ZL-1

crap

Hyundai is very interesting as they seem to be walking a very quick learning curve. I have nothing but admiration for their progress as a company.

As sad as the possible (imminent?) demise of Pontiac is, it may not be a 'surrender mentality' but instead a 'pick your battles mentality'... sometimes one has to turn one's back and move on without fighting.

Jesus Christ! Those are American workers, working as hard as any Detroit 3 workers to provide for their families. Who cares if they work at a Toyota plant that was awarded a subsidy or tax credit?! And, for comparison purposes, what is the list of subsidies and tax credits GM/Ford/Chrysler have received?

Another idea for an ideal World is the idea of SAAB positioned in parallel with Buick. It could work very well: 2 brands between Chevrolet and Cadillac, one offering an American-premium "flavour", the other Scandinavian-premium "design appeal".

Bentley Continental GT passed me on the motorway tonight...

To my eyes it clearly isn't... if both the SRX and the 9-4X arrive with stellar build quality, they can start making a few dents on the RX's reign. IMHO.

I don't know if want a SAAB completely folded into GM... Using GM's engineering and production resources is great, and it helps to lower SAAB's breakeven point, but there has to remain something unique to it. It cannot be run as an old-GM brand. To me SAAB would be today's "young turks" brand, but with a focus in environmentally-friendly luxury and performance. Something Cadillac (as well as the BMW/Mercedes/Audi trio) cannot replicate. And, more importantly, the money to do it? I agree that in essence only Chevrolet seems to be safe. Even Cadillac is pretty much non-existant outside of North AMerica and lacks the reach a global company like GM shoule have on the premium-luxury segment...

Postman Pat

They've lost plenty of money in NA too, so why not break the NA operations apart and sell it off in pieces?

arrested

fracture

pain

I'd do a full 9-3 range on Delta II (would there be a need for a 9-4X in this context or would a X-Over at around 4.6m long do the trick?) and the 9-5 on SWB Epsilon II.. The roadster would be FWD-based: a modern day SAAB Sonnet would be very cool! EDIT - Unfortunately, I think SAAB will die.

aahhh

eww

It would have been if it was paired with Cadillac on a premium-luxury channel: minimum (barely incremental) investment and additional coverage. But again, GM never knew what to do with SAAB: they bought it, as little kids say, "just because".

The only complaints I have read re the Insignia is about some lower dash plastics. I don't think it's behind that Honda Accord known to you in NA as the Acura TSX.

debate

Because GM never had a clue on how to manage and develop a brand like SAAB?

cap

lesbian today's stereotyping award is mine, mwhahaha

Agreed on the S-Class: too Maybach wannabe. I don't dislike the C-Class butt that much. The think I find funny about the C-Class is that every time I look at one I think 'the guy who designed that front-end must have designed the Holden Statesman/Caprice's front-end too'.