Drew Dowdell

I'm scratching my head trying to come up with all of them: 1-series Impreza A3

Cobalt SS is faster around Nurburgring than an E92 coupe. The Cobalt SS can be purchased with Stage II kits.

That's not how it works Larry... you get pregnant IN the box.

Bailout Watch: German Edition From AutoBlog While German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck were still in DC, an urgent e-mail was sent to Carl-Peter Foster, chief of GM Europe. Also on the To: line: Hans Demant, head of GM’s German Opel subsidiary. They were ordered to get their glutei maximi to Berlin. They were furthermore told to bring Opel’s workers council chief Klaus Franz along. Bloomberg reports that the sit down’s set for the Kanzleramt, right after mammy comes home and emerges from her Airbus 310 (named “Konrad Adenauer,” after Germany’s first chancellor, who’s busy rotating in his grave). Anywhere between €1b and €2b in governmental loan guarantees will be on the table. Before any money is doled out, Foster and Demant will be in for a serious upbraiding. Economy Minister Glos already dropped the ominous remark. “When tax money is on the line to save international auto makers, there will be demands and conditions.” After Angela is through with Carl-Peter, Hans, and Klaus, and class is dismissed for some serious homework, Merkel’s Finance Minister Steinbrueck and Economy Minister Glos will hammer-out details with the federal states the next day. Berlin will underwrite €1b, the states underwrite another €1b. Or somesuch. And then … As Opel’s dependency on the Government-administered money-methadone grows, GM’s adopted daughter may slowly be brought back to her German parents. Or rather be given to a dark knight who may already be lurking in the hedges.

Opel doesn't have a good reputation. Their old products have a reputation for being crap and only the latest generation is considered good. This is the observation of the non-auto enthusiast Germans I have spoken with.

So you can spend more to drive a BMW that loses to Chevys?

w00t! Chimney guys were out today and cleaned the chimney and fixed our stuck damper. We couldn't get the flue open enough and would sometimes have smoke problems if the outside wind wasn't strong enough. It's about 31 degrees here. Can't wait to get home and try out the fireplace again!

I'll scan a menu. The juice will probably send me over the $6 mark, but still

GMAC stopped financing cars. It has nothing to do with the cars themselves.

Imports cost more to get repaired and maintain also. Who really wants to spend $800 at 160,000 miles for their second timing belt change on their Civic? With a few exceptions (like the northstars and corvette which likely equal their import counterparts) domestics are just cheaper to keep on the road. People like to bash on the 3800... but with a gazillion of them wandering around out there, there is plenty of aftermarket support.

Local ski resort has fired up the snow making machines!!!

WTF man?! 1. I haven't (yet) blamed anyone. 2. It's not a political issue. I'm trying to point out the unsustainability of our current economic structure. Globalization is NOT sustainable without some sort of renewable fuel and won't be restarted to previous levels until this financial mess is solved. It simply is not profitable to sell bananas in Boston for 69 cents a pound yet market demand forces are dictating the price.

New sig!

GM's credit card probably got declined.

That's a $6 meal at an expensive diner here.

Bankruptcy + federal loans

Talk to me about the '04 CTS.

SOCIALISTT!!!@!#!@#! ELEVINTY!!!@!! *spittle*

Laptop + wireless internet + dominos online = old news edit: and with skype, I don't even have to get up to get the phone if I need to call in an order

Who said that Obama would be responsible for this? This is already underway, nothing Obama has done would be the cause. But regardless, this has nothing to do with Obama nor with Socialism. This is the reality of the state of the global market place. This is a massive failure and contraction of global capitalism. This is why it is no longer economically feasible to sell bananas in Boston in the winter. 1. People don't have money. 2. Fuel costs are too high. 3. Stores cannot get credit to buy inventory. 4. shipping companies can't make payroll

because they'd get laughed off the forum. That'd be like telling Toyota to ditch Lexus and Subaru in order to save Toyota, Scion and Daihatsu.

I'm not saying that you'll move back. I'm saying that old eastern europe will come to America.

Love it!

I pick two. Saturn and Buick. Chevy to beat Toyota Saturn to beat VW/Volvo/Ford of Europe Buick to beat the softer side of Lexus/Acura/Lincoln Cadillac to run with the Beemers.

That could have summed up your entire insight on the matter, but no, you had to go on. You mean like V8s with self preservation technology? Cylinder deactivation? Airbags? Magnetic ride control? Direct injection for the masses? Onstar and remote vehicle diagnostics? Guidestar? At < $2.00, hybrid cars are a terrible economic model. At < $3.00 is when they are just bad. People are buying hybrids, but up until very recently, and possibly still today, Toyota wasn't making any money on them. That "glimmer" you see on that milky weak coffee brown Pruis is just PR bull&#036;h&#33;. The Malibu is one of the most fuel efficient large cars available. Cobalt and HHR are in the top of their classes. Saturn's had high efficiency models available since inception. GM's trucks, yes there are people that need them, are THE most efficient available. EVERYONE lost sales last month. GMAC changed their financing requirements... ever think THAT might have more to do with GM's sales loss? There isn't an auto manufacturer on the planet more diverse than GM. No, not even Toyota. The only thing said in this rant that has any validity. Sure! What's another 130,000 (conservative estimate) unemployed from GM alone. And when GM/Ford/Chrysler's suppliers go under, what will happen to Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Honda, and Mercedes who use those same suppliers? I hope you kept the receipt for where ever you got your edumacation..... maybe you can get a refund.