Robert Hall

Hmmmmm...how about Soylent Green?

Mmmmm...poo burgers. We can literally make our own food.

Me too. Moltar, it's easy: just visualize a Tri-Shield over every Opel logo. I can see the rebadging, that is easy... I just don't see such products fitting w/ Buick's brand position or image...or what the market thinks Buick's image is. I could see Opel here as a VW-ish semi premium brand of subcompacts and compacts, sort of where Saturn was trying to go... while Buick focuses on the near-lux niche..but adding a new brand shortly after cutting 4? Ambitious..I also doubt if many American car buyers remember the Opels of old or are conscious enough to be aware of modern Opel, so it would be a clean slate for the brand. Without Saturn, Pontiac and Oldsmobile, there seems to be is a gap between Chevy and Buick. Not sure how GMNA should fill it, though....

Hyundai has reached a point where virtually every model they sell is at or near the top of its class. Buick has the Lacrosse, Lucerne and Enclave. The 'Regal' was designed and engineered by Opel. Let's not pretend Buick developed this car. Hyundai has the Genesis and the $60k Equus now...Buick should be looking very closely at what they're doing. Make that Lacrosse and Enclave...Lucerne is over.

I still can't see a premium subcompact or anything w/ a hatch at Buick...

Well, 1) I think that they took their collective eye off of the ball in the nineties. Automakers became obsessed with the easy profits from trucks and truck-based SUVs in the '90s..they were cheap to build, highly profitable, and had fewer regulations than cars...then that market faded over the last 5 years or so...

Bigger wheels and tires are definitely part of the weight gain...25 years ago, a Mustang GT or Camaro Z-28 had 15 inch wheels and tires (Camaro went to 16 somewhere in the 3rd gen)...today, 19 or 20 inch..I wonder what the weight difference is there..

Highway probably...my Escort got 50-55mpg regularly highway...

My Dad's '84 Escort L diesel (which became my first car) got that kind of mileage. Made a great tow car behind the Winnebago. 2.0L diesel, 5spd manual. But other than A/C, it was completely stripped...vinyl interior, AM radio, manual everything. That lack of content wouldn't be too popular today, I'm afraid. GM used to have some high mileage models--remember the Chevette diesel, Chevy Sprint, and Geo Metro? Tiny, very basic cars.

I saw something like this yesterday morning...a '68 Electra convertible bombing along, top down...faded silver blue paint w/ some surface rust, but straight and solid looking, California black/yellow plate..

You are probably right...even upcoming vehicles that are further out like the ATS and XTS were likely started before June 1 '09...

As far as Mopars (since the thread wasn't specific about GM), I'd count the Charger and 300C...and the GC, though most of the work on it was done before BK, the launch was after..

Hmmm...what has come out new since the BR? I was thinking the Camaro, but it's intro predated the BR by a few months... the FWD appliances seem competitive, but they aren't my thing so I can't get excited by them. The CTS wagon and coupe, maybe?

Apples and oranges....Buick didn't have anything with an LS1 10 years ago. You can't compare something from then w/ now, and where it counts in this segment--interior content--the new car wins against anything Buick had 10 years ago.. It's a 4cyl FWD sedan, obviously not your niche of interest (not mine either) so for you to be 'not impressed' is as certain as the Pope is Catholic..

I wonder how it compares dimensionally to the Sonic. Could bring it and the Spark here as the low end Chevys, I suppose... The Sonic sedan's greenhouse reminds me of the Jetta from about 10 years ago...

The C-evo is the platform of the Giulietta...a restyled Giulietta in hatch and sedan form could do well for a compact Dodge, I think...I really like the overall design of the Giulietta, it's well proportioned for a FWD compact, doesn't have the trendy ugly A-pillar windows that are so rampant these days on small FWD models..

Sounds like it will competitive price-wise w/ the Fiesta...and leaves room for the Spark at the bottom should they decide to bring it here.

Yeah, a V version of his 'Fleetwood' makes sense...but those are very low volume...the S AMGs only sell in the 100s per year, right? Too ambitious at this point.. Too ambitious. Or that is where a super Corvette could go..(not to change the topic, but I still like the idea of a multi-model Corvette range--small entry level sports car (i.e. Solstice 2.0), a regular model in the current Vette niche, and a mid-engined supercar..)

Agreed.. I like SMK's line, I'd especially like to see the Fleetwood, Eldorado and de Ville names return, though most likely they will go with boring *TS names. A smaller-than-ATS entry-lux model may be needed to compete w/ the 1-series, A1/A3, A-class, CT, etc. Something around the size of the Spark or Aveo, like the radical city car concept last year..that would be an acceptable use of FWD in the line.

MY 2012 is going to be wierd for Cadillac, though...only 1 car (albeit w/ 3 body styles)...but MY 2013 brings the ATS and XTS..

Ah, oddly that is an "optional" engine, hence I didn't see it. Optional, with a $165 credit. LOL. Still, the V8 weight in '82 is 3783, the V6 column had all dashes, hence the reason I thought it had gone away in '82. Not seeing the 4.1 V-6 in '80. If one can believe Wikipedia, it was a late '80 option...I vaguely remember ads for the V6 version back in day..the early eighties were a strange time, Ford and GM putting tiny V8s and more V6s in their big cars, Chrysler going to all-FWD, all-ugly... Anyhoo, back on topic..the DTS was a decent enough car, but was pretty dated and in need of replacement...unfortunately, the replacement is a smaller FWD model. Not really progress, IMO..

Huh?? An '82 de Ville is more like 4500-4800 pounds, isn't it? That's a huge car... All ya wanted to know and then some Spec's Your specs are listing the 4100 as a V-6. There was a Buick 4.1 V6 offered in the De Ville from '80-82..extending out to '92 when the '80 body went out of production, they used a wide array of engines--the Buick V6, Cadillac 368 and 4100 (V8-6-4 and regular), the Olds diesel and 307, and Chevy 305 and 5.7..

The weight plays a big factor - Camry V6 Curb Weight - 3483 lbs Regal Turbo Curb Weight - 3671 lbs Regal GS Curb Weight - 3710 lbs If they made a version w/ AWD they could probably get the weight closer to the magic 4000lb number.

Yeah, but you're still driving a Camry. I doubt if 99% of Camry owners know what the 0-60 time is, let alone care...or know if their appliance has a 4 (which some Camry owners call a 'V-4', I've heard that) or a V6... Anyway, the Regal GS seems like a nice car...kind of a SAAB 9-3 Turbo style and experience in a Buick package...

Maybe...it's still odd to think a modern midsize unibody would be heavier than an older BOF fullsize, even a downsized one.. I suppose it's just that today's cars are more 'densely packed' with heavy content and safety features... (though I do like the idea of an LSA drivetrain in an '80s CDV...I like those old boats)