oldshurst442

Those WERE awful... Why you are laughing? Because it was sooooooo stupid...what else were you to do?

"Chevy dealers will never allow the Corvette to leave their building." True. "The Camaro should be $25-50k max. You don't need a $60-80k 550 hp Camaro, the volume is low and that is why Corvette or even Cadillac exist" False. There is some serious technology that is given to the upper echelon Camaro. That technology costs money. I wouldnt want Chevrolet to limit the performance of the Camaro due to the fact that Corvette or Cadillac exists. The Camaro has rivals too...Some of those rivals are natural rivals since the birth of time (Mustang and Challenger, especially Mustang) and some new rivals (Genesis Coupe, BMW M4, Nissan 370) and the Camaro has to stay on top of its game to beat its competition. That way the Camaro stays fresh and relevant. You limit its capabilities, it will die off again... and to me 460 hp is enough for a Camaro. Of course...you dont want Camaro to kick any of your German faves' ass... You don't want a 550 hp hp Camaro for $50k that out performs a $65k ATS-V. Ummmmm, yes WE DO!!! Im not a Camaro guy...Im a Trans Am guy. Never the less.... Im not a Cadillac ATS-V guy...Im more of a mid-sized car guy...CTS-V guy....or 1970 Oldsmobile 442.... Im more of a Camaro type individual that I am a BMW M4 or Cadillac ATS-V type of individual....If Chevy limits its performance...I just go to cross town rivals Mustang or Challenger...and believe me...there are many like me.... Besides...different market, different niche. Also...Camaro has a HUUUUUUGE fan base. It has cachet that even a BMW M3/M4 is jealous of let alone a brand new ATS... Proof? I dont see Year One or Dynacorn selling brand new previous generation M3 body shells like they do with Camaro...1969 Camaro... That expands Corvette sales and keeps it more the everyman's sports car, as it has always been. Corvette isn't on par with Porsche, And finally....we come to my point of view as to why corvette NEEDS to become a brand of its own... Corvette as of now....is built on a price point....and is sold on a price point too... It also is jack of all trades. On the price point... Chevy gives all the technology needed to surpass Porsches and Ferraris...This tech is just as high end as the other two I mentioned. The Corvette was NEVER about luxury....Chevy focused on the luxury part in 1978 when the performance and horsepower numbers had to go down becasue of CAFE...but...the Corvette was always about engineering, technology, speed at Chevy prices... And this is where the jack of all trades comes in...today...the Corvette HAS to EVOLVE.... But it cant.... It HAS to do battle with Porsche 911 as a GT car...but as a Sports car Porsche 911 GT3... It has to stay affordable enough to be in the Porsche Cayman territory.... The Corvette also has to do battle with mid-engine exotics from the "affordable" Ferrari 458 and it has to achieve speeds that better the 458...it has to achieve performance in the La Ferrari territory. The Corvette also has to be styled as crazy as Lamborghinis are...because Corvettes were styled that way BEFORE Feruccio even dreamt about building sports cars... How can the Corvette be all that...with just 1 model...OK...2 models... The base Stingray and the Z06. The Corvette has to grow. The Corvette needs more models. Like a 911? To specialize in all the facets of performance and driving style? Yeah....but Porsche also has front engined RWD cars in its stable. It also has mid-engine cars with electric hybrid tech... Same with Ferrari. Its only the Corvette that is limited...with just 2 models. Last generation...there was 3. But they all had to do battle with every single sports car niche. From the back to basic sports car Miata...because whether you guys want to admit it or not...the Miata does steal sales from the Corvette. Not from Porsche...Porsche has got the Boxster...and the Cayman for a hard top... From a luxury GT....everybody whines about how a Corvette does NOT compete with Porsche with its interiors... Ill stop it here...because I feel that my post is becoming more of a rant than anything else... But...let me remind you SMK4565 that the 911 was as Spartan as a VW Beetle at one point in time... And this is 1986....not 1963... Nothing luxurious in that interior...its just that Porsche let the 911 evolve...and the company itself evolved... Because the lower end Porsches...in the 1980s like a 944...was not that special either. In 1986...Id say the Corvette;s interior was on par with a 911. Its just that a Corvette did not have a chance to evolve. Ferrari...Porsche....they got the message that the Acura NSX sent them...

Hey Stew...I guess you didnt "Dodge" the guard rail. You decided to "Ram" it instead. Every cloud has a "Silverado" I guess..We are glad that you did not get hurt.

- Will the brands still be encouraged to compete with each other between the 4 holding companies? - Will the brands still be encouraged to compete with each other within their proper holding company? I understand Holding Company #4 (MAN/Scania/VW commercial) cant really have a friendly competition with any other Holding company....but will there be friendly competition between Man and Scania? What about low end Audi and VW...because a VW CC can actually fight for market share with an Audi A4 and a lower end A6...ditto with a Passat... How will platform sharing be made with Holding Company #1 without VW becoming a General Motors from the 1980s and 1990s? Hell, how will platform sharing be made between Holding Company #2 and #1 without this arrangement becoming like GM from the '80s and '90s? Piech promoted competition...the success behind that strategy was that each VW brand had its own image...kinda like how GM's brand hierarchy was before the 1980s...when all of GM's brands had their own engines and marketing teams etc... Im curious because it seems that VW is acknowledging how GM failed and they want to avoid the same mistakes GM made...I cant read the full article so I dont know the answers to the questions I posed.

HA! That is funny! Cadillac is going away from that. The XTS will be history, so is the SRX...now...what bones will the SRX have? Well, it might not be bespoke Cadillac trickled down to Chevy like the Alpha platform is....but then again...a new SRX might very well be on the Alpha platform...but then again...it might have Chevy bones first...like the 'Slade is....so what? On another thread... you admitted to knowing that in Europe...both BMW and Mercedes use the 3 Series and 2 Series and the C Class and E Class and now with the CLA as mainstream and fleet vehicles...but I guess that is OK with you...but God forbid that GM does that with Cadillac and their lesser vehicles... Oh...Audi...yeah..lets talk about Audi...actually...YOU tell ME what Audi platform is actually bespoke to Audi...a platform that is NOT used by Volkswagen or Seat...on the lesser vehicles of course...but then again...a Cayenne Porsche is also a VW...a Audi A8 is also a Volkswagen...I guess that is a pass because the VW versions are expensive as hell...but then again...Chevy Tahoes dont come cheap either... Cadillac is going away from it, but not there yet, that is why I said they are sort of split right now between 2 worlds. But even the ATS/CTS/CT6 turbo 4 and V6 are the same engine in a Camaro. The Germans can fleet sale in Europe because Cadillac, Infiniti, Acura, Lincoln aren't there, and Lexus is a blip on the radar. If Cadillac fleets themselves out here, it would probably hurt their image even more. Audi has a lot of it's own stuff. The MLB platform is used on Audi A4-A8 and Porsche Macan, the 3.0 supercharged V6 is Audi only, the 4.0 TT V8 is Audi/Bentley only, the W12 is Audi/Bentley only, and the Quattro AWD system is different than the VW 4Motion system. Quattro runs in a 50/50 split, while VW is primarily FWD until the rear wheels slip. The Audi A3/Q3 are using a VW chassis, engine and awd system. The Toureg/Q7/Cayenne share a lot of mechanicals also. Audi A4...whose platform underpins the Passat...and the Passat in North America has been dummied down and mainstreamed...yeah I know...not exactly the A4 platform as those ties have been severed...because the Passat uses a new form of platform that uses bits and pieces from other VW group platforms...ingenious... The AWD drive systems....sure different...but the engines are not...all the 4 cylinder stuff that goes into the lesser Audis are basically the same as the VW engines...so...exactly like GM/Chevy/Cadillac...and like you said...Cadillac is going away from that...yet VW/Audi is not... When Cadillac is on its way with new bespoke stuff...VW will be sharing its stuff for the low end Audis... But somehow, in your mind, that does not cheapen Audi...yet as we speak...this is what cheapens Cadillac for you... It is a strange way of looking at things...to justify your biases...its all good....as we all have biases...Its just weird to me how enthusiasts can have double standards like that.... As long as you read my posts and you acknowledge what I have to say is good enough for me...thank-you for that...I appreciate the time you give me. I also appreciate your thoughts...I learn from you... and that is why I am here...to learn...

The 'platform' moniker is anachronistic when talking about the 1950s. The equivalent to 'platforms' in the '50-60s would be the car's chassis (or frame). GM did not share chassis's in the 1950s. And in the '60s, it began with the intermediates; the full-size cars still ran proprietary chassis's. It was the '70s when it blossomed to any measurable degree, tho the full-size cars still had mostly proprietary chassis's. This can get confusing to the casual researcher when some cars, such as the "E-Body" (Eldorado, Toronado, Riviera) still had different chassis's in the '60s. That's what you have with Body-On-Frame construction. However, body SHELL sharing at GM between Divisions (to a limited degree) goes back the early 1930s. Thanx for the clarification. I kinda knew what you said, but I kinda didnt. That is why it came out the way it did. But Im glad you corrected me and shared your knowledge with all of us. This is why I like posting in here. There are many knowledgeable guys around at Cheers and Gears and this is why I keep posting in here. To learn... I have some things to teach. But I have much much more to learn.

HA! That is funny! Cadillac is going away from that. The XTS will be history, so is the SRX...now...what bones will the SRX have? Well, it might not be bespoke Cadillac trickled down to Chevy like the Alpha platform is....but then again...a new SRX might very well be on the Alpha platform...but then again...it might have Chevy bones first...like the 'Slade is....so what? On another thread... you admitted to knowing that in Europe...both BMW and Mercedes use the 3 Series and 2 Series and the C Class and E Class and now with the CLA as mainstream and fleet vehicles...but I guess that is OK with you...but God forbid that GM does that with Cadillac and their lesser vehicles... Oh...Audi...yeah..lets talk about Audi...actually...YOU tell ME what Audi platform is actually bespoke to Audi...a platform that is NOT used by Volkswagen or Seat...on the lesser vehicles of course...but then again...a Cayenne Porsche is also a VW...a Audi A8 is also a Volkswagen...I guess that is a pass because the VW versions are expensive as hell...but then again...Chevy Tahoes dont come cheap either... You are a very bright poster, I like your thought process most of the time...what I dont appreciate is your logic regarding the Germans and giving them a pass while you criticize GM and Ford for basically doing the same thing... But...'twas GM and Ford and Chryco that started out this type of business model to begin with... you know...shared platforms across their many brands...and this goes back to the 1950s, perfected in the 1960s, peaked in the 1970s and went downhill in the 1980s....only for the rest of the world in the 1980s to pick up where GM, Ford, Chrysler left off in the 1970s...

Im one of the lucky ones then. For me, it rains 24 hours after I finish. At least I have a full day of enjoyment. I think this tinfoil little fella seems appropriate. Im hoping to use all these emoticons at least once. But with one caveat: They must make sense with the post. Oh...I know in these forums, political talk should not be made as it might escalate (OK...escalate and not Escalade and 'Burban and not 'Slade...but where else would I be able to use this emoticon?) but Id like to thank Obama...not Mother Nature...

This is another good post. Actually its before the other one I congratulated you on. Like I said, why nobody responded to you to agree with you is baffling.

why no one has responded to your posts is beyond me. Very well thought and logical your point of view is.

Especially when Cadillac has a rich history with topless cars.

Dont sweat it. But thanx for the effort.

http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints/ I came across this website. I dont know how useful it is. I think it has some sort of data base and I think you may need to register.

I think its the British Commonweath way of doing business...and its rubbish...good for the toilet

Well, I just realized that Canadian TV services SUCKS REAL BAD!!! NO!!!! they dont SUCK.....WORDS CANT DESCRIBE WHAT PIECES OF SHYTES THEY REALLY ARE!!! :cussing: :cussing: :fiery: :fiery: :fiery: :fiery: :fiery: Speed Channel became FOX SPORTS 1, or something like that... Well...none of the major Canadian TV satellite providers offer FOX Sports 1... That is awright because last year, the race was broadcast on a channel that SHAW direct offered us... This year, the dumb, arrogant, greedy, money grabbing whores that is Canadian TV.....dont offer ANYTHING for us to watch the race... Every year...I recorded the race and watched it at my own pace... *SIGH* I hate the CRTC I hate the monopoly that is Canadian TV services!

LOL ... they did? Heh ... interesting! Cort www.oldcarsstronghearts.com 1979 & 1989 Caprice Classics | pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve "Just when I think that I can make it without you, you come around & say you want me now" __ Rosanne Cash __ 'I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me' Well, someone did... That post overcame adversity and it is now in the positive...

Its finally here. Im about to erase some recorded stuff on my DVR so I could make room for this 24 hour race. I have an older DVR so unfortunately...some things may have to go...

Ill break the Buick silence and the love for trucks... I am not a truck guy to begin with...so this is kinda a no-brainer fro me. So... - Buick because I’m not a truck guy. - Buick because I love big cars By the way....what year is that Ford pick-up? I cant seem to tell...like I said...I am not a pick-up truck guy. Also...would that be a F-100? It really is a good lookin' truck though...Id be happy driving that instead...but...big BOF American cars is what I prefer...cars is the key word here...and that name...Electra...PERFECT name for an electricity fueled Buick...I hope Buick revisits this name....

Apparently not...someone gave you a -1 on that post....like WTF???!!! At least you got a +1 for this post...

Interesting. My childhood was similar, mostly HW & MB ... but, I did have some Tonka trucks ... including an orange dump truck which my Nephew plays with now. Same here ... friends had 1 that I oh-so-wished I had. The toy shows & model shows I've been to in the last few years haven't had 1, but I would like to obtain 1 at some point. Cort www.oldcarsstronghearts.com 1979 & 1989 Caprice Classics | pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve "You don't know what you got until it's gone" __ Chicago __ 'Hard Habit To Break' Yup...very interesting indeed as I am reminiscing about my childhood toys...I did not have any type of dump truck or construction site toys...I did not even have sandbox pails and shovels... I do remember hating sand, dirt and mud when I was young...maybe that has something to do with my parents not buying me Tonka Trucks. Come to think of it...I had many types of boats that I played with also....maybe the boats replaced the Tonka Trucks for me...

True to what you said...however...their cars were either rounded...or square...in the past....today...ever since Cadillac is finally on M-B's radar screen...and oh hell yeah...M-B is taking notice...M-B's design language has a tad of Arts and Science angular and sharp edges and creases to their body work... somewhere between yourself, myself and Balthazar's description lies the truth about how M-Bs are styled...but dont you forget...Cadillac's Arts and Science is very visible in M-B's design language... What is cool about that...is that M-B is copying Cadillac again...and Cadillac is leading the way again... Are those fins on a late 60s Mercedes Benz? Oh why yes it is!!! Its sooooo awesome that no matter what Cadillac does...and no matter where Cadillac stands in the minds of people...Cadillac ALWAYS sets the trends... There is no denying that Caddy's Arts and Science exists with Mercedes Cars...

It could be a "If it aint broke, dont fix it" approach they are taking... But now that Cadillac and Jaguar are gaining momentum...perhaps they will need to crank it up in style just a tad... I feel like Mercedes has borrowed Arts and Science from Cadillac and have put their own spin on it... Their cars are angular as well late 1990s Very square late 2000s Some angular and round lines are appearing in the S Class 2015 S Class..Ill use the coupe Sharp edges and creases have appeared... CLS albeit not as strong as Cadillac's design...creases and edges are very visible... CLA Sure...not quite Cadillac style Arts and Science angular lines...Mercedes does it its way...Mercedes uses rounded rear fenders and a rounded roof line as to mask their interpretation of Arts and Science...

I try that... but i'm mostly just tired. I tried that approach for years, working hard through college and grad school, the first decade of my career...stayed hungry and strived to achieve. At some point, burnout and exhaustion set in along w cynicism and self loathing and the realization that corporate life is all $h!, just varying degrees of effed up ness at each dysfunctional organization. The challenge is to stay conscious through each day amidst the mind numbing tedium and then knock myself out with powerful meds at night... Key to success: HAPPINESS... No wonder Mr. Cubes drove himself crazy......to never be content with what you got...you are never happy...but restless and miserable... Yes....you gots to have drive...drive to succeed....but you have to have fun doing it...you have to enjoy what it is you are trying to succeed in...and every little success...you have to take the time to savour the victories and enjoy them....if you are never content with your victories and always want more and more and more....death will see you sooner rather than later....so what is the point then? Or meds...become a slave to little pills...that is no fun either. Speaking of being a slave... Always wanting more and more and more....all you are really doing is becoming a slave to consumerism...because wanting more and more and more...is just wanting more things... A big house? A house as big as a Costco? Why? Property and house tax on that is insane... Heating and or cooling bills on that is insane... Upkeep and repairs bills on that is insane... And at the end of the day...that huuuuge house will always be empty....waste of space, time and effort... Wanting more money? That is cool... However....the point is to acquire and SAVE enough money so you dont become a slave to anything and anybody...that includes your job and that includes material objects... I love money....I love material things also... I just love life and giving love to my wife and kids that much more. Besides...all these material things...they are nice to enjoy while on earth...but you cant take it with you when you die...We should have learned that from the Ancient Egyptians....Their soul has moved on...their skeletons nicely mummified and their gold head pieces and armour louted from their tombs... Like I said...acquiring enough wealth to buy trinkets is a whole lotta fun...and that is where happiness SHOULD come in....but to keep on wanting more and more and more....its just a disease... Life moves pretty fast...if you dont stop once in a while...you are gonna miss it...

I personally prefer he Impala's styling and interior better than the Lacrosse's. Especially in LTZ trim. However, Drew and Casa made very solid points concerning both vehicles and when to buy them...The Lacrosse makes a case for itself when the new one is out...heavy discounts on this generation...cant go wrong with that.

Yes, a good wrap should protect the car's paint from UV and oxidation. If done correctly, no moisture should remain between the film and the paint. The clear coat on the paint should make rusting a non-issue. But as per the question in the survey...Id do nothing. Why? Well, I live in a land of the ice and snow. By the time the paint needs a little love, that means underneath the paint, the rust gods have already started their magic on the metal. Thanx for the info. It is an interesting idea that I might look into. But as per the question in the survey...Id do nothing. Why? Well, I live in a land of the ice and snow. By the time the paint needs a little love, that means underneath the paint, the rust gods have already started their magic on the metal. It is too late to do anything about that. Unless of course a complete stripping of the paint is made and then we take care of the problem areas on the metal...because to just wrap it or spray paint over the problem areas..we are just masking the problem and not really taking care of it. Id do the wrap thing on a brand new car....when all is nice and new and rust free 100%.