Robert Hall

Pretty cool presentation... and so far, Boeing seems to be a pretty good company to work at (I've been working the last 4 weeks on a contract at a Boeing subsidiary).

Over the weekend, I logged into my State Farm account to pay my homeowners insurance...I saw the listing of my policies--my home owners insurance, 4 car policies..then I realized one of the car policies was for a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe...which I don't own. Clicked on the details, and it's a policy for a guy in another town 50 miles away with the same first and last name, different middle initial. What a screwup. Called up my agent this morning, they were unaware of it but said they'd fix it.. I spent almost the last 5 years building insurance claims and policy software, so I'm amazed at how something like this could happen (if State Farm's data model is anything like what I worked with, people should not be linked to policies by name but by a unique identifier).

True enough, but regardless of generation, once you go Toyota or Honda, you don't go back (at least that's my real world observation of serial T/H owners).

Interesting...now what I'm waiting for are public toilets with individual sound-deadened fully enclosed stalls...nothing more irriating than trying to download in a noisy environment.

Interesting mix of the ancient and modern...I've been to Stonehenge, the Roman Colloseum, the Acropolis, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty (and to the top of the World Trade Center and Empire State Building). I definitely want to visit the other sites eventually, esp. Sydney Opera House, Petra, the Alhambra. Speaking of soccer stadiums, here's my local one, went there for the 4th--- known as 'The Big Dick'. Dick's Sporting Goods Park

Whatever...I like the new Challenger design, it's a modern yet retro interpretation of my favorite design from my birth year (1970)...like the current Mustang and upcoming Camaro, it's satisfyingly retromodern, IMHO.

I'm lucky, I guess...never broken a bone, though I've had some major sprains (ankles) and nasty bruises (elbows, knees). I've never been naturally balanced or agile (I can't skate, can barely ski and snowboard, am decent on a bicycle, am dangerous on cobblestone or brick streets) and am not exactly light on my feet (6'0", 225lbs).

I'd like to drive a Euro Focus RS (ST?). They are supposed to be a blast...

Yet another compact crossover/SUV/whatever. Boring.

That would be one badass commuter car..but I don't think it fit in the drive thru at Starbucks...

I would presume it's going to be new, since the current generation has been around 6 model years with one mild facelift...

Chrysler does build their own stuff profitably.. minivans, Rams, etc. The margins on cheap tiny cars are so small that they likely can't do it profitably (a 10k car costs as much to develop as a 30k car).

This is a subcompact..Chrysler already builds a compact--the Calibre. The reason they are outsourcing it that probably there is no way that Chrysler could profitably engineer, design and build a $10k car themselves, let alone build it the US...just like Wal-Mart, import the cheap crap from China.

I think there is room for a Mustang in the $15k gap between the GT and the Shelby...maybe a 350 or 400 hp Mach 1.

Or a Prius Type-R..

What a cool ad...first time I'd seen it. My favorite Audi ad is probably the great one in the '80s, where the 5000 parks between a BMW and an MB.. (after spinning around and sliding between them).

Sounds fun.. I did my island trip in April (a week in Hawaii).. I'll probably take a week around Labour Day and go to Nor Cal, visit friends in Oakland and San Jose and head up to Sonoma & Napa..

Well, it's passing on the first name and middle name(s) usually.. my brother is a Junior.. my middle names are other family names.

No, I'd call it a modern evolution of a classic subcompact..

I would do it...sounds better than 'Junior'...

I still prefer the interior and exterior design of the 2nd gen to the 3rd gen. I've sat in several 3rd gen GCs and think the design and materials of the 2nd are nicer..but I'm biased since I drive my '00 nearly every day..

The Commander is going away, good riddance..it's ugly, and not big enough inside for a 7-seater..leave the 7-seaters to the Durango and Aspen.

Unfortunately, the CTS is a 4dr (this was a coupe comparison). Still, I'm looking forward to seeing the inevitable G35, 3-series sedan, CTS, IS350, and new C-class comparisons...

I'm glad Jeep is sticking with it's proven uniframe architecture... I've always liked how GCs drive..they are quite capable offroad yet drive like a car, with none of the obesity or clunkiness of a truck.. I think the market for truck-based BOF SUVs smaller than full size is going to pretty much die out.. the next Explorer is also supposedly going to be unibody. Makes sense, most people don't do a lot of hauling with midsize and smaller SUVs, and the unibody ones drive much nicer than the truck-based ones... Remember, an SUV (except for Jeeps, Land Rovers, Hummers, etc, which have that offroad 4x4 history) is fundamentally a wagon with more ground clearance...so the crossover/car based approach makes more sense than a truck-based approach for the vast majority of consumers...

True... 'symmetrical' and 'asymmetrical' are probably the wrong words here...but some dashes are virtually identical on the left and right side, except that the left has the wheel and IP and the right has a glove box and airbag with the center stack in the middle...i.e. designed for LHD and RHD, while other designs (like past BMWs) are distinctly different from one side to the other..