pow

If the Sonata is the Accord, then this Optima is the TSX.

There was a Chevy-badged hydrogen variant of the Zafira at ASIM.

1 - Love it 3 - Too conservative 5 - Appreciate it 6 - Weak 7 - Weak X3 - Appreciate it X5 - Classic good looks Z4 - Like it

I went to ASIM, too, but my senses were dulled from trying so many cars under the blistering sun... after the first twenty, everything felt pretty much the same, and after thirty, I was officially immune to GM interiors. I recall trying a LaCrosse CXS, and I remember that it looked sharp in black with chrome wheels. It's still too expensive, though, but, yeah, it's "nice." The Passat is in a completely different league, IMO.

Getrag has made an AWD MINI, though...

I don't see the point... the 130i fits the same niche as the old Z3 coupe.

That's about the same price as a Hyundai Accident 1.5 CDI, 3-cylinder 3-door in Belgium.

Nice. A free maintenance program would sound even better.

Wow, that's beautiful. Styling sells.

RWD is nice, but it isn't a priority. Best-in-class design, technology, value, and quality can generate the same amount of hype.

The red is okay... it's still semi-iced. Overall I like the SportCombi... it's Scandinavian-cool.

Does it feel like a $45K car? Or do you think most consumers would rather have a Jetta's interior?

My complaint is that with the refinement, all of the loud and obnoxious character of the old Impala is gone. Yes, the interior quality is a bit better, but it's also blander and more mainstream. The gauges are no longer in classic 80's GM font, the doors have fewer details... it's just so... sterile. I kinda miss the cheesiness.

http://www.topgear.com/content/timetoburn/...connection.html The video ends a bit early... here's the script of the show part that follows it: Clarkson: It's not the line dancing that's the problem. And nor is it the fact that if you buy an American car, you're going to have to commit acts of love with your cousin. Hammond: So what's the problem? Clarkson: Charger. Wrong Dodge. You need a Challenger, because the Challenger was the star of Vanishing Point, and this was the star of Bullitt. That's why you're interested in it, because it was in Bullitt. Hammond: Yes, so what you're saying is we choose our cars according to the films they were in. Clarkson: Yes. Hammond: That sounds fair enough. But you're saying Vanishing Point is better than Bullitt. But it's just not... Vanishing Point is, if you haven't seen, I should establish it, is basically a load of hippy trippy spaced-out nonsense with some bloke in a sweaty shirt and sunglasses driving through the desert for no reason whatsoever. Clarkson: And what was the plot of Bullit? Remind me... Hammond: Well, it was complicated... well it had a plot. It was a menacing, edgy 70's film... Clarkson: What happened in the end? Hammond: Oh, stuff! I mean it's better than the end of this... he stuffed it into a bulldozer. Clarkson: But did he? Did he stuff it into a bulldozer? Hammond: You cannot claim it's better... it's as sophisticated as a Roadrunner Cartoon. Clarkson: The man who drives the Challenger in Vanishing Point... Kowalski, he was the coolest man ever in cinema history. He made James Dean look like John Prescott. He was that cool. Hammond: No, I think I've answered this. Kowalski, in the film, is a kind of tallish bloke, with big curly hair and he wears a shirt tucked into tight jeans... he's you! That's why you like it. Clarkson: In the film, you've said that there was something a little wrong with the steering in the Charger. Hammond: It is a tad vague, yes. Clarkson: A tad vague. If you look in Bullitt, very carefully, we all know the car chase scene, yes? Look very carefully at the end. The director said to a highly trained stuntdriver in the Charger, "I want you to drive into that garage, and it'll then blow up." He missed the garage! You can look... you can see him screaming by. Hammond: Yeah, and some people might call that a safety feature! And, if your guy had not been in that, and had been in one of these, he would have missed those bulldozers at the end and survived. Clarkson: Which is the better looking car? The Charger, hands up? Challenger? Hammond: Well, it's the Charger, then, clearly... Clarkson: And also, am I right on the film? Can anyone think of a better car chase film than Vanishing Point? ... So, really, there we are. We've managed to establish that Vanishing Point is the best car film... that's a Challenger, you're buying the wrong Dodge. Hammond: You haven't established that, you're all wrong, I want a Charger, that's that. That's what I'm having. Between the time the review was aired (May 23, 2004) and now, Hammond bought a Charger, sold it (eBay link: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...4552769364&rd=1), bought a wooden Morgan, and is now pondering the sale of that.

Found this on the 'net... pretty cool: http://www.topgear.com/content/timetoburn/...car/picture_01/ Call yourself an automotive anorak? Find out how much you really know about cars in our fiendishly difficult puzzle. You have to guess what car is hidden behind the grid by uncovering as few squares as possible. You've got 100 points, but for every square you uncover you lose five of them. Are you up to the challenge?

Yep, saw it on that stupid Barry Meguiar show. Of all the hosts in the world, he's probably the least "Car Crazy" and most interested in promoting his company's car polishes to buy another gold Rolex. And WTH is up with their latest commercials? "The Fusion of Passion, Design, and Technology," um, Cadillac, anyone?

This photo clearly shows that the 2008 Equus will use a rear-wheel-drive configuration when it debuts roughly two years from now. This angle also gives a good indication of this vehicle's size. With a wheelbase of 116 inches, the Equus is nearly as big as a Mercedes S-Class between the wheels. Unless you've visited Korea lately, you've probably never heard of the Hyundai Equus. It's Hyundai's largest, most luxurious sedan, but since its debut in 1999 it's been a domestic market sedan only. That may change in the coming years as the 2008 Hyundai Equus is being designed with U.S. sales in mind. Our latest spy photos show an Equus sedan that's bigger and more luxurious-looking than the current model. The styling looks as though it will remain on the conservative side, but given that the Equus will likely go up against cars like the Toyota Avalon and Buick Lucerne it shouldn't be a problem. Size shouldn't be an issue either. Our handy spy shooters measured a wheelbase of 116 inches, a full 5 inches longer than the Avalon's 111-inch wheelbase. That should give the Equus plenty of room in back to go along with what looks to be a well-appointed cabin. The last-generation Equus made the switch to rear-wheel drive and the 2008 model will retain that configuration. Power is expected to come from a 3.8-liter V6 with upwards of 270 horsepower. A five-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift capability will handle the shifts. Look for this sedan to debut in about two years time, most likely with a new name for its new market. More pics: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Featu...icleId=106903#9

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...ine.promo.2.*#7 Send in the Clones By John DiPietro Date posted: 08-18-2005 Badge engineering. No, it's not the art and science of manufacturing emblems shaped like bow ties or blue ovals. It's when a carmaker introduces a vehicle that's essentially a clone of an existing corporate model with minor styling changes, such as a different grille, taillights and, of course, badges. Nowadays there are even Saabs based on Subarus and Chevrolets. As long as it's not done to excess, badge engineering makes sense. Having a couple of slightly different looks for the same basic vehicle can work. It allows manufacturers to offer more models in a cost-effective way and gives the consumer a little more choice. For 2006, Pontiac births a twin to compete in the crossover SUV market. Called the Torrent, its very close sibling is the Chevrolet Equinox. Is it just a badge job, or does the 2006 Pontiac Torrent have something in its genes from the GM division that used to claim to "build excitement"? The Better-Looking Twin? As with the Equinox, the 2006 Pontiac Torrent is an attractive 'ute with clean lines, ideal proportions and beefy styling cues such as pronounced wheel arches and optional 17-inch five-spokers. Giving the Torrent a Pontiac signature is the twin-port grille and faux skid plates on the front and rear fascias. But don't get the wrong idea from the tuff look; this crossover 'ute is geared more toward surefooted handling in foul-weather conditions than trail bashing off-road. All-season tires and so-so ground clearance confirm this vehicle's status as a soft-roader. Considering that pricing starts in the mid-$20Ks, you might assume the Torrent competes against compact SUVs, such as the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute twins and Jeep Liberty. But it's actually sized more like a midsize 'ute. With a generous 112.5-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 188.8 inches, it's virtually the same size as a Toyota 4Runner. Spacious Utility Vehicle The cockpit, although essentially the same as the Equinox's, trumps the Chevy by virtue of chrome-ringed gauges and a steering wheel that looks like it came out of a sports car. The Equinox's gauges are trimmed in gray paint and its tiller looks like it was lifted from a pickup truck. For the most part, the Torrent's cabin is attractive and solidly constructed. There's not a squeak or rattle to be heard. Yes, most of the dash is comprised of hard plastic, but the tasteful metallic accents, rubber-ringed climate knobs and padded door panel armrests help atone for that sin. Up front, storage cubbies abound, with one on the left side of the dash, another two within the fold-down center armrest. There are also pockets in every door. Firm but somewhat lacking in lateral support, the front buckets still proved comfortable on long commutes and during a few day trips. Two-stage seat heaters bumped up the luxury level considerably. A low step-in makes getting in and out fairly easy, but the shorties on staff still would've liked to see some grab handles. The backseat drew favorable comments, not only for its solid support, but also for its three-position recline function and ability to slide 8 inches fore and aft. Called Multi-Flex, the slide feature allows tall passengers to ride with limousinelike legroom, but at the temporary expense of some cargo space behind them. In the cargo hold, a movable shelf can be configured to hide items or stow into the floor to optimize available space. The Torrent's maximum cargo capacity with the second seats folded stands at 68.6 cubic feet. The max with all the seats up is 35.2 cubes. Providing a lot of peace of mind is another Torrent talent, its performance in crash tests. In both frontal- and side-impact tests, this Pontiac garnered the top rating (five stars). Acceptable If Not Exciting GM's familiar 3.4-liter V6 furnishes such spunky response that it makes a mockery of its modest output ratings, 185 hp at 5,200 rpm and 210 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm. Keep your foot in it and it gets a little buzzy at high rpm, but with its healthy punch at low- and midrange speeds, revving the bejeezus out of it isn't necessary anyway. At the track, we recorded a pretty slow 0-60 time of 10 seconds flat, which made this Torrent 1.3 seconds slower than the last AWD Equinox we tested. We attribute the difference in performance to the fact that this flame red Torrent only had around 800 miles on it so it was barely broken in. In contrast, the Equinox had a couple of thousand miles on it. The quarter-mile times, however, were just 0.3 second apart. In the real world, the Torrent feels eager in most situations, it was only while tackling some steep mountain upgrades that it lacked some steam. The dance partner that makes the 3400 look good is the slick five-speed automatic transmission that makes the most of the available thrust. Although the smooth and quick gearbox can hardly be faulted, we were perplexed by the gear selector. It's pretty much standard fare if you just plunk it into drive, but look at the selector and you'll discover that it doesn't allow you to hold certain gears, such as first and third. Fortunately, that was a nonissue as the smart gearbox was never found out of step. With a soft pedal feel, the ABS brakes hauled the Torrent down from 60 mph in 131 feet. A good, but not great, performance. On the street the binders' front disc-rear drum combination felt strong enough, though we would've preferred a little more meat in the pedal. For those active sorts with trailers, snowmobiles and jet skis, the Torrent is rated to tow 3,500 pounds. More Utility Than Sport We have to say, we're puzzled by Pontiac's ad campaign for the Torrent. Guys, if you're going to market the Torrent as a sporty SUV, you've gotta upgrade the steering and suspension. Honestly, we found no difference between this Torrent and the Equinox in terms of driving dynamics. Independent all around, the suspension consists of MacPherson struts up front with a four-link, coil-spring setup out back. For most consumers, the handling and ride balance is pretty well dialed in for this class of vehicle. There's some body roll when cornering at a brisk tempo but it's well controlled. Ride comfort is commendable and evidently takes priority over sharp handling. In the slalom, the Torrent posted a 57.1-mph effort through the cones, which is on par with a Toyota Highlander and Kia Sorento but slower than the Mazda Tribute. The Torrent's electric power-assisted steering drew barbs for its lack of feel and slow action. GM still needs to work on the calibration of this system, as there's so much boost at low speeds it feels like you're driving with a remote control. At higher speeds it does stiffen up a bit, but it's still too numb which makes it hard to place the truck in high-speed turns. Those who prefer the feel of a 1960s American land yacht will probably love it the way it is. That said, the Torrent makes a fine daily driver as long as you're not the type who enjoys clipping apexes. But we are that type, and Pontiac claims that the Torrent provides "agility with utility." We're going to hold 'em to it. We Build…Clones? OK, so it's not much different than a Chevy Equinox, but it is a likable package with zippy response in most situations, a quiet and comfortable ride and a roomy cabin. And for most folks that will be enough. But if Pontiac wants to back up its claim as General Motors' sporty division, the 2006 Pontiac Torrent needs some tweaking. We suggest the carmaker offer a sport upgrade with tighter steering, a firmer suspension and four-wheel disc brakes for us enthusiasts. Pontiac could even call it the WS-6 package if it wants. ---- While the Torrent is merely a badge engineered Equinox, it fixes many of the complaints I had with the Chevy. I think it's the First-Ever GM product where the interior looks "correct." All the shapes, proportions, and colors are harmonious, except for maybe the pathetic rear headrests. Actually, the HHR's ain't bad, either.

Went to Vegas... saw several HHR rentals and Maybachs, as well as the new VUE.

http://media.putfile.com/bmw_m5

No, Toyota's new line of V6's are measured with the new standards. This includes the Avalon, IS250/350, etc.

Looks, well, like a car from the first-world made in the 21st century, which is quite an achievement for GM. Funny you can tell these things from just lights, badging, and a door.

Two-tone interior is a huge improvement, but it isn't enough to convince me to get one over a Passat, Legacy, or Fusion.

Looks pretty good for a cheap car. I'd still take a Jetta over the sedan, though.