Robert Hall

Yeah, the '80s into the 90s were pretty blah overall...I esp. hated the composite headlights that so many cars used in the late 80s...and they turned beige after a few years. Overall, I like of the styling of today...not too much of a fan of the Bangled BMWs, though the 5 has grown on me, as have the 3 series coupes..my favorite Merc design is the CLS--love the shape... and a lot of the high end stuff is incredible (Ferraris, Porsches, Maseratis, Aston Martins, etc..). Much of the mass market FWD generics from Korea, Japan, and US are pretty dull stylistically, IMHO.

After seeing it on Top Gear and reading the Motor Trend article about driving a Challenger SRT8 there, the Stelvio pass in Italy is on my to-do list...but with something more exciting than the Vectra diesel or Merc A-class diesel I've driven previously in Italy.

Hmmm.... I'm sure there are other points in history that were really ugly also...ugly is the eye of the beholder, after all. To me, 1947 cars were way uglier than anything of 2009, for example.

I would never compare it to a Jetta.. the Jetta is a decent FWD compact, but BMWs are the real thing...RWD. I'll admit, though, even as a former BMW owner, I'm avoiding the new 3 series...it's just such a predictable purchase, and looking at the prices with options, the CTS to me seems a better buy....so I'm leaning towards a CTS for my next commuter car/daily driver. But on the other hand, with the June 2010 midlife crisis looming, part of me keeps thinking about a convertible of some sort. Auggghhh.

In a car, it just seems to me to be a gimmick. Like digital gauges were a gimmick. I like clear, conventional gauges.

If they are going to improve the mileage, make the changes across the board...no special edition, just standard equipment.

I have no idea..I was only being semi-serious about Japanese cupholders... it would be interesting to trace the history of cupholder technology in cars. I know the Germans were late adopters, and their efforts in the '90s (particularily in Porsches and BMWs) were pretty weak.

No. FWD/AWD, like Audis usually are.

Hmmm...purple and yellow. Yuck..sounds like the LA Lakers colors or Barney the Dinosaur..

The red car in the second pic looks like my sister's '91, except hers has the black interior (which is insane for AZ, but it's a Chicago car originally). I saw a very nice 300CE convertible for sale today, red w/ tan interior, for $9900. Those are pretty scarce compared to the coupes (which are pretty scarce compared to the sedans).

Yeah, it's a performance car... I tend to avoid the old timey terms like 'muscle car' and 'pony car'...not really relevant today.

Percentages make it look like a bigger increase than it is...1 mpg is not anything of significance, and in real world driving, I doubt if drivers would notice any difference from the regular ones. They are still just heavy gas-guzzling trucks.

It's not superflous, it's part of a total package. A performance model has to look the part...M buyers don't want their car looking like just another leased 328i..

There is a lot more to 'M' than just the engines... the suspension, etc. M is to BMW what V-series is to Cadillac or AMG is to Mercedes. The best of the best in each model range. Nothing wrong with 19 speakers or 10 way seats either.

There was a RWD Opel Ascona/Vauxhall Cavalier prior to the FWD J-car that came out in '81. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Cavalier

Really looking forward to seeing this one in person.

Woooh... 1 mpg increase. What a joke.

Well, it is a big, heavy car...the fatness is part of it's Americanness.....this is the land of the Big Mac, Lard Lad, supersize everything, childhood obesity, and 6000lb SUVs..so our sports coupes should be over 4000lbs.

Yeah...I don't care for fake metal...all plood would have been nicer. I assume there are trim levels with plood, like the current model. I like the interior design, pretty similar to the current car and the Accord...but the exterior, I'm not sure.

But even if it gets 25 mpg in US gallons, that's pretty good...I know V8s are capable of getting more than 25...my 21 yr old 5.0 Mustang gets over 25 highway...

Good cupholder design is part of why the Japanese gained market share so much in the '80s, I think... one of the things I hate about driving my '87 Mustang or my sister's Mercs is the lack of cupholders. I want lighted, heated, chilled cupholders!! In Arizona, you don't leave the house w/o a bottle of water...and I have to have my coffee on the morning drive.

HUDs are lame.

My coworkers with Priuses laugh when I refer to them as a 'Pious'...

Mmmm..rice. I think I may have a Thai curry w/ rice for dinner. Or chicken fried rice. Or some basmati rice with kebabs.

GM....if they will be building the current Impala 'till 2012, then they will have the supply..