Croc

*sigh* Chris, I'm not accusing you of anything, simply reminding everyone that little final changes are made before introduction. One recent example is the Ford Edge spy photo you shot. It appears to be in approximately the same stage of testing as the Silverado. Below:http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gal...ETEPJFYZGOD.jpg Actual interior: http://us.tnpv.net/2006/WKA200601/WKA2006010776330_pv.jpg The differences are minor, but the silver plastic is slightly different (weird horizontal striping in the spy shot) and there is slightly more of it on the center stack, particularly where the stack meets the console. Steering wheel redundancy controls also are not shiny and black in the final version. Again, minor change in trim, but nevertheless they do happen. Another example of a running change...remember the Bel Air concept? There were several differences between the concept's press photos and the actual show car...some quite obvious. Lutz even said at the time that he made some quick last-minute changes to help get the details right.

We've seen before with many models that interior trim pieces are not always finalized until the official debut, including many vehicles you have shot.Call me a hopeless optimist, but I really doubt GM would be stupid enough to release a truck with THAT MUCH of a sea of charcoal gray plastic. It just isn't going to happen. As dumb as GM can be sometimes, I really don't believe they are THAT STUPID. 2007 Tahoe LS: Instead of the wood trim, it uses metallic trim...I expect the Silverado LS to include a few metallic inserts, especially around the center stack.

*Shelves that* My main point still stands: this is not entirely indicative of the appearance of the final interior trim pieces, no matter how low the trim level. I would be shocked to see this much charcoal plastic in the final release. Not even the lowliest Tahoe has this much charcoal plastic.

It doesn't even matter about the trim pieces. This is clearly a mule...GM is NOT going to waste money on installing trim pieces in test mules. Also, some suppliers might not be ready with the actual pieces yet so they may not even be in existence. I say this interior looks promising...but there better be a lot less charcoal plastic in the final incarnation. The center stack looks pretty well-integrated, though I see a few preproduction panel gaps...

Oh, no, don't get me wrong...the J-cars have a lot of character and you just cannot kill them...if they held up better in crashes they'd be great. Still, anything's better than a Blazer in that regard (except that one Chinese SUV...good grief!!)

Guys... I know you're really smarter than this. Read what Edmunds wrote again, particularly regarding the next-gen ION. Now...you have to ask yourself what Edmunds actually received as legit info and what they pulled out of their asses: that the SAAB will be on the same platform as the ION replacement, or that the SAAB will be on Delta. There is NO problem in my mind of one platform spawning 3 vehicles: Cobalt ION/Astra 9-1 Does anyone forsee a Pontiac variant with the redesign? I don't. GM certainly seems reluctant to give Pontiac any more FWD compacts...

Just don't get into an accident with the Sunfire...

oh dear god no...

Looks a lot like a Sebring.

That's funny...what's DCX gonna do with their LX cars? PT? I call bull$h!.

Generally I agree...but that's what this site does best...have you seen the number of "what if" threads on Oldsmobile?

Well, seeing as it was just released for 2006, yes. It prolly could have been ready though in an additional 12 to 18 months. It really wouldn't have seemed as long if GM hadn't kept showing it at autoshows and revealing the production version a year before its release, though...

Who was that? I recognize, but do not recall...

Does the quality of plastics really matter in how it functions? No. That said, customers can tell by looking at the materials if they are quality, and that adds to their unquantifiable perception of the car as either a POS or as worthy of their purchasing dollars. Let's use an analogy: You are in the market for a new home. You are looking at two midsized houses in two identical neighborhoods with the commutes, schools, parks, etc...everything quantifiable is identical. The home prices are even within a few grand of each other. For the most part...these two homes are the same. Both homes are made of stucco. Both are coral. Same layout. Everything is the same from a quantifiable standpoint here too. You step inside. Both homes have drywall. Home #1 has painted drywall, while Home #2 has a textured drywall finish. Home #1 has matte white finished appliances, while Home #2 has the exact same appliances, but with the stainless steel finish. Home #1 has laminate countertops, while Home #2 has granite countertops. The plumbing fixtures in Home #1 are all your standard-issue type, like the kind you could find at the high-end line at Home Depot. Home #2 has plumbing fixtures from Kohler, in an antique brass finish. Home #1 has a poured concrete patio and walkway, while Home #2 also has concrete, but with aggregate added. Home #1 has a track light system in the living room, as does Home #2, but with a dimmer switch. I could go on, but priced the same, everyone would pick Home #2. Functionally, the lights turn on and off, the patio/walkway is walkable, plumbing fixtures work, appliances are the same, countertops are countertops, and drywall is drywall. Quantifiably they are the same (OK OK you can cut on granite countertops without a cutting board, but ignore that), yet the extra details...that dimmer switch, textured drywall, aggregated concrete, premium finishes, etc...they just add to that overall ambience of quality. They make the customer feel cared about and appreciated. GM is Home #1 and Honda is Home #2. Quantifiably the same...but the overall attention to detail in a Honda woos more buyers than the general lack of attention to detail in the more utilitarian GMs.

The materials aren't that great. I've seen more convincing fake wood from the 1980s.

The more I look at this car (interior--exterior is fine) the more and more of a missed opportunity it becomes in my eyes.

No, we are looking at 5 years from date of greenlighting. SKY/Solstice will likely have a long run so GM can get some profits out of this damn turkey of a platform.

Since there isn't any strange...water... coming from the sky making everything gross and moist...yea I love LA...

So how long are you going to wait for someone to show up? Log off now and run around your house for 10 minutes!!! SCHNELL!

Isn't Aveo only initially offered as a sedan? At the shows it was shown as a sedan only...

Swimming is a mixed bag. It actually promotes fat retention (for bouyancy). Another thing that one should keep in mind is that no matter what you do, your body will get used to it and you will plateau. Trainers always suggest mixing the workout up every now and then so your body doesn't settle into a routine. Aerobic activity is the most efficient fat-burning, though frequent anaerobic activity can be almost as effective as long as it is intense and frequently recurring. Trainers generally recommend combining three different exercise activities into one workout regimen: 1 primary aerobic activity and 2 supplementary activities. Swimming, due to the fat-retention propensities, should only be used as a supplementary exercise. From personal experience, I recommend: Primary: Running Secondary: Weight Training Tertiary: Biking If you are going to bike, get a spedometer/odometer. Try to maintain a constant speed throughout the different types of terrain. Starting out, 15mph should be easy enough, though push yourself to go to at least 20 ASAP. Also, incorporate "sprints" into your activities. Sprints can be literal sprints, or intensity changes, such as maintaining constant speed yet going up a hill. The key is to sprint for a couple minutes (2-3) and then return to the same pace/intensity as prior to the sprint. DO NOT REST. Staying constantly active promotes fat loss. Best weightlifting exercise? Squats. They can be a total body workout when done correctly. Leg presses and leg extensions work wonders as do leg curls. Lower body should take precedent to upper body if fat loss is the prime motive.

Well, it can be kinda hard to drive when you've been drinking vodka all day...

Wow, that interior is even more boring than the exterior. At least the exterior has some "flame surfacing" to keep you awake...

Which hybrids are you referring to?GM plans its hybrids around a model program profitability model. By that I mean the GMT900 hybrids are not measured on their own, but within the context of the entire GMT900 program. The image goodwill GM receives on the few they make and sell (relative to the production and sale of non-hybrid models) is certainly more than worth the small amount of money (again, relatively speaking) that GM might lose per hybrid model. The GMT900s are GM's cash cows...that program most definitely will see profitability. GM appears at this point to be only including hybrid models on established volume products. As such, I do not believe GM will actually lose money on hybrid models offered, though they may earn less profit on the vehicle program as a whole. I think this is why we will likely see Greenline hybrids and Tahoe hybrids, but no Cobalt, Malibu or G6 hybrids (for the time being). GM is producing them to compete with the competition, but guaranteeing their volumes will be limited so they do not cost GM much in the way of profits per sale.

I highly doubt we will see anything other than a 2-seat roadster on Kappa. I think it might be possible that a SAAB version may be approved...but I personally do not think that it has any more of a shot at production than a Bengal, in fact less. I do not think the SAAB could sell for much more than the Bengal would have, and the Bengal would certainly sell more units with a more extensive dealer network (although sharing showroom space with the Solstice). I think GM is already saturating the market, and any additional models should be badge jobs in other countries. I wonder if a Buick badge job of the Solstice for export to China would be a good idea or not...something that would cost very little to develop but would snag a few more sales.