Petra

Back in the early 1980's, the government aided Chrysler only after they'd gone bankrupt. But, that was a different time and a different administration. I wouldn't expect the current U.S administration to provide the slightest bit of aid for any major business even if they go bankrupt, unless they happen to be in bed with said business (e.g: Haliburton).

I would say that none of these brands have very many strong products at the present. However (and I hate to say it), Saturn has by far the brightest near-term future.

Yeah, 'cause heaven forbid GM should give up sales of 38,553 vehicles/year! :rolleyes: Take a look at the sales figures. 38,500-some vehicles/year is a drop in the bucket for a company like GM. Most brands have one model (at least) that has higher sales than that, yet SAAB has 4 models! The only brand that had less sales than SAAB last month was Izuzu... And how many models does Izuzu have, again? Also, it's quite obvious that GM can't pull the wool over anybody's eyes by re-badging other cars... The 9-2X and 9-7X are on track to sell 7,733 and 1,981 copies this year, respectively. GM could easily gain back 38,000 sales. Maybe not from SAAB customers, but from even two or three hot models, spread across a couple divisions. That's where GM needs to put more money: Into making desirable cars, not making Sweedish turdballs that practically nobody wants. You mention that "SAAB is vital... why give the competition a leg up?" Please show me one, single SAAB model that does something better than it's competitors, because I can't think of a single one. The 9-5 is an aging also-ran, the 9-3 was half-baked from the start (which seems to be the trend among Epsilon sedans) and is only just now becoming competitive. The 9-7X is the most laughable luxury SUV on the market, and the 9-2X is a niche model clone with a slightly more luxurious interior than it's father, the Subaru Impreza. Not a class leader among them. Half of the lineup isn't even remotely competitive. The competition got a leg up on SAAB a long time ago. As for the Europeans, let Cadillac, Vauxhall and Opel take care of them. True, the Euro market is moving more towards upscale cars... But that's what Cadlilac is for, isn't it? The Cadillac BLS will soon make the 9-3 sedan redundant, and who in their right mind would choose a 9-5 over a CTS or STS? It looks to me like GM is getting itself perpared to dump SAAB in the not-too-distant future by filling in the spaces that SAAB used to take up, like with the BLS. To me, SAAB isn't the biggest problem GM faces... not nearly. However, they have managed to slowly drain money from GM's pockets, just a wee bit at a time, like a mosquito. Sooner or later, though, that mosquito is going to get swatted. It is inevitable.

How would it be very costly? If GM cars really do have such improved quality, then it should cost GM very little.

I do recall mentioning that spelling counts, Fly... :D http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif

A 10 or even 7 year warranty would be good. As far as incentives go, though, I like what GM is doing now with lowering the sticker prices of their cars by several thousand, rather than relying on incentives.

GM should definetely sell SAAB. The trouble is, there's nobody stupid enough to take it.

How many of these car company logos can you identify? TIP: Most of these aren't very hard, but there are a couple tough ones. Spelling counts. On my first attempt, I got all but two correct (I also had two others that were not spelled correctly). http://www.logogame.com/game.php?id=12

The biggest threat Toyota poses to GM is not their model lineup. It's the sheer amount of cash Toyota sits upon.

I had to do that once, too. I had gone to pump gas, and I noticed a wee bit too late that I couldn't find my keys. Luckily, the window was slightly down... Not far enough to stick my arm in, but far enough for a coat hanger. After a few frustrating jabs, I finally managed to push the door lock/unlock button. If there's one thing I hate about modern cars, it's that many decide to lock themselves as soon as you get out. Gee, I appreciate your concern, car, but if I wanted you locked, I could do it myself very easily! Damn, there must be some way to disable that stupid feature... BTW: On the subject of door locks, did I mention that my passenger-side rear door no longer locks/unlocks? So now, every time the doors lock/unlock, I hear this loud, horrible, RRRRRRRRRRRRT! noise. :angry:

Looks like a small Maxima to me. Somehow, I don't think we'll be getting quite this much of the "luxury" part of the equation over here... which is too bad. The market seems to be headed in that direction, and the current Sentra is already far too much of an econobox as it is. However, I think it will have one high-tech touch: a CVT transmission. Given Nissan's recent expansion of CVT production, I'd bet money on finding a CVT under the hood of this car. I'm also wondering what they'll call it over here. "Bluebird" sounds kind of stupid and effeminate in these days of ever more masculine cars. "Sylphy" is a meaningless and cryptic Japanese name that might only bring in a few mentally-challenged Ricebois. At the same time, though, I don't think they should stick with "Sentra". Like I said before, Sentras have a reputation for being econoboxes.

I like your lineup; it makes a lot of sense to me. However, I think that too many people want the Camaro to return for this to work. I don't think GM can afford two separate RWD platforms. If the Camaro was simply a shortened version of the G.P/Riviera, though...

After taunting us with that tantilizing concept, they should be punished for building this Renault clone. Wonder what happened to the Cube coming over...

I don't think anyone is going to misinterpret that as meaning that GM cars suck. Those cars are widely known as stereotypical redneck cars (no offense to B.V or anybody), and GM cars were mostly crap in the '80's, anyway. I also echo all the sentiments about the blight on our existant that is the Backstreet Boys. "Incomplete" is the sort of whiny, girly ballad that makes my testes shrivel up and retreat back into my body. I despise that song.

I like practical cars, but not to the point that they're boring. I need a little excitement in my automobile. For example, I'd be more inclined to buy a Mazda6 or Altima than a Camry. I frankly don't care if people think my car is "cool" or not. I've got better things to worry about.

A crappy one. I need a new comp, bad. Unfortunately, I need/want a lot of things. :(

I'm in, although I have a bad habit of forgetting to check my groups.

Unfortunately for Mitsubishi, this is pretty much the worst possible time to lauch a new truck in the hopes that it will gain sales for you. Same goes for GM.

Anybody know how much capacity Holden has for building extra Zeta models? Building in Australia is really the only way I can think of that we might have a chance of seeing a Zeta car here before the end of the decade. Remember, folks: it's taking far too much time (and money, probably) to re-tool for North American production, which is why GM isn't saying anything about any RWD car models before 2010.

Haven't washed my car since I bought it (roughly 6 months ago). I'm on spare at school right now, actually. I should be doing my English homework (which is only homework because I didn't use the time provided in class), but, dangit, I'm just too lazy. :D

Bad drivers come in all shapes, sizes, and, yes, ages. If we're going to ban cellphones, ban them for all drivers. Otherwise, the law will be impossible to enforce and everyone will break it, just like the speed limit :D. [sarcasm]And, hey, while we're at it, why not ban radios and talkative passengers and McDonald's drive-thrus?[/sarcasm] Honestly, who really thinks you can ban people from doing stupid stuff? Gimme a break. For the record, I never use my cellphone and drive at the same time. However, my cellphone is only used for emergency purposes.

Possibly the only subcompact car anywhere that makes the ECHO look attractive. Then again, I've never been to France...

I'd rather just have the BMW 6-Series it's based upon.

I haven't. And most people won't. That's why the regular models need to handle better. There's no reason why GM should make this car "just good enough", because, by the time the next generation of competitors arrives, the point at which a car is just good enough will have changed. You've gotta stay a step ahead.

Camaro, GTO, G8 (i.e: large Pontiac sedan; I personally wouldn't call it G8) and Buick Roadmaster. That's a great mix of product... enough to definitively prove that RWD can still succeed and be appealing in the marketplace. In reality, though, a Camaro alone would take up all the spare volume Holden has, and then some.