ZL-1

Saab website: you can see a list of countries there. I think the reasoning here is that while volume is low, the foot is through the door in all those countries so it's probably better value-wise to use that to increase global sales (probably pair Cadillac/Corvette/Hummer with Saab to increase awareness of the American brands wherever the market supports them) than to invest in making Pontiac profitable again, especially when AFAIK Pontiac is sold in US/Canada/Mexico only. GM is predicting that 80% of the industry volume growth will happen in emerging markets (read Russia, Central Asia, China, Latin America, Africa, Middle East) over the next 5 years, so that's where brand expansion and eventually capacity investment will be going. With such a disparity in growth rates mature markets like the US and Western Europe are going sideways. As for the GM = GME, I'll let PCS explain/defend that whenever he feels like it. He's a big boy and he can explain/defend his remarks whenever he feels like doing so.

L.A. I was reading this on the L.A. times website: a 235 point game! Must have been great to watch.

I4 not V4 :AH-HA_wink:

Have you asked yourself 'what if Saab can be made proftable at 150K Worldwide sales (growing where demand is growing) and Pontiac cannot be made profitable at 250K US/NA (mature markets going sideways) sales'? I'm not saying that is the answer, but it could be one possible answer to invest in Saab instead of Pontiac. One that would make economic/business sense: you're faced with 2 money losing brands, you take a look at where each brand can go in terms of profit and global reach, and you make decisions based on that. I also think people should stop this damn whining re GME: It's the GM board making big decisions, not Mr. Lutz, not Mr. CPF, not Mr. PCS, and not even Mr. Wagoner alone that make these decisions.

You probably know this: Is this the new Japanese market Teana, or a reskinned current-generation Teana?

Let me pull a question out of my ass: How much exactly would you be willing to pay for the V8?

IIRC, Cadillac/Corvette/Hummer and Saab will be paired in the UK. I think it would be interesting to have those two different flavours paired, even if separate showrooms are a must (consolidation can be done in repair shops and dealer corporate functions while keeping separate showroom locations). On the other hand, I understand the rationale behind pairing Saturn/Saab in the US: it's the Euro-flavoured equivalent of BPG, with Saab being kind of a Euro Buick: the upscale brand below King Cadillac.

Good I know the Vibe is a Toyota under the skin, but I want to send good vibes to everyone

Did you take any more pics of the Provoq, Z28?

Wasn't it Lutz himself that said GM would be raising prices to dry up demand for larger engines? I'm thinking Camaro fans should get ready: the car won't be as cheap as people expect it to be, especially on V8 models.

I have a huge soft spot for Saab as well. I like the refresehed 9-3 and I wish a 5-door 9-3 hatch had been part of the plan.

News

Green green mohawk = perfect way for a teen to shock mom&dad

Indiana Google rules,

No, it shows who's in a weaker position. GM's CFO presentation to analysts a few days ago has an estimate of a USD 2-3bn negative impact on liquidity if US sales drop by 1 million units, assuming constant US market share. An even bigger drop in sales will surely have a more than proportional effect on GM's cash generation and cash position, which are GM's nr.1 priority, financially. Ford and Chrysler are facing the same issues, while Toyota has been on the rise. It's only natural that the news interest/focus is on companies that have the greatest challenges ahead, especially those that are trying to execute/consolidate turnarounds in a difficult economic environment.

The yellow Opel GT should not have that ugly spoiler.

shock

Let the good times roll, eh? Judging from the country Buick owes it's continuity to, I think they should be writing names in Mandarin and not in French. Maybe the NG LaCrosse should be called the Buick Shanghai

:rotflmao: Laugh

Oui, but still their fascination still puzzles me. I believe that in the case of Buick they're attaching French names to the cars because of the perception of France as 'elegant' (the fashion shows, design, and so on). The Calais and Lucerne names puzzle me. What's so special about the cities of Calais and Lucerne?

GM has so many names in its history to pick from, that one day one could very well see a car named the Saturn Calais International Series! What I don't get is GM's fascination with French-soundign names: Calais, LaCrosse, Lucerne, Rendevouz, LeSabre... I wonder if a black Corvette with white longitudinal stripes wouldn't end up being called the Corvette LePew

Chris Doane should be complimented for snapping the '09 XLR-V pics that are on Autoblog. Good work, sir!

Zoo