xdre

I'd be very surprised if we don't get this in '08 as well.

OK, so when is DCX going to pull the plug on their Smart car division? :AH-HA_wink:

I'm sorry, but that's just crap. The problem with the V6 pushrods is lack of dev dollars, not the architecture itself.

I loved my old Neon, but take a peek at the dashboard assembly or door panel structure and you'll quickly understand how that was possible. :AH-HA_wink:

Yeah but the only thing VW on that car was the engine...

Considering how visually awkward the new Camry is I'd say the perceived difference in the interior would be a wash.

Wow. A couple of those shots make this car seem positively gargantuan.

Isn't the Zeta Impala growing in size compared to the current car?

The Wrangler and the 4-door Unlimited are getting the 3.8l OHV V6 from the minivans, which is more powerful than the outgoing AMC-based 4l I6 workhorse. They should be plenty powerful now, but I imagine it won't be long before they also get the enlarged 4l V6.

Ah, thus the confusion...Chrysler's website lists the 3.5l as the only choice.

? The Pacifica has always had the SOHC 3.5l. I think the OHV minivan engine was an option at one point though.

Chances of a coupe are rather slim, although a convertible is almost a guaranteed given. The rumor is that it's going to be a hardtop 'vert like the G6.

I could be wrong, but I don't think that's a detune (think revised SAE)... Anyway, non-studio pics here: http://forums.thecarlounge.net/zerothread?...081695#30081695

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../606220390/1148 Plenty of details there. I'm especially interested in the 20 gig hard drive option. The exterior styling would probably be more effective without the overwrought C-pillar detail.

Wow. That really added to the discussion... Toyota isn't even as American as DCX, which itself is up for debate. Perhaps there will be a time when that changes, but it won't be because of Toyota spending megabucks on PR.

No, and while I meant to be provocative, that wasn't what I meant to imply. I did know about the FCX. My point is that while GM has almost always been at the forefront of research, they have of late rarely led the pack in terms of actually getting the results of that research to the general public--or if they do, it's done so quietly as to be ignored; most people also don't know about GM's hybrid buses.

I don't think it really matters at this point, though. GM lost the bet on hybrids badly, they've already invested a huge amount of money in hydrogen, and if hydrogen is just a really sophisticated bandaid, E85 is a truly lousy one that lets in almost as much dirt as if there were no bandaid at all. If GM can get a return on that money in marketshare or especially mindshare, I think it would go a long way in dissolving some of the ill will a lot of people hold towards them in this country. My opinion, of course.

Didn't see this posted anywhere here: http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0...2207975,00.html It's widely accepted (if little-known) that GM is one of the pack leaders when it comes to hydrogen research. But here Honda is about to pull a Toyota and win huge mindshare by releasing this car. Personally, I think GM should at least have an answer ready to go, if not released around the same timeframe, but I understand the lack of money might be an issue. I just hope somebody at GM is paying attention.

That is likely to change, however. The Fusion triplets are a growing threat, and I suspect the Avenger/Sebring will be equally as competitive. The new Malibu can't get here fast enough, because the current one will continue to lose sales to the domestic alternatives, and I suspect the Impala will as well. I can only hope that the Impala at least remains profitable in the duration.

Yeah, but there's not much to develop; I mean, the engines are already there. It just doesn't feel well thought-out on GM's part, even if it is a stopgap car.

Er, the Legacy hasn't been available as FWD in the US since the mid-90's. But I agree with your point, which is why I'm totally perplexed as to why the G5 won't be available with either a S/C or turbo Ecotec engine.

? I don't think anyone's arguing that competition is actually bad (at least, I'm not); just that people stop making the claim that the Asians are no less domestic than the Big 2.5.

Honda was exporting Ohio-built cars to Japan as recently as 1999. If they've stopped it's a fairly recent occurence.

GM is powerful enough as an organization that "extortion" is a ridiculously overblown description. Here's another simple little fact: Those non-union factories aren't paying much less.As a matter of fact, if you think the UAW is bad, check out what VW auto workers make sometime--with a 28-hour work week. Have you ever worked in, or visited an automotive factory? I suspect you wouldn't be quite so cavalier about what you perceive to be the fair market value for those jobs if you had.

DSG can be treated just like a "normal" automatic. This really is a win-win situation, even if a bit tough to explain.