vrazzhledazzle

I posted in another post that Olds shouldn't have been killed and said the brands should be like this: Cadillac/Hummer - luxury cars & trucks (competes with Benz, BMW, Range Rover) Oldsmobile - near-luxury (competes with mercury, chrysler, acura?) Buick-Pontiac-GMC - performance cars and trucks (so buick would compete with infinity, ect) Chevrolet - mainstream everything (kill toyota, honda, japan) Saturn - important fighter (don't move it too far upmarket) If they aquire Chrysler group, replace Olds with Chrysler, merge Jeep-Hummer and sell Dodge. I just don't like Dodge enough to justify killing or damaging other brands because of it. someone said, have a car brand thats called Dodge just begs to be avoided and I agree with that. Either way, its not that strong of a name and sooner or later it'll end up like Olds.

As you pointed out, now that Hyundai and Nissan/Renault are both out, GM is the only party left that's alledgedly intrested. I am really afraid now that they might actually buy them. I know Toyota wouldn't be stupid enough to buy Chrysler, but they would be opening up 15% of the NA market to themselves and most importantly (to Toyota), they would increase their capacity which is something they are running out of. They would also become the #1 automaker which is what they've always wanted. And they can certantly afford it...why does everyone say they would never buy Chrysler then?

Well remember guys, the article says the Chrysler group is up for auction, I'm sure they could auction parts of it if necessary. If Daimler is desperate enough to get it off their hands they would split the brands up. I remember reading that last year MBenz made a $1 Billion and Chrysler (just that one brand) lost $1 Billion. I don't think Jeep and Dodge are that unprofitable (I think they actually made a profit?).

What everyone is saying about B-P-G is true, and I don't mind it as long as they keep Buick alive. I've been hearing people say GM should kill off Buick just as they did with Olds but I'm definetely against that. They should have never spent a billion killing Olds in the first place. It should've been: Cadillac/Hummer - luxury cars & trucks (competes with Benz, BMW, Range Rover) Oldsmobile - near-luxury (competes with mercury, chrysler, acura?) Buick-Pontiac-GMC - performance cars and trucks (so buick would compete with infinity, ect) Chevrolet - mainstream everything (kill toyota, honda, japan) Saturn - important fighter (don't move it too far upmarket)

March 07, 2007 Here is a link to an article posted by DBeaSSt. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070307/bs_nm/...w_chrysler_dc_1 March 01, 2007 In Chrysler's For-Sale Saga, Another One Bites the Dust SHANGHAI, China — China's largest auto group, SAIC, said it has no plans to buy Chrysler or any other overseas firm. The company was responding to media reports that it has been talking with DaimlerChrysler. Two years ago, SAIC acquired a controlling interest in Korean utility-vehicle make Ssangyong, and the company also holds a minority interest in GM Daewoo. Reuters quoted an SAIC spokeswoman as saying, "We have no plans for acquisitions at the moment." Another rumored Chinese suitor, FAW, also denied interest in buying Chrysler, joining such multinational car companies as Volkswagen, Fiat, Renault-Nissan and Hyundai in throwing cold water on rampant media speculation. At the moment, General Motors appears to remain the sole automaker with an interest in Chrysler. The Financial Times reported earlier that DaimlerChrysler might take a stake in GM as part of a possible deal involving Chrysler. What this means to you: With the Chinese, it's not a question of money. With Chrysler, it is starting to be a question of who's left. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=119807 February 26, 2007 DCX could swap Chrysler to GM in exchange for a stake in the General DCX to launch $13 billion auction of Chrysler; Hyundai not interested U.S. investment bank JPMorgan is making final preparations before starting an auction of the Chrysler Group on behalf of DaimlerChrysler, according to a report by the U.K.'s Times. The news follows a shocking report from last week suggesting General Motors might be considering buying Chrysler. While reports of a possible Daimler-Chrysler de-merger were met with much skepticism in the auto industry, rumors continue to swirl, with no official denials coming from GM or DaimlerChrysler. Typically, automakers issue statements to the press rejecting rumors of this magnitude, if they are false. The Times report also indicated Korean automaker Hyundai might be interested in buying the group. Hyundai swiftly issued a statement saying its "hands are full" and it has no intention of buying the American company. Currently, General Motors is the only party known to be in talks with DaimlerChrysler about an acquisition. GM is said to have particular interest in Jeep and Dodge, but would consider buying the whole group if necessary. Such a deal would result in a close integration of the Chrysler Group into the GM family, with overlapping products being axed, possible rebreeding, and the pairing of compatible brands like Jeep and Hummer. JPMorgan will reportedly send information memorandums to a number of potential suitors as soon as the end of this week. If sold, the Chrysler Group would likely go for $13 billion, the report said. http://www.leftlanenews.com/2007/02/19/dcx...not-interested/ ____________________________________________________________ February 23, 2007 UPDATE: And another article that sort of compliments the above one. FIAT S.p.A HYUNDAI-KIA NISSAN-RENAULT MITSUBISHI VOLKSWAGEN AG GAZ (Russian) BMW GROUP TOYOTA http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/toyo...33914A4758EA%7D SAIC/FAW Source So far, all the above have explicitly said they have no interest in Chrysler which unfortunately supports the above-quoted article. Apollo Management Blackstone Group Carlyle Group Cerberus Capital Management General Motors So far, all the above are though to have expressed interest in the Chrysler Group. DaimlerChrysler : There is still a possiblity that Mercedes and Chrysler remain together according to some reports.

haha..niice As for the car, it's a little weird to me that they call it the Toy Camry HYBRID 50th Ed It almost as if they are trying to make it sounds like they have been making hybrids for 50 years... I don't mean to overanalyze it, but it IS a little weird.

haha he hates every other country that makes cars (south korean, china, the US, russia) maybe some euro cars? chryler! DCX can import all the sebrings, compasses, and avengers that dont get sold and say they are a german company. quick! before hyundai buys chryler cuz then it wont work

Well i just saw the new Audi A5 so I'm comparing this to the A5. Damn this is sexy and it has much more personality compared to the A5.. of course that means that not everyone will like it but I love it

SEXAY

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I saw this on the news today.. they mentioned Nissan Altimas might be affected too.

This is the best competition idea ive ever heard i would enter it..but i dont know how to photoshop cars either way, I cant wait to see what people come up with

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I just posted what the original article said..

Mark Donohue called it "the unfair advantage." And those of us who have been around racing for longer than, oh… five minutes, know that racers will sell their soul to find that winning edge. Even if it means breaking the rules. A buddy of mine, who’s been around racecars since the ink on Mario Andretti’s racing license was still wet, once managed to install a 2.5-liter engine in a car that raced in the 2.0-liter class, and then welded a fake extra exhaust on it so rivals would think that’s where the extra speed came from. Later, he got mechanics at an Italian sports car manufacturer to build an engine they thought was the 3.0-liter unit the rules required, but actually displaced 3.5-liters. It’s only cheating if you get caught. Michael Waltrip got caught. Or, more accurately, his crew chief got caught. Waltrip’s team was one of five snared for rule infractions in a pre-Daytona crackdown by NASCAR officials. All five teams had their crew chiefs suspended, and all five drivers were docked points – an unprecedented move given the first points of this year’s Nextel Cup series won’t even be scored until Sunday afternoon. The fact that the Waltrip team’s offense – reportedly doctoring the fuel with an oxygenate to increase power – was the most egregious of the lot is not the big news here. The big news is that Michael Waltrip drives a Toyota Camry. And being busted on a cheating rap is absolutely the worst possible start for Toyota’s audacious, multi-million dollar push into NASCAR. Toyota’s NASCAR campaign is less about “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” than being able to bask in some carefully reflected Old Glory. Toyota wants to win hearts and minds across the American heartland in the hope that folks will buy its all-new Tundra pickup (and probably a second, still secret U.S. market vehicle that seems the only logical reason for what appears to be a massive overspend on the Tundra plant in San Antonio, Texas) along with more Camrys and Corollas. Toyota’s entry into NASCAR has attracted a lot of attention from the mainstream media, which is exactly what its North American marketing team wanted. But now, thanks to the antics of privately owned team that carries its name, Toyota starts NASCAR labeled a cheater. And that won’t play in Peoria. http://blogs.motortrend.com/6202473/car-ne...oria/index.html

and this comes just after I read an article on Daimler and Chrysler sharing parts and binding closer together. but Chrysler needs restructuring badly..almost as bad as Ford. the LX cars are the only products from them I'd consider buying

o baby hopefully next year we'll have the Astra as the best compact and the G8 as the best sport sedan

the grille is the only 'dodge' thing about it..im getting mostly an Audi TT vibe from the back and the rest is just a little bit of every other car in this segment thats on the market right now :unsure:

Sorry man, this was my 1st post.

Rule three of automotive journalism: When a domestic carmaker introduces a new midsize, midprice sedan, reviewers are to write, "They're now as good as Camry and Accord." So here goes. The 2008 Chevy Malibu, which Chevrolet will introduce at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, looks like it's now as good as the Camry and Accord. Our obligation to the profession complete, it's only fair that we ask you to check back a few months from now to see what we think of the new 'Bu after we actually drive the thing. But, we must say, the completely restyled, more powerful Malibu sedan really does look pretty good. Aura underneath On sale in the fall, the 2008 Malibu sedan still uses GM's front-wheel-drive Epsilon platform, which also underpins the Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura and, in a somewhat modified form, the Saab 9-3. But the new model uses the long-wheelbase (112.3-inch) version that was formerly used for the Malibu Maxx quasi-station-wagon/five-door-hatch thing. The Aura and G6 share this long version. So the Malibu (along with the Aura and G6) now has a longer wheelbase than all major competitors. It's between 3 and 5 inches longer than the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, etc. Curiously, according to GM's figures, this stretch doesn't provide significantly more rear-seat legroom. Of the Japanese entries, only the sporty Altima has significantly less room in the rear. We wonder if GM's new measuring tape is incorrectly marked because, according to the specifications, the longer 2008 Malibu has less rear-seat legroom than the shorter 2007 version. We'll have to climb into the back of the new car at the Detroit auto show and try it for ourselves. More power What is not in doubt is the improvement in the powertrain. Chevrolet ditched the 224-horsepower pushrod 3.5-liter V6 in favor of a 252-hp double-overhead-cam 3.6-liter V6. The new engine is also available on the upmarket version of the Saturn Aura. The company likewise threw out the four-speed automatic and bolted a six-speed auto, with optional steering-wheel-mounted shifting, in its place. It's a combination that's impressed us in the Aura XR. And while the similarly sized Toyota and Nissan motors make more horsepower, 252 is more than adequate output for a family car. The Malibu's new base motor, a 2.4-liter Ecotec double-overhead four-cylinder, makes 20 more hp than the outgoing 2.2-liter Ecotec. Rated at 164 hp, the new motor has as much juice as most direct competitors. A six-speed automatic transmission is also available with the Ecotec, although it comes only on Malibus with the upmarket LTZ treatment. The versions in the more budget-minded LS and LT trim lines get a four-speed automatic. The swan But the outgoing Malibu was never considered too small compared to competitors. And the old 3.5-liter, while lacking dual-overhead cams and variable-valve timing, made decent power. The real sticking point with the old Malibu was always its intentionally staid, rental-fleet looks and ugly, budget-basement interior. Clean and smooth, the new design is worlds better-looking than the old car. The 2008 Malibu has a more purposeful stance and looks significantly wider than the outgoing model, though it is only a fraction of an inch broader. The new front end, with its two vertically stacked grille openings and dual round headlights per side, is, as the designers like to say, the new face of Chevrolet cars — so get used to it. We think it looks more upscale than the outgoing car and the bulging hood gives the nose a passing resemblance to the new Camry. The rear end, while a definite improvement over the old car, reminds us of the Acura TL and the finally dead Mitsubishi Diamante. But that might just be us. Inner beauty It's no coincidence that the first sneak-peek image that Chevrolet released of the 2008 Malibu was an interior rendering. The company spent an unusual amount of time and energy on the interior. The new dual-pod dash is an attractive, if not particularly original, design. And the new two-tone color combinations (with names such as Cocoa and Cashmere) should provide a little relief from the rental-car monotonous gray. Chevrolet also promises higher-quality material inside, including a cast-skin material to cover the instrument panel. Standard active and passive safety features will include side curtain airbags for front and rear passengers, seat-mounted thorax-protection airbags for front passengers, ABS and traction control. Upmarket LT and LTZ models come with StabiliTrak electronic stability control. Should be a good fight It all looks like a good package and pricing, though not yet announced, is expected to rise only slightly. The 2008 Malibu might just be catching up to Camry and Accord, but the gap does seem to be closing rapidly. Of course, the new Accord will arrive on the market at about the same time as this Malibu, so check back with us in a year. From Edmunds Inside Line