longtooth

GM has increased the rebate on the G8 line by $500.00 to $3500.00 for May.

Noteworthy, (?) Malibu sees $250.00 less for May over April with $2500.00 on-the-hood.

Yep, we seem to be living in a time of great paranoia.

You said it.

If GM could combine all of the boutique models under one roof or two they might pull it off. Build-to-suit. Although dismantling the Lansing Craft Center was a recent step backwards.

So if provisions can't be made to fabricate them on-site with the mainstream models then what? Gone with the winds of change.

All of the Green 'witch' hunting ongoing is somewhat akin to the Red Scare of the 1950s.

May 1, 2009, 10:17 am

Endangered Cadillac: 2009 CTS-V Series

For those of you following the shrinking of General Motors (GM) as it tries to devise a survival plan that could allow a takeover by the federal government, Cadillac has been designated one of its core brands. Its previous association with Saab and Hummer has been dissolved, and the historic old Cadillac brand — which, at 106, is older than GM itself — is looking toward the future.

A question for GM’s prospective government owners: How will you feel about the 556 horsepower CTS-V?

You don’t hear much about maxi-cars from Washington these days. The Obama Administration is one that talks about restraint and sacrifice when it is not inveighing against global warming and climate change.

So where does the CTS-V fit into that picture with its 6.2 liter V-8 engine, Brembo brakes, 19-inch aluminum wheels, magnetic ride control, and – oh, yes – 12 miles per gallon estimated city mileage, and a $57,920 base price. (The as-tested price for my crystal red number, with special seats, a navi system, and gas guzzler tax was $68,135.)

The CTS-V is a limited volume vehicle, with about 1,000 sold in the first four months of this year. And while the big-engine, reasonable-price concept bears the fingerprints of the renowned Bob Lutz, the former head of product development is easing off to retirement, leaving nobody of comparable stature to argue for the CTS-V’s survival.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the CTS – it always feels assembled to me from parts that aren’t fully integrated with each other. But if you are looking for Corvette performance with a nicer interior and four doors, this is the car to get.

Being respectful of my driver’s license, wildlife well-being, roadside joggers, and fuel consumption, I didn’t come near to accessing the car’s full performance capability. But Edmunds reports that a six-speed manual version raced to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds.

That makes the CTS-V one of the best performance-for-money cars on the planet.

What I liked about the car was its tractability around town. Some high-horsepower cars feel like they are fighting to restrain themselves at low speed, but the CTS-V was comfortable in any situation.

So, if you are so inclined, run, don’t walk past the Saab and Hummer stores to get to your Cadillac dealer. V-series models like the CTS-V will be hard to come by if General Motors becomes Obama Motors.

http://thewheeldeal.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/...rce=yahoo_quote

Sign of the times.

Otherwise why raise the spectre of one for months if not to gage the sentiment?

The Government provides a big apron to hide behind.

dfelt: Sorry to hear you've fallen victim to the vagaries of this mess.

Best wishes.

I didn't, they gave up on themselves.

It's over.

We lost.

It's all relative, Camino'.

Le Resistance lives on in some form or other.

Make 'hay' while the sun shines.

OK, I'll cop to grumpy.

Can you blame me?

But yes, you get my meaning quite clearly.

.

I guarantee you if gas were to skyrocket next year, the government would likely get heavily involved to keep prices down to "spur" the economy. Whether that is through subsidies or threats abroad i do not know, but they cannot afford to allow gas prices to skyrocket under their watch.

Whatcha mean, "if"?

Do we enjoy playing Russian Roulette here?

Suppose we do since we here are bent on repeating history.

What about Yaris fans, though? Or Scionities?

My opinion: (which matters not in the least) The Yaris is at least visually appealing. Standard issue of post teen female drivers. Like Marlboro Lights.

In case you haven't noticed, that trend is reversing itself as we speak.

NPR profiled this about 1 month ago.

Holding onto their cars people are.

Because we dismantled our economy and can't employ everyone.

Maybe the mechanically inclined.

Very True. In the interests of full disclosure

Canadian Dollar = 0.8 USD, Canadian Inflation Rate= 1.1-1.2 %, prevailing interest rates slightly higher than in the United States, unemployment just under 6% where I live... Case study in my post is a 50-60K CDN$ Cadillac DTS that depreciates bigtime...

Great example, the DTS.

Great car, imo, last of the old-time luxo-boats and a two year old car goes for half-off original sticker.

The dealers and private sellers here in Jersey seek to broker these cars fairly effectively stepping the price down in lock-step.

Harder and harder to locate a Seville STS that has less than 80k on the odometer.

Nein...

and Camino I'm starting to think that unless you plan to keep the car you're buying indefinitely, and with depreciation the way it is today It's almost stupid to plunk down money on a new car anyway... Why pay 50k$ for a car that 8mos and 14k mi later is 33k$

Assess the relative 'value' of our currency or the prevailing currency wherever you're living.

In its essence it remains a means to an end. Has an abstract value based upon prevailing factors.

Sometimes it is plentiful and at other times scarce.

Then consider the fluctuating value against the backdrop of everything in-play across the globe today.

Hard to nail the relative value of anything.

Nothing to feel bad about. Ive written plenty of letters to companies before, and have gotten a good response back in return. If you take the time to write one, be polite, and compose it the right way alot of times you will get some kind of response.

True.

Spring of '96. GM sent an engineer to reconcile a problem with tire/wheel well clearance on my Sonoma High-Rider truck. My truck was in Faulkner's garage for two days and I was given a Yukon GT to use.

It started with my writing a letter.

Never discount the pandering ethic of a homogeneous experience. Like Disney World. Hannah What's-her-name and the Jonas Brothers.

I love my '06 GTO, great car.

Vastly under appreciated save by those that own them.

Co-worker has a 400 horse mellow red-rocket-ship that she loves.

Just tell her its better than a seemingly endless turnover of mistresses.

Chris

Chris, she knew. I told her that "the mountains are my mistress".

This was when I would go off n' leave her for a fish. Her saying. I'd go off to fish the cold-water trout streams north and northeast of Williamsport, PA in exchange for what I saw as my 'due' being the stalwart breadwinner.

I can perceive now the degree of selfishness applied to my marriage when, at the time, I would've protested otherwise.

I had the WS6 the year prior to her death. Purchased 8-29-2001.

After she died I used the fusion of grief and despair to justify changing cars once more. I nearly pulled the trigger on a black Z06 at Reedman's in Langhorne, PA. Firing that up in the showroom, for about 30 seconds, was akin to achieving nirvana, so sweet the sound.

I'm glad that I didn't, seeing the Firehawk two days or so later. I went to see that car, every night after work for a week, and then near the end of July '02 went up to negotiate for it and wound up going in to work two hours late with it. I remember stalling it once that day then no more afterward. 'We' were as one.

oh boy.

The G8 and the GP are two completely different animals. The G8 feels like it can go like hell all day long with excesses of fluidly applied power. Lots of power. Beyond the dreams of avarice.

The next-to-last body style GP had more seductive lines than the final GP imo.

I think the shape of the Firebird always showed better in red. Even pewter did it justice. Had a '00 Z28 in pewter. Then onto an '02 WS6 rendered in black. Black requires all of that extra attention. Knowing this I did it again with the Firehawk after seeing it at Peruzzi Pontiac in July of '02.

I would take the cars up behind the Sheraton on Oxford Valley road and detail 'em at least twice per week using the shade of their parking garage.

I don't know why I was/am always in a hurry to move onto the next car. The infatuation has lasted, on average, 13 months dating back to 1980. My late wife was vexed (putting it mildly) regarding the seemingly endless turn-over of vehicles.

Longtooth:

The really old threads that explain the story got lost in the shuffle, but here are a few slideshows with the short version of my Firehawk experience.

http://img507.imageshack.us/slideshow/play...9861975k7m.smil

http://img315.imageshack.us/slideshow/play...98057376p7.smil

http://img350.imageshack.us/slideshow/play...9191046h5a.smil

Thanks Camino', looking now.

It's the work of an inspired individual.

Yes it was.

There should be a number of threads on it if you search "Firehawk".

Will do when I'm wider awake. Chinese food and wine've done me in.

She's already dozing 2 feet away. I'm observing her for any tendency to snore. She complains, from time to time, of my own rafter-rattlers. Between my farting and snoring she assures me it's magic living together.

Good night.

Exquisite.

Singularly.

Have ya got hummingbirds?

I still know where mine is...

Last I heard it had 7k on it.

Was yours the last official Firehawk?

Is the story detailed here?

Can't wrap my psyche around that. While it may be the cat's meow. Torque-ee.

Thanks.

I've always preferred the Formula version.

I really wish I still owned this car.

Infatuation is so fleeting.

Time allows much opportunity for regret.

A few months back, some fellow in Maryland (Perryville I think) had one on a lift in his garage with ridiculously low miles for right around original sticker. Like a time capsule waiting for some lucky individual to open her up.

I still have the so-called birth certificate and key fob. Ran across it while moving.