Jump to content
Create New...

Cortazzo

Members
  • Posts

    65
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Cortazzo

  1. Really like the looks of the 355s, wanted to get one but they are pretty expensive once you include basic options like power windows/doors etc and if you require 4x4 which I would. I don't think the engines are the problem, I think the price is. I still don't understand why GM would take the time to develop the 4 and 5 cyl engines in such small quantities when they have very good ecotechs and such. I'm sure the torque of a DoD 3.9 with flexfuel would be a natural choice instead of the current 5. The Ranger would be much more formidable to the 355s if Ford actually put some powertrains that weren't terribly outclassed. But I suppose the largers Tacomas and Frontiers are the watermark now.
  2. But don't you know that you are a certified genius if you buy a Toyota? Toyota is very clear about that fact. After driving an automatic for my driving life to now having a stick shift car, I don't think I could go back. Even on faster cars (that I have driven) like my dad's A6, it feels sluggish off the line. The GS300 he had before that felt even more sluggish off the line, it would take a full second or two for the trans to downshift and give you forward motion. Let me slip that clutch and take off, thank you very much!
  3. Wow, that is AN AMAZING interior. The fake wood looks fantastic, Just as good as any recent BMW IMO. If this is what GM can do when they put their mind to it, gosh, they are as good as anyone out there!!!
  4. A very handsome car, it must be new the malibu as we've heard numerous reports that the Malibu will grow to better compete with Camry and allow Impala to go RWD and do battle with the 300 and Charger. Engine lineup, 3.5 and 3.6 with 6 speed autos all around?
  5. The deal makes sense because there really isn't that much overlap. Nissan sells the bulk of their cars in Japan, Gm in the USA, and Renault in Europe. Yes, Nissan sells many cars in the USA, but their market share is only a few percent. If they can collaborate on technology and platform sharing, it should theoretically reduce costs for all parties and make them more competitive. But I didn't really understand this deal to be a merger of sorts, more of a strategic alliance. A merger would be far messier and probably less beneficial to GM. An alliance on the other hand would allow GM to keep their structure and identity, but lower costs and R&D. For those that suggested that GM and Ford team up rather than this, there could be anti-trust issues considering how anti-detroit this administration is. And do you really want GM to have ANYTHING to do with Ford's management structure??? They are by far the worst in the industry IMO.
  6. I'm surprised how even the pros and cons are on this site, considering the rabid reaction I got on another popular GM fan site for saying I thought the alliance was a good business decision. This would be not much more than a technology/purchasing alliance where the 3 parties would develop joint platforms and powertrains and share costs on things like diesel nad hybrid development. It's smart, and it will help GM produce better vehicles for less $. I'd welcome GM utilizing more european small car platforms and Nissans RWD platform for small/medium sized cars to fill out holes in its lineup w/o reinventing the wheel. But i'd ultimately hope that the 3 could use eachothers best practices to improve, especially GM in the areas of platform development/sharing, powertrain utilization, and supplier relations. Nissan excels in these areas, and GM could have a lot to gain. From the tone of Nissan/Renault's response statements, it looks like it would welcome an additional partner, not a takeover targer. So GM would probably also buy a piece of the partner companies as well, so there is no dominant party. Then they can buy common components and develop platforms that will spread R&D costs of millions and millions of units, and we can all beat back the onslaught that is Toyota.
  7. Yeah, but who wants a GP anyway? http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/style...icons/icon4.gif http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/style...icons/icon4.gif
  8. Good points made by all on the coupe market. There is a market for it, but not in the 80k+ volumes. I think there is plenty of room for Camaro, 100k is a little high, but if it brings conquest buyers then it's completely possible. The difference today is in the demographics, in the 80s and 90s boomers had lots of children who were growing up and getting too big to fit in the back of their coupes, so the sedan/suv/minivan craze started. All of those people that bought these cars don't need all of that utility anymore, and would be attracted to a creatively packaged hot looking product. A RWD/AWD fullsize coupe might attract this kind of buyer, considering there isn't really any competition in the full size non luxury coupe market. I'm not saying they'd sell 100k a year of these, but 40 or 50 is certainly in the cars if GM can afford to make that many to piggyback off the Impala (which they only plan to sell 150-170k of in RWD guise anyway). Obviously more than a camaro and a full size coupe in the chevy lineup is crazy, only MB can get away with such uselessly overlapping products). On the other hand, they can just make the Impala a really swoopy 4 door and keep everyone happy.
  9. There is a market for two coupes, but GM has to work hard to keep the variable costs low so they don't need a ton of volume to make it work. There are a ton of retiring baby boomers who will have lots of $ and no kids at home to cart around anymore. They won't buy camaros, because they won't want the low ride height and tighter quarters that a camaro (or mustang) provide. However, a sexy two door that has generous room and a v8 might appeal to that aging demographic more than the lackluster current monte does. As a young man, I bought myself a small two door coupe, my older dad loves how it looks, but would never get one for himself, it's too small for him. But if he had the disposable money to get something hot and relatively comfy, he'd probably buy it.
  10. I had a 96 Jimmy that had similar waterpump and head gasket problems, i like the truck and the torque of the 4.3, but it was a POS with numberous problems in the few years I had it (from 60k-85k miles). I know a lot of GM engines from the mid to late 90s had head gasket problems, i wonder if it WAS from the dexcool??
  11. For light duty I would go ford, for HD either chevy or dodge because the powerstroke is just too damned trouble prone. My uncle uses Ford trucks for his contracting business and he says they are built to withstand amazing amounts of punishment. I remember when the new Ram came out, I asked him if he liked it and he said, "Have you seen how thin a dodge frame is?! I don't think so!"
  12. Cortazzo

    ....

    That car looks awfully big to be a Malibu, that's a genuine full size car there, look at how long the doors are! It looks like a BWM 7 in size to my eyes at least. And I didn't figure GM to adjust the Malibu wheelbase until the platform change in a few years yet, so if it's a malibu, it looks awfully big to me. But then again, it's way too early to see NG impala cars in that level of finish...
  13. Cortazzo

    Death of the V8?

    You do make legit points, v8s aren't needed to move around even larger cars like they were in the 60s/70s. What I would counter with is, the affordable v8 engine is the american tradition. The N* isn't exactly a budget powerplant, and is a very expensive stepup for the SRX and STS. Same with all Luxo v8 engines, you have to really pay a lot of the privilage. Some have made the claim that as detroit stopped building large rwd/v8 cars, many consumers switched to trucks that were RWD/v8 equipped. I think a great marketing/pr move would be (specifically for GM) to downsize the next generation of LS engines, utilize 3v heads and all the applicable engine technology like DoD and VVT to make a small displacement variation that would be suitable as a powerful and efficient step-up motor in RWD or FWD passenger cars instead of a larger displacement v6 (like the 3.9). The inherent smoothness of the v8 is unquestioned, and consumers desire to drive a vehicle with a v8 engine is very strong. Save for the last year when 4 bangers gained the most share, v8s have been gaining for years on the backs of pickups, SUVs, and even new passenger cars like the LX cars from chrysler. If you can make a v8 that gets at least comperable power to a top shelf v6 (300hp in todays market), but keep displacements relatively low (in the 3-4L range) and use available technology to keep economy high, and focus on economy, you could have a strong differentiation tool for domestic producers. People are gaga over Hemi, I don't see why a serious infusion of hitech LS engines wouldn't produce the same effect. They may not be a necessity in today's market, but if developed with passenger cars in mind instead of trucks, you could have a domestic resurgence of the cylinder layout.
  14. Cortazzo

    Death of the V8?

    I've posted this before here and elsewhere in the GM community, but I think the v8 could be the savior of the domestic sedan market. Before I state anything else, look at the Charger, Magnum, and 300C, the HEMI is a gigantic sales tool, and people are ponying up lots of dough for the top level trim packages to get it. A few points: *v8s are popular with guys, if a car has a v8, even if it's more family vehicle oriented, it will at least have some appeal and be a good compromise vehicle with the wife *large production v8s are pretty much an American exclusive. They are strongly associated with the 'golden age' of cars in the 60s and early 70s, and those feelings of nastolgia are particularly strong with baby boomers as shown in the super high values of old muscle cars *the japanese won't follow suite, as they'll stick with their bread and butter large v6s for most situations. *GM happens to build one of the best v8 engine familes around, not to mention its as powerful, more efficient, smaller, and lighter than competing v8s (and lighter and smaller than some v6s!) Beyond that, a v8 is not a necessity, and it hasn't been in 15 years even in larger cars. But it is something that is very desirable, and people are willing to pay more for the grunt off the line and the bragging rights. Now, how can these sentiments play out for GM? Well, GM only happens to have the greatest mass production v8 family in the industry. What they need to do is shrink displacement to between 3.5-5L, add the 3 valve heads for greater power/efficiency, and make them the available on all sorts of passenger cars and trucks as a replacement for large v6s. A pushrod v8 is compact and lightweight, probably moreso than many of these hipo v6s that are sported by nissan and toyota. HP doesn't need to be much greater than these larger v6s, but tune them for great efficiency with DoD and the 3v heads.
  15. We use e85 because 100 percent ethanol would have difficulty lighting during the winter months in norther states. Brazil on the other hand offers 100% ethanol, because they don't get nearly as cold winters as we do in the northern US. I was watching Meet the Press the other day and they were talking about oil and such. The democrat on the panel, dick durban from Ill was pro ethanol, but refused to consider dropping the tariff on imported ethanol to protect the nascent domestic industry. I don't think the politicians promote ethanol as a way to wean us off oil, they just do it to give money to their farmer constituents in the midwest. Considering that, I still think it's a great way to promote domestic fuel sources, and combined with biodiesel which i hope gains just as much publicity and growth as ethanol, can go a long way towards shrinking our imported oil usage. Also considering that, only 50% of all oil in the US goes towards gasoline, the other half goes to heating oil and chemical usage in things like plastics and other synthetic materials. And oppossing popular belief, i think only 7% of our electrical power comes from oil fired generators, during the 70s oil crisis we basically converted to mostly coal, with a significant nuclear presence as well.
  16. If they open an e85 station within 10 miles of my house I'd happily trade in for a flex fuel vehicle and flip the bird to these unstable oil producing nations like Iran and Venezuela. I think the best solution would be for Ford and GM to make a deal with the government, where they get an X year tax break in return for 80-100% flexfuel vehicle production. If nearly half of all new cars being sold are flexfuel, a lot of station owners would sign up for e85 i bet.
  17. I happen to think the Malibu and Maxx with the new front end are very handsome cars. The interior is acceptable in the new black option, but looks pretty bad in grey and beige. If I needed basic transportation it would be my car considering the price and size, and you get amazing economy. But I don't need basic transportation yet, i'm in my nonpractical two door phase of life! A manual transmission would go a long way to make the base car more palitable for people looking for a cheap ride, there are a lot of cars i would consider if they had a manual option, but are just too bland with an automatic (like any compact).
  18. Why would you want a Northstar? The new smallblocks are much more powerful, have advanced features like DoD, and get better fuel economy. Besides, the buicks are so stuffed full of insulation that the smoothness advantage of the northstar might be a moot point. Maybe by the time the Zetas actually hit the road, GM will come out with 3 valve heads for the LS engines and shrink displacement to offer class leading economy out of powerful v8 engines! :-D
  19. I used to be a big Ford (Lincoln) fan, but they threw away that brand's credibility in the market place with uninspiring products and designs. They had the answer for lincoln based on their late 90s concept cars (MkIX and contintental), but they squandered it 4 turnarounds ago. They have the worst product planners in the industry, they come out with hit products, then let them rot instead of significantly improving them to keep up with competition. The Escape, Focus, Lincoln LS, Navigator, Taurus, Ranger were all class leading products at one time, but for some reason Ford decided to let them implode instead of cashing in on the brands they've created and keeping their products relevant.
  20. I read that zeta has gained a lot of weight, the last thing we need in an era of increased scrutiny on fuel economy. I have confidence based on the quality of the product coming out now that GM's new products will be really great. And I'm glad they finally decided to focus on desirable volume products. Their niche strategy of vehicles like the SSR and the kappas, while cool vehicles, won't make GM profitable again.
  21. Makes a lot of sense if they don't build a pontiac sedan to replace the grand prix there. I think oshawa has 400k unit capacity. Between impala and camaro that would be 300-350k units w/ enough extra for a buick or something. I had hope that gm could squeeze camaro in one of its many sites w/ its flexible prodduction system before my 2009, but i guess not.
  22. I do agree with you 100% on this point. GM is in the envious position of having the most well known v8 family in existence, well, maybe HEMI is close, but small block chevy is huge. I'd love to see a 3v version seriously shrunken to 3-5 liters, let it rev freely and give it DoD, maybe even DI if its compatible. This will make a 300hp engine that can knock down 30+ mpg hiway no problem. Plus the natural smoothness of the v8 configuration will trump that of turbo 4s and larger 6s, and the pushrods natural advantages of size and weight and cost to produce would make it a very fun and viable domestic alternative to an import 3.5L v6 for example. To me this seems like an obvious move for GM, especially in a full line of RWD passenger cars. Wouldn't you rather have a hitech v8 powerplant for the same cost as a competitors DOHC v6?
  23. I think the 9-3 is an amazing car, very fuel efficient, stylish, good handling, you can get a manual trans. I also like the TSX, another efficient car with great handling. Premium small car is where this nation is going, that's why BMW/Mini, and VW/Audi have reall grown in popularity. Once the Astra gets here, hopefully Saturn will be able to step up to the plate. But i think the 9-3 (which only bases at like 26k for what used to be the mid level trim) is a great deal and would meet your needs very well. One thing that most people don't really consider is just to go slower. On the highway, i made a 3 hour trip two ways, on th eweay up i was going 70-80, and the way back i was going 65, for the whole trip i averaged 31+mpg in my v6 tiburon, the EPA is 26 hiway. If I stuck to 65 going both ways that would probably be 33, 34mpg i'd guess. Sure it sucked that people were blowing by me, but i made the whole trip on one tank of gas! :-D
  24. The beauty of these multi speed transmissions is that you can cruise at high speeds and still get great economy. most people don't drive 55/60 on the highway, they drive 70/75. That sixth gear can be high enough to give you 55 economy at 75. Or if a car doesn't have a huge torque band, the close ratio of gears can keep the engine 'on boil' in it's peak zone to deliver better performance. CVT is probably the best answer, but most people find them a little odd to drive. I personally wish I had an extra gear on my Tiburon, if I'm on a long hiway trip i'd rather cruise at 2k rpm as opposed to the 3k rpm i do if I'm cruising at 70 mph.
×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings