Variance

I don't live in Canada (obviously) and haven't visited there before. I'm aware of the obvious differences in currency, standards of measurement, government and all of that but I was wondering if Canadians were terribly different from Americans intellectually-speaking. You know, personality-wise and the like.

Saw a new STS...with a vinyl/canvas roof.

Bitchin' article that tells whiny parents to STFU and actually parent. Video games aren't the devil. --- Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked Henry Jenkins MIT Professor A large gap exists between the public's perception of video games and what the research actually shows. The following is an attempt to separate fact from fiction. 1. The availability of video games has led to an epidemic of youth violence. According to federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low. Researchers find that people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing their crimes than the average person in the general population. It's true that young offenders who have committed school shootings in America have also been game players. But young people in general are more likely to be gamers — 90 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls play. The overwhelming majority of kids who play do NOT commit antisocial acts. According to a 2001 U.S. Surgeon General's report, the strongest risk factors for school shootings centered on mental stability and the quality of home life, not media exposure. The moral panic over violent video games is doubly harmful. It has led adult authorities to be more suspicious and hostile to many kids who already feel cut off from the system. It also misdirects energy away from eliminating the actual causes of youth violence and allows problems to continue to fester. 2. Scientific evidence links violent game play with youth aggression. Claims like this are based on the work of researchers who represent one relatively narrow school of research, "media effects." This research includes some 300 studies of media violence. But most of those studies are inconclusive and many have been criticized on methodological grounds. In these studies, media images are removed from any narrative context. Subjects are asked to engage with content that they would not normally consume and may not understand. Finally, the laboratory context is radically different from the environments where games would normally be played. Most studies found a correlation, not a causal relationship, which means the research could simply show that aggressive people like aggressive entertainment. That's why the vague term "links" is used here. If there is a consensus emerging around this research, it is that violent video games may be one risk factor - when coupled with other more immediate, real-world influences — which can contribute to anti-social behavior. But no research has found that video games are a primary factor or that violent video game play could turn an otherwise normal person into a killer. 3. Children are the primary market for video games. While most American kids do play video games, the center of the video game market has shifted older as the first generation of gamers continues to play into adulthood. Already 62 percent of the console market and 66 percent of the PC market is age 18 or older. The game industry caters to adult tastes. Meanwhile, a sizable number of parents ignore game ratings because they assume that games are for kids. One quarter of children ages 11 to 16 identify an M-Rated (Mature Content) game as among their favorites. Clearly, more should be done to restrict advertising and marketing that targets young consumers with mature content, and to educate parents about the media choices they are facing. But parents need to share some of the responsibility for making decisions about what is appropriate for their children. The news on this front is not all bad. The Federal Trade Commission has found that 83 percent of game purchases for underage consumers are made by parents or by parents and children together. 4. Almost no girls play computer games. Historically, the video game market has been predominantly male. However, the percentage of women playing games has steadily increased over the past decade. Women now slightly outnumber men playing Web-based games. Spurred by the belief that games were an important gateway into other kinds of digital literacy, efforts were made in the mid-90s to build games that appealed to girls. More recent games such as The Sims were huge crossover successes that attracted many women who had never played games before. Given the historic imbalance in the game market (and among people working inside the game industry), the presence of sexist stereotyping in games is hardly surprising. Yet it's also important to note that female game characters are often portrayed as powerful and independent. In his book Killing Monsters, Gerard Jones argues that young girls often build upon these representations of strong women warriors as a means of building up their self confidence in confronting challenges in their everyday lives. 5. Because games are used to train soldiers to kill, they have the same impact on the kids who play them. Former military psychologist and moral reformer David Grossman argues that because the military uses games in training (including, he claims, training soldiers to shoot and kill), the generation of young people who play such games are similarly being brutalized and conditioned to be aggressive in their everyday social interactions. Grossman's model only works if: -we remove training and education from a meaningful cultural context. -we assume learners have no conscious goals and that they show no resistance to what they are being taught. -we assume that they unwittingly apply what they learn in a fantasy environment to real world spaces. The military uses games as part of a specific curriculum, with clearly defined goals, in a context where students actively want to learn and have a need for the information being transmitted. There are consequences for not mastering those skills. That being said, a growing body of research does suggest that games can enhance learning. In his recent book, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, James Gee describes game players as active problem solvers who do not see mistakes as errors, but as opportunities for improvement. Players search for newer, better solutions to problems and challenges, he says. And they are encouraged to constantly form and test hypotheses. This research points to a fundamentally different model of how and what players learn from games. 6. Video games are not a meaningful form of expression. On April 19, 2002, U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr. ruled that video games do not convey ideas and thus enjoy no constitutional protection. As evidence, Saint Louis County presented the judge with videotaped excerpts from four games, all within a narrow range of genres, and all the subject of previous controversy. Overturning a similar decision in Indianapolis, Federal Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner noted: "Violence has always been and remains a central interest of humankind and a recurrent, even obsessive theme of culture both high and low. It engages the interest of children from an early age, as anyone familiar with the classic fairy tales collected by Grimm, Andersen, and Perrault are aware." Posner adds, "To shield children right up to the age of 18 from exposure to violent descriptions and images would not only be quixotic, but deforming; it would leave them unequipped to cope with the world as we know it." Many early games were little more than shooting galleries where players were encouraged to blast everything that moved. Many current games are designed to be ethical testing grounds. They allow players to navigate an expansive and open-ended world, make their own choices and witness their consequences. The Sims designer Will Wright argues that games are perhaps the only medium that allows us to experience guilt over the actions of fictional characters. In a movie, one can always pull back and condemn the character or the artist when they cross certain social boundaries. But in playing a game, we choose what happens to the characters. In the right circumstances, we can be encouraged to examine our own values by seeing how we behave within virtual space. 7. Video game play is socially isolating. Much video game play is social. Almost 60 percent of frequent gamers play with friends. Thirty-three percent play with siblings and 25 percent play with spouses or parents. Even games designed for single players are often played socially, with one person giving advice to another holding a joystick. A growing number of games are designed for multiple players — for either cooperative play in the same space or online play with distributed players. Sociologist Talmadge Wright has logged many hours observing online communities interact with and react to violent video games, concluding that meta-gaming (conversation about game content) provides a context for thinking about rules and rule-breaking. In this way there are really two games taking place simultaneously: one, the explicit conflict and combat on the screen; the other, the implicit cooperation and comradeship between the players. Two players may be fighting to death on screen and growing closer as friends off screen. Social expectations are reaffirmed through the social contract governing play, even as they are symbolically cast aside within the transgressive fantasies represented onscreen. 8. Video game play is desensitizing. Classic studies of play behavior among primates suggest that apes make basic distinctions between play fighting and actual combat. In some circumstances, they seem to take pleasure wrestling and tousling with each other. In others, they might rip each other apart in mortal combat. Game designer and play theorist Eric Zimmerman describes the ways we understand play as distinctive from reality as entering the "magic circle." The same action — say, sweeping a floor — may take on different meanings in play (as in playing house) than in reality (housework). Play allows kids to express feelings and impulses that have to be carefully held in check in their real-world interactions. Media reformers argue that playing violent video games can cause a lack of empathy for real-world victims. Yet, a child who responds to a video game the same way he or she responds to a real-world tragedy could be showing symptoms of being severely emotionally disturbed. Here's where the media effects research, which often uses punching rubber dolls as a marker of real-world aggression, becomes problematic. The kid who is punching a toy designed for this purpose is still within the "magic circle" of play and understands her actions on those terms. Such research shows us only that violent play leads to more violent play. Link: http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolutio...pact/myths.html

New Murano. I could tell it was new because it had the new LED taillights.

I'd like to restore a classic Datsun Z car. Anything from the 240 to 280Z. I just feel they have a great timeless design. That or a '69 GTO for pretty much the same reason.

The E24 BMW 6-Series had a centered exhaust that was skewed ever so slightly to the right. It makes it look misaligned.

I complained about this a couple of months ago in another thread and to this day I still don't like it: the "Pontiac" under the right headlight of the Grand Prix. It's not like it's overly large and ostentatious but I just don't think it looks right. The "Pontiac" on the rear bumper looks cheesy to me as well.

I actually like the "angry" Silverado front end. The previous one was kind of plain to look at and I have a thing for most mean-looking cars.

The yellow thing is an Isuzu VehiCROSS. This is basically what caused Isuzu's poor sales now. When it was sold, whenever anyone stepped in the showroom and caught sight of it, they would scream and vomit in terror and flee from the dealership...vowing never to return again.

This is a Land Rover Freelander: Want to take a guess on where the main brake lights are? That's right. The brake lights are the two little red portions of the rectangles on the bottom of the rear bumper. The two circular lights were you would expect the brake lights to be are (as far as I know) just there for show. I was behind one of these in traffic the other night and following it was just as bad as if it had no brake lights at all (slight exaggeration but it was still disconcerting having to look at the bumper of a car to see if it was braking). The fact that the third brake light was out and the brake lights barely lit up any brighter when braking didn't help either. Any other car design elements that have you question what the designer was thinking?

You know you guys wanna hit this :AH-HA_wink: :

The sedan doesn't look too bad. The hatchback though...woof. Not liking that stubby nose.

No more clowning around By John DiPietro Email Date posted: 12-15-2005 We'll be blunt; we haven't given much love to the Toyota Echo, a car that was non-affectionately dubbed "The Clown Car" by this writer. Its tall roof and pudgy body made us think a dozen goofballs with frizzy orange hair and jumbo shoes would spill out when the doors opened. Mediocre cabin trim and shaky handling didn't help either. Now comes the Echo's overdue replacement, the 2007 Toyota Yaris. With the new Yaris (yes, the name Echo is gone), Toyota steps things up in every way. Rather than having the two-door liftback and four-door essentially differing only in body style, two separate teams developed each version of the Yaris, giving them different personalities. Aww, isn't it cute? Look at the Liftback and you can't help but smile at its cuteness. It reminded us a little of the Yaris' cousin, the Scion xA, a car that one editor referred to as looking like "a big-headed toddler." Look at those big eyes and that happy face. Although shorter than the outgoing Echo coupe, the Yaris Liftback has a wheelbase over 3 inches longer (96.9 inches vs. 93.3 inches). The four-door aims for a mini sport sedan look and is now longer (169.3 inches vs. 164.6 inches), lower (56.7 inches vs. 59.1 inches) and wider (66.5 inches vs. 65.4 inches), which relieves it of the comic proportions of the Echo sedan. As with the Liftback, the sedan's wheelbase was also stretched (100.4 inches vs. 93.3 inches). The net result is a handsome little sedan that doesn't scream "entry-level" like the Echo. With a coefficient of drag of just 0.29, both the sedan and Liftback slip through the air with ease, promising a quieter ride and greater fuel economy at freeway speeds. Fraternal, not identical twins So different are the two Yaris models that they don't even share dash panels. The Liftback has three gloveboxes — two on the passenger side and one on the driver side, a benefit of the center-mounted instruments. To optimize passenger and legroom, the Liftback also features reclining rear seats that slide nearly 6 inches fore and aft. The sedan's cabin has a more upscale feel with features like "Optitron" illuminated gauges, a two-tone color treatment, height-adjustable front seats and, on the LE, a 60/40-split rear seat with a fold-down center armrest. Both Yaris body styles can be had in either base CE or fancier LE trim levels. The CE comes with air-conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, intermittent wipers and dual vanity mirrors. Move up to the LE and an AM/FM/CD system (with an MP3 audio jack), rear defroster, 60/40-split rear seat and 15-inch wheels (replacing the 14s) are added. Optional in both Yarii are a convenience package (includes power windows, locks and mirrors; cruise control; and antilock brakes), and side and side curtain airbags. The sedan is also available in an S version, essentially a package for the LE sedan that adds lower body skirting and an "S" badge. Smooth as a sewing machine Both models are powered by the same 1.5-liter, 16-valve inline four that's used in the Scion xA and xB models. Equipped with variable valve timing (VVT-i), this engine makes 106 hp at 6,000 rpm and 103 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. It's mated with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox, but the EPA says it gets about the same mileage with either — 34 city/40 highway for the manual and 34/39 for the automatic. We sampled both powertrains, and found the manual gave the Yaris a peppy, sporty feel. The engine stays smooth and vibration-free, even at high rpm. We took the engine to redline again and again and never felt like we were thrashing the car. Both the gearshift and clutch action are light and the gearshift knob doesn't vibrate, whether at idle or while running at 75 mph on the freeway. As expected, the automatic sapped some of the fun, as off-the-line performance is blunted. But like the manual, it has decent midrange pull and has no problem getting up to and cruising at 75-80 mph on the highway. We laid into the brakes hard a few times from around 55 mph and found an easily modulated pedal with reassuring braking power. All Yarii have disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear, but the cars we drove had the optional ABS. At highway speeds we noticed a difference between the Liftback and the LE sedan. The sedan was quieter while the Liftback let more road rumble into the cabin. Both absorbed freeway expansion joints without drama, adding to the relaxed demeanor at cruising speeds. Well-sorted suspension With the suspension stiffened by 47 percent over the Echo, the Yaris feels buttoned-down and dare we say fun on curvy roads. The suspension design is nothing earth-shattering — tried-and-true MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam out back. But with redesigned bushings, a single upper mounting point for the front struts (rather than three as in the Echo), the firmer calibrations and a lower center of gravity, the Yaris doesn't even feel related to its wallowing forebear. There's no slop in the Yaris' handling and the revamped suspension and longer wheelbases provide a smoother ride. Helping to optimize fuel-efficiency is the electric power steering setup that takes away the engine-driven hydraulic pump of traditional power steering systems. Unlike some other systems of this kind, the Yaris' has a natural, crisp feel with even weighting. Just in time… As good as it is, the 2007 Toyota Yaris (which goes on sale in April 2006) will be facing some strong competition. Firm pricing was not yet available as of press time, but Toyota execs indicated that it will start under $13,000. With the recently introduced and well-built 2006 Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent and forthcoming 2007 Honda Fit and Nissan Versa, Toyota has replaced the Echo just in time. With a healthy dose of upgrades in style, handling and refinement, the Yaris puts Toyota in good standing for the upcoming economy car war. Hatchback interior: Sedan interior: Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...cleId=108501#18

I just recently finished my last final at college. So now I'm free for weeks and can sleep in every day. No more traffic or 30+ mile commutes to deal with for a while. Feels good to be free from the drugery of classes. :)

Today: Bentley Continental GT BMW M3 (dime-a-dozen 'round here) Range Rover Sport New Mercedes ML (as common as Pathfinders)

Seeing as how I'm horribly far away from affording a new GTO, I've been looking at things that a are a bit more attainable. The 1994-96 Impala SS has caught my eye. In some ways, it's just like the GTO: -Big Corvette V8 power -Sleek, sedated looks (sleeper-like) I'm still not in the market for another car yet but I wanted to get an idea of how good these are (reliability, modability, etc.). This particular one looks pretty damn clean. B)

Like I said, it's done. Check the "Feature Article" section. Small warning: It's a bit lengthy.

You are supposed to have two in Connecticut but I don't think the cops give a damn here, either.

GM Versus the Media -VarianceJ30 December 13, 2005 --- For a while now, it has been the opinion of many a GM fan that the General’s products for the most part do not get a fair shake in the American media and that import vehicles are lauded much more with little exception. GM products are scrutinized more heavily and the company’s management and recall issues are played up more. Rarely does a GM vehicle place first in comparison they appear to be subject to more “cheap shots” by journalists. The media as a whole though, seems to keep quiet when it comes to the company’s accomplishments (product and otherwise). Why does this appear to be the case? Well, I decided the get the opinions of some C&G members on the matter and their opinions of the media when it comes to GM. I had first asked if they felt there is indeed an inherent media bias against GM products. Some members feel that bias does exist. C&G member Oldsmoboi felt it stems from the Big 3’s poor small car offerings during the 80s and that “because of [them], the media approaches every small car from an American company with skepticism. This has filtered over into every other class of vehicle.” This is touched on when member Sixty8panther talked about the “backhanded compliments” that GM products receive such as: “Wow, this new Solstice is such a tremendous car, hard to believe it’s built by the same division that brought us such duds as the Aztek and cheesy products like the Grand Am & Sunfire.” C&G administrator z28luvr01 thought one reason for the bias doesn’t really have to do with GM in particular or cars at all. “American society today is one of self loathing. We just love to put ourselves down. Just about everything this country makes, says, or does ends up a subject of ridicule by American media. Wine must be imported from France or Italy to be considered a “fine” wine. A leather sofa is junk unless it is made of Italian leather. Many believe that a true vacation is one in which the traveler leaves the US. Throughout recent history our President is constantly ridiculed for his decisions, whether he’s a Democrat or Republican. These are just a couple of examples, yet it’s easy to see that Americans love to hate themselves. Bashing the country’s top producer of automobiles, consequently, fits right in with our culture.” Member wildmanjoe believed it isn’t bias per se but more that “a reporter will find it easier to get an anti-GM article published than one that is pro-GM. If the reporter believes the public would react better to a GM bashing article than one that sings its praises, they will write the GM bashing article.” Opinions vary on which entity possesses the most bias. Sixty8 felt Car and Driver magazine is the biggest culprit. “They’d have these all inclusive sedan/sports sedan tests but the Grand Am would not even get a mention. Meantime, they’d drive the wheels off the Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Ford, Dodge and Hyundai.” C&G member turbo200 cited “reporters like Paul Liniert, Dan Neil of the LA Times” as individual examples. Oldsmoboi and z28 felt there is no single most biased publication and that the bias is prevalent throughout the whole of the media. In fact, z28 went on to say: “...the validity of the entire automotive journalism could be brought into question.” I then asked opinions on Consumer Reports. As is well known, Consumer Reports is a non-profit source that many American consumers consult prior to making decisions on what product to buy. Among the products they test are automobiles and they have reviewed many a GM vehicle less than favorably when it comes to things such as reliability and quality. Some members considered CR’s credibility questionable. The general opinion was best summarized by wildmanjoe. “I believe they view past performance as an indicator of future performance, even when it isn't warranted,” he claimed. “For example, in the Consumer Reports I have sitting next to me, they are reviewing the 1996 cars, and they admit on the last time they reviewed many of them was 1992 or 1993. Using this method, they do not take into account changes that have taken place without major redesigns that can affect reliability, such as improving oil seals, head gaskets or electronic components, for example. They will also comment on such things as ergonomics and ride, which are completely subjective and can vary according to a person’s size and weight. The use of such vague terms as "bulky, cramped, clumsy, sub par, sluggish and wallowy" aid to confuse people as well.” Regardless of how much bias exists in the media, there is one General Motors product that is generally praised by all: the Chevrolet Corvette. Few ill words are spoken against the venerable flagship of GM and especially the 505hp Z06 version. The reasons?: “As the flagship for Chevrolet, and in some ways all of GM the Corvette’s phenomenal performance and value show off the best of what GM has to offer.” – Sixty8panther “...it is such a phenomenal car in so many areas that...minor details can be overlooked.” – turbo200 “The Corvette hasn't had a direct competitor that could come close to its performance for less then twice its cost. It is quite literally in a class of its own.” – Oldsmoboi “Corvettes have set a new bar for performance-per-dollar. [They] handily outdo comparable imported exotics costing several times as much, and have been described as very easy to drive by professional race car drivers. The racing versions of both cars have dominated in just about every race they have competed in. Simply put, the Corvette isn’t just the best car America has to offer, it’s the best car the world has to offer.” – z28luvr01 “People don't think of the Corvette as a Chevrolet, but as a different entity, immune from whatever else is going on in the GM line, and for the most part, it is. Your Beretta will come and go, and you will eventually buy something better than a Cavalier, but the Corvette is what you aspire to own.” – wildmanjoe I feel that pretty much says it all. Of course, this is not all to say GM is infallible. The General makes mistakes and misjudgments just like any other company and when they make them, they deserve criticism. Sixty8 lamented the killing of the Oldsmobile brand: “I’m not sure what the long term solution is for GM to recover but it sure as hell was not to kill Oldsmobile and keep a leech like Saturn alive. The right thing for GM to do would be to follow Chrysler’s lead. Bankruptcy is not the worst thing in the world when it allows you to restructure and take a deep breath.” Oldsmoboi wasn’t a fan of GM’s tendency to keep platforms and engines around too long: “They just recently managed to exterminate the J-body and N-body. The W-body and G-body have to be next. The current Grand Prix should not have been on a W-body. That should have been the beginning of the all new platform for the mid-sizers. Lacrosse, Impala and Monte Carlo should have followed... I'm a 3800 fan... I really am. That said, it really is time for the engine to go. I like pushrod engines too, but the HF 2.8 and HF 3.6 could take over the role of every pushrod V-6 GM currently makes. It would be a cost saving measure for GM as well since it would cut the number of V-6 engine families from 9 to 2.” Z28 acknowledged General Motor’s weakness in the design of some interiors and also: “One other criticism would be that they lack a mainstream, $20,000-$30,000 vehicle that’s fun to drive and turns heads at the same time.” (I can’t imagine what he could be referring to.) Of course, General Motors can’t be the whipping boy of the media forever, can it? “Judgment will be good when the metal is there,” thought turbo200. “Look at early reviews for all of GM's recent offerings. Notice the phenomenon that GM's cars get great reviews when considered on their own, mostly. But when placed up against the competition, the deficiencies become even more heightened.” Oldsmoboi saw things a bit differently. “I think [the recognition of good GM products] already is starting. Cars like the Solstice, Cobalt, and CTS are proving themselves in the comparison tests. The clincher will be when a GM mid-sizer wins a comparison test against the Accord, Camry, Altima, and Mazda 6.” Z28 thought that good product wasn’t the only thing integral to changing the general media opinion of GM: “Through a combination of product, service, and marketing, GM has to create a new generation of people who have faith in the company, some of which will eventually become automotive journalists.” Lastly, I asked what advice the members would give to the top brass of GM in the face of tough media criticism: “Go on the offensive. Give every magazine and newspaper that writes automotive reviews free range of cars and trucks to test. Give interviews with anyone who wants them. Graciously accept every suggestion anyone makes, no matter how absurd they may be. Prove you can out-do to competition at every aspect of the game, no matter how trivial. Be ready to prove at a moments notice your products are better than anyone else’s. Find any deficiencies in your competitor’s products and exploit them in the media relentlessly. Finally, put your purse down and go to war.” – wildmanjoe “Build every vehicle to the standard of the Corvette and make the enthusiasts happy. If GM made true competitors to the Chrysler 300C, Dodge Charger and a new more traditional Camaro to fight the retro Mustang it would help turn the tide. Same as a 1992 Viper helped to make a Dynasty and Spirit look less lame. Perception is everything. A company that is killing off their legacy and best most recognized products is not one to be looked upon as successful. In some ways a little part of GM died forever the day the B-bodies got cancelled and another part when Oldsmobile was euphemized and then again when the beloved F-bodies got the pink slip. Only when these products are replaced can GM begin to win back customers. It’s very simple, quite basic in fact. LESS product never equals more customers.” – Sixty8panther “Don't stop with cars. Make it a complete experience. Make something the passionate carheads in the building LOVE!” – turbo200 “Hire more car guys. Go out and find the great grandson of Henry Leland if you have to. Bob Lutz has done wonders, but I fear he is already getting out of the mindset that people my age have about cars. Keep him on the mechanicals, but you need to hire some brilliant styling guys for the sheet metal and interior. There are some people here on C&G that would be excellent. Look to your roots. Not everything has to have a smiley faced grill. Buicks of old had big, bold, sulking grills. They looked mean. The Lucerne looks like a smiling, bloated, last generation Sable. And finally, eliminate overlap. The divisions should be: Chevrolet kept as is. Buick-Pontiac-GMC. Move the mini-vans and Theta crossovers from Buick and Pontiac, give them to GMC. Pontiac and Buick would be platform shares of Holden tuned for their appropriate market. Let Buick keep the Rendezvous/Enclave to compete with the Lexus RX and Acura MDX. Saturn – Saab. Just platform share the Opel lineup and bring it over. Cadillac – Hummer. Pretty much kept as is, but add a small SUV and a small Kappa based convertible to Cadillac. Build a three quarter sized Sixteen to take on the S-Class and 7-series. Drop the DTS.” - Oldsmoboi “It’s going to take a combination of great product, excellent service, and savvy marketing. Recent GM vehicles have proven that GM can produce vehicles that are viable, if not superior, alternatives to imported vehicles. The task at hand for GM is to now make vehicles that stand out. Today, GM has fallen into the trap of trying to beat the competition at its own game. The company was once a styling leader, and at one point could cause a whole crowd to become silent in amazement just by pulling the covers off their latest creation. GM needs to get back to that mindset, get the public to take notice, and start setting trends instead of following them. GM’s service has made positive strides in the past few years, yet some horror stories by owners of GM vehicles prove that they still have a way to go. Perhaps GM’s brightest spot with regards to service is the Saturn dealerships. GM would be wise to take all the principles instilled into Saturn dealerships to make them the most customer-friendly in the business, and apply them to all GM dealers. Furthermore, they should enforce this strictly by penalizing dealerships that fail to adhere. Things like longer warranties or free scheduled maintenance might also prove beneficial. Finally, GM needs to step up its marketing efforts. Recent vehicle campaigns have shown promise, yet for the most part GM’s marketing is focused on “the deal” rather than the products. Also, in most cases GM vehicles get little marketing exposure after their launch. Remember all the clever commercials for the Corvette, Cobalt, Grand Prix, and Equinox. Ads for these vehicles (and many others) have all but disappeared, replaced by the awful voiceover ads bringing us up to speed on the deal of the month.” – z28luvr01 Well, as I was able to establish (and pretty much knew all along)... ...even though GM may not be the apple of the media’s eye... ...even though they don’t always make class-leading products... ...and even though they may make questionable (or bone-headed) decisions from time to time... General Motors will always have their loyal fans to support them through good times and bad. --- Author’s thanks to: Oldsmoboi, Sixty8panther, turbo200, wildmanjoe and z28luvr01 This article would not have been possible without their input. :CG_all:

Sorry for the delay. Busy last week with classwork plus technical difficulties but it's finally finished and should be posted in the "Feature Articles" section in a couple of minutes. B)

Whoops, it was in the subtitle. That's why I missed it. :ph34r:

Wouldn't the last RWD Olds be the last Bravada?

By "Z", he means the Z06.