oldshurst442

Well...you did invite me a couple months ago to join you in Alberta. Banf and Jasper. I need to practice my cowboy wearing ways if Im gonna head out West one day. Calgary will probably be my preference over Edmonton though, and I heard there are some fine rodeos in Calgary so.. West bound and down, loaded up and Trans Amin' We're gonna do what they say can't be done. We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. I'm West bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run. Keep your foot hard on the pedal. Son, never mind them brakes. Let it all hang out 'cause we got a run to make. The boys are thirsty in ALBERTA and there's beer in STRATHCONA And we'll bring it back no matter what it takes...

My kind of humor.

Im sorry...I think that I have the right perspective on this...Trans Ams All. The. Way.

I finally got clear to upvote. Nice ring. And as far as I could tell, nice lady fingers too. Very feminine. Not like Seinfeld's lady friend "man hands"...

Im just get on the Trans Am band(it)wagon... Those Trans Ams are far far less of a hassle(hoff) Besides, Trans Ams (James)Garner more POSITIVE attention than Vettes do lately. There is a winning "Formula" when it comes to Trans Ams....Corvettes are actually boats, boats sink. The Formula/Trans Am logo is a Phoenix...Phoenix ALWAYS rise from the ashes... And finally...because at the end of the day...

Many people give Oldsmobile's "This is aint your father's Oldsmobile" tag line plenty of grief. I included. But, last week, I heard this tag line for a movie "Not your mother's romantic comedy" https://youtu.be/pos0eJiMxo0?t=20s Click on the link to actually see it written in the trailer of the movie Trainwreck. I cant find the audio version of that trailer where the narrator actually says it...but at least in this trailer, its written... And it aint the first time I see this type of tag line where marketing geniuses copied the original Oldsmobile slogan. Therefore....I have come to the conclusion that that marketing compaign was actually a successful one...not for Oldsmobile...but for everybody else. And yes...I am not very fond of Buick's version either, but as I have showed with Trainwreck...there might be some merit to Buick's version after all.

OK....I ABSOLUTELY CANT STAND when someone says the Fusion looks like an Aston Martin... I give passes to non-car guys and gals as they dont know any better and to internet car guys that want to give Ford a hard time because they are GM or Mopar or Honda fanbois... Ill always correct the latter... But Im fuming with informative articles like this one...especially when the author is a car guy himself... 2013 Ford Fusion 2015 Ford Mustang OK...you say that this looks like an Aston Martin... Fair enough... Except in 1968.... The trapezoidal effect is less apparent...but its there.. Just for reference...1960s Aston Martin Why do we keep on banging that false message? Because the grill has some sort of billet grill and the Fusion mimics that? Oh look...this Camaro also looks like an Aston Martin...because the the little grill lines are horizontal... The point Im trying to make...is that the Fusion looks like a Ford...

Yeah...I like it better than what it was before. A million times better. One thing that bothers me like no other is the LED lights above and below the Chevy logo crossbar. I think its overkill with 2 sets of LEDs. The ones on the headlights would have been enough in my opinion. Love that colour. I bet that colour would look hot on a Corvette and a Camaro.

Conrats! Thanks! I've had the ring for 2 months and she kept screwing up my plans to propose, obviously she was blissfully unaware. We live together so it made everything much more difficult. Awesome, congrats, I have 25yrs now and still going strong. Wish you all the best. I used up all my up-votes for the day so I'll up-vote all you folk tomorrow. CONGRATS CP!!! Its great news!!! But after living with her... Silver anniversary DFELT? That is AWESOME!!! Im at 12 years on the 7th of June...half of what you've got. I guess that is a bronze medal for me? And like you....going on strong!

R.I.P. Robin Colcord Thanx for the laughs. CHEERS!

I dont want to admit it...but like you said...time marches on. This is a design that people lusted after 4-5 years ago. The only thing that does not make this car obsolete in looks is 2 things: 1. it looks soooo damned good even after 4-5 years has passed. 2. Its main competitor in the Tesla Model S has not changed in that same time frame one bit. However...its hard to make a comeback when you hit rock bottom. Few succeed. GM is one of those that has succeeded. And...BMW, although a coupe, has brought another lust worthy competitor to this segment. And the i8 is just as sexy as the Karma. Hopefully Fisker does not stumble in the production part like they did the first time around...and I think that is where the battle will be fought this time around again....not in looks, not in technology....but in the quality of the build and everything surrounding the customer/product relationship.

و أشعة الشمس والمطر ألم Google translate. The King Nedal simply said...JOY! So I just do what I do best. Compliment you with songs and videos. I simply wrote back "and pain, sunshine and rain"

Well, maybe not the SS...but..I feel that the 2016 Maxima is a spiritual replacement to FWD Pontiac Bonnevilles. A 2016 NISMO Maxima could be a Bonneville GXP. That is how view this. And I welcome it with open arms.

Nah...that is not it with Ferrari. Lots of stupid rules Bernie incorporates... Like this new generation racer. Void of all wonderful noises that makes F1 appealing to most. And who is on the forefront of aforementioned wonderful noises? The one company that is INFAMOUSLY famous for producing wonderful, glorifying, beautiful music from their engines... That would be Ferrari. Ferrari is F1....F1 is Ferrari... This is like in baseball. Everyone hates the Yankees. Including myself. But baseball IS the Yankees and those pinstripes. Yeah...yeah...yeah... The Red Sox and the Cubs...and the Brooklyn Dodgers....BOO freakin' Hoo....the Yankees are da team... Well....Ferrari is the same...It dont matter if Ferrari is losing...one wants to see the famous red Ferrari racer wailing by... Wailing by is the key phrase. And other stupid moves, rules and regulations that favour other manufacturers while handicapping others.... Dont ask me for proof...I dont follow F1 anymore because I got tired of those "rules". I used to follow Jacques Villeneuve back in the day...but trying to remember what rule changes were done to limit the Williams teams and then BAR to favor Ferrari...yeah...the irony...and McLaren-Mercedes only to change the rules again to handicap McLaren-Mercedes...is like...impossible...It is far too long ago for me to remember specifics and I wouldnt know where to look for proof...So....it may seem like hot air that I just spewed...it dont matter...I know that is the trutth...

well, the 1st generation was great, and Jeep found ways to improve the formula. And...this is why it aint such a big deal for the next generation Cherokee to be introduced in 2018 or 2019. Very true, except I never thought the 05-10 were that great and preferred the prvious gen. That generation was engineered in conjunction with Daimler-Benz, right? I dont really know too much about it because I hated M-B at that point in time because of the so called "merger of equals" so I lost all interest in anything Daimler-Chrysler built. Other than the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger of course. Oh...Viper too. Yeah I know....Mopar LX cars are M-B derived...but Mopar changed them up so much that the LX cars were/are purely Mopar. From a design perspective...they are ugly. They became too bulky....and boxy...not that I mind boxy in SUVs...but this type of boxy was horribly done. Its like stupid M-B designers didnt like the rounded corners of the original Grand Cherokee and decided to cut corners...yes pun intended...and squared off the "roundedness" like an after thought... I dont know if Italian flair was in the air with this generation...but it seems like the nice rounded corners came back...a nice welcome back.

well, the 1st generation was great, and Jeep found ways to improve the formula. And...this is why it aint such a big deal for the next generation Cherokee to be introduced in 2018 or 2019.

Even Ferrari is threatening Bernie to leave F1 if he doesnt improve his racing league... If I was SMK...I wouldnt have presented this as an argument...It dont do his argument any good. Oh well...the man loves his Mercedes Benz....leave him be. Here..SMK...I dedicate song for you.

I did not know about Lancia's fate...Old news is what I was counting on. Thanx for the insight, Drew. I agree El K. (most people call you 'Bong...well...I aint most people. I prefer to call you El K. ) About the platforms and how they use them. Maserati could work like you said about an Omega type platform and then Alfa Romeo using it and even Chrysler as an Imperial. But I have a dilemma in my thought process in that Alpha Romeo would need to grow into that role as well...the role of high end...high high end luxury as well. Overlap is what I am talking about. And there is overlap between Chrsyler and Alfa Romeo...and if Sergio limits overlap between Chrysler and Alfa...and lets Chrysler sit at premium level...even below premium, there is over lap with Dodge. And what happens with Fiat? Dodge cars are certainly not Fiat cars in terms hof what Dodge's DNA is made up of... Meaning...a Dodge Dart based on a Fiat may pass muster...but Dodge never had any Pandas in their line-up...it was always Chargers....Challengers...Vipers...Stealth...you know...mean oriented things...not cute and cuddly Pandas...yeah I know...Pandas are vicious...but women always go gaga over Pandas...but when facing a Viper...women scream in fear...and THAT is what Dodge is all about...Screaming in fear... What Im trying to say is that Fiat and Dodge...when sharing a platform...the automobile that is meant for a Fiat will be the complete opposite of what Dodge will have to sell in order for both brands to actually pull off platform sharing together... I dont know If my thought process is clear...but it is what it is...

I guess Cadillac and the WWF or as its called now...WWE...go a long way. I used to watch this stuff on and off from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s....stopped. Then continued from 1999 to maybe 2002. I dont watch anymore. I always viewed it as a sport. I always knew it was staged. I always watched it as entertainment. Male soap opera is how I viewed it. "Pro" Wrestling is to sports as porn is to filmmaking? Ive never heard that before. Yeah....I could definitely see it that way... I think a MR T. emoticon fits in well here...

FCA is nothing but niche brands with mostly niche vehicles. Ferarri...but its being spun off. Maserati Jeep RAM Alfa Romeo Lancia...yes...even Lancia...Lancia is to be sold only in Italy....that is as niche as it gets. Lancia should just get axed completely. FIAT....you axe Fiat too...Alfa Romeo get can Fiat's game the way BMW and M-B do in Europe. Alfa Romeo is needed. If FCA plays their cards right...Alfa could truly become Italy's BMW...technically, Alfa Romeo WAS Europe's BMW before there even was BMW. Meaning...if Europeans are sooooo snobby AGAINST American cars....then Alfa could do EXACTLY what BMW and M-B do....be everything to everybody in Europe...and luxurious and prestigious in North America. Alfa Romeo in North America still has that aura of exotica in North America. Which leads us to Maserati....FCA should spin off Maserati to the Chinese and let them sink money into Maserati...Alfa Romeo could pull off sexy Italian exotica even better than Maserati can. Look at the 8C and 4C. Along with Mopar stylists....Alfa Romeo could go a long way. Alfa Romeo could even use Mopar's North American marketing people...those guys KNOW how to sell products to the public. Dodge could fill mainstream needs in North America quite easily. Chrysler could fill mainstream luxury, premium and luxury in North America quite easily too...technically, Chrysler ALWAYS filled in those shoes. Its what Chrysler does.. Jeep and Ram just need to do what they have always done. If Sergio is smart....he could emulate GM....and its easy to do....FCA has all the RIGHT ingredients to emulate GM... In Europe Alfa Romeo = BMW / M-B / Opel / VW In North America Alfa Romeo = Cadillac / BMW / M-B / Jaguar / Audi and eventually in 2 decades...Alfa...if their cards were played right....could even reach Ferrari status...see 8C and 4C....because technically....Alfa Romeo was Ferrari before there was even a Ferrari...and people still today...are fond of that... Chrysler = Buick / Cadillac (lower end Cadillac) Dodge = Chevy and Pontiac There is a slight problem to this...FCA will NEVER axe 3 Italian makes just to keep the Americans ones alive...so....alternate... Dodge gets axed in favor of Fiat... Fiat becomes mainstream in Europe and Alfa Romeo becomes luxurious all the way... Chrysler picks up where Dodge leaves off in north America... But us American guys are not happy with that.... However...Sergio is correct in one thing... The world has too many brands as it is...some of these brands will have to go eventually...

I agree. I wonder what the ATP is on vehicles other than Escalade and if those are up. Escalade sales rose a lot in 2014 and so far this year, and it is the most expensive vehicle. Increase Escalade sales by 50% at an ATP of $80,000 that is going to pull the brand numbers up. If Cadillac stopped selling ATS, they could get ATP up even higher, but that isn't what is good for business. At some point they still need volume. Well...yes and no about Cadillac needing volume. Like we have said countless of times... Cadillac is NOT Mercedes Benz and BMW where those brands NEED to be everything to everyone....from mainstream to blue collar to aristocracy... Cadillac needs the ATS for image rather than volume. Chevrolet and Buick and GMC are there for volume. Technically...Cadillac's cars are ONLY about image...prestige....and on certain cars...LOW VOLUME is PREFERRED. OK....crossovers from Cadillac may be needed for volume more than low volume prestige.... And why the ATS could actually sell in low volume...but high price tags? Because Chevrolet Camaro helps with the amortization of the platform....and any crossover that Alpha will spawn from Cadillac and/or Chevy and/or GMC and even possibly Opel... And...CTS...isnt that car on a modified Alpha platform too? Whatever....It seems to me that GM finally has a sound business plan for its entire brand umbrella for the first time since the early 1970s... Unfortunately for Mercedes-Benz and BMW...North America is not post WW2 Europe in which us North Americans could easily accept mainstream offerings and not judge harshly...plus....Europe is home for BMW and M-B and THAT is why BMW and M-B gets sooooo many passes...because Europeans are used to seeing BMW Isettas on their streets...eventually in North America...M-B and BMW are risking image regression with all these mainstream offerings....if it happened to Cadillac...it could happen to BMW and M-B... BMW and M-B are walking a fine line with that...because if they slip up on their top tier models....its over for them...just like it was for Cadillac...

EVERYBODY STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW CARS ARE ALL ELECTRONIC AND DISENGAGING NOW! Yes....stop with the very depressing ELECTRONIC talk and how cars today are...autonomous driving cars are ever so close...

I completely agree Olds. If everything is going to be electronic might as well save space and just make it a dial. Aaaaand like 'Bong said with his being nice aluminum it probably doesn't have that cheap feeling to it like some actual shifters do. I had some time to think about that...but Scott Evans and Christian Seabaugh over at Motor Trend made me over come that status quo fear. Then I realized how stupid and clumsy an automatic gear shifter really looks like...especially when everything is electrics now-a-days...and yeah...like 'Bong saiys about the aluminium trim... However...as you know...because we feel the same way about it...I dont like push button start...because I like the feel of a V8 engine turning over and roaring to life from the key itself... You realize that even most twist to start keys are effectively push button also right? The computer controls the starting cycle and won't allow you to overstart or understart the car anymore. No no no.. Not that kind.. Not like the kind in my(formerly)'06 C350 where it was a key but you turn it an let it go and cycles. We're talking more like my(also formerly) '03 Mach1 where the engine only turns over while you're actually turning it - old skool like! Yeah...Old skool like....electric bendix motor....that it is!!!

Yeah. My wife's 2013 Fusion is that way. And CCAP explained it better than I did....its because we had this conversation before him and I. I had one of my famous soap box moments (another emoticon used...) and we bonded yet another time. So yeah, Drew. And I HATE those electronic twist to start keys MORE than I do push button start buttons. I find they are a worse of a tease, because the millisecond you twist, the cycle starts...Its like a fake orgasm....you just go through the motions...it might as well be a button....I prefer the button, there is no need to fake the process...

Good thing I have plenty of manhood so that I'm not threatened by a little knob..... and I also don't need to make up for any lack of feeling by grabbing a big thick shift lever. Did you just call OCNBLU a 'little knob'? Wow!!! Talk about being an internet bully!!! Or Monica Lewinsky. I believe she wrote a book about it... I completely agree Olds. If everything is going to be electronic might as well save space and just make it a dial. Aaaaand like 'Bong said with his being nice aluminum it probably doesn't have that cheap feeling to it like some actual shifters do. I had some time to think about that...but Scott Evans and Christian Seabaugh over at Motor Trend made me over come that status quo fear. Then I realized how stupid and clumsy an automatic gear shifter really looks like...especially when everything is electrics now-a-days...and yeah...like 'Bong saiys about the aluminium trim... However...as you know...because we feel the same way about it...I dont like push button start...because I like the feel of a V8 engine turning over and roaring to life from the key itself...