ocnblu

Dreaming on the roundel: I just "built" a 128i at BMW's website, white with taupe leatherette... NO options. $29,375. A very appealing little coupe, but still about $5000 out of my comfort zone. Why, oh why doesn't an American manufacturer build a small, sporting, RWD 4 seater coupe for about $24,000? Dream on, ocn... dream on.

The other day I wrote an estimate for a guy with an '02 Accord V6. He was eager to schedule the repairs so he could go and look into trading in his car... for a new Malibu. My ears perked up and I gave him a pep talk. Here's to continued momentum and good word-of-mouth for the new Malibu.

built like a brick $h!house

HAHA, I see you reading this, usonia. I was thinking the same thing when I saw this thread title...

Well, I've done my part... PB&J sandwich and green tea for breakfast. How much drive time does that give me in my Sierra? :AH-HA_wink:

Now see, to me this vehicle has a lot of emotional appeal, with a real connection to the Chevrolet brand. It is singularly distinctive.

Hmmm... a black 9-1X with tan leather seats, steel sunroof and a hatchback... could it be the return of the Real SAAB?

I've been wondering if these can be factory-ordered, or if they'll be "allocated" to the dealers.

Cheese? ewwww... peel that back and wash that thing. Bleh.

SVO? Hah, I'm checkin' da big bad Mopar ragtop back up dere, yo.

Maybe it's a good thing GM will try to close some smaller, rural dealerships. It appears they have a lot of "leftover" inventory. :AH-HA_wink:

Hey, some neat little facts there. I love PB&J.

I like it, but... why on earth does EVERY small SUV need to have a reverse-angle rear quarter window? Who started this trend? Was it the first-gen Vibe? Waaay overused design element.

The Fiesta name has 30+ years' history. They wouldn't change the name of the Mustang, would they?

Best looking car in the class, hands down. Very sorry to hear we will not get the 3-door, as the sedan is sleepy by comparison.

chili

Very nice posting, gm4life. Thanks for taking the time.

Nice pic, Enzora. Trivia question: what kind of truck is that?

Has Decka been on atall lately? Anyway, if you see this, Happy Birfday, sir.

I will always believe that Alpha is perfect for Pontiac's mission. It could also be the basis for a sweet little Cadillac. But it seems a bit incongruous and redundant at Chevrolet.

Holden and Pontiac, dead? Why should we let this happen? GM will methodically move toward 2 world brands... copying Toyota, Nissan and Honda. It will be Chevrolet and Cadillac only. I honestly don't see how they expect to maintain any semblance of leadership with a long-range plan like that.

Let me clarify: my "troubling" comment stems from the vague tone in regards to Pontiac's future. I know CAFE has every manufacturer's plans in flux, but the question remains: now that GM is backing away from reaffirming their earlier plan to make Pontiac all-RWD in the coming years, will this give them an excuse to totally give up on the brand altogether?

"No Trans Am for Pontiac" By JAMIE LAREAU, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will get 12 new or special-edition vehicles over the next 20 months--but they won't get a Pontiac Trans Am. Pontiac had lobbied for a sibling vehicle to the Chevrolet Camaro, which is scheduled to arrive in February 2009. General Motors' plan to make Pontiac a rear-wheel-drive performance car division is likely to be scaled back because of fuel economy regulations, GM leaders told dealers at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual convention this past weekend. One dealer said the business case for the Trans Am didn't compute. "It was an economic situation," said Lynn Thompson, owner of Thompson Motor Sales in Springfield, Mo. "It would cost $200 million to bring out the vehicle." Pontiac will remain a car-only brand for the foreseeable future, dealers were told. But because of new legislation requiring vehicles to reach a fleet average of 35 mpg by 2020, Pontiac might not end up as GM's performance division, dealers said they were told. "The plan is being tweaked because of the gas situation," Thompson said. "I hope they don't give up on performance because they don't have to. You can use four-cylinder engines to achieve incredible power." Buick-Pontiac-GMC will give dealers six new or special-edition vehicles--such as the special-edition GMC Sierra pickup, called Pro Grade, this year. They will get another six next year, dealers who attended the meeting told Automotive News. Executives also told dealers that GM will build nearly 55,000 Buick Enclave crossovers this year. Dealers said Jim Bunnell, head of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, told them GM increased Enclave production by 41 percent from the initial production plan. A dealer said Bunnell told them Buick built 6,400 Enclaves in January, and then added, "But it's still not enough."

love nest

Vipes, re: your photo, based on the look of sheer shock and joy on those guys' faces, they never knew before they "peeked" that they have penises? A bit odd. :AH-HA_wink: Happy Birthday, Mr. Doane. Let's hope you don't need to use that telephoto lens to take any "private" photos.