mobility experiences and increasingly innovative approaches to tapping into the industry and its products," said Rod Alberts, executive director of DADA. Motor Bella was originally planned to be a festival for European supercars that would take place with the updated Detroit Auto Show. "With our new program for 2021, we will take the Motor Bella concept to the next level with multiple brands and mobilities represented, from hometown to international nameplates, autonomous vehicles to high-performance supercars, and everything in between, It will be a mobility-filled event. One that will provide our show partners with a cost-efficient backdrop to share all of their brands, products and technologies in a fun and festival-like atmosphere that's completely outdoors," said event chairman Doug North. There are some big questions that face organizers. Will they be able to get the revamped Detroit Auto Show launched for 2022, or will Motor Bella take the place? Plus, will COVID-19 be a point where all of us can go this event safely? Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), DADA New All-Outdoor Motor Bella at M1 Creates Bridge to the Future While North American International Auto Show Pauses for 2021 TROY, Mich. – (January 11, 2021) – The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) today announced it will not hold its 2021 auto show as planned. Instead, show officials revealed a "bridge to the future" with an auto-centric event called Motor Bella. The new event will bring next-generation mobility and exciting vehicle debuts to media, show-goers and the automotive enthusiasts' world in a never before experienced way while also addressing continued COVID-19 concerns about indoor events. Motor Bella will be held from Sept. 21-26, 2021, at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Mich. Centrally located in the metro Detroit area, M1 Concourse, often referred to as an "87-acre playground for auto enthusiasts," enables exhibitors to showcase key vehicles and technologies in an outdoor setting. Plans call for 1.6 million square feet of dynamic vehicle and technology display space including terrain ideal for showcasing off-roading capabilities. M1 Concourse also offers a 1.5-mile hot track on the grounds for technology and vehicle demonstrations. "The pandemic has caused changes in our society and world in ways not previously imagined, and we all should be looking for new and highly creative ways of doing business," said Executive Director Rod Alberts. "This new event captures that creative spirit. It will provide new mobility experiences and increasingly innovative approaches to tapping into the industry and its products." Alberts said attendees can expect a multi-sensory experience at the new event. "This all-outdoor venue, with adrenaline-pumping track activities and a full complement of OEM and technology exhibits, is going to offer the sights, sounds and even the smell of all that the new world of mobility has to offer." As auto shows around the world are being reimagined and will continue to do so in the wake of the pandemic, NAIAS had been reimagining its position for some time. "While auto shows remain an important platform to promote new mobility innovations and to help people make major vehicle purchase decisions, the traditional auto show model is changing," Alberts said. "We cannot ignore the major disruptions caused by the pandemic and the impact it has had on budgets. As such, we will be providing an amazing experience to the media, the auto industry and the public in a cost-effective way." Event Chairman Doug North noted that the M1 Concourse was envisioned as part of the 2021 Motor Bella activities, so it was "a natural progression" to build upon it in light of the growing demand for experiential mobility shows and an increased appetite for outdoor events as a result of the pandemic. Motor Bella was originally conceived as a celebration of Italian and British supercars and classic vehicles and was to have debuted at the June 2020 NAIAS. "With our new program for 2021, we will take the Motor Bella concept to the next level with multiple brands and mobilities represented, from hometown to international nameplates, autonomous vehicles to high-performance supercars and everything in between," North said. "It will be a mobility-filled event. One that will provide our show partners with a cost-efficient backdrop to share all of their brands, products and technologies in a fun and festival-like atmosphere that's completely outdoors." Jordan Zlotoff, CEO of M1 Concourse, said, "We are proud and honored to be hosting this world-class automotive event. Motor Bella will allow journalists, industry executives and the public to interact with vehicles in a fully dynamic and experiential format, well beyond the limitations of static displays. As the largest Private Garage community in the world, we at M1 Concourse share the enthusiasm for creating a unique automotive environment built specifically for car enthusiasts." North added, "We see this outdoor experience at M1 as a bridge to the future. One that will continue to evolve as we explore new ways of presenting mobility and as we navigate through these unprecedented times. We are very cognizant of the importance and impact our show and our events have on the state and the entire metro Detroit area. This will always be part of our considerations for the future." Dates for the 2021 Motor Bella are: Press Preview, Tuesday, Sept. 21 AutoMobili-D, Tuesday, Sept. 21 through a half-day Thursday, Sept. 23 Industry Preview, Wednesday, Sept. 22 and a half-day Thursday, Sept. 23 Public Show, Thursday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Sept. 26 View full article

Coming home from work this late afternoon I heard this song on the radio Only to look at the comments in THIS thread and see that the stars in the sky are all aligned nicely. (Yes...it was a nice Chicago day today)

That grand Cherokee L is sweet.

VW has released their 2020 PHEV/BEV sales showing a tripling of sales over 2019. Volkswagen brand triples deliveries of all-electric vehicles in 2020 | Volkswagen Newsroom (volkswagen-newsroom.com) This is an overview of passenger car deliveries. PM_Volkswagen_brand_triples_deliveries_of_all-electric_vehicles_in_2020.pdf Seems the VW CEO is wanting to battle with Tesla CEO Musk over Electric market share.

I was thinking specifically of things like the corvair pickup trucks, vans, and other odd variants. My bad, I should have been clear.

Way to miss the point entirely. I guess, by your “logic”, thats it okay for Benz to do that because it’s done at a different dealership. Think about what you said for just a second. Sounds like they just trying to hide the fact that their $300K Maybach is just a stretched out $92K S-Class. And yes, you are bashing a domestic car, like you always do.

Personally, I don't mind them doing their work for the A45/CLA45. Those are pretty nasty little vehicles and deserve respect, imo. Even though their price tags don't exactly match what all you're getting, also imo. My gripe is with the A35, C43 and E53. Ya know, that ones with basically the badge stuck on the trunk/steering wheel/wheels/seats to an otherwise basic vehicle. And you know damn well the guy with kids and money will have the Vette SUV parked next to his 2-door Vette. While I get the naming/branding isn't exactly "ideal", I also don't see anything truly wrong with it, like the Mustang Mach-E. The name of the vehicle would never stop me from buying something nor would it make me buy something. It's just a name.

Thank you! This is the best "Chicago" song, IMO, because of its significant "urbane" stand-alone instrumental segments.

I love Chicago, great band, good vibes. Have a great day.

Like the Mustang, it most certainly can be both because times do eventually change. There can be the 2 door Vette that everyone loves and there can be a hi-po Vette SUV/CUV that will sell like hot cakes the moment it comes out. If Mercedes can stretch an S-Class and call it a Maybach, then GM can certainly take a Vette and make it an SUV. Life is not that damn rigid.

Like others have said, you are splitting hairs over the use of the word “brand”. Remember when everyone thought it was a bad idea for Porsche to make what was basically a lifted 911 and call it an SUV (or “Cayenne”, in this case)? How about when they stretched out the 911 and called it a “Panamera”? How’d that work for them? Did it dilute the Porsche branding in any way? The answer to the last one is “no” btw so save the Corvette criticism for folks who don’t see right through your obvious bias. Exactly. AMG is part of their branding and it has been diluted by slapping it on damn near everything, even it the model itself didn’t properly represent the history of the AMG brand, like slapping “AMG” label on a FWD A-Class (does not matter the particular model is AWD, it still originates from a FWD entry level appliance car).

The irony of Porsche dilution is that Porsche tried many times to EXPAND its models (for mass production success) Porschefiles (more like rabid 911 fanatics) REJECTED EACH AND EVERY ATTEMPT BEFORE the SUVs... 1. Volkswagen derived derived 914 to replace the Kharman Ghia within the corporate umbrella... 2. 924 to replace the 914 2a. the 924 then became the 944 (closely related to the 924) 2b. the 944 then became the 968 (closely related to the 944) 3. The 928 Other than the SUVs and CUVs they sell, they also mass produce the Boxster and Cayman. They are afraid of messin' around with the 911 performance cred and dont wanna piss off these rabid 911 fanatics that they DELIBERATELY hamper the performance attributes of these as to not step on the 911's toes. (Cue in people's shyttin' on Chevy for doing the same thing to Buick and Pontiac vis-a-vis the Vette in the 1980s) The thing with Porsche and this perversion is: Porsche as a brand or model: Is to produce SPORTS CARS in the TRUEST SENSE of the definition of SPORTS CAR. So yeah...if you feel that Chevy/GM will shyte on the Corvette name and brand if Chevy/GM will produce Corvette branded SUVs, then you MUST feel the same way about Porsche producing BLOATED 4 door sedans and BLOATED, TOP HEAVY SUVs and CUTE UTES... If not...you are not being honest with yourself. I dont really care about how you feel about either Porsche or Corvette...but at least have the same consistency in your logic is alls Im sayin' Corvette and the 911 as models AND brands are BOTH purest in form since their inception. Ferrari's mid-engine sports cars meant for high sales are also pure. (Dino206GT,308,328,348,F355,360...,458...,F8) All have seen some deviations from their absolute beginnings, but are mostly intact from what they are. The Vette went from a straight 6 to a V8 to being mid-engined The Porsche went from a 4 cylinder to an aircooled boxer 6 to AWD (and Turbo) to liquid cooled The Ferrari went from a V6 to transverse V8 to a longtitude V8 to twin turboed longtitude V8 The reason why I bolded turbo with Ferrari as Ferrari ALWAYS swore off turbos yet ironically had turbos in their F40...but went to turbos again with the last two gens of their 'mass produced' models.

Or how Porsche took a 50+ year 911 rear-engined sports car and made it a battery 4-dr sedan? I agree that there's no reason or market desire for a 'Corvette SUV', but there ARE like production examples out there in the industry.

It would be Lincoln or Jeep for my money!

I mean, it does state 2025.