Drew Dowdell

Well their sales have been pretty good.

Read the update, Saab just got another 150€ million in financing.

Saab Financing Update: Additional Financing Acquired Drew Dowdell - Chief Editor - CheersandGears.com May 3, 2011 Following yesterday's announcement that Saab had negotiated 59.1€ million in short term financing with plans to restart production by the end of the week, today Saab announces that is has signed an agreement with Hawtai Motor Company to form a strategic alliance. The alliance includes joint ventures in manufacturing, technology, and distribution. Hawtai will acquire up to a 29.9% equity stake in Saab for 120€ million and additionally extend a 30€ million convertible loan with a 6 month term. Founded in 2000, Hawtai is a China-based privately-owned automotive company with its headquarters and R&D centre located in Beijing, and two production facilities located in Ordos, Inner Mongolia and Rongcheng, Shandong Province. Hawtai currently has an annual production capacity of 350,000 vehicles, 300,000 clean diesel engines and 450,000 automatic transmissions. By 2015, Hawtai aims to have raised this capacity to 1 million vehicles, 1 million engines and 1 million automatic transmissions, and to have established itself as a global leading automotive company.

If it was me that unpinned your thread, it wasn't out of spite. I just went through and unpinned anything that didn't have activity in the past 12 months. I don't recall unpinning that one specifically. I do my best not to be biased for or against people. There are some users here that really get on my nerves, but I don't limit their posting unless they get to trolling. Ninety Eight stopped posting because he only wanted to post the news from other sites. His was a special case in that I wanted him to post his own thoughts and not just a copy/paste from another website. There are technical reasons behind needing that to stop. He chose to leave rather than make his own posts. This site lives on posts. The more people post, the more other people will post, and it becomes a huge happy snowball.

Politics is by request only.

Looking through my 1981 service manual, I don't think either job is something I want to tackle on my own since I can't put the car in the air.

Cadillac doesn't make a single taxi cab or garbage truck.

I have removed the posting requirement for the politics section due to popular demand. Those of you who can post in politics, please remember that this site survives on posts in the automotive forums, the politics section is not indexed by Google nor is it accessible by the general public... thus does nothing to draw more interest into the site. The reason I put the limitation in, in the first place was because certain members were coming here to only post in politics.I have no problem with people posting there... just gotta pay the bills first.

As of this past weekend: Every vacuum hose replaced Automatic level control has been repaired 4 new tires with appropriately wide white walls Found out I need lower ball joints and an idler arm. not sure how hard those are to do

They do when it's the Mercedes S-class. Problem is Cadillac needs credibility, which could be gained with a successful flagship, however, the flagship probably won't sell because of their brand image. They are sort of in a lose-lose. The S-class pays the bills by being a Taxi, Rental car fleet, and business airport car fleet whore..... the same way the Towncar does. It pays the bills, and it is a better status symbol than any car BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Lexus or Cadillac has. All those brands wish they had the S-class, it's image, it's history, and it's revenue. as long as I can get mine with a meter and a card swipe.

come up with real names again first.... and then put HR at the end. Continental HR Zephyr HR Aviator HR

The MKS Ecoboost is a validly fast car, but it is too huge and cumbersome to be a true sports performer. I was able to scare Albert with it's acceleration.

Not of any of their current vehicles, no. If they wanted to make me a performance version of the Mark VIII or LS, then yeah I'd consider it.

'69 Buick Electra 225 - Cop Spec at a car cruise. The car was as stripped down as you could get an Electra. AM radio, no tilt wheel, bench seats with no arm-rest, no A/C, but it had an A-pillar spot light and red flashing lights behind the grill. It was too dark to take pics, but if I see it at the cruise again, I'll snap some.

SAAB Secures Short Term Financing Aims to restart production this week Drew Dowdell - Chief Editor - CheersandGears.com 05/02/2011 Earlier, we posted that Saab's future looks bleak as production was shut down due to cash flow and supplier problems. Today, Saab announced that they have secured a 6 month, 30€ million loan from Gemini Investment Fund and an additional 29.1€ million from the European Investment Bank. With these funds, Saab hopes to re-start production later this week pending delivery agreements with suppliers. Saab continues to seek long term financing for continued operations.

Momentum momentum momentum

If they can keep the cost of the Malibu Eco down compared to the more well known hybrids and even keep it to a mild cost bump over 4-cylinder models of all makes, 38 mpg will prove tempting to a LOT of people.

I really think some of you need to drive a modern EV first. I know you're all about the sound and "feel" of a V8 gas engine, but the full thrust of something like a Tesla Roadster is nothing to shake a stick at. Even the Volt in sport mode can go with gusto for what is essentially a 4-door family hatchback.

They do when it's the Mercedes S-class. Problem is Cadillac needs credibility, which could be gained with a successful flagship, however, the flagship probably won't sell because of their brand image. They are sort of in a lose-lose. The S-class pays the bills by being a Taxi, Rental car fleet, and business airport car fleet whore..... the same way the Towncar does.

once you are firmly comfortable in your new position (i.e. after your 30-60-90 probationary period) move it into a growth plan either with your employer or just an IRA. My employer (not always a good example because they treat us exceptionally well) will allow us to open an IRA in addition to our 401k through our existing 401k plan. Any fees that are normally charged by the IRA get covered by the 401k plan. Basically a two-fer deal, but over time it adds up to a substantial savings.

Where? Chevy - Sonic, Cruze, Malibu are all new and more fuel efficient than their predecessors; we know a new Impala is coming and the Camaro will head over to the Alpha soon Buick - Verano, Regal, LaCrosse (especially with the e-assist) are new fuel efficient offerings; we know the Enclave is getting the 3.0L and a smaller CUV is planned Cadillac - ATS is on the way to be the fuel efficient Cadillac model If anything, GM needs to concentrate on the truck line again... the compact offerings - GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado - need updating, and hopefully the new Colorado concept shown in Thailand will come here. A small diesel engine for 1500/half ton pickups would do wonders for the pickups. Something to compete with the Ford Transit Connect would be good too. How about the Granite to open up fuel efficiency for GMC? Seems to be a lot of holes in the truck line if you ask me... Less than 25% of what you just listed is actually on the road today. Which can also imply sales in calendar year 2012 too And even if they wait until 2013, 16 months is not a long time either (now if they pushed it back to 2015, then there's an issue as both Ford and Ram will be newer that GM's offerings). That is what I was implying. Model year 2013 can start as early as Calendar year 2012.

Model year 2013...... so as soon as 16 months from now.

I just have nothing to add to the investment advice. I'm adding to the "saving money on the purchase" advice. Feel free to continue the 401k advice.

The G20 was Infiniti's entry for the "entry lux" market.... yet you don't hear a peep about it when there is a G35/7 review The Catera (or Cimmeron 25 years earlier) were Cadillac's entry into the "entry lux" market, yet we still hear about at least one or the other in any given CTS review. The original Odyssey was a terrible mini-van entry and failed like it deserved, no mention of that in reviews of the current model. No Lambda review is complete without mentioning out hard GM failed in the minivan market even though it's not a minivan.

Why is it that there is such a good memory for a J-body from 30 years ago yet the sales of the Odyssey or G37 aren't affected by it's first generation abomination?