Variance

One more for tonight from me: this Cos Cob beauty can be had for under a mil. Sounds like a good deal to me. http://realtor.com/FindHome/PhotoGallery.a...0045&photonum=2

Well yeah, like others have said, it's closer to $2M. A guy can dream can't he? Here's something more down-to-earth in Greenwich, only $850K: http://realtor.com/FindHome/PhotoGallery.a...0045&photonum=3

At this point in time, I'm nowhere near in the position to buy a house but I thought I'd take a look at some places I'd definitely like to live in one day. This is my current favorite: This is pretty much my ideal house. It's a nice-looking place for sure and the thing I really like about it is that it has a nice woodsy backyard (the pond is quite the bonus). I'm loving the patio, too. http://realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListing.as...50&lnksrc=00001

The Grand Prix's pretty cool. If it had the S/C 3800 , that'd be pretty appealing. That is pretty low mileage for an '04 though.

Three Tribecas. Two black, one blue. They seem to be gaining in popularity. As are the new Explorers, it seems. Saw two of those today.

You're not going to see a G35 Coupe for $15K anytime soon. They hold their value like crazy.

I'm...sorry? Oh and let me help with that image:

More BMW 1-Series Cabrio Spy Photos by Andreas Conradt 02-20-2006 Entry-level cabrio with slim canvas top Here are more pictures of the BMW 1-series Cabrio. We snapped it testing close to the firm’s new test-centre in northern Sweden. BMW-enthusiasts can look forward to the summer of 2007 when the small topless BMW will come to dealers – for relatively small cash. Different from its bigger brother, the future 3-series Coupé-Cabrio (CC), the open One will come with a conventional canvas top. The two different roof-systems will also distance the two cars price-wise, especially since the 3 series CC will make a jump upwards and hence will make room for this new cabrio based on the 1-series. Main characteristics of the new soft-top will be the flat windscreen and the low and coupé-like canvas roof. The boot promises to be big enough to carry all luggage for at least two passengers. As said, we expect the car to go on sale in 2007 – and to make the 1-series yet more popular, especially since neither Mercedes nor Audi will have a competing model ready by then. Power will come from the same range of engines as known from the five-door 1-series, and we expect diesel engines to be available, too. Link w/photos: http://www.worldcarfans.com/spyphotos.cfm/...brio-spy-photos

BMW Unveils New Biturbo Petrol Straight Six Engine 02-20-2006 The force is with BMW as a new biturbo petrol engine blows in at the Geneva Motor Show 225 kW/302 hp and 400 Nm for hugely-powerful all-aluminum 3.0-litre six High-precision direct petrol injection cuts fuel use by 10 percent Turbo lag banished by intelligent biturbo technology BMW is not re-writing the laws of physics, just the laws of forced-induction. Turbo lag has been vaporised, fuel consumption slashed and torque ramped to the max, as BMW unveils yet another benchmark-setting power unit. Backing up its global success with the innovative 507 bhp V10 powerplant for the M5 and M6 super cars (2005 Engine of the Year), and the VALVETRONIC magnesium-aluminum straight-six engines introduced in 2005, BMW is set to tear the wraps off a production-ready biturbo version of its acclaimed petrol-powered six-cylinder. Retaining the familiar 3.0-litre capacity, the new all-aluminum engine boasts a pair of turbochargers, each feeding a trio of cylinders. When combined with the efficiency and flexibility of acclaimed BMW VALVETRONIC and double-VANOS technology, the new engine is able to produce an immense 225 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque. It is armed with a Table Mountain-like torque profile that defies the term curve. Peak torque of 400 Nm is delivered between 1,500 rpm and 5,800 rpm and the engine boasts a 7,000 rpm red line. The biturbo six-cylinder has the same power and more torque than the muscular 4.0-litre V8 engine fitted to the 740i. The new engine further entrenches BMW as the manufacturer of the world’s most intelligent, advanced and dynamic engines for the enthusiast driver. However, in keeping with BMW philosophy, the substantially enhanced performance does not come at a substantial cost to the environment. Fuel consumption, previously a bug-bear of high-performance turbo-charged engines, has been radically reduced thanks to high-precision direct petrol injection, used for the first time on a BMW six-cylinder motor. The V12 powered BMW 760i/Li features direct petrol injection for its 6.0-litre engine. A further traditional turbo-engine wrinkle has been ironed out by BMW engineers: turbo lag. In the new engine, this has been completely removed, thanks to low inertia turbochargers. The driver need only brush the accelerator pedal to receive an immediate surge of power and performance, as the engine delivers an electrifying response. While turbocharger technology is almost as old as the internal combustion engine itself, in combination with cutting-edge high-precision direct petrol injection technology BMW engineers were able to write a new and exciting chapter in the history of forced-induction. The foundation for all this power and torque is drawn from the exemplary characteristics of the magnesium-aluminum 3.0-litre engine which is rated at 195 kW/265 hp (as fitted to the BMW 130i and Z4 Roadster). This in itself is quite outstanding for a normally aspirated engine. Compared with the proven 3.0-litre normally aspirated magnesium-aluminium engine, the all-aluminium engine featuring new biturbo technology increases overall output by approximately 15 percent. Peak torque shoots up by an even more impressive 30 percent. The resulting 225 kW/302 hp and 400 Nm of torque deliver outstanding thrust and driving power all the way across the rev range. The only way to achieve such an increase in power and performance with a normally-aspirated engine would be to significantly increase engine size, which would also mean a corresponding increase in weight and the negative effects on the car’s overall balance. The BMW combination of turbocharger technology with high-precision petrol injection is a particularly efficient way to meet even greater demands in terms of output and torque. And for comparison, the new straight-six biturbo weighs about 70 kg less than an approximately equally powerful eight-cylinder normally-aspirated engine displacing 4.0 litres. That is about the same weight as a moderately sized passenger. Direct petrol injection also offers a significant fuel consumption saving of about 10 percent compared with a similarly powerful turbocharged engine that uses regular fuel injection. Turbines made of high heat-resistant special steel can withstand temperatures of up to 1,050 °C and therefore do not need the cooling effect of extra air flow. Particularly under full load, this means a significant decrease in fuel consumption. High-precision fuel injection allows an even more exact dosage of fuel as well as a higher compression ratio – ideal conditions for increasing engine efficiency and significantly reducing fuel consumption. All this is made possible by the central position of the piezo-injector between the valves. Fitted in this position, the innovative injector opening to the outside is able to distribute fuel in a conical burst ensuring particularly smooth distribution of fuel within the combustion chamber. Apart from its low weight and class-leading fuel economy, the new biturbo engine is able to offer yet another unique BMW feature. This is supreme smoothness and refinement, precisely the virtue which has made BMW straight-six power units the benchmark for refined drive technology, acknowledged the world over. Indeed, the natural perfection of the straight-six layout gives the engine perfect balance in terms of free mass forces, avoiding vibrations even at high engine speeds. A further important point is that this turbocharged version of BMW’s six-cylinder comes with the same hollow, extra-light camshafts as on the normally-aspirated engine, as well as an electrically driven coolant pump operating only as required. Developing this new straight-six with biturbo technology, BMW is opening up a new chapter in the long history of the turbocharged engine, which dates back to 1905 and the work of Swiss engineer Alfred Büchi. Initially turbo-charged engines were restricted to marine and aircraft engines. It was only much later that the technology migrated to cars. BMW began its association with turbocharged road cars with the now famous 1973 BMW 2002 Turbo road car. But BMW regularly sets important milestones in engine development. During the late 1960s, BMW was the first manufacturer to use turbocharged engines in touring car racing. And in 1983 a BMW Brabham driven by Brazilian racing driver Nelson Piquet became the first turbocharged F1 car to win the Formula 1 World Championship. Even back then, BMW’s engine specialists were able to extract far more than 1,000 horsepower from an engine displacing just 1.5 litres. Now BMW is ready to open a new chapter in turbo-charged petrol-engined road cars and reset the bench-mark for dynamic driving with forced-induction. Over and above the drivetrain conceived and built for supreme dynamics, this technology provides the starting point for a lean-burn direct injection concept and thus serves to successfully optimise fuel consumption also in other performance classes. In this way BMW is once again proving its competence in engine construction, developing modern drive concepts and at the same time enhancing that sheer driving pleasure of BMW to an even higher standard. BMW will announce at a later date which of its vehicles will receive this new engine. Link: http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cfm/count...ight-six-engine

I've heard the BMWs aren't cheap to fix. (Nick would know more about this, I'd think.) As far as the Q goes, some first generation Qs (not the one I posted) had an electronically controlled air suspension that was costly to fix. I'm not sure if the second generation ones had them available. That said, any used car can be reasonably reliable if treated well in the past.

When the navigation comes, it'll be great. The pending ES350 assault should be a good test to see if the Lucerne can really hold its ground. The new ES is a fierce competitior but I think it can.

I don't think the H2 and H3 are hurting the H1's image any. It's too rough around the edges to be seen as just another soccer-mom-mobile. An H4 would probably be a Wrangler competitior. That really should be the extent of it. When HUMMER loses its edge and resorts to making soft-roaders like Jeep has, then we can start worrying.

Room to Grow Hummer looking at options for new entries to lineup By RALPH KISIEL | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS AutoWeek | Published 02/20/06, 1:08 am et ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hummer is considering at least two new models. Today's models are the H1, the H2 and the smallest Hummer, the H3, launched last year. "My team is working on a couple of new entries for the Hummer portfolio," said Susan Docherty, Hummer marketing general manager. "We think that Hummer can definitely grow." Hummer is never going to have a minivan, Docherty said after talking to dealers at the make meeting. "But we have other places we can go," she said. "We could go smaller. We could go to other segments. We're looking at all of that." Dealers attending the meeting said they would like more Hummer models. Any new models must have the Hummer iconic design and unparalleled off-road capabilities, Docherty said. "We will never be a mainstream brand where we have nine or 10 entries," she said. "But there's room to go beyond the three that we have." Docherty told dealers that the brand is expecting about 154 dealers out of the total of 171 Hummer dealers to have completed new stores by year end. Today there are 130 Hummer dealers with new stores finished or under construction. "In some cases, they are sharing a fixed operation like Cadillac or another GM brand, but these are dedicated Hummer facilities," Docherty said. Dealers said the stores' distinctive Quonset-hut styling and off-road test tracks enhance the Hummer image. "That is very important to grow the brand, and many of them have outdoor test tracks," said Dave Johnson, president of Sutliff Hummer in Harrisburg, Pa. Docherty told the dealers that 40 percent of H3 buyers are women, compared with 20 percent for the H2. "So we've got a lot more women coming into the franchise," she said. Docherty attributed that to pricing under $30,000, 20-mpg fuel economy and ease of parking. "So everything that was our Achilles' heel on Hummer we've addressed," Docherty said. "We had a lot of women who aspired to an H2, but that was either too big for them, or too expensive, or maybe a little bit too difficult to park." Link: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...MOTORSPORTSNEWS

Well, they did catch Saddam alive, so I guess there's always a possibility.

O...M...F...G... At any rate, sorry to see you step down over this, Josh.

Nope. That's made in Japan. The Murano is too.

Second generation Q45s are pretty nice and can be had for well under $15k:

From the title you make it sound like the doors fell off. A small, plastic handle breaking isn't a big deal, IMO (especially at an auto show).

Mitsubishi Motors Develops 'Green Plastic', Bamboo-fiber Reinforced Plant-based Resin Tokyo, Japan, Feb 20, 2006 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, with cooperation from the Aichi Industrial Technology Institute (Kariya, Aichi Prefecture), has developed an automotive interior material which uses a plant-based resin, polybutylene succinate (PBS), combined with bamboo fiber. Parts made from the material will be used in the interior of a new-concept minicar, to be launched in Japan in fiscal 2007. Mitsubishi Motors has dubbed its independently developed plant-based resin technology, including this PBS-bamboo fiber resin, "Green Plastics". Mitsubishi Motors will continue to promote the development of environmentally friendly materials, directed toward increased practical applications. In an effort to help stop global warming, slow the depletion of our oil reserves, and protect our forests, Mitsubishi Motors plans to substitute plant-based resins and quick-growing plant fibers for materials such as petroleum-based resins and wood hardboards used in car interiors. The use of these renewable plant-based resources, in principle, will add no CO2 to the atmosphere. Mitsubishi Motors began developing the materials in conjunction with the Aichi Industrial Technology Institute in 2004. PBS, the main component of the material, is a plant-based resin composed mainly of succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol. The succinic acid for the material will be created through the fermentation of sugar extracted from sugar cane or corn. The new material combines bamboo fiber with PBS in order to increase its rigidity. Bamboo grows to its full height in just a few years, compared with the tens of years required for traditional timber, and as such may be called a potentially sustainable resource. Bamboo is available and can be grown in a wide variety of areas including Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. The use of Green Plastics may lead to further breakthroughs in the use of bamboo. According to tests, this PBS/bamboo-fiber prototype achieves an estimated 50% cut in lifecycle CO2 emissions over polypropylene, a widely used petroleum-based plastic. VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels are also reduced drastically over processed wood hardboards (roughly 85% in testing). In addition to Green Plastic, Mitsubishi Motors is undertaking development of environmental technologies including the MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle)concept, and technologies contributing to comfortable interior environment such as Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified seating material, the Bio-clear Filter, and deodorant rooflining. Mitsubishi aims to build cars appropriate to this, the "century of the environment". Link: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/02/20/211059.html

GM price cuts may not be a better deal Strategy of consistent low prices leaves some vehicles costing more, Consumer Reports says. David Phillips / The Detroit News General Motors Corp.'s move last month to significantly slash prices on the bulk of its vehicle lineup is helping generate higher sales and more showroom traffic, but a new report says more than a third of the models affected may not offer buyers a better deal. When GM cut prices as much as $2,500 on select 2006 models in January, or about 80 percent of its U.S. lineup, Consumer Reports studied prices on more than 500 of the automaker's cars and trucks before and after the move. The magazine found that 64 percent of GM models now have lower sticker prices, with the average price cut of $2,000. But on some models, such as the Cadillac DTS and some Buick LaCrosse sedans and Terraza minivans, prices were lower last fall during GM's "Red Tag Event." The magazine subtracted dealer sales incentives, customer rebates and other adjustments from the dealer's invoice price to determine a "bottom line price." Consumer Reports' analysis found that not all vehicles under the plan are priced evenly and that it can be difficult to make price comparisons based on brand or model. In some cases, such as the Buick Terraza CX minivan, the lowest price available now is more than $4,000 above similar prices in October. Yet on some Buick Terraza CXL models with all-wheel drive, the lowest price today is $4,000 below October prices. "The move away from extreme incentives to more consistent pricing will make it easier for consumers to make purchasing decisions," said Rob Gentile, associate director of Consumer Reports' auto pricing service. "But consumers need to research each model and trim line to ensure that the deal they negotiate is as favorable as it appears." Combined with adjustments made at the beginning of the 2006 model year, GM says it has adjusted prices on about 90 percent of its car and truck models. With its sales and market share falling in recent years, GM has struggled to reduce discounts and offer sticker prices closer to actual transaction prices. When sales and traffic have slumped, the company has relied on promotions, such as 0 percent financing or employee-style discounts for all consumers. GM's U.S. sales rose 6 percent in January, and the automaker credited the latest price cuts with drawing more traffic. The automaker is aggressively advertising the price reductions in print, TV and online advertising, but analysts say it will be a challenge to maintain momentum going into the spring selling season. "GM is spending lavishly, in some cases overspending, to promote the lower prices," said Jeremy Anwyl, president of car shopping site edmunds.com. "The challenge will be to stick to the new prices and avoid returning to rebates, even if traffic trails off." Since the price cuts, Anwyl said the percentage of online shoppers considering a GM purchase has tripled on some models. GM resorted to the drastic price cuts in large part to win back consumers who increasingly start on the Web when shopping for a new car or truck. Many online sites don't include rebates and discounts, making many GM models appear more expensive than rivals, even when the automaker has offered discounts as high as $5,000 per model. The latest price cuts average $1,300 per GM vehicle. "We're giving consumers a compelling reason to try our new vehicles," GM Chairman Rick Wagoner said in a speech before the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce on Friday. "It's the right move given the strength of our products and the right way to bring customers into the showroom." Link: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../602200356/1148

Satellite radio bleeds cash Sirius, XM's combined losses total $1.53 billion in 2005 Bradford Wernle Automotive News / February 20, 2006 - 6:00 am Satellite radio companies are spending bundles of money to lure new subscribers, especially those who tune in the services while in their cars. Those soaring marketing expenses worsened the horrendous fourth-quarter 2005 losses at both XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. The XM losses triggered the resignation last week of an XM board member, who warned of a pending crisis. In his resignation letter, Pierce Roberts Jr. warned that there is "a significant chance of a crisis on the horizon" if the company does not change direction. Roberts had urged that the company slow its rapid growth in order to improve cash flow. "I have been troubled by the current direction of the company," he wrote in the letter, made public on Thursday, Feb. 16. XM President Hugh Panero told analysts that weaker sales of General Motors vehicles in the fourth quarter slowed the rate of new subscriptions at XM. New subscriptions peaked during the second and third quarters, when GM incentives also were peaking, he said. XM posted a $268.3 million loss on revenue of $177.1 million during the fourth quarter, compared with a $188.2 million loss on revenue of $83.1 million during the same quarter in 2004. XM's rival Sirius also lost money for the quarter: $311.4 million on revenue of $80 million compared with $261.9 million on revenue of $25.2 million during the same period in 2004. For all of 2005, Sirius hemorrhaged $862 million while XM lost $667 million. XM spent $89 for each new subscriber in the fourth quarter, compared with $64 from a year earlier. Eileen Furukawa, analyst for Citigroup Investment Research in New York, predicted both networks would be spending less to add new subscribers in 2006. XM has about 6 million subscribers, while Sirius has 3.3 million. XM has 60 percent of the market for satellite radios installed in new cars, compared with 40 percent for Sirius, Furukawa said. XM has exclusive deals with GM and Toyota Motor Corp., among others, while Sirius has deals with Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler. Link: http://autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?...efsect=BREAKING

Saturn's rebirth vexes Chevy dealers Leslie J. Allen Automotive News / February 20, 2006 - 6:00 am Saturn dealer John Bergstrom is facing an unexpected dilemma. Weeks before the Sky roadster hits the showroom, it is generating so much buzz that he has started a waiting list at all six of his stores. "Sky is just a flat-out home run," said Bergstrom, chairman of Bergstrom Automotive in Neenah, Wis. "I've never had that before. They've never even considered a Saturn." Waiting lists are unfamiliar for Saturn, sometimes dubbed the brand for people who don't like cars. General Motors is pouring money into the 16-year-old marque, hoping that a new arsenal of Euro-look vehicles will help Saturn steal buyers from the imports. The Sky debuts in the spring, followed by the Aura mid-sized sedan and the Outlook eight-passenger wagon. But nagging questions remain: Will sales rise enough to justify Saturn's fatter marketing budget at a time when Pontiac and Buick must trim their own ad campaigns? And is Chevrolet, GM's strongest and biggest mass-market brand, actually a better candidate to battle the imports? Chevy dealers say they could easily fit mid-priced vehicles like the Outlook and Aura into their lineups. They also note that GM is promoting Chevrolet as its mass-market global brand. However, Saturn does have two big factors working in its favor: a group of dealers who enjoy bulletproof customer satisfaction ratings and some ability to attract America's import owners. In the 2005 model year, 6.8 percent of Saturn sales were import conquests, according to R.L. Polk & Co. of Southfield, Mich. Polk defines a conquest as a customer who replaces or supplements an import with a newly purchased Saturn. By contrast, import owners accounted for 13.6 percent of Hummer sales and 20.0 percent of Saab sales. But those are low-volume products. It makes more sense to compare Saturn with Chevrolet. According to Polk, import owners accounted for 4.3 percent of Chevrolet's sales. That's a fair number of vehicles but cold comfort to Chevrolet dealers who have complained quietly for years that an unprofitable Saturn sucked resources away from their brand. If Saturn "is not making money, it shouldn't be anointed with such wonderful product," said Gordon Stewart, president of Stewart Management Group in Harper Woods, Mich., which has GM stores in Michigan and Florida. "Why does it continue to be fed at the expense of the other divisions?" GM does not disclose the financial performance of individual brands. Mike Maher, owner of Maher Chevrolet in St. Petersburg, Fla., said that if GM were to take what it spends on Saturn and put it into Chevrolet products, "you probably would have sold twice as many. If you take it away from a very strong division and give it to a weak division, you've likely diluted your outcome." Happy customers But if one judges Saturn by its customer satisfaction ratings, the division looks strong. Last year, consumers ranked Saturn ninth among all brands in sales satisfaction, as measured by J.D. Power and Associates. The top eight were all luxury or near-luxury marques. In addition, Saturn ranked third on J.D. Power's customer service index, which gauges the satisfaction of owners who visit service departments. "Its reputation was based on customer satisfaction," said Tom Libby, a J.D. Power analyst. "Now they're adding this new dimension, which is styling. They have a challenge in doing both. I hope they will maintain a focus on customer relations because they've established that." Saturn Marketing General Manager Jill Lajdziak said that relationship is Saturn's brand equity and the reason for GM's new investment. According to GM's internal data, more than 70 percent of customers who buy Saturns would not have considered a GM brand otherwise, and about half of that number would have bought an import instead. Those statistics have held steady over the years, Lajdziak said. "We've had strategies in place to make sure that we appeal to that intender who might be a little more import-predisposed," she said. "It doesn't make sense for us to take business from Chevrolet or Pontiac or any of the other great brands within the GM family," Lajdziak said. "What we've got to do is bring in a different demographic and a different intender." Different customers The demographics of Saturn buyers do not appear to be all that different from those of Chevrolet buyers. Polk data show no significant difference in household income, for example. But Bergstrom said his network of 22 GM dealerships draws different types of customers to the two brands. Trucks account for 65 percent of his Chevrolet sales, he said. Saturn, on the other hand, is an entry-level, value-priced product. "A Chevrolet owner is a true-blue, bow-tie America consumer," Bergstrom said. "The Saturn guest is a little different guest. They might buy an Asian car or a Korean car or a Saturn. They are very much into safety and value, and how they're treated is critically important. I don't think we'd get those kinds of people in our Chevy stores if we didn't have the Saturn brand." Jim Hall, an analyst for AutoPacific in Southfield, Mich., said he disagrees with the notion that investments in Saturn have siphoned money away from other GM brands. Hall said that GM is investing in entire platforms, not just in Saturn, and that Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and GMC all have benefited. For example, the Saturn Outlook shares GM's Lambda architecture with the basis for the upcoming Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia crossovers. The Saturn Sky has the same mechanicals as the Pontiac Solstice. "Tell me how this is bad for these guys," Hall said. No more Oldsmobiles Other arguments aside, GM has no choice but to build up Saturn, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore. "You certainly can't terminate Saturn, because it's way too expensive, as they found out with Oldsmobile." What role should Saturn play? Spinella said he believes there is nothing in the lineup that wouldn't fit with Chevrolet or Pontiac. Perhaps GM should focus Saturn on "lifestyle" vehicles such as those designed for tuners - enthusiasts who currently opt for Honda, Mitsubishi or Subaru. Saturn took a step in that direction with the Sky and with its Red Line high-performance vehicles, Spinella said. "One of the things they can do to distinguish themselves from the rest of General Motors is to be kind of the Scion of General Motors," he said. "You concentrate on lifestyle rather than on demographics in the old sense. Previously, Saturn wasn't distinctive in any way other than the sales environment." The Sky might offer an interesting test of the brand's appeal to tuners. Can Saturn shed its fuddy-duddy image? Bergstrom seems to think so. He said he likes the idea of marrying Saturn's people-friendly philosophy with a potentially hot lineup: "This is going to be a real positive recipe, I think." Link: http://autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?...B/60217086/1078

Acura dealers expect cheaper RL Kathy Jackson Automotive News / February 20, 2006 - 6:00 am ORLANDO, Fla. -- When Acura redesigned its flagship RL in 2004, it loaded on the goodies: all-wheel drive, navigation system, 10-speaker stereo and radar that warns drivers of an impending crash. It has a price tag to match: $49,915 with shipping, about $6,000 more than the previous-generation RL. Oops. Now Acura has concluded that its slow-selling flagship needs help. The division is considering a lower-content version of the car, some dealers say. Sales chief Dick Colliver told Automotive News that the RL's content will change next year but gave no details. He acknowledged that the RL "hasn't performed to expectations." The RL lacks a V-8 engine, an amenity expected by many luxury buyers. "It's at a price point in foreign territory for us," Mike McGrath, chairman of the Acura dealer council, said at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention here. "Maybe Acura doesn't have the brand image" to sell a vehicle at that price. McGrath said the dealer council has recommended a model with less content. "It only comes one way: loaded," he said. "We need something in the low to mid-40s." The redesigned RL was introduced in October 2004. In 2005 it substantially outsold the previous-generation model. But sales have slipped. In the four months ending January 31, Acura sold 4,899 RLs, down 25.6 percent year-over-year. Link: http://autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?...B/60217081/1078

Let's put this Ford vs. Chevy sales war to bed. Chevy wins. Automotive News: Sorry, Ford; Chevy's the 2005 brand champ

Chrome Cadillac rims with whitewall tires on a 2006 Chevy Impala. Somebody's big pimpin'.