Variance

Let's compare MSRP: Caddy XLR-V: $97,485 SL55 AMG: $125,000 XKR Convertible: $87,330

The man is right. This is the new interior:

I see British Airways.

I'm very interested in the insurance part myself.

Does sweat it. Real men are confident enough to let their transmissions do the shifting for them. :AH-HA_wink:

Popularized, yes. However, apparently the actual first targa was the Triumph TR4. They called it a "surrey top".

Ack, you're right, Z. Call it a brain stutter. But yeah, I would prefer them be glass for a more open feeling.

Screw convertibles, we need some affordable (preferably glass-roof) targas. The GTO, the 350Z, the Corvette...they all need the magic of the removable roof panel (not T-tops, either).

If it's the real thing (which I have a feeling it is) it's certainly more imposing-looking. That said, I really don't like the Toyota truck pig-nose grille. At least it's not as hideous as the Tacoma.

Meh, I still think the Sentra looks more like the Altima and Maxima than anything else.

It's 3 A.M. and I'm typing away on this place. I can't remember the last time I went to sleep at a reasonable hour when I didn't have to. I guess I'm just a night owl (insomniac). I usually fall asleep watching TV episodes I downloaded on my computer. Ah well, it's not like I have anything to do later today.

A favorite of mine, the BMW 8-Series:

Well, never mind anyway. I've solved the problem. The bastard circled in red caused the problem:

For some reason, I can't type any lowercase letters or rather what is lowercase comes out as smaller uppercase letters. This happens on every font. Any ideas what the issue is?

The Cadillac emblem etched into the headlight bulb shows good attention to detail...the NAV-less center stack doesn't though.

I'm not sure about that. Have you seen the Escalade dash without navigation? It's not the prettiest thing in the world. It should have a color LCD screen standard like every other full-size luxury SUV does.

An '04? Bah. I'd be more impressed and seething with jealousy if it was an '05 or '06. Seriously though, congrats.

Cadillac Announces Pricing For The All-New 2007 Escalade Detroit- Cadillac announced today that pricing for the all-new 2007 Escalade, scheduled to hit dealerships in February, will start at $57,280 manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) including destination charges for the all-wheel drive variant available at launch. This price for the 2007 Escalade represents a carry-over entry price relative to the outgoing 2006 Escalade while the vehicle is all-new inside and out. The 2007 Escalade provides several new features as standard equipment including; a power liftgate, remote starting, side-curtain airbags, Bose 5.1 Surround audio system and others adding thousands of dollars to the content value of the all-new Escalade. “Offering our more dramatically styled, greatly refined and higher performance all-new Escalade at a starting price equal to the current generation Escalade should certainly attract luxury consumers’ attention and help Cadillac continue to dominate the large luxury utility segment,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “The new 2007 Escalade boldly begins the next phase of Cadillac’s renaissance.” The all-new 2007 Escalade is thoroughly upgraded from its predecessor with a new chassis, powertrain, safety systems and a distinctive, refined, luxury car-like interior. These integrated systems deliver the most powerful and most efficient luxury SUV in the segment, led by a new 6.2L all-aluminum V-8 engine with variable valve timing technology delivering 403 horsepower (301 kw) and 417 lb-ft of torque. 2007 Cadillac Escalade vehicle highlights include: -All-new distinctive exterior design -All-new, Escalade exclusive, spacious interior with superior refinement -A new 403 horsepower 6.2L all-aluminum small-block V-8 with VVT providing improved fuel efficiency -Efficient six-speed automatic transmission with Drive Shift Control -Stronger frame chassis with responsive coil-over-shock front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering for the best ride and handling in the segment -Standard roof-mounted head curtain side air bags and StabiliTrak stability control system with new rollover mitigation technology -Bose 5.1 Digital Surround audio system, including available navigation radio with touch-screen control -A myriad of luxury features available including factory installed 22" chrome wheels, climate controlled front seats, power fold and tumble 2 nd row seats, remote start, power articulating running boards, power liftgate and IntelliBeam headlamps -Enhanced four-wheel disc brake system -Improved fuel economy Cadillac is a division of General Motors (NYSE: GM). General Motors, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. Cadillac products include the CTS sport sedan, SRX luxury utility, STS performance luxury sedan, DTS large luxury sedan, XLR luxury roadster, Escalade full-size SUVs (Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT) and the high-performance V-Series (CTS-V, STS-V, XLR-V) three cars that go 0-60 in under 5 seconds. Link: http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=22158

Auto parts maker's shares tumble 20% as continuing slump in industry takes its toll. Detroit News wire services / TOLEDO -- Auto parts maker Dana Corp. on Tuesday reported a third-quarter loss of nearly $1.3 billion as a slumping automobile industry forced it to realign its business, triggering massive charges during the period. Its shares tumbled more than 20 percent. The company, which makes brakes, axles and other parts, reported a loss of $1.27 billion, or $8.50 per share, for the three months ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $42 million, or 28 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales edged higher to $2.4 billion from $2.11 billion last year. "Obviously, our results are far from acceptable, particularly the operating loss," Chairman and CEO Mike Burns said in a statement. "Many of the challenges we are facing on the automotive side, including higher material costs and lower production levels, are industrywide issues." The company said in October that it was delaying the release of the statement as it worked to restate previous earnings reports because of improper accounting. Higher energy and steel costs, coupled with woes at America's two biggest automobile makers, have caused problems for U.S. companies that produce products used in car manufacturing. Dana late last year unveiled a plan to reposition its business to brace for a decline in the industry. Those changes caused more than $1 billion worth of charges and allowances during the quarter, cutting into the company's bottom line. Among them was a valuation allowance announced on Oct. 10 that reduced net income by $918 million. The divestiture of businesses Dana deemed as "noncore" caused an impairment charge of $275 million. Dana also posted a charge of $16 million, or 11 cents per share, related to the sale of its domestic fuel rail business and the dissolution of its engine bearings joint venture. Excluding those charges, Dana said its loss from operations was $63 million -- compared with a $39 million profit last year after adjusting for unusual charges and results of discontinued operations. "We expect the company's near-term recovery prospects to be poor given the scale of requisite operational fixes, a tough North American operating environment, volume pressures at Ford, where Dana is highly exposed, and management's poor execution record," Goldman Sachs analyst Robert Barry said in a research note. Last year, Dana cut its profit outlook for 2005 in half, blaming soaring energy and steel costs. That prompted the company to announce plans to cut 5 percent of its salaried jobs and shrink its 46,000 global work force by 23 percent to cut costs. The company has closed plants in the U.S. and Australia while starting production in lower-cost countries such as Hungary. The company two weeks ago cut profits by $44 million for a period starting in 2000 and ending in June in adjusted reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. It said the changes were due to improper accounting for customer pricing increases and supplier reimbursements in its commercial unit. Dana shares fell $1.40, or 21 percent, to close at $5.40 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Link: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../601180349/1148

In second high-level shake-up, South Korean automaker taps Korean exec to lead the brand. Christine Tierney / The Detroit News South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. abruptly dismissed its U.S. chief, Robert Cosmai, and appointed Korean executive Koh Ok Suk to run its fast-growing Hyundai Motor America unit. Cosmai's departure marked the second high-level shake-up at the automaker's U.S. operations in fewer than four months. In October, Hyundai replaced the head of Kia Motors America, Peter Butterfield, with a South Korean executive, J.H. Lee, and hired Len Hunt from Volkswagen to be the chief operating officer. Cosmai, reached on Tuesday, said he had learned of the management's decision in the past couple of days. "They want to be able to move in a new direction," he said. Hyundai said in a statement Tuesday that it had ended its relationship with Cosmai and tapped Koh to "streamline the decision-making process, enhance communication and position the company for future growth." The company did not elaborate, but Hyundai missed its U.S. sales target last year. Hyundai-brand sales grew 9 percent to 455,012 cars and trucks -- about 30,000 units short of the goal. "The thing about the Korean culture -- they are incredibly relentless in their determination to make their numbers," said Jim Sanfilippo, executive vice president for business development at the auto marketing firm AMCI. Hyundai, whose aggressive growth plans are closely watched by its larger Japanese rivals, aims to sell 1 million Hyundai-brand vehicles in the United States by 2010. Industry officials familiar with the company said executives in South Korean appear to be seeking greater control over Hyundai's lucrative U.S. operations. Koh, 52, was previously senior executive vice president at Hyundai Motor America, based in Fountain Valley, Calif., and the chief executive coordinator between the U.S. managers and officials at the company's headquarters in Seoul. Differences between the U.S. and South Korean managers have emerged recently over strategic issues such as the pace of the company's drive to transform Hyundai into a more upscale brand. Last year, Cosmai disagreed with the Seoul headquarters' decision to scrap plans for a Hyundai minivan on the grounds that the Kia brand already had one. Hyundai, which acquired Kia in 1998, wants to differentiate the two brands by establishing Kia as a sporty, affordable nameplate and positioning Hyundai as a direct competitor to the leading Japanese brands Toyota and Honda. "Bob has done a fine job of leading the company's sales efforts for five years and later serving as its president for the last two years," Koh said in a statement. In that seven-year period, Hyundai's U.S. sales grew fivefold, bolstered by a generous warranty offer and rapid improvements in the quality and styling of vehicles such as the Sonata midsize sedan. "In seven years we did a lot. It was a great ride," Cosmai said. Sanfilippo said, "Bob and Finbarr O'Neill (the former CEO of Hyundai Motor America) were a terrific team." "They ignited Hyundai in 1998. Bob was very good with detail and very good with dealers," he said. Link: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../601180352/1148

Maranello's New True GT Due on sale midyear, Ferrari 599 GTB caught almost naked in final testing By MATT DAVIS AutoWeek | Published 01/16/06, 3:06 pm et AT A GLANCE: FERRARI 599 GTB ON SALE: September BASE PRICE: $240,000 (est.) POWERTRAIN: 6.0-liter, 611-hp, 460-lb-ft V12; rwd, seven-speed sequential manual CURB WEIGHT: 3534 lbs 0 TO 60 MPH: 3.7 seconds (est.) With Ferrari's replacement for the 575M Maranello due to be shown officially at the Geneva motor show next month, we have the latest shots of the prototype on final shakedown runs and the first official photos of the car. Most of the recent testing has been done at the company test track in Fiorano, but the 599 GTB was sighted several times tearing around the Nürburgring. Insiders say spy shots were leaked early by Maranello in order to steal some of the attention from the Lamborghini Miura at the Detroit auto show. In an added cry for attention, Ferrari also released official information for the 599 GTB at the Detroit show—while we were submitting this story. The car is known internally at Ferrari as F139. Other names bandied about were Imola, F600 Imola, Maranello and Testarossa. The 599 GTB aluminum body sits on a shortened version of the extruded aluminum space-frame architecture used on the 612 Scaglietti. The 599’s two doors are significantly shorter than those on the 612. This brings the wheelbase down to 110 inches, but the overall width remains close to the 612’s. Weighing under 4000 pounds, the 599 GTB is set to leave the 4056-pound Scaglietti and the 4341-pound 575M in the dust. At its heart is the latest incarnation of the F133F V12 engine used in the 612 Scaglietti. Where the 612 naming is liberal in its claim to a 6.0-liter (it is just 5748 cc), the 599 will have 1 cc greater capacity than the Enzo’s 5998 cc. Both the 575M Maranello and 612 Scaglietti manage 434 lb-ft of torque. The 599 GTB’s torque will rise to 460 lb-ft and be available lower in the revs, starting near 2000 rpm and rushing clear up to 6000 rpm. Hence, all-important 0-to-60-mph bragging rights will give the 599 with updated F1 sequential shifting a 3.7-second result, keeping it even with the upcoming Porsche 997 911 Turbo, also to be introduced at Geneva. Compare this to the 4.2-second time on the 575M and 612, and the message is clear: The 599 will be a much more adept track car. Regarding horsepower, the 599 is earmarked for 611 horses maxing at 7600 rpm vs. the 508 hp of the 575M and the 533 hp of the 612. Power-to-weight is set at 5.8 pounds per horse, making dry weight 3534 pounds. Visualizing this, and with the engine reportedly tucked back even farther behind the front axle, has us anticipating all of our favorite curves. Standard wheels and tires will be 19 inches as on the F430 instead of the 18-inch sets seen on the 575M and the 612. In the end, the entire setup for the 599 GTB already is making us hungrier than ever to hit the track. It is nice to see Ferrari finally get the modern front-mid V12 strategy back toward its proper GT heritage. What’s more, the 599 GTB will not mess around with being any sort of people carrier. No rear seats means not only great room for the two people inside, but also room for luggage. Not being ones to leave well enough alone these days, Ferrari is also throwing in the F1-inspired e-diff technology as seen on the F430. We’ve seen a few video clips of the car in handling exercises around Fiorano, and it seems exactly as capable and solid as the F430. Of course, with those four extra cylinders screaming for more, the power out of every turn is more intense. Ratios on the F1 sequential box are also shorter in the first four gears to aid all the acceleration excitement we’re hinting at. Styling for the 599 GTB is by the same teams at Pininfarina responsible for the F430 and 612, while final approval was given last spring by former Ferrari-Maserati head of GT styling Frank Stephenson. The car’s front end is a less corpulent version of the 612 look, while the rear end sets the GTB apart. Losing the rear clown seats makes the (Corvette-like, dare we say?) tail possible. There are sharper edges in every main contour line, but the four circular Ferrari taillights remain. And as big an improvement as the 612 Scaglietti is for Ferrari interior design, the 599 GTB is said to be a step beyond that. Long-term plans for the 599 GTB are just as varied as those for the outgoing 575M. One year after the coupe’s Feb. 28 introduction at Geneva, Ferrari will show the spider, then a GTC track version and perhaps even a Superamerica. Pricing ought to start at or near $240,000 when U.S. sales begin late this summer. Link: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...1024/LATESTNEWS --- Ugliest Ferrari since the Enzo, IMO. Ferrari styling is going downhill fast.

Those are a couple of "Aw, $h!" faces if I've ever seen them.

Variance: Just a word I thought sounded cool and techy. J30: Means nothing in particular but at the time I didn't wan't my name to be just plain "Variance". (I do now, though).

Modern day Caprice (affordable RWD sedan).

Chevy Monte Carlo (sorry, knightfan). It's simply too much of a lame duck and it's obvious GM doesn't care all that much about it.