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Sorry, your being in Manhattan on that day gives you no credentials. On the other hand, I do trust the firemen and police who saw, felt and heard the explosions. Don't take my word for it, read what the physicists and logicians are writing: http://www.amazon.com/11-American-Empire-I...TF8&s=books 9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out Book Description Practically from the moment the dust settled in New York and Washington after the attacks of September 11, a movement has grown of survivors, witnesses, and skeptics who have never quite been able to accept the official story. When theologian David Ray Griffin turned his attention to this topic in his book The New Pearl Harbor (2003), he helped give voice to a disquieting rumble of critiques and questions from many Americans and people around the world about the events of that day. Were the military and the FAA really that incompetent? Were our intelligence-gathering agencies really in the dark about such a possibility? In short, how could so much go wrong at once, in the world's strongest and most technologically sophisticated country? Both the government and the mainstream media have since tried to portray the 9/11 truth movement as led by people who can be dismissed as "conspiracy theorists" able to find an outlet for their ideas only on the internet. This volume, with essays by intellectuals from Europe and North America, shows this caricature to be untrue. Coming from different intellectual disciplines as well as from different parts of the world, these authors are united in the conviction that the official story about 9/11 is a huge deception manufactured to extend imperial control at home and abroad. Contributors include Richard Falk, Daniele Ganser, David Ray Griffin, Steven E. Jones, Karin Kwiatkowski, John McMurtry, Peter Phillips, Morgan Reynolds, Kevin Ryan, Peter Dale Scott, Ola Tunander. About the Author Peter Dale Scott is a former Canadian diplomat and professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. His most recent book is Drugs, Oil, and War: The United States in Afghanistan, Colombia, and Indochina. His next book is entitled The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America. A poet, he was a winner in 2002 of the Lannan Poetry Award.

I'm not surprised. Popular Mechanics also went out of its way to publish an article and a followup book "debunking" the belief (that many educated people have now) that World Trade Center Buildings 1, 2 and 7 fell because of prepositioned explosives. The book and article are full strawman arguments. Hard to say what their motivation was in publishing such lightweight garbage. I wonder what their motivation is in ranking 2 pretty good Japanese trucks over their arguably better domestic competition?

Love the hood scoops. It's one of the few heritage design elements that Pontiac can call it's own and that has been relatively continuous for a very long time (even if used questionably in more than a few cases). Not crazy, though, about this JC Whitney clear taillight trend (Aveo, Fusion, etc). No matter, this car will be a sold-out hit a la Solstice.

With the Zeta Impala not ready for a couple years or so it should be interesting to see how Chevy positions the W-Impala. This new Malibu seems to have everything the Impala has (and more) except 6 passenger seating and a V-8. Maybe we'll see a heavier tilting of Impala SS and bench-seat Impys while we mark time for Zeta? New Malibu handles the high volume mid-market just fine.

I traded my '97 Explorer in for a second-gen '99 Honda Odyssey when they first came out. The reason? We just had our second child and were tired of the little space between the headliner and the back seats once a baby seat or child seat was installed. You ran the risk of bumping the baby's head on the door opening and it was exhausting. The Odyssey's big sliders and lower ground clearance eliminated this nuisance. The Explorer's ride was also a little bumpy. Those were the two main reasons for switching. However, if these Lambdas were available back then I might have considered them. They probably won't have a true body-on-frame SUV's seat cushion to headliner space problem and lifting infants in will be a lot easier. Couple that with a quiet, comfortable ride and excellent space and you have a winner. GM doesn't need a minivan.

he he he... This is a cynical comment by Toyota in an attempt to: #1 sound more American than Japanese ("our sin is that we made it too big, i.e. "American"), and #2 explain ahead of time why it is that their new, bigger and "better" SUV bites the dust sales-wise Don't mistake this for Toyota being candid.

I doubt that the Zetas will have column shifts and front bench seats available. Just doesn't seem worth the investment given where preferences are headed.

Having owned both FWD and RWD (including BMW), I can say that in 99% of driving situations it doesn't matter. What matters, in reality, is how an overall package works between stoplights, on the highway and in the parking lot. GM's new cars are bashed undeservedly by the major press (and the minor too as seen at TTAC). Golden child is not a racial reference.

An American luxury car is not an "American luxury car" unless it's on a "RWD chassis?" I guess we have to throw out 20 years of FWD DeVille, Riviera, Electra, Park Avenue, Ninety-Eight history. Along with 25 years of FWD Seville history. And nearly 40 years of FWD Toronado/Aurora and Eldorado history. Despite being despised by Car and Driver, etc., all of these cars were priced like luxury cars and routinely outsold the "superior," more austere German competition. Again, more nonsense from the golden child.

No wonder auto journalists get no respect. And this guy isn't even a real journalist - just one of Bob "GM Death Watch 8000" Farago's up-and-coming minions. Firstly, please ditch the frickin cooking metaphors. Jeez, Linda Merrymood (or whatever her name was) was doing this back in the 80s at Car and Driver. And every dimwitted Audi-sucking twit car magazine writer has been copying it since. Canadian Driver is less offensive in this regard (although not totally innocent). This doesn't seem to bother the Impala's satisfied customers one bit. And gold-standard Charger is a sales disappointment - the "new Lumina" outsells it 2.5 to 1. Maybe more people think the Impala looks better? Or maybe it's the Charger's slathered-in-plastic interior? Which bring brings me to the Impala's interior. What is so uncomfortable and uninviting about the Impala? Compared to what? An Audi A6? Is the drab Accord or Altima your idea of inviting? As a Honda owner, I can tell you that nothing so hard as a Honda perch makes your legs fall asleep faster. And GM's fake wood, at this price point, is at least as believable as any other manufacturer's. And get f___ real -- who really thinks the wood is real to begin with? Do they even care? Next thing we'll hear from the auto journalist wannabe-brain trust is that the cowhide grain on GM dashboards is fake and that the car is no good because it doesn't have real leather for a dash covering!!! What did you expect it to do? Come complete with pop-up strippers? Tires larger than that often come at a ride comfort disadvantage, and the replacements are more expensive. See, GM realizes that a lot of buyers prefer cost savings down the road and comfort at the expense of skidpad (which I don't have in my neighborhood) results. Yeah, next time I'll "upgrade" to a 4-cylinder Accord. And don't try to tell me that it's a high quality 4 cylinder. Sorry Buck, I've owned one and I can tell you that they shake the steering column at idle and get worse with age. Sorry, not to take anything away from the Accord, but the Impala in its basic trims is an excellent value that also happens to drive down the road with a little less effort than a price-comparable 4-cylinder Camry, Accord or Altima. By the way, since you guys at TTAC aren't in the same elite league as Yates, Davis, Csere, and you probably actually have to buy your own iron, what do you drive (and if you have a wife and minor kids what do they drive)?

"Didn't people doubt Saturn's turnaround for the longest time, and Caddies at that?" Not so fast. Saturn hasn't turned anything around yet. Need to see sales and profits first. And Cadillac isn't exactly setting the world on fire, especially with the STS and SRX.

GMC, thanks for taking the time to put your thoughts down. There's no easy solution to this problem. I used to think that ridding Pontiac was a good idea too. But the only result I foresee is lost sales and opportunities. Contrary to popular belief, Pontiac has never been a straight-out, balls-to-the-wall performance nameplate. Sure, it's had the Trans Am and a number of very powerful offerings in the 1960s. But for every fuel injected 1957 Bonneville sold many lesser Star Chiefs were delivered. Same with GTOs and Tempests, Firebirds and Sunbirds, etc. The nice but not total-performance G6 vies with the equally tepid Grand Prix for sales dominance at Pontiac, not the outgoing GTO. In modern history, Pontiac has been a middle of the road brand with a sprinkle of sport or performance. Yes, Pontiac and Buick and Chevrolet share a lot of common mechanicals. What still distinguishes them, though, is styling. Just ask yourself, how would you feel pulling up to a family barbecue in a G6 versus a Malibu? Do you think people would look at you differently? Don't discount the power of vanity. Styling plays a HUGE role here, and unique styling is still something that is within the economics bounds for high-volume platforms like Epsilon and Zeta. So, Pontiac will pull in buyers simply on styling. What else? One word: distribution. The fact that any given Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealer occupies several acres of dirt on "Auto Row" will draw buyers in. And dealers advertise too. Most importantly, Pontiac/Buick/GMC salespeople need to feed their families. Personal selling is very important in this business and GM has more feet on the street than anyone. So, Pontiac has an excellent dealer channel, sporty styling, good value and in some cases outstanding performance. Could Chevrolet do all this? Sure. But the Pontiac brand name and dealers are already in place. To give that up would only forfeit sales. The only reason I see for axing Pontiac or any other brand is if GM cannot make profits with that brand.

Maybe the G6 is getting sealegs and cannibalizing a bit??? Sales are up 45% so far this year: 92,278 this year versus 63,532 last yr. That W backseat isn't helping.

If GM tacks on Pontiac front and rear clips to the "new" Australian designs, the next GTO and Grand Prix will flop like the old GTO (great car wrapped in boring styling). The Australians sure do like their styling bland! A heapin helping of American please. Hold the Eurosauce!

Well, if GM decided to offer a Buick coupe I wouldn't complain. But forget it if building it means losing money. "Super Ultra Electra" is tongue-in-cheek of course. But some 1950s-type "over-the-top" names would add a bit of sparkle to an otherwise dull market. 1950s and 60s hope and optimism would go a long way towards quickly rebuilding Buick's image. And Buick is one of the few nameplates that has the genuine heritage to pull it off. "Lucerne" is OK, but "Super Special Electra Flowmaster Flash Ultra" is more exciting.

Actually, this makes sense. The near luxury coupe market isn't what it was 20 years or even 10 years ago. The Baby Boomers in their peak earnings years prefer SUVs and near lux sedans. The coupe market today is about either about performance or economical sportiness - not "luxury." So, Pontiac handles coupes exclusively and gets some needed brand definition while Buick likewise handles the comfortable sedan versions of the same platforms. I can't imagine Pontiac giving up on 4 doors however. Buick, like Acura and Lexus, doesn't need a $30K - $40K halo coupe. The gracefully-styled powerful new 2010 Super Ultra Electra will make us all forget the Riv.

Marketing-wise, GM's practice of continuing to sell the new model alongside the old (Malibu/Classic, Trailblazer/Blazer) or discontinuing the old model months before the new one is ready (what Saturn was about to do with Ion/Astra and what Dollinger says is going to happen with Rendezvous/Enclave) is bushleague. Maybe this is how GM must do things to make money? And, sure, I understand that Buick is in transition. But it would be nice to see GM get its timing right on like Honda and Toyota. This also applies to nameplates. Why not some good old-fashioned continuity?

BTW, how is it that The Truth About Cars blog aka GM Death Watch gets invited at GM expense to take a second look at one of its new models while Cheers and Gears primarily relies on dealership drives and rental car experiences to "test" the new iron? Maybe I missed it, but does Cheers and Gears get a crack at the new model motor pool? Does Buick figure that if it can soften its biggest critic, TTAC, it can win everyone else over?

Golden boy Sajeev Mehta has written another underhanded review of Buick. Like much of the "buff press," he writes like his real-world car buying experience is limited to what mommy and daddy drive. Cars in the real world are about more than how fast you can go around a downhill corner. There's also, among other things, comfort for a family (not just your girlfriend) and overall value to consider. If these auto writers (what are Mehta's qualifications anyway?) had their way we'd all be driving around in kidney jarring, hard perched, over-engineered and over-priced Euro traps. He is right, though, about the CXL being a little more Buicky than the CXS. For me, more chrome and comfort the better. P.S. He's right, thankfully, Buick will never be a Lexus (a perfectly dull styled carbon copy of a Camry or Benz depending on the model). http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=2037 Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that a less-than-flattering Buick Lucerne review would score me a road test reprise on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Thanks to an internet-savvy Buick flackmeister determined to show me the light, the deal went down. Of course, RF pointed out that a junket courtesy of a diss-missed manufacturer was not without its dangers: brow-beating, brainwashing, alcohol poisoning and/or failed brakes. So I brought my Mom. The five Buick Lucernes parked outside our hotel were a thing of beauty. Waxed to perfection, the factory orange peel provided reasonable reassurance that our press cars weren’t specially prepped ringers. As the Lucerne's Product manager gave us the usual product demo, I fixated on the Magnaride exhibit. Like sand in an hourglass, two saimesed syringes filled with Magnaride's iron-goo morph from maple-syrup smooth to unyielding concrete, depending on proximity to an external magnet. Damn, that's cool. ADD episode over, I retreated to the gorgeous looking Lucerne's decadent interior. Product-guru Drew Kraisinger requested and gained permission to climb aboard. Mom retreated into the backseat to overhear a little Quiet Tuned susurration. Touring the Canadian island confirmed one thing: the Lucerne CXS' ride and handling balance feels great on smooth roads at Matlock speeds. Catch island fever, though and you'll soon discover that the big Buick ain't no Hawaii Five-0 cop car. Even a mildly-aggressive downhill curve at 55mph sends the brittle tires howling in disapproval. Bumpy roads force the 18" rims into a chassis-crashing frenzy, leaving the front subframe dazed and confused. I bitched and moaned while Product Guru Drew listened patiently, sending Mom down memory lane. She recalled my youthful ability to bombard car salesmen with facts and figures delivered in a manner befitting an American shock and awe campaign. Yes, and Mom knows Buicks. In fact, I figure she earned this junket by purchasing a two-toned, limited-grade, gas-sipping Buick Century during the brand’s (and Detroit’s) previous dark age (the early 1980s). Now that Mom inhabits the Lucerne’s intended demographic (i.e. someone old enough to remember Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in), Buick's press rep actively elicited her opinions. When pressed, Mom praised the Buick’s styling, comfort, quiet ride and (yes) the MP3 hookup, cooled seats and OnStar-backed cellular phone service. When asked whether she’d been won over by the big Buick’s charms, Mom displayed her mastery of situational ethics. “I would definitely consider purchasing this car,” she proclaimed, definitely considering our host’s generosity. Once again, I opened my mind to the company’s decision to add high horsepower to a wrong-wheel drive chassis. If Japan sells fwd hp by the boatload, maybe there's a place for the V8-motivated Lucerne CXS. Then again, maybe not. The CSX’ Magnaride suspension and 18" wheels promise more than the hard tires and flaccid chassis can deliver. The suspension needs a Corvette-style user interface (i.e. a switch for touring or sport dampening). Add a front chassis brace (or three), give an option for sport tires, and Buick might have a contender in the "near-luxury" segment. After a lobster lunch at a suitably charming beachfront bed and breakfast, Buick's PR-wingman joined mother and son for part two: a jaunt in the cheaper Lucerne CXL. Cholesterol be damned; the less-rich Lucerne became my favorite Buick in a matter of minutes. Conservative 55-series rubber (17" hoops) and a softer suspension (no Magnaride) creamed road imperfections, reducing chassis flex to a mere wiggle. The CXL’s exterior was also more appealing, flaunting chrome in all the right places. Gone are the afterthought tailpipe extensions and adhesive-backed decklid bling; replaced by a brilliant chrome grille. The end result was solid Buick spizzarkle in the Roadmaster tradition, for a lot less dough. The CXL's (optional) Northstar V8 puts the power down with a rowdy soundtrack– immediately downplayed by our gracious host. Which set me off again. If you can't Quiet Tune those 32-valves, why not promote Buick as an American Muscle Car icon? Don't try to out-Lexus an ES350. I mean, every Lucerne in attendance had a wiggly shift knob, loose shifter and dashboards sporting rock hard plastics. Mom won't remember, but even her old Century knew better; its flat-out amazing what $9000 got you in a GM interior back then. In fact, let’s face it: Buick will never be an American Lexus, no matter how much spin is spun or press junket petty-cash hides in the console. After chatting with the Buick folk about life, liberty and the pursuit of precision, one thing became clear: GM’s minions know they’re up against it. They spoke hopefully about their next new dawn: the upcoming Enclave sport crossover utility thingie. They even invited TTAC to its official media introduction. And then, upon our return, GM formally banned TTAC from its Dallas press fleet. Suffice it to say, Mom wasn’t surprised. Neither was I. [buick paid the Mehta's airfare, hotel, transfers, the test cars and food.]

Just saw a GM Certified 2002 Alero GL with about 15K miles listed for $8995 at a local dealer here in CA. Seems like a pretty good deal. Would definitely look at it if I was in the market. Nobody but nobody drives Oldsmobiles in California. These low mileage former rentals look like great bargains. Still a nice looking shape.

As aggressive as Toyota, Honda and Hyundai are, how much longer can GM keep up this illusion that Pontiac and Buick are relevant? There's nothing PBG sells that couldn't be sold at Chevrolet. Which is what Pontiacs and Buicks are anyway (with the exception of the in-a-shrinking-segment-and-ancient G Lucerne): Chevrolets. This dealer would be wise to cash out his dealership to a greater fool. Pontiac, Buick and, likely, the Saturn distraction are raisins (plump fruit that withered on the vine too long).

Good start but with gas prices set to skyrocket over the next 5 years GM might consider bringing Pontiac back to its original roots as a value brand???

My favorite Buick tagline. Unfortunately, it's from a pre-Lexus/Acura/Infiniti time. That's the problem with Buick - it's image is so tarnished from years of abuse that it would take a massive capital expenditure to turn around, gain momentum and maintain year after year. It would require an effort and discipline that history (the last 30 years anyway) shows General Motors lacks. This is capital better spent at Chevrolet and Cadillac (a brand that has room to move up and down at the same time). Buick is toast. Kill it already. I can't stand the slow death. P.S. Ditto Pontiac. It's amazing how many dolts buy into it as the "performance" brand. Hilarious. And besides the excellent sales and service Saturn is also a waste. A brand that (product-wise) means nothing today and will never mean anything - just another GM clone.

Too late. Pontiac and Buick are wasted efforts, the hot thing yesteryear but increasingly no longer cool (with exception) or relevant. GM doesn't have the management talent to turn these brands around even if they had all the money in the world (at one time they did, anyone remember?). Lutz won't be around forever, and GM won't incorporate his product system in the culture after he's gone. Just look at history. Sorry to say, the Solstice should be a Chevy. Forget about making Pontiac about performance. It's actually been about being a differently styled Chevrolet for about 30 years now. What makes anyone think anything will change??? Buick is a nice idea, but the low-key luxury car is a niche in the 21st century. Toyota has shown us with the Cressida and the Avalon that this idea slots in nicely as a top of the line model in the mainstream brand. Buick will never be hot again. I feel that Ford is thinking along the same lines by moving product to Lincoln that would have gone to Mercury in years/decades past. GM needs to make money stemming the blood loss by focusing on shorter lifecycles with broader lineups at Cadillac and Chevy. What they do with the PBG channel and all the franchise laws and all that I don't know. That's what the highly-paid Harvard MBAs at GM are for, right?