Robert Hall

poopie

I saw a grubby white Lucerne this morning (winter gunk all over it). It was -9 and sunny out at 7:30 when we went out for breakfast. Unusually cold for Denver. I saw an equally grubby yellow Solstice (only the 2nd one I've seen on the streets). I saw a sharp gray M45 3 times today--same car, in 3 different areas at different times.

My mom even mentioned this review to me on the phone today.. I read it in the paper this morning... fair at some levels, nitpicky at others, downright hilarious in places (the description of the turn signal stalk and the HVAC controls). It's not a bad looking wagon, but.. I had to laugh about the driveway snow/etc... an SUV w/ FWD...

Makes sense...most 1:18th diecasts are made in China. ERTL, Auto Art, etc all have plants there.

"spice" scary

The problem is that GM is perpetuating that image with their Wal-Mart style 'Low Prices Everyday' advertising. They are doing it to themselves, so the media picks up on it.

I like auto-on lights...I also like the auto-off feature also. Regardless of whether they are in auto mode or not, the lights on my Jeep go off after a configurable # of seconds... never had a dead battery. That's an even better feature than auto-on, I think.

I like the front end...it's a better execution of the Dodge grille theme and nose shape than the bloated Ram or Durango.. The front end details look pretty close to that of a production vehicle...I wonder if they have any plans for it...I wonder what the platform is..it's hard to tell the size from the photos.

You missed the smiley..I was being sarcastic and only semi-serious. The US does consume way more of everything than any other country, though...and as far as the large vehicles, no other country has mainstream use of vehicles as large as we do (think about all the huge crew cab duallie pickups, Suburbans, etc ). And sumo wrestling is in Japan, not China.

large country, large (heavy) people, large food (super size, big portions, etc), large houses, large stores, large BMs, large trucks, large cars. I think this is part of why so many people elsewhere hate the US..we supersize everything.. :)

I would think it last as long as the current Cobalt does..

By the way, that bike path is about 15 feet below the street along a creek.. it's a busy four-lane street I drive every day, and it was a bit icy this morning..

Ahh..I knew it was some little Chevy...saw the bowtie.

From today's paper... looks like a Cobalt on a bike path upside down.

Yeah, the Mustang will probably be getting a mid-cycle restyle for '09 or '10 I bet...

The '84 diesel Escort I had in high school consistently got over 50 mpg on the highway and over 40 around town. It could seat four normal-sized teenagers or adults with no problem...but man, it was stripped down--vinyl seats, manual windows, am radio, but it did have A/C, a tach, and a 5-speed manual...and a whopping 52hp!!!! I don't think I'd want anything that small as a commuter car today, though.

Well, in Japan, Lexus is a domestic...less cachet than an imported luxury car (BMW, M-B, Cadillac, etc). And that these cars were sold as Toyotas recently (the Lexus name was just launched in Japan last year) hurts them... I don't think Infiniti is in Japan yet, is it (still NA only, I think).

Yes, something dumb that the kiddies say... I think when was a teenager, we used the word 'lame' in the same sense...

I've heard 'rel-tehr', 'rel-TOHR', and 'Re-AL-tohr'...

Yes..I've always liked VW's dash lighting...much nicer than the awful red Audi uses..

procrastination

IIRC from articles I've read, the 'Sting Ray' was '63-67, then the name wasn't used in '68, and then 'Stingray' from '69-77 (maybe '76?). Anyway, it's been about 30 years since it's been used; maybe Chevy is assuming buyers today won't associate it with the Corvette..or if they do it will be a positive affiliation for the Kappa model.

More than weight I notice door length...really long doors are such a pain in tight parking.

The greatest Corvettes of the past were Sting Rays (2 words)--the '63-67 C2. I don't really care for the C3s, though...

Yeah, I don't get all the whinging.... Pontiac's had the Pursuit in Canada and the G4 in Mexico for a while, why would they expect anything different here???