cmattson

It's no-less scary than using a belt to control your valve-train. If your belt snaps on your alternator-starter, the car doesn't start or charge. If your timing belt snaps, your engine could be ruined.* * = If your engine has an "interferance" valve design, the valves open within the cylinder. If a valve is stuck in the open position when the piston reaches tdc (top dead center), your valve, your head, and depending on where the parts fly/end-up, your engine block could all *easily* be destroyed.

A 400hp Corvette Z06 gets 26mpg highway. Hybrids are a mixed bag: same (or slightly worse) mpg in the city and higher (but not as high as advertised) gas mileage on the freeway. GM's BAS system looks tremendously simple -- and it also looks "vehicle portable". Kudo's to GM. Toyota has to engineer their Synergy drive system into each vehicle they fit it into. GM's BAS system looks much more flexible. I think GM's two-mode hybrid system that will debut on the GMT9xx's is really going to be GM's best (most efficient) hybrid system.

I disagree. A smaller engine (< 2.0) shouldn't end up in a Pontiac. I would reserve something like that for the Aveo; which, based on it's weight and it's smaller-displacement engine, should be getting far better gas mileage than it currently gets.

Sorry about the delay in getting back on here; I had the local watering hole tour last night; the "monkey nut" was fantastic (don't ask). Cool souvenier glass though... Yes, the deoderant/balls comment was just an expression. I don't think I've ever tried it (or ever want to).. but it gets my point across: it's damn muggy down here. Today seems a bit better, however. I'm afraid I'm stuck at the conference all day today -- they even have us booked for a little entertainment tonight -- some Hawaiian thing over at the Polynesian. Oh great, more liquor. My liver is going to need a get-a-way from this get-a-way. I'm still having a blast. The Contemporary is very nice. I still remember parts of it when my parents took me here as a kid. Way cool. It's a software conference/convention -- materials a bit dry -- and it drags at time. It's still nice to look at a different set of walls than what my office affords me every other day. I'm taking a break during "lunch". For those of you that don't know how this works, here's how it goes. Somebody calls my office and complains something doesn't work. The support people panic and it gets forwarded to me. I get to miss my @&$^#$ lunch for the third consecutive day fixing another stoopid (<- intentional) nuisance issue. I don't mind when it ACTUALLY IS something important. Unfortunately, people have different criteria for that status. Last time around (they hold these baby's every 18 months), it was in La$ Vega$. Florida is a nice change of pace -- and I get to keep a little more money in my pocket. Judging the prices of things, and how they seem to like to gouge the tourists, it may actually come out to be pretty even. Oh well, if that's all I've got to complain about, I guess I'm doing pretty well for myself. Take care everybody. Tomorrow's only goes a half day & I'm going to frolic in the sun. (and yes, that is JUST to rub it in for all the people that have to work tomorrow). Lastly: LOL! That's the one. Dorky as hell. I've never seen a commercial that bad. I've actually seen it twice--those two need therapy.

Ok, I'm at a software conference/convention over at Disney's contemporary resort. A few questions for your native Floridians (I know a couple of you are from here): 1) What's with the flipping humidity? 2 seconds outside and you think to yourself: dang, I should've put deoderant on my balls. 2) What's with the STUPID "ApplianceDirect" commercials? They are about 15 minutes long, they've got some wacko pseudo-homely chick and some crazy guy talking non-stop -- and they alternate yelling "ApplianceDirect!". I stumbled upon it the first night I was here (Sat) and I (unfortunately for me) couldn't stop watching it: it was a train wreck. 3) We had a nice rainstorm here Sat night. I couldn't believe how many accidents I saw. There was one really flipping cool one with a pickup truck and a LARGE flatbed trailer. The trailer sideswiped the car (a Camry -haha!) and the car flew off into the ditch. The truck driver over compensated and spun the whole thing into circles. He went around 2 1/2 times before he ended up in the ditch -- and he was FLYING when it happened. I wish I had it on video -- it was a wild sight. The question is: WTF is with these people? Doesn't anybody know how to drive in the rain?!? Or did I some see some quirk of humanity in my 20 minutes of driving?

I may add that GM adds should show how GM is/does it better than their rivals. If you have a car (Malibu) that's won the jdpa initial quality and vehicle dependability study for 3 out of the last 4 years, when the Camry and the Accord haven't placed in the TOP 3 since NINE years ago, I think the public should hear about it. Unfortunately, marketing has used "best...in it's segment" type adds for so long that the public is numb to it. It's not good enough to be best in your segment, you need to be best in your own segment, advertise the h*ck out of it, AND call attention to the fact that the perceived leaders haven't been leaders in almost a decade.

Glad to see it back up!