Drew Dowdell

It's been loading snappy for me lately, but I'll keep an eye out for it. Our server utilization is pretty low.

Escape has some potential, but he likes the looks of the Buick. I'm not sure he has seen the new Escape.

What Omega buys you that would be difficult to do with Alpha is width. We know very little about Omega at this point, but it wouldn't need to be as flexible as Alpha (not a huge draw for Roadmaster Wagons these days), thus less expensive to build. It would just need to be amortized across multiple brands. I can see: Cadillac ZTS Buick Park Ave (at least in size) also sold in China Holden/Chevy Statesman/Caprice Opel Omega (limited possibility here, that market is dead in Europe) There is even a case to be made that Omega is an outgrowth of Alpha in the first place, but different enough to warrant its own platform name. That would reduce the costs of the platform and allow the relatively low volume vehicles listed above.

na, he wants to "sit up high" but it can't be a big vehicle. If it isn't the Encore, I'm going to end up having to find a cream puff Suzuki X-90

What's wrong with that?

Well aware, but they are often solved in similar ways. Things that shouldn't collapse in a crash are the same things that shouldn't flex under high torque loads. GM used a lot of very high strength lightweight material in the car. My guess is that a Camaro built on this frame will go down in weight from the sedan. As it is now, the sedan is already the same weight as a V6 Mustang and only 100lbs heavier than the 4-cylinder Genesis Coupe, and 200lbs lighter than the Infiniti G-Coupe... all vehicles that I'm sure are being bench marked against. In my mind, that give GM a fantastic amount of wiggle room.

I think Camino is talking more about the stress the power of a V8 could put on a frame. To that I would reply that GM had to design the thing to meet ever increasing crash standards in the first place, so the frame has to be pretty strong already to meet that standard. Probably more so than what the V8 requirement would be.

It absolutely has the ability to exchange sub-frames.

still missing pics of this in the garage

No more CR-Vs in this household. He is actually rather smitten with the Encore right now because it has every attribute he really wants. Good fuel economy, AWD, decent interior space but not a huge vehicle for him to wheel around. Most importantly, heated seats and a touch of luxury. He wouldn't drive the Terrain when we had it here 2 weeks ago. To him, it might as well have been a Yukon.

... it was a joke at your computer's expense.

If it can fit the DOHC 3.6, it can fit the LS-series. and there is no way Chevy will build a Camaro that doesn't have a V8 available.... not yet.... not with Ford and Hyundai upping the V8 war in their sport ccupes. Could there be a Camaro with a turbo 4? Sure, and I think there should be one made. Also remember, Alpha is where the next CTS goes. So that means it needs to be able to handle being built into a CTS-V

I think that is your sound card screwing with you.

Hopefully..Epsilon II so far has only 2 wheelbase variations..107.x and 111.x, both pretty short. Not just wheelbase variations, but also body styles. Epsilon has been a sedan, coupe, wagon, 5-door hatch, soft top convertible and hard top convertible and been sold in every division except GMC. I think that widespread use is what PCS was referring to.

I shut it off during the database problems we had over the weekend. I'll turn it back on once I'm convinced we are stable

PCS did say that the Alpha was going to be the Epsilon II of RWD. Only... it looks like it is even more flexible size wise.

I have to say, the ATS just grows on me more and more.... and I liked it to start with.

Yes, but I meant further models... Camaro, a Buick (Riviera on Alpha), Buick (something big on Omega), the Cadillac ZTS (as we are calling it around these parts) on Omega, the 130R is still in the realm of possibility.

uhm... the ATS will be out in Summer?

No need to imagine. The next two platforms coming out are RWD.

Doesn't feel it. I drive Albert's '04 CR-V all the time. Sitting in the new one feels like a full size class larger.

I stand corrected. The CR-V hasn't actually grown at all in length... it just feels like it has.

Well.. the CR-V has grown quite a bit lately. Probably too close in size to the current Equinox to be considered that much of a smaller model. Now if you were talking 2004 CR-V, that would be true.

I believe there is no chance of that. But it is being made to be more flexible downward in size so that it can be used more readily in Europe under other brands.

My impression is the LX will lose some bulk in the next generation, so that could put it more in line with the Lacrosse and ES. It also plays in that price class a bit better than a 200 based car would. Though, I also believe the 300 is a strong player (in hardware if not in sales) in that market already.