Robert Hall

Ya...after 11+ years with the same daily driver, I'm getting the new car itch..strongly. I have to reconcile that with the bigger issues..

I would assume that's what it had..the key tag said 2012. It shifted smoothly. I could see one of these w/ more options and a lighter interior as a strong candidate for my next daily driver.

I'm lusting after the 4th gen Grand Cherokee. Would like to get 150k out of my 2nd gen '00 before I trade or buy another, though. Though I really like the Charger, Challenger, 300, Mustang, Camaro, and Panthers....

I think if they don't make a big deal about it in advertising, etc most consumers won't notice the difference. In the appliance market, engine size and # of cylinders mean little amongst the general public, I suspect.

The '59 is nice, but I much prefer the '61-64 B-bodies from C-P-O-B..especially the bubbletop '61 hardtops. I find all 4 of the '61s appealing, but the Pontiac and Olds (love the skegs) are my favorites.

Instead of the Impala (I've had 3 as rentals this year), I moved up a class at the counter and chose a 300 over the LaCrosse. Had a silver 2012 Chrysler 300 with 795 miles on it when I picked it up Friday night in San Jose. Drove to Monterey and got to drive on a mix of freeway, two lane roads, and city streets around the Monterey Bay area over the weekend. Impressions: Smooth, quiet, solid and hefty. Even w/ the V6, it moves out at a reasonable pace...sticks to the road well for its size. Outward visiblity is pretty good, better than the similarly sized Taurus I drove last year IIRC. Great lights at night (xenon, I believe) Comfortable, adjustable seats. Lots of room. Love the thick rimmed steering wheel, good steering feel. Nice gauge lighting, gauges easy to read. Controls wells laid out, easy to use The crisp exterior styling has grown on me, not as blocky looking as the previous generation model IMO. Negatives: Felt wide when parking (or maybe typical California parking spaces are narrow...also a lot of people seem to park right on the line..) All in a all, a very pleasant car.

Mmmmm...habaneros. When I lived in Ann Arbor, Mi I used to frequent a little Mexican restaurant called Tios that had over 350 salsas and hot sauces made from a variety of peppers...I used to participate in tasting days when they would bring in new and different salsas..got my name on their 'Wall of Flame' in '97.

Yeah, some of the P-brand GM cars were like that, too... '97-'03 GP comes to mind. A couple others, too... but I can't shake the images out of my mind, ATM. I remember the '97-03 GP having an offset front plate on some versions, like the early '90s Grand Ams. I've long been a fan of offset plates.

Ford and Chrysler for mainstream, Mercedes and Porsche for premium.

That's an advantage to buying in a one-plate state. All the states should be one plate. Would be nice. Alas, there are more states that are 2 (apparently 19 states are one only)...and of the states I'm likely to move to, only one is 1 plate. All the cars I've had over the years have been from two plate states, though I live in a one plate state now. I've kept the front bracket and had a college plate for a while there and now a motorsport series plate there. As far as plate integration, I like what GM did with the Corvette for a generation or two--the front license pocket that had a cover for 1 plate state usage.

They already have Theta, Theta-Epsilon, Lambda for CUVs. You thinking about a wagon-like CUV, something like the Venza, Crosstour, or Freestyle/Taurus X?

Since the Malibu is going to be a global model, it wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a 5dr or wagon variant outside NA in the next year or two...

By the way, I noticed yesterday Johnny Lightning now has an '80 Citation hatchback in beige and tan 2 tone.

surround sound

I like the design overall..clean, clearly a BMW and similar to the 5 series. I don't like the tabs on the outside edges of the grilles that link to the headlight clusters--seems forced and artificial.

No ATS convertible?? Weak.

A coupe based on Epsilon II with it's own identity separate from the Malibu (i.e. Monte Carlo) could be interesting.

RRIV Rennsport Reunion IV link

Sounds interesting...good luck if your a dad again, dude...Happy for ya! I'd love to have had your weekend...but Arizona rates next to Texas as a place that can pretty much secede from the US anytime it wants. NOT a fan of Arizona in any way, shape, or form. Neither am I...working on a plan to escape. I'll post some pics and a link to my pics in the Porsche section tonight.

That's pretty cool.

My weekend wasn't bad at all. Friday night, went to airport. Got upgrade to first class. Flew to San Jose. Picked up nice comfortable rental car (Chrysler 300). Drove about an hour and a half on bumpy Cali freeways and nice backroads to hotel. Spent the weekend at a great race track (Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway) looking at and listening to hundreds of Porsche race cars and street cars. Talked w/ some fans and owners, met Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. Saw some racing. Listened to presentations by retired race drivers and engineers. Ate well. Drank German beer. Bought some merch. Took a ride in a Cayman. Got to see some beautiful coastline and scenery in Monterey area. Flew back home last night. Got upgrade to first class again. Dozed on the plane. Back at work in cubeland in hot Arizona today.

Definitely looks like a wagon...too low for a CUV.

That's an advantage to buying in a one-plate state.

From behind, the taillights of the new one reminds me of the Camry from a couple generations back..

Well, about half as many... Ohio + Indiana is only about 17.9M, Cali is 36M. I suspect between Cali, Oregon and Washington, Honda sells a lot more cars there than in the Midwest...