vineyard311

I work for the supplier that builds these wheel bearings. Apparently Honda is installing the bearing improperly and damaging the O-ring, thus causing premature failure. The actual bearing was assembled properly.

Just read this on leftlanenews.com, apparently an exhaust issue.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/12/11/gm-...ook-gmc-acadia/

General Motors has temporarily halted sales of its critical Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia crossovers. The company said in hastily put together communiqué to dealers it was issuing an "immediate stop" of all sales of the vehicles. GM did not specify a reason for the action, but said more details would follow.

********************************

UPDATE!

Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder has the details on the problem that has temporarily stopped the sale of GM’s new Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia from being sold to the public. The issue seems to be a motor mount that can collect water and freeze during cold weather. This would lead to vibration and roughness during driving.

There is a relatively simple fix — drilling drainage holes so the water never collects — that can be done at the dealership. The extreme move of stopping sales was to ensure a successful launch of both vehicles. There is still no word on when both models will go on sale.

--Flybrian

From what I heard from a Toyota Engineer, those horsepower ratings are including optional TRD parts. Your going to have to buy all of the options to get that power.

Its election season, plain and simple. This all for publicity.

I was talking to Toyota Engineering Intern the other day and he said that the Tundra with the optional TRD package will be pushing 380hp and over 400ft/lb. 1 Ton models are coming in a year. Toyota isnt playing around, they are going to flood the market with cheaper higher powered models.

This is the work truck interior

The upscale interior will be the same as the tahoe/yukon

After looking at the x-cab picture again...there does not appear to be a latch for the window in the rear half-door (like in the current trucks)...so I am guessing that the windows in the back doors must go down.  That could be a window switch on the armrest of the back door... 

I wonder if that is standard or optional?  Optional I am guessing...

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I remember hearing something about a fixed window on the extended cabs, I think its optional power window or fixed. There is no manual open.

Any news on when you're building a GMC Sierra????

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No, which is really wierd. Ive been trained on the 900's, but they dont have any Sierra's built up yet. Starting in august were going to begin producing about over 50 pre-production 900's.

Everything Ive hard about the sierra indicates completely different sheet metal though.

We had some problems with new machines yesterday, but the truck was succesfully built. It had a nice two-tone interior.

I hadnt heard anything about the August 2nd debut until reading this thread, but ill let you guys know if I hear anything new. FYI, we're building a GMT-900 Silverado tonite . Our factory is ready to start full production, but its still a few months out.

Doubt it judging from the reaction of the people who saw me speeding away. Also this truck goes into production in 4 months, I think it would be too late for even minor changes.

Yea, they've arleady finished there Scout Program and Pilot production has already begun. Everyone is already trained on how to build the 900's, Oshawa is having some major problems gearing up for the 900, but I dont think it will delay production though.

LMAO!! Power back window??? Is that the $h! they're thinking up of now?? That's the dumbest feature I've heard of ever. Anyway this truck looks good, imo.

Last I heard, the power rear window was going to be an option. The GMC will look much different than the Chevy fyi.

Sounds good to me, when are they going to release pictures of the new interior?

Wait for the 2010 AURA on EPII.  That's when AURA is the same as the Opel Vectra.

im tired of waiting.

Actually they may not be shown until the Texas State Fair in Sept. I don't know for sure yet, I've heard both venues as possibilities.

I heard the Texas show is where itll be. They're prob just waiting for Toyota to release their engine specs before they release everything. Just like Ford did with Nissan.

Does the Dodge Aspen nameplate garner anything other than a snicker from true auto fans?  I can only hope that there will be a Dodge Aspen Volare edition.

http://www.chrysler.com/aspen/

now, I know that it is merely a rebodied Durango, but it really is kinda nice looking.

My only question is:  do you think the Aspen name was a wise choice considering the previous vehicles that the name conjures up?

Im 22, the aspen name means nothing to me, but that SUV looks like a joke.

I believe it's correct that the GMT-900 pickups are debuting at the Texas State Fair. But that isn't until the end of September:      http://www.bigtex.com/

Youre probobly right about the date, I was told they will debut at the texas auto show from someone working for GM. Apparently GM learned its lesson from the Tahoe and Escalade leak, and there not letting Anyone see the new trucks until the show.

Anyone have any updates on the production schedules for the new trucks?

last I heard was septemberish, theyre going to debut at a Texas Auto show in April I believe.

FWI: I ripped this from another forum, where im assuming it was ripped from somewhere else. So I have no idea where the info actully came from.

ah, i couldnt tell, i posted the entire article in the camaro forum if u guys want more background on the camaro concept

Full-size modeling in Studio X

Studio X design team led by Tom Peters

The interior team overseen by Roustemis “didn’t want to be too influenced by the ‘69” and consequently found an appropriately contemporary direction early on, their ideas also informing the resolution of external details such as the badge’s orange key-line and use of brushed aluminum.

In place of the exterior’s fighter-jet bias, the designers were influenced by analog Diesel watches, and carried the deep-dish theme from the steering wheel to the cluster gauges.

Final rendering by Lead Interior Designer Micah Jones

Deep-dish gauges become reality

Full-size interior clay modelling in progress

Show car interior before trim applied

Lighting emphasises orange interior accents

Body being readied for show

NOTE: what is that SUV in the background?

Scowled expression blends with tense surfaces

n November, designers in GM became aware of Dodge’s project to reinvent the Challenger, an arguably more retrospective solution. In deciding to not follow the original Camaro too closely, GM has convincingly upstaged its rival by revealing a fresh approach despite familiar themes. Though some designers CDN spoke with consider the front's central crease still too faithful to the second-generation car, the overall reception was very favourable, and the interior in particular was one of the highlights of the show.

Selected proposal from Design North Studio, Michigan

Third-scale model from California studio

Wraparound-screen and softer sculpting from UK studio

Work on Design North full-size before June review

Full-size modelling created a taut, mechanical feel, the pointed nose of the Californian scale model lifted to give a sharper plan-view. The band-graphic of the original car was also retained, but with a more aggressive, street-fighter attitude.

At the rear, there is a similar strip-theme as used by Design North on one of their scale clays. But while that used dark trim for contrast, the show car does away with this to let the surface do the talking instead.

During a late-summer showdown between the two proposals, Ed Welburn chose the more aggressive Studio X proposal as the theme for final development, calling it “the hardest decision I have made since being named vice president for GM Design.”

From this review the interior, from designer Julien Montousse based at GM’s California based Advanced Design Centre, was very well regarded and chosen to help inform, via several digital models, the first full-size model. Montousse was brought from California to Michigan to aid in its development, joining a team that included Interior Design Director Jeff Perkins, Interior Design Manager Christos Roustemis and lead designer Micah Jones. Work began on the buck during springtime.

Diesel watches used to inspire interior switchgear

Sketch rendering from GM Advanced Design Center, California

A number of key exterior sketches were also selected from the March review: GM Advanced studios in California and the UK each produced several, with others coming from the main Advanced Design North studio in Michigan. These solutions were developed in clay as third-scale models for several more weeks, representing different possible directions before going into full-size. The proposal by Design North, overseen by Bob Boniface, was relatively conservative with less contrast between surfaces than the more exaggerated proposal from California, though both demonstrated a clear affinity to the original ’69. One clay from Coventry is made distinctive by the F-22-inspired screen and softer side sculpting, while the front features a lower graphic that pulls the hood below the arches.

Early concept sketch from California previews the final car

Early concept sketch by Sangyup Lee

At this stage, the proposal from Design North was most favored until a review in June caused things to turn around: Ed Welburn, during a review of the full-size mock-ups, asked to see a second version with more reach. In response to this, a small team working in Studio X, an isolated basement studio in Warren, took up the task under the control of Tom Peters, Director of Design RWD Performance Vehicles. The team at Studio X included designers Sangyup Lee, Steve Kim and Vladimir Kapitonov.

Given this decision, Peters' team worked through the early summer to reach new solutions. In late July there was a review of the Studio X sketch proposals by the design leadership team that comprises of Tom Peters, Ed Welburn and Executive Directors of Design Ann Asensio, Michael Simcoe, Jeff Perkins and David Rand. This evaluation culminated in work beginning immediately on a full-size clay without the typical intermediate scale-model stage.

Ever since Ford reinvented the Mustang for today’s market, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors have conspicuously been without their own retro hero. In a bid to potentially tap into this market, both Dodge and Chevrolet unveiled such concepts at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show: the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro.

The Camaro was first introduced in 1966 as a 1967 model, continuing in various iterations until 2002. Now, the Camaro badge has been resurrected to sit on what was one of the main attractions of last month’s show.

The Camaro project was launched shortly after the 2005 Detroit Auto Show at the beginning of last year. The brief called for a reinterpretation of the original ’69 Camaro using the same 2+2 layout, with the potential for sharing existing components. It was open to proposals from every GM design studio, including those outside America.

As exterior designer Vladimir Kapitonov commented to Car Design News “at one stage everyone in GM was sketching the Camaro.” But it was hardly a project that required much arm-twisting: despite being out of production for four years, the Camaro remains a popular personal vehicle amongst the designers, engineers and others at GM for their daily commutes, and it was GM Vice-President of Global DesignEd Welburn’s own ’69 model that was brought into the studio for reference.

The first generation Camaro was noteworthy for its band front-graphic with contained lamps, before the expression became more open. It was also a three-box coupe, rather than the fastback two-box of later models, with a distinctive low horizon-line on the body-side. These cues were mixed with those from the fighter jets and other high performance vehicles during the sketching stage during February 2005, the first review scheduled in March. Themes identified within this period included the twin cropped rear lights, strong cab/flank contrast, plus the two-part side fender treatment.

Second-generation Camaro also influential during initial stage

I found this on another website about designing the camaro concept. Can anyone identify this suv in the background though?