Robert Hall

A V8 Zeta would probably get better gas mileage than my 6 cyl Jeep. My 20 year old V8 Mustang gets better gas mileage than my Jeep.

Interesting..haven't found the GN, but I found the white '69 T/A (didn't realize they were doing a '70 also..cool), the yellow Charger SRT8, and the Dodge Ram 4x4 in purple. Lots of good stuff out recently from Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning and Greenlight..

Hit 60 today..sunny..supposed to be that way through Thurs... I'm going down to Phoenix for a long weekend Friday, so hopefully the weather will still be good then. Normally we get our biggest snows in March and April, though. I'm looking forward to my week vacation in April...get some beach time and get away from all the snow and cold.

I'm sure the Astra will come with a book called an 'owners manual' that will explain the function of the controls. I like the design...clean and functional, but I'll admit that I'm partial to German interiors (I love BMW, M-B, and Audi interiors).

I've driven a Gen 4 ('86 SS) about 20 years ago, and rented a 5th and a couple 6th gens from Avis. That's about it.

I'd love to see it available in the Camaro with a 6spd manual.

I like the overall shape, but some of the detailing turns me off (the wierd things below the headlights, the big tailpipe tip thingys)..

Huh? Only one brand... they are all badged as BMWs...two regular 3-series versions in the US--328 and 335, 4 body styles (2dr coupe, convertible, 4dr, 4dr wagon) .

Ford stole the SEL trim name from Mercedes..

GM probably has a larger # of retired workers?

Slick..love the wheels, though the wing looks like an afterthought, IMHO.. I'm not a big fan of the Gallardo, prefer the design of the Murcielago (love the profile and rear of the Murcie).

I love the smell of fresh mown grass...brings back happy memories of spring and summer in Ohio as a kid..mowing the lawn.

I would argue there are more jobs lost by the Big 3 due to the mistakes the Big 3 have made over the last 25+ years...

Interesting how they went from the Signia concept to the Rendezvous....the concept didn't influence the production wagon much

I don't get your terminology...people with a good job aren't 'losers', I'd consider them 'winners'... I myself have a good corporate job..and believe in snow tires. Though I drive my SUV in the winter and not my RWD cars.

If production is set to begin in '10, then it will be the '10 or '11 Highlander...

I wouldn't say that the Big 3's layoffs are due to Toyota necessarily..there are a lot of other factors.

That 14 includes engine plants, etc... i.e. plants where they don't do final assembly. Overview of Toyota's North American Engineering and Manufacturing In April 2006, Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., and Toyota Technical Center consolidated to form Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA). TEMA is responsible for Toyota’s North American engineering design and development, R&D and growing manufacturing activities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Toyota currently operates 14 manufacturing plants in North America and will open Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada's second plant in Woodstock, Ontario in 2008. Additionally, Toyota will soon begin producing the Camry at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA) in Lafayette. In 2006, Toyota produced more than 1.55 million vehicles and more than 1.4 million engines at its North American manufacturing facilities. By 2008, Toyota will have the annual capacity to build nearly two million cars and trucks in North America. Annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers total more than $28 billion. North American Manufacturing Facilities: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA) Erlanger, KY Supports Toyota's North American engineering design and development, R&D and growing manufacturing activities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico Bodine Aluminum, Inc. (Bodine) St. Louis, MO; Troy, MO and Jackson, TN Produces aluminum cylinder heads, cylinder blocks and other castings Canadian Autoparts Toyota, Inc. (CAPTIN) Delta, British Columbia Produces 22 aluminum wheel models for Toyota's vehicles globally New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) Fremont, CA 50-50 joint venture with General Motors Produces the Toyota Tacoma, Corolla and Pontiac Vibe TABC, Inc. (TABC) Long Beach, CA Produces steering columns, stamped parts, catalytic converters, coated substrates and after-market truck bed components Produces stamped parts for Toyota Corolla, Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe Assembly of medium-size commercial panel trucks for Hino Motors Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. (TMMAL) Huntsville, AL Produces V6 and V8 engines for Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, NUMMI, Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. (TMMC) Cambridge & Woodstock, Ontario Cambridge: Produces the Toyota Corolla, Matrix and the Lexus RX350 - the first and only Lexus vehicle produced outside of Japan; four cylinder engine assembly. Woodstock: Start of production: 2008, to produce the RAV4 Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California (TMMBC) Tijuana, BC Produces the Toyota Tacoma and Tacoma truck beds for NUMMI Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI) Princeton, IN Produces the Toyota Tundra, Sequoia and Sienna Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) Georgetown, KY Toyota's first wholly-owned manufacturing plant in North America Produces the Toyota Camry, Solara and Avalon; Four cylinder and V6 engines Camry hybrid production begins in late 2006 Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMTX) San Antonio, TX Start of production in late 2006 To produce the Toyota Tundra Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV) Buffalo, WV Machines and assembles four cylinder and V6 engines for TMMC and TMMI; Produces automatic transmissions for TMMK, TMMC and TMMI Subaru Indiana Automotive, Inc (SIA) Lafayette, IN Start of Toyota production in Spring 2007 To produce the Toyota Camry

See this thread for more on Miss plant: http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...showtopic=15753

I was thinking...compared to other consumer goods, cars are probably one of the few things we can buy that are made in the US in any volume. Are TVs still made here? Sound systems? Appliances? Clothes? It seems like the vast majority of consumer goods are imported (I do check the labels occasionally).

That certainly seems to be the plan...I assume once the W and G platforms are retired, then the Epsilons will be the biggest FWDers..

Where is Buickman? I'm sure he'd have some input on this topic..

Coworkers of mine just bought a Honda Pilot with the third row seat. They have no kids, two dinks with a dog. The 3rd row is convenient when going to lunch with coworkers, though..

Yes, but not really relevant to today's car sales... the # and percentage of '90s vehicles still on the road is a more relevant statistic, since the '60s-70s vehicles would be more likely collector cars than daily drivers, and '90s cars are still seen in large quantities.

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Toyota ™ said Tuesday that it will build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in northeast Mississippi to manufacture its Highlander sport-utility vehicle. Production is set to begin by 2010 and employment is projected at 2,000. The company said it expects to build 150,000 vehicles a year. The plant will be built on a 1,700-acre site at Blue Springs, land that has been promoted for economic development. Mississippi was chosen in a competition with Tennessee and Arkansas. Gov. Haley Barbour and two Toyota manufacturing executive vice presidents, Gary Convis and Ray Tanguay, announced the project in an auditorium at Tupelo High School. "Toyota is the world's premiere auto manufacturer, and our state will be the best partner the company has," Barbour said in prepared remarks. The plant will be the second carmaker to locate in the state. Nissan opened an assembly plant north of Jackson in 2003. That plant employs about 4,000 people and produced about 278,000 vehicles last year. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.