Robert Hall

Had OJ, coffee, fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast at a small local restaurant in Marathon, FL this morning. Normally, I eat cereal or a bagel at home during the week, but usually go out for a big breakfast on the weekends..

Coming back from a too-short vacation in the Florida Keys, where I went to my 20th HS reunion in my old hometown of Marathon. Had a great time, fun to see how everyone is doing, where they are living, etc. Hot and humid, sunny...had a nice ocean view from my beachfront hotel. Had an '08 Sebring conv. rental, strange car. Odd proportions.. Huge decklid, tiny trunk (the convertible top takes up about 1/2 of the trunk). The operation of the top is slick, no manual handles to release on the windshield header, just one button to raise and lower the top and windows (a bit slow up and down, though). The glass rear window is nice. The plastics are a bit hard and have some wide gaps, but for a cheap car it's not bad. Drove w/ the top up, top down, and for a while, top up with the windows all down, felt like an old-time hardtop. Drove well enough, smooth and enough power to get around in. About a 4/12 hr flight (turned out closer to 5 hrs) from Fort Lauderdale to Phoenix here in an hr or so...laptop battery running low.. PS--after living for over 10 years in very dry places, the humidity of July in S. Florida about wore me out...but I took care of things w/ mojitos and beer. Had a good Cuban sandwich in Miami Beach Friday.) After 20 years, it's fun to see how people have changed...some I didn't recognize, like the 1988 vintage hotties that aren't so hot any more (though a couple are really good looking MILFs now..

The interior looks good design wise... I would like to see it colors other than GM rental car gray, though...

Bad link. Got a 'required files are missing' error

I suspect in the new reality the Panthers (which will be gone by '10?) are the last 200+ inch RWD American cars we will see.

My summer monthly electric bill w/ A/C is almost what my car payment was (electric was $425 this month, Jeep payment was $500/month in '00-05). My gas bill has been $75/week this month.

Those were unibody, by the way (IIRC, the Imperial through '66 was the only BOF RWD Mopey after '59).

Wow..that is too cool.

happened to me a couple times today

Well, the previous Cavi lasted 10 years, and the Cobalt is only in it's 4th now... if they can give the Cobalt an MCE around '10, I don't see why it and the Cruze can't coexist for a while.

Interesting development... I'm not a fan of Bud or Busch, but do like Stella and Becks...

QUOTE(cletus8269 @ Jul 14 2008, 04:48 PM) [snapback]411719[/snapback]hehe i remember watching that on newgrounds.com i was disappointed they didnt decide to go with that title for the third instalment. BTW, #4 is going to be called simply 'Fast and Furious'...

Haha...I meant the Civic based CSX sold in the GWN.

I wonder if the CSX will get a shield style grille.

Grand Cherokee 4.0L-- 18.2mpg average.

38...less than 2 years until 40... mid life crisis time!

as seen on FT.com today.. GM prepares for 'realignment' By Bernard Simon in Toronto Monday Jul 14 2008 16:00 General Motors (NYSE:GM) will unveil further measures on Tuesday to cope with the dramatic downturn in the north American vehicle market. The world's biggest carmaker said that the steps, to be outlined at a press conference, are designed "to align the business to current market conditions". The conference will be attended by Rick Wagoner, chief executive, as well as Fritz Henderson, chief operating officer, and Ray Young, chief financial officer. Bookmark and Share GM announced last month that it would close four north American light-truck plants in the wake of an abrupt shift in demand from big pick-up trucks and sport-utility vehicles to more fuel-efficient cars and crossover vehicles. It is also reviewing the future of Hummer, its biggest vehicle, and accelerating the introduction of more popular vehicles. GM's US sales tumbled 18 per cent in June from a year earlier. By contrast, its business in many other countries is performing strongly. It said on Monday that sales volumes in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East jumped 18 per cent in the second quarter to a new record. International operations now make up about 60 per cent of GM's sales volumes. Mr Wagoner last week dismissed talk that the company might seek bankruptcy protection or ditch more of its eight US brands. However, it is widely expected within the next few months to take steps to shore up its liquidity, with analysts projecting that it will raise between $10bn-$15bn. It currently has about $24bn in cash reserves but analysts estimate that it is burning about $1bn a month. Himanshu Patel at JPMorgan said that GM had several options to bolster liquidity, including secured debt, delaying the transfer of its blue-collar healthcare plan to the United Auto Workers union, issuing new equity and further trimming capital outlays. GM shares are currently at their lowest level in more than half a century. They slipped another 5.4 per cent on Monday to $9.38.

Looks better than the nasty US market one.....the US one is an insult to the name of my part-time home state... (It's too bad Jeep didn't secure that name... Colorado would have been a nice trim level for the Grand Cherokee, with the UpCountry suspension package, etc..)

GM probably figured that a couple dozen sales a year wasn't worth the cost of getting it into those markets. Which is too bad, because it seems the UK esp. is the most fanatical market for super sedans like the AMGs, BMW Ms, Audi RSes, etc...

Actually, it does share it's first letter with the competing product from Big T (Corolla), as well as Honda (Civic).

The problem is McCain is a tired old man that should be retired and playing golf...he represents more the same neocon BS that we've had the last 7 years...

Considering the worst CIC in history is in the White House now, BO will be a huge improvement.

Yes, the current car is very distinctive...I esp. like the rear quarter view of the current car...has unique sculpturing. I thought seriously about buying one a couple of years ago, I love the interior and the way it drives.. The new car, at what I've seen so far, doesn't look as distinctive...

Ugly front end, predictable roofline...seems everyone is copying the BMW kinked C-pillar. At least the current TL has it's own C-pillar...

I like the headlight treatment..the light cluster shapes are very Acura-ish...