Drew Dowdell

Not really, the Colt Vista was larger, had 3 rows of seating, and 4wd. A 500 Gucci edition? What is this? A 1970s Lincoln? What's next, a Civic Cartier? A Mazda 2 Valentino? Maybe a Vera Wang Pruis?

There is absolutely nothing "premium" about the original A-Class beyond the sticker hood ornament

another good looking little egg.... but a bit more "family"

FWD?

yeah... I got that..... I mean the other conferences and other brands Edit: We already know that the MCE Acadia will be there.

I'll be uploading preview pictures as the media events occur with full albums to follow later.

Think of all the money you'll save. Just start dumping it into a "next car" savings account.

I don't think it is "zealotry" to expect my faucet won't explode.

There are Zimmers and Tiffanys with more luxurious build quality than that..... 90% of that dashboard is lifted right out of the JC Whitney catalog.

I picked up my Amtrak tickets today to get me to Chicago courtesy of CSpec. Everyone should thank CSpec for chipping in for the train tickets.

So speculate on each press conference, what is each one going to be about?

Well there you go doubters, the Escalade is NOT going Uni-body.

GMC should make rear engined supercars too then....

I'll be following up with another take on this car next week. Though I think the end result may be similar.

Some of the things that those "environmental zealots" are fighting are things like their kitchen faucets lighting on fire from methane getting in their water and the ground being poisoned by highly carcinogenic chemicals that end up in the water supply during the fracking operation. BOTH of which have been documented with increasing frequency here in Pennsylvania. I have a picture of a deer that was shot near one of the fracking sites in PA that is far too graphic to post here, but it is absolutely covered with softball sized cancerous tumors.... almost to the point of being something you'd see on The Simpsons. Fracking is just getting started here in PA and already the problems it can cause are showing up in each location.

I am pretty sure there is a niche there. But a niche is just that, a niche. There is a niche in very light, very cramped and extremely well handling cars like the Elise too. But until the vehicle has mainstream economics and practicalities it will not be anything more than a niche. I have nothing against electric vehicles. In fact, I absolutely believe that electric cars are the future. Their time will come when oil, gas and coal eventually become scarce enough that the economics of the alternatives naturally become competitive. When that time comes, it won't be wind, solar or farmed ethanol powering the human ciivilization. Hydrogen, being the lowest density gas or the coldest liquid in the universe, won't be the distribution medium either. It will be nuclear generation with electrical distribution. A natural consequence of that will be electric cars. When combustible liquid fuel becomes $500 a gallon, a 40 mile range, a $30K battery pack or 1500 lbs of storage cells suddenly become not so inconvenient. I am totally convinced of that eventuality. I just do not believe that government should be in the business of forcing a premature and economically foolish transition to electric vehicles, especially by taking money from one tax payer to subsidize the believes and habits of another. Fact is the Earth still has plenty of oil, gas and coal. Being sufficiently plentiful and accessible, these sources represent the most attractive sources of energy for the next 40 ~ 80 years. Heck, there is plenty of potential sources of oil, gas and coal within the USA which we should aggressively and exhaustively explore and extract. Beyond that, we need to look at where the uranium and plutonium are, and secure access to that diplomatically or militarily. I am not interested in dubiously green and exhorbitant energy. I am interested in plentiful and affordable energy. I am not interested in global leadership in "green" technology. I am interested in security of current and future energy supply. Americans are a stubborn lot and won't change until after some cataclysmic event and even then do it half assed. Believe in climate change or not. Believe in peak oil or not. There are two issues that the Volt addresses that cannot be denied; Air pollution and energy security. Both valid concerns of the government. The Volt addresses both. In terms of air pollution, the Volt uses less gasoline per user mile than any other car out there save the total electrics like the Leaf and Tesla. I phrased it that way specifically to avoid the "well it only gets 37 mpg on a cross country trip" straw-man. In typical usage, Volt owners are going thousands of miles on a single tank of gas. Before you bring up the coal aspect of it, because there is an environmental aspect to the Volt, the users are more likely to select renewable energy for their power in areas where people have supplier choice. 20% of this country is powered by nuclear, so you could just as easily say that the Volt is as well. In terms of energy security, you yourself have pointed out that the engine in the Volt can be just about anything that provides rotational power... be it diesel or a Wankel or a natural gas piston engine. What the Volt does is remove the need for "ultra responsive, quiet, smooth" gasoline engines as a requirement for a vehicle. The engine in the Volt could be an extremely slow to respond Sterling engine powered by burning puppy dogs for all the driver cares because the electric side of things addresses all drivability and responsiveness concerns. The point is, by freeing up what provides the rotational power to the generator, you also create an enormous flexibility as to what fuels it. As CSpec is so fond of pointing out in another thread, Natural Gas is the new "oil" in this country. The Volt can be converted to a NG specific engine by GM and the driving characteristics of the car don't change one iota. That flexibility is an important first step in assuring our own energy security.

Lincoln (the entire line) outsold the discontinued Ranger by 78 units.

Ford Motor Company U.S. Sales Increase 7 Percent in January; Focus, Escape, Explorer Drive Growth Ford Motor Company U.S. sales in January totaled 136,710 vehicles, a 7 percent gain compared with January 2011; retail sales increased 8 percent Focus contributed to 30 percent of Ford Motor Company sales growth in January, more than any other vehicle in the Ford product lineup. Focus sales were 14,400 vehicles, up 60 percent – the best January Focus sales performance since 2003 F-Series sales of 38,493 vehicles, up 8 percent. Ford has more than 75 percent share of the retail V6 full-size pickup market and most fuel-efficient full line of pickups on the market DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 1, 2012 – Ford Motor Company U.S. sales totaled 136,710 vehicles in January, a 7 percent increase versus year-old levels. The Ford brand totaled 131,589 vehicles in January, making it the best January sales month for the Ford brand since 2008. “January started off with solid sales versus year-ago levels,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “Ford saw the same solid month, with smaller vehicles in higher demand. Escape continued its record-setting run, and Focus set the pace for car sales in California, Texas and the Southeast.” Ford brand grew small car, utility and truck sales in January versus a year ago. Focus small car and Escape utility combined provided 49 percent of Ford Motor Company volume growth in January. With 17,259 Escape vehicles sold, it was another best-ever January for Escape, topping last January by 24 percent. Sales of the Ford Explorer totaled 9,966, a 36 percent gain versus strong year-ago results. The Ford F-Series, America’s top-selling vehicle for the past 30 years posted January sales of 38,493 vehicles, representing an 8 percent increase. EcoBoost-equipped F-150s represented 42 percent of retail sales in January, providing Ford a retail F-150 V6 engine mix (EcoBoost V6 and Ford’s 3.7-liter V6) of 54 percent for the month. January 2012 Ford Sales Data View full article

seems like a light show this year

Referring to the HSR in California, saying it isn't convenient is the same as saying the Pennsylvania Turnpike wasn't convenient in the 1940s because it only ran from Collegeville pa to irwin pa and didn't connect directly to Philly or Pittsburgh. The HSR segment in CA is just the starting point of a much larger network that will connect to the big cities eventually. Half of the cost overruns it is experiencing now are from people expecting a winning lottery ticket for their land by asking quadruple or quintuple the regular market value. The Volt isn't about saving money. It is the iPhone of cars. Leading edge technology in the transforming automotive market. That it doesn't make financial sense to the end user right now is entirely besides the point. Neither do iPhones and neither do 3-series.

<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(212, 212, 212); " width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 2012 Chicago Auto Show Media Preview Schedule - Wednesday, Feb. 8</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Time</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Event</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Location</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 8 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> MAMA Breakfast—Volvo</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> McCormick Place – Grand Ballroom</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 9:15 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> GMC</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> GMC Display – North Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 9:50 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Hyundai</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Hyundai Display – North Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 10:25 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Kia</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Kia Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 11 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ford</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ford Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 12 p.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Economic Club of Chicago—Toyota</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> McCormick Place – Grand Ballroom</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 1:30 p.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Nissan</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Nissan Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 2 p.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Chrysler</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Chrysler Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 2:30 p.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> BP</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> BP Lounge – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 3 p.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> MotorWeek Awards</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Grand Concourse Stage</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 3:30 p.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Continental</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Continental Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> </td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> </td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 2012 Chicago Auto Show Media Preview Schedule - Thursday, Feb. 9</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> </td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> </td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Social Media Programs. All times are approximate at this point, but a more accurate listing will be posted as we are informed. Please check in the Continental Media Center, www.ChicagoAutoShow.com, or manufacturer websites for updates.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Time</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Event</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Location</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 8:30 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Chrysler – Fiat Breakfast & Program</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Chrysler Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 9:15 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Nissan – Social & Product</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Nissan Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 9:45 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ford</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ford Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 10:15 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Toyota</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Toyota Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 10:45 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Hyundai </td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Hyundai Display – North Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> 11:45 a.m.</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> General Motors</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Chevrolet Display – North Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ongoing</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Volkswagen</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Volkswagen Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ongoing</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> BMW</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> BMW Display – North Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ongoing</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Subaru</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Subaru Display – South Hall</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Ongoing</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Suzuki</td> <td style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; "> Suzuki Display – South Hall</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

True they have an automotive program, but in this case, if the dealerships are not wanting to sell the cars, then sell them direct via Costco at a set price and then you just pay for the shipment cost of having the car delivered via truck to your home. GM could and Costco make a fortune this way. Unfortunately most states have franchise laws that require vehicle sales through licensed dealers. Remember what happened when Chrysler opened the corporate dealer in Los Angeles? No, I actually don't know that story.

It is NOT the same level as the Cruze or Civic or Elantra. It has better feeling, gobs of torque in city driving. It feels more powerful even if the 0-60 or 1/4 mile times end up being similar. In Regeneration mode it quieter than the Cruze which is already pretty damn quiet. It is positively Buick quiet next to the buzz bomb Elantra. In electric only mode, few others can even come close to the quiet of the Volt. Road noise from the tires is equal to the Cruze, better than the Civic and Elantra Handling is excellent. The battery balanced out the front drive weight bias substantially. Interior materials are (mostly) well above the Civic, Cruze, and Elantra. The headliner is the same as the one from my old CTS as opposed the the felt you get in the Elantra. There were a few items that were a little too carry over from the Cruze, but nothing major. Capacitive touch Stabilitrack, Bluetooth, heated mirrors all standard And it is 4 hours to charge the Volt on your home dryer outlet, not 8. In your and my area, the terrain is actually an advantage. Driving out to the airport and back yielded 70+ mpg on a mostly drained battery due to the regeneration on the hills.