Drew Dowdell

They probably ride like sh!t

And? A Business plan can be downloaded from the internet. You can even get a Casino template. I highly highly highly doubt he has ever written one, rather he's had people do it for him. Writing a business plan takes attention to detail and a long attention span. Neither of which he has ever demonstrated. Even his own books were written for him by someone else. Deutchebank.... and they're getting subpoenaed over it because it looks like those loans were made without proper underwriting (read: they were money laundering).

If you already have lots of money, banks are very willing to give you more if you can show a business plan (in normal economic times, not recessions). It's almost "fog a mirror and show your bank statements" level of easy. I doubt anyone would lend to him these days unless it was a vehicle for some other entity to launder money.

Being handed wealth certainly gives someone a leg up. It doesn't indicate any particular skill. In fact it has been shown multiple times that he'd have been a wealthier man if he had just parked his money into an index fund and left it alone rather than going on these various schemes.

+ Fit + Insight + Clarity

I just remembered... they're not going to use the NM numbers on the V models.

They round to nearest 50.... so the CT5-V would be a 550.

I don't understand why they couldn't even do the 400/400 of the CT6 engine.

I organize them alphabetically.

I've never had an issue with the 9-speed except for very very early versions of the Cherokee where it shifted a bit harsh and hunted a bit too much. It's an absolutely great transmission when paired with the V6. I did over 3,000 miles in a Cherokee V6 from Pittsburgh to Miami and back at Christmas time. It was flawless. The problem is the 2.4 liter.... Chrysler needs to replace that yesterday. With the 2.4 liter the transmission starts to hunt for torque that it will never find. People blame the transmissions for that, but it's just doing its job the best it can with the engine its been given.

They say something like they guarantee a pickup within 10 minutes of your desired departure time. You have to give them enough notice of course.... I usually scheduled it the night before when I go to bed.

I've been pretty happy with Edge still. I need to import my bookmarks still.

I think that's up to a higher power.....

I use them regularly. Uber lets you schedule a pickup ahead of time. I recommend this for early morning flights and its what I do. As long as I schedule on the app in advance, I've not had any trouble getting a pickup at 4 in the morning. Uber is generally better than lift for this, but other than early morning pickups, I use them both interchangeably depending on prices.

185 hp at 4,200rpm - 280-lbs.ft. at 2,400rpm, an upgrade over the 140hp and about 255 lb-ft of the 307. They stopped making the Riviera T-Type a few years before they started making GNXes.

heh, I think that's a commonly held opinion of that car. Here's one... Platform gripes aside, I think the Lincoln Continental is a very handsome and capable car. I would absolutely own one over an E-Class or 5-series without regret.

The merger between FCA and Renault has crossed another hurdle overnight with FCA agreeing to a compromise with the French government. The issue surrounded the French government's desire for a guaranteed seat on the company's board of directors and effective veto power on CEO appointments. In a compromise, Renault would give up one of its own board seats for one occupied by a representative of the French government. The makeup of the board would then be 4 seats allocated to FCA appointees, three to Renault appointees, and one to the French government. France is Renault's largest shareholder with a 15% stake in the company. Additionally, Renault would give up one of its two seats on the 4 member CEO selection committee to the French government. The new proposal goes to Renault's board for consideration. View full article

The Lexuses are good vehicles, but not worthy of the praise lumped on them as "best evar!!!".... plus they have no soul.

unpopular opinion about a popular car...... I never really got the love for these either. Even in Olds form, the G-Bodies don't do much for me. The interiors are sh!t. Give me that same powertrain in a Riviera or even an Electra coupe and you might have something for me.

(MAHWAH, NJ) – June 3, 2019 – Jaguar Land Rover today reported May 2019 U.S. sales: Land Rover had its best ever May sales month with 7,337 units, an increase of three percent from 7,103 in May 2018; Jaguar sales were 2,021­­­ units, a 15 percent decrease from 2,366 units in May 2018. Jaguar Land Rover total May U.S. sales reached 9,358 units, a slight decrease from 9,469 units in May 2018. For the calendar year, Jaguar Land Rover achieved 53,920 units, an increase of seven percent vs. 50,231. “Jaguar Land Rover continues to achieve strong monthly sales with an increase of seven percent for the year,” said Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. “Our SUV offerings -- from the premium compact E-PACE and Discovery Sport to the award winning F-PACE and Range Rover Velar -- are clearly aligned with the current trends in the market place and offer our customers a variety of distinct choices. U.S. MODEL HIGHLIGHTS Land Rover The Land Rover brand reached a new May sales high of 7,337 units, an increase of three percent compared to 7,103 in May 2018. The Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Discovery Sport had their best May sales month ever with 1,355 and 1,013 units sold respectively. The new Range Rover Evoque achieved 1,010 units sold and the Range Rover Sport continues to be the brand’s sales leader with 1,922 units sold. In the U.S., the 2019/2020 Land Rover model line-up features six models; two within the Discovery family, and four within the Range Rover Family. The Land Rover Discovery and Discovery Sport – bring new levels of sophistication, desirability, capability and versatility to the Discovery family. With variable five- and seven-passenger seating options in both the compact Discovery Sport and full-size Discovery, this family of vehicles features the latest connectivity technologies, a variety of innovative storage solutions and the same on-/off-road capability Land Rover is best known for. The 2020 Range Rover Evoque is a sophisticated evolution of the original model that pioneered the luxury compact SUV market. The second generation Range Rover Evoque offers a new 48-volt 296hp mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrain alongside a 246hp Ingenium four-cylinder gasoline engine. For 20MY, the Range Rover Evoque also offers groundbreaking off-road technologies like the optional segment first ‘ClearSight Ground View’ technology, part of the optional 360 Surround Camera system, and optional ‘ClearSight Rear View Mirror’3,4. Bringing a new dimension of modernity and elegance to the Range Rover family, the 2019 Range Rover Velar is designed to fill the white space between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport; offering levels of luxury, refinement and all-terrain capability never before seen in the mid-size SUV segment. For 20MY the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport feature all-new mild-hybrid (MHEV) inline six-cylinder Ingenium gas engine, offered in 355hp and 395hp outputs and new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) P400e powertrain options. Jaguar For the month of May, Jaguar sales were 2,021 units, a 15 percent decrease from 2,366 units in May 2018. The Jaguar E-PACE achieved its best May sales month ever with 378 vehicles sold. The Jaguar I-PACE was awarded the 2019 World Car of the Year award, and in an unprecedented achievement, the I-PACE also won the World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car titles. For May, the Jaguar F-PACE continued to lead the brand’s performance with 903 units sold. Year-over-year, sales of Jaguar SUV models totaled 9,746 units, growing 35 percent from 2018. With the addition of the Jaguar E-PACE and the battery electric I-PACE, the New Generation of Jaguar lineup expands to seven models for the first time in the brand’s storied history, while new model derivatives like the Jaguar F-PACE SVR and the XF Sportbrake Prestige diversify the portfolio offering customers greater choice. For 2019 the Jaguar ‘PACE’ family of SUVs and crossovers has expanded since the debut of the F-PACE, the brand’s best-selling model. Last year, Jaguar introduced the E-PACE compact crossover, as well as the brand’s first-ever all-electric production car – the I-PACE, mid-size performance SUV. In addition to the ‘PACE’ family of SUVs and crossovers, the Jaguar brand includes the F-TYPE sports car, the XE compact sport sedan, XF premium mid-size sedan, XF Sportbrake mid-size wagon and the brand’s luxury flagship – the full-size Jaguar XJ. Each model delivers segment leading driving dynamics, timeless design and the latest connected technologies. For added peace of mind, every new Jaguar vehicle comes with Jaguar EliteCare, a Best-in-Class ownership package1. This warranty is further expanded for Jaguar I-PACE customers covering the electric battery for 8-years / 100,000 miles and a 70 percent state of health2. Jaguar EliteCare coverage includes a New Vehicle Limited Warranty, Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance and 24/7 Roadside Assistance, each for 5-years or 60,000 miles, as well as Jaguar InControl® Remote & Protect™ connected services for 5-years and unlimited mileage. Jaguar Land Rover announced in 2017 that from 2020 all new, or significantly updated, models will incorporate some form of electrification either optional or as standard. The company will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across its model range in the coming years; embracing fully electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and mild hybrid (MHEV) vehicles as well as continuing to offer ultra-clean gasoline and diesel engines.

updated with Volvo

Volvo Cars posted strong sales in May, with volumes up 12.4 per cent compared with the same period last year. The company sold 60,196 cars during the month, as China, Europe and the US all reported a growth in sales compared with the same period last year. The double digit volume growth in May was led by the continued strong demand for Volvo’s award-winning SUV range led by the XC60, and followed by the XC40 and XC90. Volvo’s latest models, the V60 estate and the US-built S60 sedan, also contributed to the strong performance. In the January to May period, Volvo sold a total of 278,051 cars – up 9.6 per cent, compared with the same period last year. China reported a strong sales growth of 17.4 per cent in May compared with the same period last year. Total sales in the region reached 12,425 cars during the month. The growth came on the back of high demand for the locally assembled XC60 and S90 models. European sales in May grew 16.9 per cent to 29,681 cars, led by strong demand for the XC60, followed by the XC40 and the V60 estate. US sales reached 9,761 cars in May, up 4.5 per cent compared with the same period last year. XC90 was the best selling car in the region followed by the XC60. A detailed break-up of regional sales is given below: May January-May 2018 2019 Change 2018 2019 Change Europe 25,395 29,681 16.9% 131,267 144,164 9.8% China 10,582 12,425 17.4% 49,792 54,503 9.5% US 9,338 9,761 4.5% 37,754 40,186 6.4% Other 8,224 8,329 1.3% 34,768 39,198 12.7% Total 53,539 60,196 12.4% 253,581 278,051 9.6% In May, the XC60 was the top selling model with sales reaching 17,510 cars (2018: 16,171), followed by the XC40, with total sales at 10,574 cars (2018: 5,413 units), and the Volvo XC90 at 8,621 cars (2018: 7,979 units).

Last week we had "Unpopular Opinion about an Unpopular Car". This week we're doing Unpopular Opinion about a Popular Car. What good selling car or one that gets lots of praise in the motoring press do you have a contrary opinion about? One entry for me is the Alfa Romeo Giulia. While they handle well, I find their styling, both interior and exterior to be completely underwhelming. They lack the refinement of most of their competition. The reliability is ...erm.... traditional Italian brand reliability. I've just never seen what the rest of the motoring press is going on about with how "great" these cars are. Apparently shoppers agree with me as the Alfa brand is down 34% month over month with just 797 Giulias sold in May.