Intrepidation

That Edsel only wished it looked 1/100000000 as beautiful.

Nope, I like white one better. That silver one looks sleepy, and the black one's blocky headlights don't match the curves of the rest of the...also it looks sad.

ILVTOFU. Does that seem obscene to you? If it does, you might want to apply for a job at the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR). When mother-of-three Kelley Coffman-Lee requested this combination of letters for a vanity license plate, she was turned down. While Kelley wanted the world to know just how much she loves tofu, the DOR saw it as a profession of love for something else entirely. "I-LV-TOFU" was deemed too risque, the DOR thinking it could be misinterpreted as "I-LV-TO-F-U." Coffman-Lee is a vegan, and as she puts it, "I'm very expressive. I'm anti-fur, anti-rodeo, anti-circus when they come to Denver, and I thought, 'Here's a chance to be positive and say I love something.'" She even says that a friend at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) liked the idea so much they were willing to pay the $60 plate fee. Alas, the Colorado Department of Revenue turned her down. While she doesn't plan to take the matter to court, she does say she'll continue to speak out about mistreating animals. Thanks for the tip, Matt! Autoblog

G8 buyers will likely head to Chrysler since they are the only company that provides a comparable vehicle. The rest of them that aren't hung up on the badge will just head to Chevy. Those who swear off GM because Pontiac gets killed will head probably to Ford or Chrysler.

I plan to show this to my boss Friday who has a 2nd gen Grand Cherokee and is a Jeep enthusiast, but doesn't care for the current one.

Mitsubishi's Outlander GT Prototype vehicle isn't slated for a reveal until tomorrow morning, but we caught the raced-up crossover lurking uncovered in the darkness as the Japanese automaker was preparing for a run-through of tomorrow's presentation. As you can plainly see, the concept vehicle is essentially a lowered Outlander that's been given a bit of Evoplasty up front. The new mouth breather look is significantly more aggressive than the current happy-faced model, but changes beyond that are minimal, including OZ split-spoke wheels and a few badges. While Mitsubishi has yet to announce that this new face will make it to production, the handwriting and spy photos are on the wall for the aggressive new look to become a brand hallmark, what with the recent introduction of the production Lancer Ralliart Sportback sporting a similar front graphic. The fact that this is called a "prototype" and not a concept is a further clue in Mitsu's production intent. No word yet on what (if any) modifications have been performed under the skin, but a quick peek inside before the press conference rehearsal began seemed to indicate a stock leather-lined interior. We'll keep you in the loop as we learn more, but for now, enjoy the gallery below and the preview press release after the jump. Autoblog

Or rather the Terrain is a GMC styled Jeep. The squared wheel arches are a Jeep trademark. And so on and so forth. -- Interior design...yeah it does look sort of like the Lexus (not bad thing) but also an evolution of the current one. Only a hell of a lot better.

The New York Auto Show is the backdrop for the 2010 Subaru Legacy's unveiling, and we just checked it out on the display stand downstairs here at the Jacob Javits Center. The red car you see in the gallery below is a Legacy 2.5 GT equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox, while the dark gray car above is a PZEV-certified base model. The new Legacy is clearly a step up from the car it replaces. It's taller, longer and wider, which makes for more room inside than the old car, which in turn makes for a more compelling rival to the cavernous Accord. The interior's trimmed out with decent plastics, a thick-rimmed wheel, a relatively uncluttered center stack (as opposed to the Accord's loaded Scrabble board) and nice leather seats. The mere presence of that manual shifter makes it all the more welcoming. (Man, if only you could get this trim and setup in a wagon...) Outside, the new Legacy's got a new, distinctive front end with big eyes and that familiar corporate grille. The 2.5 GT's hood scoop jazzes things up a little, too. In profile, the 2010 Legacy is inoffensive and will blend into the family-sedan crowd nicely. The rear end features large taillamps and, in the case of the 2.5GT, dual exhaust outlets. Open the trunk and you'll find a nice, large opening with thoughtfully-placed release handles for the rear seats (no need to drop them from inside the passenger compartment, which is a nice touch.) In all, the 2010 Subaru Legacy's restyling is far less controversial than the one underwent recently by the Impreza, though we're still going to miss the outgoing car's clean, handsome lines. That said, the new car is better-positioned to do battle in this hugely-competitive segment, and we expect that Subaru is eager to throw its hat in the ring against the Accord and Camry. Autoblog

Yep, it sounds like a winner. Plus the CTS wagon exists for those of us who prefer RWD. :wink:

Looks like a softer, more rounded, higher qualitya nd better detailed version of the current interior to me. I like it. It doesn't have to be out there like an Acura to be a nice interior.

To no ones surprise, Toyota unveiled the Scion iQ concept today at the New York Auto Show. Ever since the iQ debuted in Europe last year, the expectation has been that Toyota would sell the micro compact car as a Scion here in the U.S. to compete against the Smart ForTwo. What surprised us were the modifications made to the iQ for its debut in the States. In keeping with the customization culture that is rampant among Scion owners, the concept features widely flared fenders and super-size 18-inch wheels. Like the current production model, the concept iQ features 3+1 seating with a very compact air conditioning unit that fascilitates an asymmetrical dashboard. This allows the front passenger seat to slide forward so that one adult can fit in the back. The seat behind the driver, however, is strictly for the legless. One new innovation in the iQ is a rear window airbag that provides protection to rear seat passengers whose heads are butted up against the rear glass. The concept also features lots of special lighting and a pop-up 10-inch LCD embedded in the dash. Scion is just evaluating the iQ for U.S. introduction, but we would be shocked not to see it sold here soon.

New York: Muscled-up 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will take the stairs, thank you

Very true.

Ford and Chrysler also have much less to worry about to fix themselves. 3 brands each (Ford is trying to offload Volvo, and doesn't wholly own Mazda). Fixing 3 is easier than fixing 5, especially when teh stakes are so high. YA RLY! Let's look at the facts: GM is too big as it is to be able keep supply in check with demand without resorting to lots of fleet sales and huge incentives. On top of that you've got a global market that is shrinking, and an NA market which has shrunk dramatically, and these conditions will remain for the foreseeable future. I don't see the economy rebounding in 6 months, do you? If the company downsizes, it can always grow again as conditions improve and demand increases. It's a lot easier and more cost effective to have to grow to meet increasing demand than to have so much overcapacity in a continually shrinking market. If they could do that than, sure, but we've seen time and time again that GM has problems following through. Actually I guess that applies for 3 brands too. f@#k.

Yup.

This is true, but the less brands they have the less chances they have of screwing up each brand's mission, and the better chances they have of getting it right.

Hey RBB, haven't seen you in a while. And yes, they are 100% identical.

Well, the new LaCrosse you can't find anything like it anywhere. The Enclave, you'll find it's platform maybes, but none of them look like it, are tuned like it, or as luxurious as it. The Lucerne you'll find at the Cadillac dealer, but they don't look at all alike. So that's 2/3 to 100% depending on how you want to look at it. Meanwhile, at GMC, only the Terrain looks completely different from it's platform mate. The Sierra looks like the Silverado with a nicer front end, and the Acadia looks like the Outlook with a different front end. Also, the Sierra is the only one I would consider professional grade. At Pontiac, you have the G8, which could easily be rebadged as a Chevy, the Solstice which is impractical, and the G6 which is mediocre. I guess the Toyota Vibe too. The G3 and G5 are full on rebadges. That's facts. -- Now, Ideally what you could have is GMC be professional grade and sell only the Sierra and medium duty trucks (does GM still own that? I forget), Pontiac with one or two dedicated, sporty cars along the lines of the 370Z and maybe the G8 or a high performance Delta II, and Buick fill out the rest. But that means they actually have to get the products right for the brands...

Buick's Future May Be Chinese!, Division May Be Sold Away. Buick may be sold to Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). To get the details, follow the jump. http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?sh...c=29985&hl=

Something you have to keep in mind reg is that according to the info given, Chrysler has taken great pains to enhance both its off road performance (to appeal to Jeep faithful and people who actually go off roading in general) while enhancing it's on road performance (to appeal to everyone else). How successful that effort is we'll have to wait for reviews.

Funny thing is I feel exactly this way if GM continues down the path its on now without filing.

It was a put down on the fact that it's poser CUV, like most others. Trying to look tough when it has little more capabilities than an AWD wagon. Again, you can't lump sales of the two together...they compete in completely different segments. The GC will never sell in the same numbers as the Terrain (if they Terrain is successful anyway).