FUTURE_OF_GM

^^^ X2 I would normally be opposed to this sort of thing, but Ford needs all the help it can get right now and GM will still occupy the majority of the market simply because Ford doesn't have the lead in time or mass quantity of products to put it in. However, I would be/am worried about them beating GM to the midsize car portion of the equation as they seem to be pretty ambitious with the next Fusion while GM doesn't seem to be that concerned with applying the technology to their cars. It is a vote of confidence that the GM system is better than Toyota's since Ford is considering changing sides.

Or The "Prius Envy" SE Featuring exclusive "Envy Green Metallic" paint, a free Al Gore sticker (As part of the buyoff for getting his son out of jail) and a big framed picture of the Chevrolet Volt in the center of the dash with custom painted caption** ** Choose from the following 1) "Moving Forward... Except not as fast as this." 2) "I love what the Volt does for me! OB-SOLETE." 3) "The Passionate Pursuit of an actual game changing green car." Or we could do a 'blob' special edition, complete with blob color 2 stage paint and $500 worth of 'Here comes the blob' fan club merchandise. Here's one the target demographic could identify with: The Apple IIe Prius. Complete with ghetto green lettering on all of the gauges, a slight humming sound when in use (No really, that's actually the engine) and dingy brown paint with exclusive 'old keyboard stain' hubcaps. Even better; we'll make everything ass backwards and hard to deal with just like the real Apple IIe's. Act now for your free console/travel edition of Oregon Trail! oooh... Sorry, looks like Bob just died of syphilis....

When GM was talking sh*t about hybrids, the media called them on it (Eventhough the media, two faced as they are, did the same thing for years) Now that Toyota is doing the same thing with plug in hybrids (i.e. talking sh*t) where is the cynical tongue lashing of the media?!?!

That's gospel right there... In my shortest stint in the investment industry I worked for a company that targeted people with LARGE debt loads and essentially tried to get them back on track by setting up a budget for them and then getting them to invest with us (our payoff) The statistics presented to me were VERY SCARY. Something like 80% of americans are currently living beyond their means financially and we continue to spend more and more as that year currently americans as a whole had spent 18% more on average than they could afford feasibly (Meaning 18% way off the chart) and that was only supposed to increase. Unless we reform our culture so that it is not so cut throat capitalistic, I fear we are in for serious problems sooner rather than later. I'm not poo-pooing capitalism because it isn't a bad thing when it is controlled and healthy. In america it is neither controlled nor healthy. I've seriously thought about going classic with everything I buy from now on... The cars have appreciated so much in just the 10 short years I've been in the hobby that it's unbelievable (Hot Rod, a year or two ago, had an article talking about how if one had invested the same $$$ in both classic cars and the stock market over the past 5 years, the appreciation of the classic cars would've been higher than the stocks) My investment rep boss did not like that at all when I showed it to him.Now, that's not to say the market won't eventually bust or trend back down. But either way I'm willing to bet good $$$ that it still won't be the same rate of depreciation as a new car. What's really sad is living in these little towns where the people (such as my family) used to be high middle class/lower upper class, yet watching them fall to lower class over the past 6-10 years. You're absolutely right... The 4 year degree HAS become the new HS Diploma. That's why I've opted to either get 2 4 year degrees or do grad school. I love how everyone said service jobs were the answer to our problems... Yet thy failed to tell us that by taking service jobs we would be assuming a $10-20K yearly pay cut.

The Tundra WBR edition WBR "WannaBe Redneck" for those of us who got picked on in school by those pesky real men and their inefficient domestic trucks. Package includes: - REALTree camo racing stripes, so you can let all those 'ol boys' know that this is one CAMMIN' hot engine! - Chrome diamond plate brush guard for herding those CostCo shopping carts out of your favorite parking space. - A "fishin' pole rack" on the back window to hang your "fishin' poles" on. (Because we at Toyota don't condone guns) - Free see thru rear window decal of your favorite scene in nature, or your favorite "heritage banner" - Oversized Yosemite Sam style exhaust tips with complementary "Back Off!" Yosemite Sam hitch insert. - Oversized tires for all your urban off roading needs including hopping the median to pull an illegal u turn and those gravel parking lots in 'the boonies' at your son/daughters soccer complex. ACT NOW! and we'll throw in a free year of our universally renouned "Yupster" friend system! Choose from the following HIP and COOL ride-a-long partners for your Tundra WBR: - "Favorite Frat Boy Buddie" -- A little too high fashion to be completely heterosexual yet glistening with tanned muscles; no farm boy will mess with you when this beer fueled 'bad ass' is riding along. After all, any trouble he gets into can easily be solved by mommy and daddy's check book. $39.99/month - "Big Fat White Trash Hoe" She's big, she's angry and she's got A LOT to say. Those 'hay seed' plowboys will know you mean business when the flab starts flying and the profanity starts rolling from the passenger side of your Tundra. With optional Budweiser can throwing mechanism $59.99/month - "My Gangsta" urban deterrent. -- Ain't no hommie gonna dis' you when this playa-playa be leaning out the window. Comes complete with his own repetitive rap tunes that emphasize 'bitch' the "F" word and the dreaded "N" word as well as a small smoke machine that simulates pot smoke and crack fumes. Option package S5R bundles this and custom 24" chrome plated wheels $89.99/month - "Blonde Bimbo Beach B*tch" -- Crunk your ride out in SoCal with this bleached hair, orange skinned beauty. For a limited time this package comes with a gift certificate to your favorite tier 2 LA plastic surgeon. Great for clubin' and other dumb $h! that involves blowing YOUR money but showing YOUR friends how much better than them you are.. This blondes for you! **CAUTION: This model may go on incoherent drunken rants about how much her life sucks because you bought her the $200 shoes instead of the $500 shoes. In the event this happens, consult your local street corner and eject model as quickly as possible. $109.99/month - "The Toyota Client" -- Complete your package with this model made especially for and of TOYOTA buyers. Includes poorly dressed older man with faded leather 'strap adjustable' hat. Now features custom 'like minded' Toyota menatlity to constantly reassure you of your purchase decision while simultaneuosly reciting the current top 101 reasons not to buy domestic vehicles. Model can also talk to you about miscellaneuos subjects that aren't of particular interest to 99% of the population such as swimming, tennis, personal aircraft and the various US Olympic teams. Pamper yourself, feel exclusitivity and superiority at it's best with this additional knowledge that we gurantee none of your friends will know anything about. Order now for your free matching US Olympic team sponsorship hat. Hat features screen printed limited edition "Team Toyota; Team America" logo with colorful NASCAR style embroidery. $129.99/month

Soon... Soon it'll all go BOOM! and we'll all be sorry for the years of economic mistakes we've made...

I really want a B-59 now... Thank you 68 and Balthazar for starting a new obsession (Like I didn't have enough already) Oh... And the pix... Wouldn't mind picking the Chevelle up... 70 has always been one of my favorite years (Second only to '67) But the coolest find is the Power Wagon. That GSX is very nice and it's almost as if I've seen it before (strange) Too bad they're letting that GT rot like that. I really get pissed when people do that. One guy up here has a '67 Chevelle SS and a 55 Bel Air just sitting in his yard rusting away. I and a bunch of my mechanic friends have (at different times) stopped and offered to buy them but he keeps saying he's going to restore them. I went to a car show this summer and found a 1930s Shell oil tanker... It was rusted to hell and back and would've taken A LOT to fix but if I could've ever got it fixed it would've been a show stopper. the guy wanted $1200 for it. I'm still kicking myself in the ass on a daily basis for not buying it and stashing it in a barn until I finished college.

After working in investments for 3 years and CONSTANTLY hearing analyst banter like this I think I've finally figured out why get so pissed off about these articles... It's the WORDING! For example: DISMAL DISMAL:–adjective 1. causing gloom or dejection; gloomy; dreary; cheerless; melancholy: dismal weather. 2. characterized by ineptness or lack of skill, competence, effectiveness, imagination, or interest; pitiful: Our team played a dismal game. 3. Obsolete. a. disastrous; calamitous. b. unlucky; sinister. While the market HAS been a little slow this year, one certainly can't SERIOUSLY say it's been DISMAL.

I wouldn't mind seeing it as ZR1... Hold the hyphen GM, those were never in style. I still think my idea of calling all the hot coupes at Chevrolet by "Z" codes should be implemented. We'll already have Z06 and ZR1, then Camaro will bring back Z28 (Hopefully as the top option---but this has been up in the air again recently) then when GM develops a SERIOUS performance coupe for the Cobalt line when Delta II arrives it could carry a Z name as well. *I'm not disrespecting the current SC/SS or forthcoming Turbo SS. But IMO, for it to be worthy of the new Z designation it should pretty much be a rally car that can rival the Rex and Lancer. (a.k.a. A "track" car just like Z06, ZR1 and Z28 will be)

Meh... They'll shake it off. Remember; Ford isn't as far along in their restructuring as GM is, in fact Mulally is just getting started IMO. Keep in mind: This time a year ago we were all predicting that GM would be bankrupt.

LOL @ the Tundra.... $8000 rebates and still a month over month LOSS... Oh Toyoguy................ (FOG yells into the C&G abiss)

Why did this article stray to an import vs. domestic argument again??? Just giving Toyota and Co. a leg up by saying "Hey, they're not exactly imports" which is anyway.

NOW THAT'S THE KIND OF CONFIDENCE I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! GM has to SELL itself as the BETTER automaker, and that means informing and blatantly telling the consumer. Way to go GM!!!!!!!!

GM really needs to hit the market BIG with the E-Flex technology. Not just one or two vehicles; but MANY around the world and in the US. maybe even one for each division in the US. Chevrolet: Volt GMC: Acadia Pontiac: Sporty car of some sort (Solstice coupe option) Buick: A large sedan Cadillac: BLS maybe? Saturn: Vue Saab: 9-2? Hummer: H2

I agree... Mustang alone is not universal enough in appeal to turn the most hardcore anti-Detroit people around. The best approach would be a 1+2 punch. Ford can appeal to the emotions of buyers through the new Mustang and let it set the tone for the corporation (Much like the iPod did for Apple) and then immediately after (as in 6 months to a year) bring out the 2nd gen Fusion (or a more universal car based on the Mustang architecture) that has a little less sex appeal but maybe a bit more substance, to spread the brand DNA across the entire market. The Mustang is sexy, but not everyone needs or wants what it has to offer (2 doors, performance and limited space) If these two rollouts go well then Ford could round out the scenario on the utility and substance side by expanding the Fusions traits into wagons, crossovers, minivans etc. (This is where the next Flex can come in-- even if it is a refresh) Then if all goes well you'll have Ford established as a cohesive brand the largest segments in the industry; mid size cars, crossovers, wagons. And the most fickle segments; sports coupes & minivans. But all of this has to be within 6 months to a year of one another in order to "make a splash" and hold the attention of the consumer (An increasingly hard thing to do) Ford will not be able to one-up GM on the Volt. However; they can think outside of the box and one-up them on the plug in market as a whole if they were to bring something like the Air Stream to market (Not the looks-- the concept) GM has a small car plug n to hype, so why shouldn't Ford try to beat them (and everyone else) to the first plug in crossover or SUV? That could single handedly recover the SUV market and give Ford a HUGE presence again or at the very least it could give them green credentials; maybe more so than GM.

Sly, you are one sexy beast... (Oh wait, did I say that out loud?) Congrats man! It's always nice to see good things happen to good people.

For GM: That's easy... Volt. For Ford: I think the next Mustang could really set the tone for the corporation, however I think their best shots are either the Flex or better yet Fusion gen II. For Chrysler: That's a hard one... The new minivans COULD do it if they were marketed right; but I think it's actually going to take a VOLUME hit like an Avenger style car, except not done on the cheap.

A few: The cheap ass plugs used now on the base models now where the driving lights should be. The warped, yet slightly pissed off looking grille that seems to be proliferating from the asian offerings. The raised hood over the grille that steps down over the headlights. (Twas a good idea once, but is on almost EVERY frikkin' car now) One door handle that is either lower or higher than the other (4 door cars) Uneven exhaust tips (Mazda 6's seem to be really bad about this.. A friend has one and the left tip juts out further and hangs lower, so much so that I can see the difference when I drive down the road) HUGE gaps between the tire and the body of the car... Cobalt developers; are you listening?

"Excitement well built." --- Circe 1999 Grand Am "Drive the Dream" --- Eldorado; another one I loved (the commercial with the '59 Eldorado passing the new Eldorado in slow motion on what appeared to be the Vegas strip)

The NC Troopers have these as well as Tahoes, Cherokees, Durangos and Harley Davidsons. That's not counting the 2 choppers and countless unmarked cars. The strangest unmarked cars I've ever seen: 1 tan LeSabre and 1 light blue Lesabre. I've also seen Mercury Grand Marquis and even one time witnessed a Merc GM nose on a police Interceptor CV.

Ok, so they were pretty cool when they purchased these... But now they're trading these: For THESE: They look awesome in person, even the clear LED lights.

"Like A Rock" --- Chevy Trucks "Genuine Chevrolet" --- Chevrolet "The Muscle Car Lives" --- Pontiac Trans Am, one of the coolest slogans eva.. "It's all good" --- Buick; effing lame. "Born From Jets" --- Saab; cool!

My first car was a '73 Camaro Z28/RS. (Yep, the one I've since restored--- I've had it almost 10 years and am just now getting the interior finished up) Of course; I had to pay my parents every penny back. My town is roughy 20,000 people and I had the only red with black racing stripes split bumper Camaro. I couldn't get away with anything because people always knew me by my car. I got pulled over for speeding one day and the State Trooper knew me and my dad very well. (Dad was the fire chief at the time) He didn't write me a ticket, but he did scare the hell out of me and tell me: "You'd better go straight home and tell your dad, because I'll be calling him soon." Dad, of course, thought it was funny as hell (After he and mom gave me a rather serious talk) and then had fun laughing at my expense when the State Trooper did indeed call and brag about how he had scared the hell out of me. (My parents had told me that 1 ticket = selling the Camaro, and they would've too had Chris given me the ticket) Anyway, I got a lot of $h! for being only 16 and owning a car like that. People would constantly say: "You don't deserve a car like that" and "That's a coffin on wheels, are your parents crazy?" (A quote specifically from an in town insurance provider) I would highly reccommend something like my current car, a 2001 Focus ZX3. It's a lot of fun to drive, cheap to feed and pretty cool to look at. Not to mention the hatch actually holds A LOT of crap (Useful for moving to college if you're going to be bouncing in and out of dorm rooms) The only thing I would advise to do is take a look at quality rankings and get 'one of the good years' I knew I was kinda sorta taking a chance with my 2001, but I'm also a shade tree mechanic and I'm well prepared to defend myself if I break down in a sketchy part of town. However, so far I've put almost 50,000 miles on my 2001 (For a total of 89-90,000) and it has been absolutely trouble free.

Last time I checked; $8K rebates = giving trucks away as well... maybe Dodge and Toyota should team up to bring some serious heat to the pick up market. After all, quality is about the same and Dodge actually knows how to build a real truck! Yes... What's your point? Further correlational data for the media bias argument. They don't... Only the uber-ignorantl trendsetters do (You know, the ones who buy import before even CONSIDERING domestic... The same people who will bitch about fuel prices yet drive across town to over pay for a cup of coffee or a "designer" outfit)

This is why I have A LOT of respect for thegriffon. As always, his post is spot on. Naturally they'll sell to their goal or close simply because 1) The goal isn't that hard to achieve and 2) They'll manipulate the market with incentives. Then we'll get to hear all of the regurgitated Toyota PR media hoopla about how the Turdra is such an excellent seller