Mule Bakersdozen LS

For those wondering why the 'Breeze' name was retrademarked, here's your answer....its the rebadged Chery A1, as the Dodge Breeze. See AutoBlog.com

Think this is a more direct 2010 LaCrosse preview? Cause I'm not sure what to think, but even though its a little bit 'lined' and tame , it is good to see the sweepsear back!!!!! Here's the styling renaissance we've asked for since the 1970's!

They kinda killed the wrong model....its the CX and CXL trims that desperately need to die.....rename CXS the Reserve, give it no-charge leather and/or buckets (and credit or standard front split-bench and/or cloth) for both LaCrosse and Lucerne, keep building.

This is proof that Opel needs styling revolution-NOW!!!!! I mean, look at Citroen-I'm loving their designs, of their mid-size (D-segment, Mondeo-fighter) C5 I think it is-its low, not ugly. And the C-segment/compact C3 doesn't induce me to barf either, unlike some compact cars-they're daring, but not the worst. Ford has Kinetic Design, even if its mega-tame on Mondeo. What does Opel have? This pleasantly bland thing, the milked Insignia, and a bunch of vintage-2003-04 products, and the over-evolutionized, kind of ugly Corsa.

So why's the Equinox specifically being dropped? I mean, granted, 5 years (I remember seeing Equinox promo stuff back in 2003 when I was going to GCC-wow-a long time ago now!) is a long time without change, and since the late 1980's, American manufacturers have done an awful job of not updating vehicles for long periods of time (cough....Cavalier.....cough), which reminds me..... Doesn't this look nearly identical, but with a Malibu/Traverse-style grille, to the Cadillac BRX spy shots? Is this Cavalier-Cimmaron as we know it again? And also, I see no reason as to why a compact car-based SUV needs to have a third row of seating, when I could barely get into the rear seats of an Infiniti EX (though it sure is stylish) or the Acura MDX. Forget the third row of the Mitsubishi Outlander, geese....

Wow, so this is what being on here not very much in the past 6 months gets me....this stuff still up to date? Nice find, BTW!

I still prefer the Rapid name but yeah, this is definitely a superb idea! Skip the ugly Centieme styling-can anyone envision a more futuristic Enclave?

I agree with you on the Malibu-G6-Aura thing-and that's why I was against, all along (and still am), on G6 and Aura getting the exact same I-4 engines as standard-it undermines Malibu's mission. Aura is supposed to be upscale and premium, and somewhat succeeds, and yet the G6, which I've never regarded much and even do so less now, intrudes on the Malibu, particularly the 1SV/Base models, even undercutting them in price sometimes, an age-old thing GM never seems to learn (remember the 1970.5-71 T-37 by any chance?) It also doesn't help when Buick LaCrosse CX/CXL's are equipped very closely to the larger, higher-volume, vastly superior Chevy Impala cousin. And for the record..... THE ES350 IS NOT A CAMRY CLONE!!!!!!!! Yes, they are based on the same platform and share some mechanicals, but they have entirely different exterior (and probably) interior styling/design. Nearly anything Plymouth (before it died) shared with Dodge was a clone, save the grille. Most Mercurys shared with Fords, other than grilles and select wheels are clones. Ditto some Canadian Pontiacs and Chevys. I honestly don't think any GMC that's not a genuine truck-based vehicle should exist either. I love the Acadia and I see exactly why it sells-because its a fantastic, spacious product!! However, Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave are kind of a hindrance. And this, the Torrent, whether a Pontiac, or a GMC, should exist. Just give Chevy a sub-Equinox (and move Equinox to a fully-established mid-size in the next generation), and call that your mainstream compact crossover SUV entry.

How about turning the next Saturn Outlook into an MPV-crossover version of the next Aura/Insignia? Not unlike the Ford Galaxy of Europe, just to move it away from the Lambda trio and give more breathing room for Traverse, Acadia, and Enclave. And keep expanding the latter upwards. I think Saturn is otherwise doing the right thing, the key is for Opel/Vauxhall to get some styling direction, because honestly, they are very boring for being European (Citroen is the benchmark here-not ugly, vomit inducing like the 2009 Honda Fit and other small cars, but envelope-pushing design). But I agree, back in 2005, when I paid far more attention to auto news, I saw at least 3 of these articles a week, if not more, old and retrenched, but it could have some point.

I still think Pontiac needs a Firebird. Peas and carrots. Ozzy and Sharon. Aquila and Priscilla, Taurus, Sable, and MKS/Continental. I know most people will equate Firebird with Trans Am, and both with mullets, but I couldn't disagree more. To me, Firebird states the mission-affordable, slightly upscale of Chevrolet, and more performance emphasis (yes, I'm thinking first and second-generation mostly here). Create a Firebird, add a Sprint trim with the Cadillac CTS' DI 3.6-liter V-6, and you'll start to see the one and only way that Pontiac can exist. (Or at least apply the Sprint/DI V-6 treatment to G8). I'll give you another hint: its not a grille job to a Chevrolet that is/should make a real Pontiac. As long as Pontiac, Buick, and GMC can all co-exist together, fine, but otherwise, Irworry about the purpose of Pontiac, as there's really nothing there, IMO, that grabs me, cause nothing in the line, save for the G8 or the departed Grand Prix does anything for me (Solstice is nice, I like its front, but I prefer the similar Saturn Sky still).

I still don't get why the LaCrosse is getting renamed Regal....the last one sold quite poorly, I'm all for Century if they must change it back to something. I just don't know where Pontiac lies now with rear-drive cars in question cause of the whole CAFE crud.

I like this concept-the windshield's a little vertical and its pretty round for a GMC, but not bad, despite it being a car (then again so is Acadia). But the grille is bold, and bold is good, usually.

Agreed-but 4-door notchback sedans have almost always sold far better than their 5-door station wagon counterparts-its sad that people get excited when there's more than one body style in a lineup these days...its like just do it, you know?

http:///www.autoblog.com/2008/01/14/detroit-2008-dodge-caravan-r-t-concept-spotted/ http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/14/detroit...oncept-spotted/ Hot Inferno (or other) Red one, 20" wheels-looks hot, I hope they build it! The minivan market has needed sportiness and excitement forever!

PONTIAC CYBER!!!!!! Named after a cloth upholstery I think off the outgoing Vibe, I'd base it directly off the Solstice's Kappa RWD architecture, complete with the 95.1" wheelbase. Seats 4 passengers, in SJ and GT trim levels, in 3-door hatchback Aerocoupe and 5-door hatchback Aerosedan body styles, it would be sporty-performance oriented, not a rebadge-by-way-of Chevy unlike the ugly Aveo-turned-Wave/G2 like Canada and Mexico (where it could also be sold/built), NO CHEVY OR SATURN OR OTHER COMPANIONS!!! It would be tough, but given the RWD and short wheelbase, make it as space-efficient as possible, something Pontiac doesn't know how to do these days (G6, Grand Prix are the biggest examples/offenders). 1.8-liter DOHC ECOTEC 140hp I-4 right out of the Saturn Astra for SJ; add RAM AIR and/or a turbocharger for 180-200hp for GT, or if you can think of something better/more advanced, then so be it. How about this for an image booster?

Yes, yes, the Impala was launched in 1958 as a subseries of the topline Bel-Air in 2-door hardtop coupe and 2-door soft-top convertible body styles (the others were the Delray and Biscayne, which respectively replaced 150/210 for the one-year-only design, then Delray in name only was dropped and Biscayne and Bel-Air were downshifted to the previous levels), but it was 1959 when Impala displaced the Bel-Air as a series name, thus the 50th anniversary. The Impala shown looked like it had 80U Red Jewel Tintcoat paint and it looks to be based on one of the LT trims with a FlexFuel V-6 (unless that's an Anniversary Edition Badge or such). http://www.autodeadline.com/detail?source=...80&mime=JPG

Yeah its too bad you're leaving the Mopar camp-I've started to get used to the 2008 Grand Caravan and Town & Country-they're slightly better appointed than before (about time they shed those black bumpers, 4-cylinder engines, and semi-regrettably-the underwhelming, perennially underequipped SWB models), but they still look like nobody bothered to style them or give them detuned engines that hailed from the end-game K-Car era. And as with virtually all Chrysler LLC products these days, the front seats, headrests, and upholsteries are CRAP. Malibu Maxx has obvious shortcomings too, like the narrow 'its still 1982" 69" width and the ancient OHV engines from the pathetic 2004-07 Malibu sedan, but it has good rear seat and cargo room and was very versatile. A shame it fell fast after 2005 and was discontinued though. Good luck with the Malibu Maxx or whatever you choose and have a Happy New Year!

NOOO!!!!! A stretched Malibu called Bel Rey or something, okay. But the front-drive full-size car is a dying market more or less, and we were all looking forward to Impala going back to rear-drive!

I think if they absolutely had to, Pontiac could resort to making sporty, higher-performance front or all-wheel-drive cars. It worked in the 1980's with the Sunbird, Grand Am, 6000 and 1987-on Bonneville and 1988-on Grand Prix, as well as the rear-drive Firebird and Fiero (the others were just kind of there/Canadian tieovers and/or unsuccessful). But I hope Pontiac doesn't go that route, as Saturn has the upscale Euro-hold, and Chevy the mainstream hold, which leaves Pontiac....with....nothing really. Point being, if they want Pontiac to survive and not go the way of Mercury or go the way of Oldsmobile, Plymouth, DeSoto, Eagle, and so forth, they need to give them more relevant, more focused products. Can a downsized rear-drive G6 (which I'll refer to as "Ventura") have a revived Chevy Nova companion? Sure. But Ventura, and any other Pontiac needs more than a squarish Pontiac grille which brings down the appearance of newbies such as G8 and the redesigned Vibe. How about bringing RAM AIR back for a Sprint package for example? Nova wouldn't get this package, and basically it would be a forced-air induction of a 2.4-liter ECOTEC, going from 177 to about 200hp or so out of the base 4-cylinder engine. And GT would mean more than just blackout trim: Sport suspension, upgraded and specific interior, a standard V-6 engine (probably a 255hp High Feature 3.6-liter, which could be optional for SJ, my base model), and more standard/optional equipment. And no, don't make SJ like Nova's CS/LS trim: it needs to be higher-tier than that. Finally, GXP pulls out all the stops, with a minimum of 275hp, if not 300hp, out of the same 3.6 V-6. And how about a subcompact rear-drive sports coupe shortened from Ventura? Think of it as a higher-performance, modern translation of the 1976-80 Sunbird, which I will call Cruise. It would be equipped like (but smaller than) a Scion tC, with naturally-aspirated, RAM AIR, and turbocharged (SJ/GT/Formula, respectively) of the 2.4-liter DOHC ECOTEC I-4. And going furthest down the scale, we're not sending the ugly Wave here from Canada and Mexico for a subcompact! No, we get the hot and trendy Pontiac Cyber, basically a Solstice Kappa made into a sporty performance subcompact car to counter the FWD MINI, but uniquely American, with naturally-aspirated, RAM AIR, and turbocharged 1.8 or 2.0-liter ECOTEC's. (Not to be shared with Chevy or any other division) And give all, as well as the next G8 some real Pontiac style. No cladding, but push the styling envelope! And make sure there's some decent passenger and cargo room for the size.

And slightly more different was the rare 1977 Chevrolet K-5 Blazer's Chalet option, as seen in Crestline Publishing's 75 Years of Chevrolet (goes up to 1986, even includes the Sprint/Spectrum/Nova captive imports). And to note, the Nova Hatchback coupe option was called the "Hutch" I believe. And BTW, at around 196" overall, the Nova was just 4" less than an Impala today, at 200" overall.

I love that show!!!!! And the Regal Grand National is quite awesome too....its too bad he traded that to some random girl and wrecked a 1979-85 Cadillac Eldorado (my 2nd favorite, after the 1967-68 full-series originals). But Charlie Crews is still hilarious. Basically Life is about Detective Charlie Crews, played by Damian Lewis who rejoins the police force after being released from prison after 12 years of a murder of a family that he did not commit and was framed for. His partner is Dani Reese, played by Sara Shahi and Crews also got like $5 billion or something out of a settlement or such, and is roomies with his financial advisor, played by Adam Arkin. Its a hilarious show, and its on 10 PM/EST, Wednesday nights on NBC (I think I just totally promod this show lol).

Yeah but Neon didn't go too far past the 100,000 mark for a few reasons, biggest being the same problem that always plagued the mid-size Stratus (and pretty much any mid-size Dodge throughout the 40-year history of mid-size Dodges): NO FREAKING ADVERTISING WHATSOEVER!!!!!! So the product became boring, stale (a la 1971-78 Coronet/Monaco or Stratus). Plus the first-generation had a poor reputation for quality, kind of like one of the few popular mid-size Dodges of the past: the notorious 1976-80 Aspen. And I don't see much advertised on Caliber or Avenger these days (I can see why for Avenger, but a little less so with Caliber).

This is far and away THE BIGGEST gaping hole in the lineup-no compact passenger car. I see the I wanna hate it but I almost like it Caliber as a crossover wagon like HHR and Vibe, not a compact passenger car in the Cobalt-Civic-Focus mold. Being innovative and going into another category is one thing, but abandoning a core market, like the mainstream compact is inexcusable and stupid. And the Avenger is one of the most underwhelming pieces of crud in a long line of forgettable, unadvertised mid-size Dodges. Look at the pattern: the Coronet/Monaco sold poorly in the 1970's; anybody remember the K-Car 600? Or the Diplomat before it was promoted as full-size? Or the awful Aspen that spawned it? The boxy Spirit and Dynasty? The unadvertised-ever Stratus? Something's gotta give.....

Actually I was just thinking....maybe that's just the collective series, you know like Biscayne/Bel-Air/Impala/Caprice/Impala SS back in the 1960's-70's were referred to as the "Chevrolet" line-like there's still DTS, CTS, BTS, etc., but that could encompass many or few body styles....make sense?

I was on the U.S. Patent and Trademark website earlier ( http://www.uspto.gov ) and after Search Trademarks----->Advanced Search-----> and "GENERAL and MOTORS and CORPORATION and AUTOMOBILES", I saw AT1, BT3, CT6, DT7, and the like newly trademarked. I'm starting to think about the number portions here, being that these tentative new Caddys look like they'll finally be readjusted to take BMW head-on, and my theory is as follows: AT1-1-Series rival, thus the smallest (possibly most hated, at least among diehard traditionalists) Standard of the World! BT3-3-Series rival, probably sized more accordingly than CTS, which would be.... CT5-Current CTS and gang, already nearly 5-Series sized now, but a more effective competitor. CT6-Coupe and convertible of above CT5. STS dies. DT7-7-Series rival big Caddy, stretched from CT5/6. Also add BTX, CTX, DTX, likely for crossovers. I don't remember if STX or XTX were dead trademarks. Any thoughts on this?