oldshurst442

I do not have a horse in this race. Just asking a very honest and legit question. AND...Im not only just asking CCAP, but ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY that reads this post of mine. 1. What difference does it make where you read this article? Fox News or CNN... If the article is indeed biased free. Or if it leans slightly to the right or left. I said slightly leaning, not blatant #fakenews... And another honest and legit question. 2. How does one know how the article leans if one does not read it? 3. How does one know what really is the truth if one avoids "the other side's" news outlet? Especially if one ONLY keeps reading and engaging in his political leanings news outlets... 4. How does one form an informed and non-biased opinion if one ONLY listens to news outlets that are the same as his political leanings just keeps on high fivin' what obviously one WANTS to hear all the time? 5. And finally, last question. What the phoque is this right and left, democratic and republican, liberal and conservative bullshyte I keep on hearing about? Life is NOT JUST about being left or right and all that bullshyte...Life aint black or white...life is a whole bunch of colours actually...and one need not only choose one phoquing colour. The beauty of life is the phoquing freedom to EXPERIENCE ALL THE PHOQUING colours there are!!! I find it ridiculous all the accusations and the mud slinging thrown around in American politics both by the leaders of your country and the voting public, yet NOBODY is actually LISTENING, DEBATING, and actually COMPROMISING and COMING TO A CONCLUSION and a SOLUTION... Its only about insulting the other side, trying to discredit the other side. Arguments are just semantic driven just to discredit on technicalities and more insults are thrown yet NOBODY has a bloody solution for ANYTHING... Its sad really...

I agree wholeheartedly on your above post Balthy. What I was meaning about greed was that the stock market evaluates how well a company does by future predictions. There is an old proverb that says "dont count your chickens before they hatch" yet in today's world, which in fact is a corporate world, wealth is being built (or wealth is being lost, but somebody does in fact still manage to pocket millions off the backs of the poor old worker.) by counting the chickens before they hatch. So, the people that trade the stocks, got a "scare" so, decided to sell off their shares, at a lower price??? Just because of a 5 billion dollar difference? I know! I Know! 5 billion dollars is a lot of coin for Apple CEOs that they have less to buy expensive personal toys in their already huge stable of expensive toys. The thing is...how much money did Apple rake in the year before? And the year before that? And the year before that? and the year before that? The other thing is...how much money (counting chickens, but still relevant without the fear mongering...) will Apple make next year, and the year after that? And the year after that? This is all fine when big corporations do fail because the CEOs running this particular corporation failed to get within the times or had piss poor management. Sears comes to mind. But...all those billions made by Sears over the 100 plus years of their existence is GONE... If a corporation is like a person in a legal sense for tax purposes and the like, to shelter CEOs and share holders and the like, well, humans pass on their wealth for generations and humans create a dynasty for their future generations. Yet corporations, do have a war chest, when they do go bankrupt, that war chest somehow disappears. It goes somewhere, but it definitely does not go to the factory workers and salespeople that have given their entire lives. Their pension funds also in some cases disappear also. So yeah. That is what I meant by greed. 5 billion dollars less than predicted. Boo hoo hoo for the CEOs and the top tier share holders that will pocket 5 billion dollars less for XMAS this year, because we sure as hell know that Apple factory workers in China or Apple sales people in NYC Apple Stores woundnt have never gotten a dime regardless of a 89 billion dollar year or an 84 billion dollar year... Yet us as ravenous consumers that we are, we do not even blink an eye in giving our hard earned money to all corporations year after year after year while they take our billions and run away with it. We do not question why we are ravenous consumerism when we throw out are 2 year old 500 dollar iPhone that we bough or leased 2 years ago, that we go and fork over another 500-600-1000 dollar iPhone just because its the new one, and we do not question why we do this and we forget that our 2 year old iPhone is still good to use... We buy into their advertising brainwashing lingo to keep on buying and we get scared just because they made 5 billion dollars less than predicted... I do agree though, when their magical advertising bullshyte ceases to brainwash and another cutesy company takes over, then yeah, the scare is real at that point in time...but do not forget, the people that run these billion dollar corporations have their dynasty money under their mattresses, in off shore tax haven bank accounts, etc...

My dad always hated Wallstreet type financial statements... That example of not making 89 billion but 84 billion, well, he was always aware of that type of greed and mocked it endlessly. Thanx Balthy for pointing that out. It sickens me that so many of us do not see the blatant greed...

I read on the internets about a conspiracy that SA wants to buy out EV companies so they could bankrupt them so they could continue to sell oil...LOL!!!

Yes....it was Lucid Motors that I was thinking about. I confused the two. I honestly do not believe Faraday nor Lucid will succeed therefore when I read news about those two, I do not really pay that much attention to the information given. This explains the mistaken identity. LOL. Thanks Bill (and Drew) for the explanations!

I thought a Saudi Prince billionaire bought the company.. Now its a Chinese company that has it??? And that ownership group is also iffy on keeping it? OK. Future so bright, gotta wear...shades?

Yes. Not all engineering solutions are viable for all scenarios. (gasoline vs electric motors in today's junction in time and reality). Both @dwightlooi and @dfelt brilliantly defined both advantages of ICE vs induction motors vs magnetic motors and their disadvantages. Areas where hydro-electricity is being used, there is an added benefit where the production of electricity is even cleaner for the environment. (Yes, no propulsion system is 100% earth friendly and clean. Unless we use horse and buggy. Wooden buggy as trees are a re-usable resource, if we replant that is and wooden boats to travel by water. And no traveling by flying, ever...) (No usage of iron and steel and aluminium as shaping and producing these resources causes...pollution...bronze too, is an iffy material choice as there are 7 billion of us today...if we really want to be 100% clean for the environment that is...) Therefore, there will always be some sort of compromise, whether its environmental or efficiency. But by picking and choosing what solution best works for our immediate and personal surroundings, then that is all us humans could do. Dfelt mentioned Los Angeles and Shanghai and air pollution. I remember as a young kid, living in Montreal Quebec...very far away from LA... that even on Montreal news stations, the news got out and told us that Los Angelinos would be advised to stay home certain days because of how bad smog was in the 1970s and early 1980s. Today, I see Shanghai residents wear those medical face masks in pictures when they go outside.... I guess that is why the Chinese government has taken measures to abolish the internal combustion engine in their country. China is also the world's biggest hydro-electric producer. Makes sense pollution wise for them as well as a monetary one. Also, China has plenty of the rare earth metals we were talking about...

But.... But... Im also equally giddy about AC induction motors. Tesla's version for me as of now, (other manufacturer's automobile AC induction motors to follow I guess) would be like the equivalent Ram Air IV 400, or Pontiac's-Olds'-Buick's respective 455s. Or Mopar's 440 six pack of the good ole days.

These are a few OHV pushrod engines Im currently salivating after. They are not exactly factory OEM engines. Well, one of them is a crate engine based on a production engine and the other is a hopped up, souped up, bored and stroked version of a production engine built by a reputable yet unnammed NASCAR engine builder. A legit 426 cubic inch "HEMI" from Mopar. I could do without the supercharger and have it naturally aspirated but if you twist my arms for half a second, Im sure Ill be convinced to accept this set-up. This next one is a legit 455 cubic inch V8 based on the LT1. Trans Am depot's SD455 percistant effort on selling us Trans Ams even though there are no more Trans Ams. But I think they bought the rights to use the name and logos so I think this effort is as legit of an SD455 Trans Am as there ever will be. Both on the 455 part and on the Trans Am part.

LOL!!! Skippy? Ive been called and nicknamed many things over the course of my 45 years on this planet, Skippy was never one of them. Its a first for me. Skippy... Nerdy, yet cute, but invisible to Mallory because not Alpha male. He probably became a billionaire by creating a techie company start-up in Silicone Valley and is having the last laugh as Mallory probably is divorced with 2-3-4 kids living in a trailer park because she chose a Nick type ignoramus...(Nick was lovable though) Yeah...Im not seeing Skippy in me. Back to the Giulia. Yeah, had I understood the 4 cylinder part a tad better and not been blinded and biased towards that Ferrari engineered and tuned V6 , I would have not referenced it in the first place. So I kinda feel like Nick at this point in time. Without the earring of course. PS: I was always more like...no, not an Alex P. Keaton type, but another Michael J. Fox character. Like Marty McFly. Nerdy, yet cool. Cute, but not a hunky beef steak. Calm yet jumpy. Sporty and athletic but clumsy at the same time. Shy and introverted yet rock-n-rolly and arrogantly loud. laisser faire but aggressive That is why I love Oldsmobiles. They capture me perfectly. Sporty and classy. Not too sporty like Pontiac. Not everyday man's Chevy. Not 1%er Cadillac and not a Doctor's or Lawyer's professional job Buick. But Oldsmobile. A bottom end Olds could be bought by an everyday blue collar man if he was a hard working soul and played his cards right. A muscle car 442 could be as sporty as a Pontiac. A high end 88/Delta 88/Super 88 and the like could be a professional's ride. It could also be bought by a 1%er that wanted to stay stealthy and not advertise. The Giulia and BMW and Acura and Buick after Olds went away, want to play in that former Olds playground. Apart from BMW, all others have failed. Even BMW is faltering somewhat. Audi has success, but they too are becoming what Olds became in the late 1980s to early 1990s. What is amazing with Oldsmobile, they kept that high image for a good 80 years straight. Lost it but kinda regained again just before GM pulled the plug on them. Back to the Giulia. The a ONLY redeeming quality it has is that V6. And the suspension set-up on it that out does BMW. But Im not so sure people care for an ultimate driving BMW-like experience anymore. In the 1990s, this car would most have definitely have dethroned BMW and would have stolen market share from BMW 3 series buyers. Not so much in 2018. OOPSIES. 2019. Another Nick moment.

I just read this post from nearly half a year ago. Is your heart in Havana...na, na na? Im eating a banana...na, na, na just before going to bed right about now. No joke!!! I DVRed Scarface the other day and watched it yesterday for the millionth time! (No kids. Or wife. Not a very family friendly flick...) So...say good night to my little..um...OK...maybe not a very safe quote...people might get the wrong idea about you and I. I cannot think of any other quote from Tony Montana. Na, na, na so...Good Night!

Id like to add: 1. Cadillac chasing BMW was NOT a good idea. At first it was. In the 1990s. But they went about the chasing the wrong way. The FWD STS and Eldorado were good cars. Wrong wheel drive though. In those days, RWD was a must. Torque steer was not. 2. Cadillac saw that FWD was a losing battle so they tried the Cadillac that zigs angle. Right idea, shytty execution. The Opel Omega that would later become the Pontiac GTO should give you an idea how bad of an idea the Opel Omega was. It was clear as water that the Opel Omega was better suited as a Pontiac than a Cadillac. Which leads us to much bigger problem that seems to be repetitive for Cadillac the last 30 years or so 3. Shytty executions that have impacted the North American psyche about Cadillac's relevance in the luxury world and how the general public view Cadillac... a. Cimarron b. Allante c. Catera d. XLR e. ELR f. RWD STS g. canceling of STS to CTS and introduction to ATS h. CT6 From a to h. All those models coulda, shoulda been game changers. Cadillac drop the ball big time on them. Always some sort of lethal (in terms of potential customer acceptance of them) miscalculation. Each of them had a bad judgement call that was unique to only that model. But it was such a bad judgement call that forced the cancellation of that model after a short production run. (This is what Suave was saying) 4. Never having the right product at the right time, always chasing the trends and never in the forefront of change. 5. Still chasing BMW when that ship has sailed. Even BMW stopped being BMW a decade ago. Sure BMW has some "M" models that evoke some sort of ultimate driving experience, but that ship has ultimately sailed. That could be because BMW has also dropped the ball. Be as it may, a FWD Seville Touring Sedan and Eldorado could really be what Cadillac needs to sell more sedans and let us not forget a land yacht CT6 named Deville or Fleetwood... It seems that Cadillac is not realizing that their #1 seller, and actual current icon the world is salivating on, the Escalade, is exactly what the Fleetwood and other Cadillac land yachts were all about, hence why a FWD Seville Touring Sedan with real Cadillac luxury, not Cimarron luxury, could be their ticket to success...WITH A REAL NAME!!! People KNOW what an Escalade is and people KNOW ITS A CADILLAC! Supposedly, that is what alphanumerics are for. For BRAND recognition rather than specific model admiration. The brand being exposed and revered more than the model itself. Yet the Escalade, with a REAL name does both...GO FIGURE!!! #5 is more of an incoherent rant, but there is some truth in there somewhere too...

There is a new remix version. I like it. But the originals alsways seem best. Ive been on an Elvis binge as of late. This is but a sample.

I also just realized that the Alfa Romeo is the only one with a real name. And I also just realized that Alpha Romeo is rich in historic....alphanumerics. Like every brand mentioned here...with the exception of...CADILLAC. Whatever that means. I aint implying anything. Other than... For Pete's sake Cadiilac, go back to actual names already!!!

True!

That Cadillac pic is just a rendering... The Alfa Romeo beats all of them in one category though. I do not know how reliable it may be, but Id buy the Guilia Quadrifoglio over the others JUST for the sounds it makes. I do think the Infinity has the nicest looks and silhouettes of all of them. (Didnt Infinity name their cars "G"...before Johan took over?) (And now "G" belongs to Genesis?) (What a strange automotive world we live in today!!!)

I like the sounds the Quadrifoglio makes. The V6 on this is awesome. Ferrari engine tuners really know how to make an engine sing. The Guilia's silhouette has a lot in common with a BMW 3 Series. And it does not help the situation when BMW 3 Series cars have looked the same since about 10 years now. This might explain some of the blandness. I do think the Guilia is sexy enough, but maybe the glorious sounds of its V6 have me blinded with how sexy it might really be in the looks department.

Yeah, I do know you quite well, Balthy. Fom all the guys Ive talked to on automotive forums, and there has been plenty, you Balthy, are a top 5 poster for me on the level of respect I have for you. Although it did not seem that way the way I responded to you the last couple of times, that was me just being me...sometimes goofy. Sometimes funny. Sometimes to the direct and to the point. And yes, I too am a fact-based guy. The thing is, perception is not vapor when perception rules how a society thinks and lives their lives ( the overly PC world we currently live in ) , how we buy products to consume and eat (veganism is the new fad that is gaining a lot of steam and well, the basis of this thread...like you said...people think Toyotas are great while GM cars are crap...its a reality that exists) and elects their leaders (Trump, Brexit, in Quebec the liberal leadership of 4 years that saw Quebec actually get back in the black only to elect a pseudo separatist party but they do not want to push that....because Quebecois do not want that, but just in case...) CT6s do not sell well. Continentals even less. Im not concerned how many CT6s sell. But I am concerned at the money GM spent on it though...only to cancel it. Wrong assumption that the CT6 is canceled? Quite possible. But the leaders of GM are going full steam ahead with...EVs. (pun intended even if the pun is about differing energies) What should be concerning you, Balthy, with GM, is that GM is willing to ditch a model with mediocre sales for a product that will, according to you even, will be selling less as EVs are what, not even 1% of total auto sales in the US? GM it seems, is having more faith in EVs than they do for the CT6? Im a believer in EV cars being the future faster than most people think it will be and yet, even I do not think that ditching the CT6 is a smart idea as even I think EVs are not gonna replace the ICE cars tomorrow. In other words, I do not think an EV Cadillac will be more successful in the market place than a CT6. Cadillac's marketing is horrid. Cadillac's marketing wont convince Telsa buyers to buy an EV Cadillac...

And again, I agree with this part of your post 100000000% And in reality, if you read my previous posts, if you read between the lines, I am saying EXACTLY that... The difference is that in your post, you are defending GM and not mentioning the reasons why all these publications cater to the hatred of American cars. I mentioned the reasons why. Ill go further though, in saying why these publications cater to the hatred. Advertising dollars that the foreign makes paid just for them to belittle American cars... And all that fueled the negative stigma that the Big 3 STILL have to endure today. However, this negative stigma does not seem to have spilled over to the CUVs and SUVs. Maybe, finally, the hatred of the American automobile is finally gone. With the near death of the car in the USA, and the CUV/SUV reality we have today, that negative stigma gets put to rest.

I agree with this 10000000% The problem is guys, this negative stigma that American cars have is also 10000000000% real. You asked me a question Casa. Compared to whom were these American cars crap/junk? To us , Casa. To us! Just because Japanese cars and German cars were shyttier than American cars, then and now, does not mean that the Big 3, (yes the Big 3, because THAT is what it used to be..) that they should have built shytty x-platfom cars (The Citation II and its siblings, The Vega, The Pinto, the Cadillac Cimarron, (Cadillac deserved better that that...yes, it was no different than a BMW 3 Series, yet did Cadillac need to stoop that low to have a car in everybody's garage, and even if the answer is yes, did it have to be on the J platform? And if yes to that too, did it have to be a blatant copy paste of the Cavalier?) Badge engineering was not the bad part of GM, but what was was the countless of leaking head gaskets of several engines...The DOHC 3.4, the OHV 3.4, the Quad 4, the Northstar... I have been on both sides of this argument, Casa. We've never really butted heads, here or over at MTForums, because we have been on the same page. We do have the same opinion on this matter. From hating self-hating Americans that will never seem to give American cars or anything built in America a fair chance (unless its a foreign based company that builds here) to trolls that hate on American cars just because. We also agree that German cars and Japanese cars are probably, throughout history, have had a WORSE record of quality and reliability than American cars. Where we differ is that I will NOT defend GM/Ford/Chryco for the times that they did build crap...as you do. And rightfully so that you defend them. It is YOUR (and mine-Canada) country's industry!!! The Japanese people and the German people and the Chinese now, look at their car industry with pride and defend feverishly. But on the other hand, these self hating Americans also have a right to hate on the Big 3. For the Big 3 did take their loyalty they once had, and just took that for granted. Maybe they should start defending it now though... And this is where we are in this thread.

We are in an automotive forum... Not a courtroom...anything said in here is over the top and anecdotal...so please spare me the semantic arguments... Declining market share proves my over the top statements. Anecdotal discussions are part of automotive forums...and they are real...they reflect kinda how society flows. isnt that how Donald Trump got elected? By him saying over the top things by him even using anecdotal slogans? And YES...I AGREE WITH YOU!!! I said that...but you have a hard time understanding what PERCEIVED means... And yes...the 1970s was such a long time age, yet Cadillac has not shed the negative stigma surrounding its cars...Lincoln neither. Their SUVs sell, but people will not touch their cars... "Nobody" buys their cars...(absolute statement) But the thing is, CT6 sales are low, that GM is canceling it...to boot, the Continental is going away too... Yet you would prefer to challenge me on the "nobody buys the CT6" statement because there has been people to buy the phoquiking thing, yet you glaze over the reality of said absolute statement. An over the top statement that deals in an absolute, even if its not 100% accurate, does not make it a false statement... Go ahead...challenge me on the "the whole planet, Americans included, think that American cars are garbage" and pat yourself on your back for finding just one soul that does not think that American cars are crap...making my statement false??? The reality of it all is that the Malibu is behind in sales from the Camry, Accord, Altima. I aint sure if the Sonata and Optima are behind it. The Cruze, the Focus, the Fiesta and the Spark are being canceled because the sales that Ford and GM wants from are not there. Yet the Corolla and Civic sell just fine in a world of CUV and SUV sales... Yup...congrats to you for proving me wrong about my absolute statement. (SARCASM)

I never get tired of wood either. I always wake up in the morning with one.