oldshurst442

There would definitely be range anxiety for me still. Check the maps above for how close I am to stations. Yes, it would be VERY seldom that I'm driving more than 200 miles in one day but outside of the STL area, it gets pretty sparse... I could travel to Chicago from where I'm at though! I saw that. When I posted that, I was thinking of you.

Im really pissed at Sergio... Im seriously afraid of the future of Mopar. Im excited for Tesla as an EV company. I want them to succeed. Ive got long term excitement for EVs. Ill eventually buy one. In the short term, Im afraid no EV will get my business just yet. The Bolt and Volt are too small for my business and family needs. The Tesla Model S is just too much money for me to fork over just for an automobile. I could afford one, Im not sure I want to spend it all on a car. Ive got too many projects that I want to complete before I start buying 100 000 dollar cars. I dont think Ill ever buy a 100 000 dollar car. Even my dream of restomodding a 1970 Olds 442 might not come to fruition. So...Model S is a no go for me. I want a Model S sized car...like my current 2012 Acura TL if you will...that has the Model S's range....but at the $40 000 - $50 000 CDN price range....Ill take a 100% EV car the size of the Fusion/Malibu...at Ford/Chevy prices with a tad less range...but we are not there yet. What we do have is a Chevy Volt...which is a Chevy Cruze size vehicle at Impala/Malibu price tag and still uses gasoline to a degree. Too small, too high a price tag and Im not completely off of oil and engine fluids... for me to consider it viable. For it to make financial sense. Another 10 years and we will probably be there. So Im might as well continue enjoying V6 engines while they last. V8s are too expensive in Quebec for their up keep.

I thought...Casa, that American car companies tickled your fancy? Silicon Valley headquartered or not, Tesla is still American! And when did something that was offered for free was a bad thing?

My partner owns his Model S P85D for about 3 months now....and no probs... OK...its still a new car. The only thing he had was a little braking snafu...a software issue regarding regenerative braking and snow/ice/moisture collection on the brake pads and the car not reacting to slow down fast enough...since then, he chooses the days he wants regenerative braking engaged or not. And...range anxiety in 2016 is all but diminished... But then again, it depends on what part of the country/continent one is from. Im assuming in the North East...not much of a problem. Im assuming in California, not much of an issue either... But like I posted above...the gap where gas stations dont exist will fill up soon enough... Like I said above...EVs are still in the early adopters stage... As far as Tesla's reliability is concerned....at the very worst, just as reliable as the mainstream players...

The EV is still at the early adopters stage. But that stage is slowly coming to an end as EVs are gaining more ground by the month. Tesla is closing in on 200 000 sales. http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/news/a28165/if-you-want-a-tesla-model-s-with-ev-incentives/ And when the Bolt comes along with the Tesla Model 3, the pendulum will quickly swing from there. And if the EPA succeeds in punishing VW with forcing them to build charge stations. http://www.cheersandgears.com/_/news/volkswagen/as-the-diesel-emits-epa-could-make-volkswagen-build-evs-in-the-us-r3371 And if Provincial and State Governments also pitch in for EV infrastructure like Quebec is doing...and Im sure others will follow suit as soon as the Bolt and Tesla Model 3 will explode in popularity... Quebec, Ontario and California joint effort. http://www.21stcentech.com/quebec-ontario-invest-ev-charging-infrastructure/ Quebec re-investing in its own Province with Nissan as a Partner... http://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/quebecs-ev-charging-network-gets-a-major-boost Im sure the EV charging stations to automobile fossil fuel refueling stations ratio will almost become equal in no time... And no...aint no way Im buying a CT6 Hybrid... A Chevrolet Volt...definitely... A CT6 Hybrid...NEVER! Why? Why would I spend almost at the 100 000 dollar barrier on a 4 cylinder? If Im spending that much coin on an EV...Id rather have one that gets me off of gasoline completely 100%. Tesla it is at that price point, a very powerful EV. A vehicle that gets the range and the speed. And the mojo. Why settle for anything less? The CT6 that Id buy is the one that drinks the fossil fuels... Either the TTV6 or most probably, the 4.2 liter V8. Its up top me to decide what it is I wanna do. Get off of oil 100%, or just say phoque it, V8 burble is too precious for me to forget about so easily.

This rendering is just a BMW 6 Series in rendering form... Larger and a roof line and green house not as sporty...so...that 8 Series rendering is...an uglier version of the 6 Series.

For better or worse...much much worse...I HATE marketing that relies peddling stuff with focus groups on tap... Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not...if the sales are there, then I guess it works...right? My dad used to tell me about an old Canadian Army adage...he was donning a Canadian uniform as a soldier during WW2, and an American one during the Korean war... DAZZLE them with brilliance, and if that dont work...BAFFLE them with bullshyte... Interesting read that Camaro link...again, nothing that impressed me with. But Im on your side with this 4 door coupe Hyper...if that means anything to you....or anybody else. THIS...THIS is all HE had to say....because in reality....THAT is true for ANY car...for ANYTHING actually...FAMILIARITY is NOT an UNCOMMON factor...or idea...focus group and focus group talk is someone baffling them with bullshyte... FAMILIARITY is the REAL DEAL...so why even sugar coat it with such BS? Because we have come accustomed to having marketing "geniuses" lie to us...its so bad that even engineers are unto the marketing spiel bandwagon...

Its sounds "bad" because of stupid elitism that marketing "geniuses" have instilled in most of us to be pretentious about things that we know nothing about, yet marketing catch phrases have made experts in all of us...and hence this dialogue we are having about NASCAR...which results in us questioning the validity about left only turns and carburetors and 4 speed transmissions. OHV and OHC valves and horsepower per liter and shyte like that.

Plus...the BUMPING and GRINDING the NASCAR car endures. We ALL forgot about how RUGGED the NASCAR race car is... Try tailgating and hitting the guy next to you, in front of you and hitting the side of the race track in ANY other race venue and see if your car continues to run...

About 4 speed transmissions... Do they work for their intended purpose? Is there a reason to go to 10 speed paddle shifters? I heard that this "old" transmission is still the lightest in the industry...so...is it really necessary to change? Because after all, in most cases, its an oval race track, like I asked in the first question....does a 4 speed transmission work for its intended purpose? If there is no need to complicate things, then why fix when it aint broke? My question is, are carburetors still used? Or have they gone to fuel injection? Either way...even if NASCAR is still using carbs, it dont bother me....part of the charm. Just like how Formula One wants all out technology. Part of Formula One's charm... As an example: Canadian Football versus American Football Its a matter of preference. Its not a case of one being better than the other. The CFL as of late, is actually MORE entertaining than the NFL currently is...

This....I agree with 100%. The term 4 door coupe. OK, we might not like the term, and maybe the term is marketing BS and some of us might not even like the the looks, but its a style that at least breaks from the cookie cutter designs of mainstream sedans, even luxo sedans. I love 4 door coupes. Not all of them. I fell out of love with the Audi A7 very quickly. It hasnt been a year that I enjoy the BMW 6 Series GC. And the M-B CLS. I have lusted over this one since the very first one back in 2004. The VW CC, its a sexy car, at least it looks different and better than comparable offerings with "proper" roof lines. And what a difference it is from its Passat brother. Its sporty looking, with 4 doors. Ditto with the BMW 3 Series and the 4 Series GC. In the end though, it dont matter what OEMs, coach builders and marketing "geniuses" call the body styles, it ends up being semantic definitions anyway. Sports car definition has changed dramatically since the term was first coined in the 1910s or 1920s... Muscle car definition: that has many people tied in a knot. No 4 doors allowed. ONLY V8s allowed. ONLY American cars allowed. NO pony cars allowed. NO fullsized cars allowed. ONLY mid-sized intermediates allowed. MUST be affordable. NO cars before 1964 and after 1970...or 1971...or 1972... or 1973...(some muscle car purists cant even agree on what the cut-off year should be) Yet...even in the USA, from years 1964-1974...many of those rules for muscle cars have been broken from the OEMs themselves. An Olds 442 and a Buick GSX were EXPENSIVE. A 1967 Pontiac GTO, technically the "first" muscle car nameplate was a HUGE car...nothing midsized about it... An Olds Vista Cruiser could be optioned with the 442 455 engine...and the Vista Cruiser was a station wagon, yet Olds made sure you knew it was a muscle car. Corvettes with the big blocks were marketed as muscle cars in the late 1960s as that market niche was the "in" market... So...THOSE are the reasons why I dont mind the terminology "4 door coupe" and why they exist in the first place.

Ah.... age old sarcasm. The good 'ol days when one could talk on the phone and drive at the same time. Then there is the new version for the millennials to enjoy... And everybody's favorite At least with the Tesla, it aint false advertisement... The toy Tesla as well as the real thing both run on batteries...

I dont know about that... The only one that seems to sell well is the BMW X6. The Infinity ones were let to rot on the vine...so Ill give that as success too... But, the Acura one failed big time and well, the M-B version is still young, I guess its selling well due to the fact that many Eurotrash oriented M-B snobs want one to rub it in the noses of the BMW oriented Eurotrash neighbors of theirs...next year or so will really reveal if the M-B version will have conquered sales from lets say...the Escalade...because the Escalade is still THE top dog SUV in that price range, give or take a few thousand dollars...its still the same niche market. SUVs for Buick need to be more traditional.

I think its a 1976 Trans Am and a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. If that is what you are asking. If its a question for me to acknowledge coupes and sedans and stuff....both are 2 door coupes. I think... Because maybe that Challenger could be considered something else since its based on a sedan? Or even the Trans Am.... Because I happen to know also that sedans and coupes have different levels of definitions. Especially going back into automotive history. Hence my original pics....and now, Im just over thinking things...

I share your sentiment. Modern Rolls Royces and Bentleys dont do much for me... The Mulsanne is pretty, but I would not buy one had I money. I hope the new Phantom keeps the Rolls Royce cachet of it being a huge vehicle with a huge grille and stuff, but I hope its much much more prettier. One thing I cant deny the Phantom, it has presence...but none that ever impressed me with.

Yeah yeah yeah.. 2 doors means coupe. 4 doors mean sedan. Killjoy! While cool looking, this is DOA. No headroom in the back, the whole 4 door coupe thing is so over killed that is needs to die. CUV/SUVs are where it is at right now with cheap oil and 200+ mile EV's. While lots to like about this, I have to agree that this would sell in very small numbers and cost more than it makes. Next! It wont sell in high numbers, it shouldnt sell in high numbers. I view it as an emotion car to get American asses back in Buick showrooms with awe inspiring intentions...maybe they see Avista 4 door coupe and drive off in the the Regal, when the Regal actually gets redesigned properly like how the Malibu was re-designed. Because the Avista is an Alpha platformed car...which has the Camaro and the ATS to help amortize the platform, this Buick could not hurt to be built. The A7, BMW 6 Series GC and MB CLS are too high in the market niche for this car to compete in... I see the Avista in this range: The VW CC sold quite a few units, VW let it rot on the vine. The CLA sells like little hotcakes... I dont know what the BMW 3/4 Series GC sales are... I think a Buick Avista 4 door coupe could do very well against these Germans. SO I say build it!

Most races are four hours with no delays. You also don't factor in these little things called "cautions". Also, only a couple of races a year are 300 miles. The rest are 400-500 (and don't forget the 600 miles Coca Cola 600 race in Charlotte, NC). You are wrong and clearly have never even watched these races. The Veyron also weighs way more than your average stock car so you just go ahead and get a lesson in physics there (the Veyron weighs 700 lbs MORE than any NASCAR stock car). Besides, that MPC wasn't that close in an obviously "staged for TV" race. What I love is how some like to talk smack about stock car racing saying "it's the easiest style racing out there". Well, if it's so easy, how come outside racers (F1, Indycar, etc) have never succeeded in NASCAR (for the most part anyway)? Sunday's Dayonta 500 was 3 hours and 17 minutes. A Veyron also has 1200 hp vs about 450 hp for a stock car with the restricter plate, the 700 or 900 lb weight difference would be easily overcome. . I think the top speed Sunday was 201 mph, a Veyron would crush those cars on the straights, the question is what speed the Veyron would hold in corners. A Veyron also has a larger fuel tank but 8 or 9 gallons. As far as other racers being successful, I think most drivers are conditioned and geared to one style racing. I don't see Earnhart Jr or Kyle Busch winning any F1 championships either. Race car drivers rarely cross over and there is no way that Richard Petty or Dale Earnhart Sr (for as good as they were) are better drivers than Ayerton Senna or Michael Schumacher. It is rare, that drivers crossover, but...it does happen, and when it does happen, its rarer that these drivers are successful in other racing venues... But, there is a handful of drivers that are supreme driving Gods and had success no matter what racing venue... From the top of my head...and I know there are others except Im not a very big racing car fan...I dont watch too many races. I dont find the races entertaining. Im more of a traditional sports kinda guy: baseball, football and hockey. F1, Indy Car and NASCAR Champions among other races. 1. Mario Andretti 2. Dan Gurney F1 and Indy Car champ, 24 hour Lemans winner. 1. Jacques Villeneuve. Emerson Fittipaldi fits in somewhere in there also... And there are plenty of others! Just to say though, that each racing venue has its own unique skills that drivers need to master in order to compete successfully... Just to say, NASCAR has its own set of skills that are at least just as hard and intimidating to learn as the other racing venues...if not HARDER to master... Its the only racing series I know of that has high high banks on curves that allow the race cars to achieve 200 mph speeds...on the curves themselves... Its the only racing series I know of that going into a curve, the cars NEED NOT slow down... Its the only racing series I know of that takes skill just to STAY on the high end of the bank of the curve while trying to tailgate the leader while trying to stave off any guy that wants to pass...on the bloody curve itself... Its the only racing series I know of where TAILGATING is necessary in order to save gasoline and when the time is right, slingshot pass your opponent. So while we could make fun of NASCAR all we want...with those left only turns, it aint as easy as it looks...and it takes special skills to race in that racing circuit. Jacques Villeneuve...an Indy Car SEASON CHAMPION, Indy 500 winner, a Formula One SEASON Champion, a 24 hour Lemans winner could not actually compete competitively at NASCAR, and...we cant deny the fact that this guy...could actually race... He showed the world that his skill set is impressive and could make a NASCAR race car dance at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal with the Xfinity Series...I think he won his first race with NASCAR in Montreal...because he also knows that race track very well... We could say that F1 is all technology and its the car that won it, and that at Lemans, its as much luck as it is skill...but...he did win the Indy 500 and was Indycar Season champ....so....maybe we could stop with the excuses and the laughing of NASCAR... Also...its one heck of an entertaining spectacle... The fans are allowed to see the cars up close and personal...I wont get into the F1 snob thing...because espionage IS a real threat...but THAT is what makes NASCAR entertaining, n'est pas?

All I could here are evil laughs with this scandal... VW executives and engineers with this evil laugh, all laughing together when they decided upon this scam And Elon Musk at the news of having a car maker forced in contributing to what his company has already invested millions if not billions in...making an EV infrastructure.

A 4 door coupe, Balthy. Actually, this is a style that has history, it aint a marketing scheme for the 2000s, it was a styling theme..more common in Germany. Americans did wonders with it too... In other words, pillar less 4 door hard tops. Maybe the term was not known as a 4 door coupes back then, and in the 1990s and early 2000s there were 3 door coupes, or 3 door sedans... Saturn Coupe and Mazda RX-8 come to mind. Today, the VW CC, Audi A7, BMW 6 GC, Opel/Buick Regal, M-B CLS and CLA all have pillars, not like the old days. The modern versions do have a more coupe like roof line where its not quite a fast back, back the green house area is full on sporty. Heck, the brand new Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion are borderline 4 door coupes. If Chevy and Ford would call them that, nobody would laugh. Maybe raise a few non-believer eyebrows, but those people are no sold on the idea of 4 door coupes anyway.. Yes, that was a dig on you, Balthy. With love of course. That is why I posted those pics, so I could suck up to you!

Yup. I was not only talking about performance...but in style too. I like the ATS looks as well, but its boy racer to me. I like boy racer, but I prefer Rat Pack cool and debonair. This Avista, might be the best looking concept and/or rendering in decades. I equate this Avista concept 2 door and 4 door rendering on the same high level of WOW as the Cadillac Ciel and El Mirage.

Yup! Both would be fantastic for Buick. Which leads me to this discussion... Cadillac... Cadillac and its ATS and sub-ATS... How does Cadillac peddle an ATS when an Avista 2 door and 4 door (as per concept and concept rendering) make the ATS so obsolete? Im sure both brands could peddle Alpha and both models could co-exist...but if Cadillac wants to succeed in this market niche...they really need to up their game because it looks like Buick is about to blow their doors off...

http://www.motortrend.com/news/gm-considers-four-door-buick-avista-coupe/ (if watermarked photos are forbidden, sorry...and please delete it.) Link above...according to Motor Trend, Buick bosses with top dog GM execs say that a wheelbase stretch and extra doors could hold key to production green light. Everyone at GM is looking how to make viable business cases for it to happen. I say...THIS is what Buick needs to get American asses into a Buick. I say...when and if a 4 door Buick Avista coupe happens, then there wont be a need for Buick to try to CONVINCE Americans that this aint your father's Buick...the car itself will prove it...VISUALLY...and THAT my friends, is how it SHOULD be done to CONVINCE Americans that Buick is FINALLY not your Grand Father's and Father's Buick... Why Grand Father? Because I figure...Buick's last great hip car was in the mid 1960s...yeah...by 2016...the time gone by sure feels like it might have been your Great Grandfather's Buick...that Riviera Im talking about. (obviously we may exclude the Buick GS(X) and Buick GN(X). The Buick GNX was your Granddad's last great Buick! Because...the 1980s was also a heck of a long time ago!

That is the caveat right there though, isnt it? Exclusivity is but one of the ingredients that defines luxury... However, One thing that visibility does is rolling publicity. Free advertisement... When a potential future buyer sees a car on the road, the potential future buyer sees a possible model or brand that he might like to own or a brand he would like to be a part of... Too exclusive where nobody sees the brand or car and no lust is created... Its one thing to see a car in pics, and its another to see it in person in the wild, engine revving, taking corners fast...and if the car is clean and shiny... And that is if a potential future buyer even sees a car in any picture of any kind... Average Joe potential future buyers dont really pursue car magazines either in paper form or internet form to see cars and to read about them... So...yeah...in a twisted effed up way...if Average Joe potential future buyers see cars on the road that look good, great, fabulous....yeah...it makes them want them... What a conundrum that is... On the other hand... Are BMW CEOs seeing a pattern of declining sales and sales conquests made by Cadillac/Audi/Mercedes-Benz/Jaguar and are affecting BMW sales goals that they want to resort to old GM tactics just to say that they are still on top? HMMMMM....

I wanna agree with you DFELT on this...but I dont know how to agree on you with it... I know I DONT want to disagree with you on this matter... Something about this project has me run afoul with my thought process about a SUV derived from the Giulia platform... I guess its because I dont know what other brand will be using this SUV platform... Because Im also conflicted because I know JEEP is also under FCA jurisdiction...and what role does this SUV play within the JEEP SUV world? Because I wanna know where this Stelvio fits in with the Jeep Grand Cherokee? And will JEEP be getting this? Or is it the eventual replacement for the GC? And are JEEP engineers in any way involved with this? And if the answer is yes...GREAT and if the answer is no...HOW COME? Anyhoo, one thing they got right in my opinion is the name... Stelvio...is a good name for an Italian enthusiast vehicle. Whether sports car or SUV/CUV...