Drew Dowdell

My sister and I are a lot more similar than we'd like to admit, but only we would know it.

I completely agree, I was just pointing out which would be the lesser of the three evils. Problem is, if one came they would invite the others and then it would be all over. well... until I started handing out justice..... I don't let things get out of hand here.

Such an insane amount of power. The stickies are really needed to help keep it planted.

For a full-size truck in Australia? Yes. Ram will be sending some of their trucks - 2500/3500 models I think - later in the year. You would think with the terrain there that the demand would be higher. But maybe the versatility of the smaller trucks serves them better? Probably fuel prices. The lack of light-duty diesels in most of the 1/2 ton pickups (only the Ram has one) is probably the biggest issue down there. It would be a good opportunity for Ram except they can barely keep up the supply of diesels for the US as it is. If that's the case, the new Titan diesel could be a huge hit if they got it down there. Full sized truck, but not all the way to being a 3/4 ton with a Cummins diesel? That might just hit the spot. Perhaps, but it still might be too much engine for the Aussies who are fuel conscious. The Titan XD is a 5.0 liter V8 turbo-diesel with 555 lb-ft of torque. Now if there were a 6-cylinder turbo diesel, I'm sure that would light their barbie....

Volkswagen is gearing up expand their Chattanooga, TN plant, and that expansion could add as many as 2,400 jobs. Chattanooga currently builds the North American version of the Volkswagen Passat sedan and the expansion will be to grow capacity to build a new Volkswagen mid-size crossover SUV due in late 2016 as a 2017 model. Part of the expansion will be a new Engineering and Planning center that will bring 200 jobs. The addition to the production facility will add another 1,800 new jobs once the plant is operational. A study by the University of Tennessee Center of Business and Economic research estimates that on top of the 2,000 jobs provided by the plant expansion, another 7,800 job will be added to the economy via indirect jobs at auto parts suppliers and other ancillary jobs in the state. During the construction and tooling phases, which are underway now, there will be around 5,300 temporary jobs added. Volkswagen has shown a few mid-size crossover concepts in the auto show circuit in recent years. While we don't know the planned name yet, expect the SUV to look similar to the Volkswagen CrossBlue Concept and Volkswagen Crosscoupe GTE Concept. Source: VW Media Press Release on Page 2 Herndon, VA (May 27, 2015) – A University of Tennessee Center of Business and Economic Research (CBER) study released today indicates that the expansion of Volkswagen’s Chattanooga manufacturing facility to produce a new midsize-SUV and the opening of a North American Engineering and Planning Center could create approximately 9,800 jobs and add $370 million in additional annual income, once the plant is fully operational. “The findings in the CBER study demonstrate that the incentive package recently passed by the Tennessee legislature will result in an economic growth multiplier of several times the state’s investment,” said David Geanacopoulos, Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and General Counsel, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “We would like to thank Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd for their leadership in fostering a business environment within Tennessee that is mutually-beneficial for the state and local economy as well as for companies like Volkswagen that have operations in the state.” In addition to the 2,400 Tennessee workers directly employed by Volkswagen, the study projects that Volkswagen’s $704 million investment in the Chattanooga plant expansion, including the opening of a new North American Engineering and Planning Center, has the potential to: Generate $217 million of new income and more than 5,300 indirect and direct jobs in Tennessee during the construction and tooling phase Create roughly 9,800 jobs, once the plant is fully operational, including 1,800 potential jobs at the production plant, 200 engineering jobs at the VW North American Engineering and Planning Center, as well as positions at auto parts suppliers, and other jobs throughout Tennessee Be responsible for $370 million in additional annual income, once the plant is fully operational “Extensive supplier linkages and good incomes earned by Volkswagen employees account for the significant employment gains and economic multiplier effects in Tennessee,” said William Fox, the study’s author and Director of the Center for Business & Economic Research at the University of Tennessee. “This includes jobs in many industries across the state, such as grocery stores, restaurants, shopping malls and construction.” Construction for the Volkswagen Chattanooga expansion project is currently underway, and is expected to be completed during the summer of 2016. Production of the Volkswagen midsize-SUV is scheduled to commence at the end of 2016, marking the second Volkswagen model to be produced in Chattanooga, in addition to the Passat. “The study underscores Volkswagen’s commitment to Tennessee, and we are excited to grow our team and the Chattanooga plant as we gear up for the production of our first-ever seven-passenger SUV for the U.S. market,” said Christian Koch, President and CEO, Volkswagen Chattanooga. “We appreciate our partnerships with Hamilton County Mayor Coppinger and Chattanooga Mayor Berke, as well as Governor Haslam, for their ongoing support of Volkswagen’s expansion in Chattanooga.” The CBER study is commissioned by Volkswagen Group of America. Findings within the study are independent calculations by CBER researchers. A full copy of the new study is available here: http://cber.haslam.utk.edu/pubs/bfox309.pdf. CBER’s press release is available here: http://tntoday.utk.edu/2015/05/27/ut-study-volkswagen-plant-expansion-add-9800-jobs-state-economy/. View full article

For a full-size truck in Australia? Yes. Ram will be sending some of their trucks - 2500/3500 models I think - later in the year. You would think with the terrain there that the demand would be higher. But maybe the versatility of the smaller trucks serves them better? Probably fuel prices. The lack of light-duty diesels in most of the 1/2 ton pickups (only the Ram has one) is probably the biggest issue down there. It would be a good opportunity for Ram except they can barely keep up the supply of diesels for the US as it is.

So wait... Wall Street can defraud people out of billions, if not trillions of dollars, no one goes to jail and they all get bonuses....... but then this?

I have no problem with a $28k Equinox, which is 98% of the size of a Grand Cherokee, when I can option a smaller CR-V all the way up to $34k and that doesn't even get me a V6.

Yep. I will also add that the info comes from a document from back in 2012. The info could have easily been a case study before they settled on the TT3.6L LF4 which wasn't even done yet. I will state again that I think the 464HP ATS-V is fine as a top engine for now, and that the thing they need to do is put the CT6 AWD system in and avail in the VSeries cars, both the CTS and ATS, though I'm betting that with the ATS and CTS really only having 2 more years on the market before the next overhaul.. the Gen 2 ATS and Gen 4 CTS (under new names CTx) will have that feature added Worrying about an LS7 in the ATS is silly.. and priorities seriously need to be focused elsewhere at Cadillac right now., Oh, I had missed that part, I thought it was recent. In that case it probably was an LS7 but they opted to not go in that direction.

Cursing isn't allowed? That's news to me.... I say Barbara Streisand all the time!

Probably improves the handling.

Bamboo can be stained any color you might like.

Me too.... It has actually brought an old laptop back to being usable again because it is faster than Window 7.

I still don't think it was really an LS7.... I mean, what testing would they really need to be doing in a mule at this point? If they're calibrating a new transmission (possibly) they could just throw the transmission in a car where the LS7 already resides. You wouldn't do it in a cut up ATS-V.

Well you guys can invite whoever you want to invite. All are welcome here as long as they're relatively well behaved.

Not Regal.... wrong Buick name with an R. I've been told by Buick people that there is only one name that registered more positively in focus groups than Regal....

The HR-V is their new tiny one, the CR-V has grown over the years..seems the current generation is bigger than my Jeep inside.. Sitting in the current model and then my 2004, I feel they have gotten smaller.... at least the usable space is smaller anyway. The seats don't fold away like they do on mine.

Bamboo trim has another advantage - It is ecologically friendly because it is a highly renewable resource. Probably a big reason it is on the hybrid car.... the green conscious drivers don't have to feel bad about chopping down old-growth trees just to have wood trim in their hybrid. I wish more auto makers would use bamboo.

The problem is they tried to mimic the past while using modern styling features. The tail lights and headlights are right off the i8. It just doesn't work.

Yup, that rings a bell. I go to Germany just about every year, but the visit to that castle was 3 or 4 years ago.

You should take that back... do you know how bad it can get? Yes, yes I do, yet today I still find myself going back there and continuing to argue with 'Stang. I clearly must hate myself. Don't worry about it too much. We have community modding and while I haven't needed to use it often, I'm not afraid of the warn button. Just the fact that there is a warn button is a huge upgrade. I think MT had an if you can't beat 'em join 'em button as far as modding went. Well if someone gets too out of line and I'm not here, the red down arrow on their post votes it down. Enough people do that and the post gets hidden... Conversely, if there is a post you really like, the green up-arrow votes a post up. Enough people do that and the post gets a gold star. This system keeps things pretty calm around here and I have to do very little moderation of things.

Not necessarily, I have seen plenty of test mules where they stretched out the fenders to support a drive train truly meant for some other product but they wanted to throw off the Photo Hounds. This could be just such a test mule. Something for the CTS but they wanted to hide it so left off inner wheel well covers to test a drive train and in this case it could be the LS7 system for a new CTS-V Coupe maybe. yes...exactly...a product model of some sorts..."not necessarily an ATS" is what I should have continued on to say. But yeah...it seems like the LS7 might live on... If it was an LS7

That's good to hear. You probably make more money on the trucks than the commercial vans anyway. 2-birds/1-stone - increase high profit truck sales, decrease excess commercial van inventory. We only bring in commercial vans for customer orders, not on the lot, so no worries there. I don't know we make on the GM mid-sizers because I have yet to sell one. I've gotten all the catch 22 buyers. They want to see it before they buy it, but it sells so quick they never get a chance to see it. I think most of the sales on those have been through our GM manager, and not through our regular salespeople. Ah, I have a few big lots near me that keep rows and rows of various Savannas and Expresses.

That's good to hear. You probably make more money on the trucks than the commercial vans anyway. 2-birds/1-stone - increase high profit truck sales, decrease excess commercial van inventory.