HarleyEarl

FOR RELEASE: 2005-12-22 A GM Success Story Thanks to GM's bilingual sales jobs program, Chicago-area resident enhances his career and fulfills his dream of taking his family on a Hawaiian vacation CHICAGO – Luis Villarrubia, who works as a sales consultant at Apple Chevrolet in Tinley Park, Ill., participated in the GM B.E.S.T. (Bilingual Employment Sales Training) jobs program in Chicago in May of 2005. The B.E.S.T. program is designed to help GM dealers attract, recruit, train and coach bilingual professionals for a long-term sales career in the automotive industry. This multi-dimensional program was introduced by GM to its dealers as a solution to the challenge of recruiting qualified, bilingual candidates and retaining them as high-performance sales persons. After completing the fourteen week coaching program, Villarrubia was able to improve his Spanish skills tremendously. In addition, the tips and techniques he learned have helped him improve his sales performance and better serve the Hispanic market near Apple Chevrolet. Because of the training and motivation obtained through the GM B.E.S.T. program, Villarrubia has been able to sell 45 vehicles since August. On December 15th, Saul Serna, Business for Life president & CEO, coach and B.E.S.T. jobs program trainer, paid a visit to Villarrubia at Apple Chevrolet to present him with a travel voucher to cover airfare expenses for a family trip to Hawaii. “Thanks to GM and the B.E.S.T. jobs program, I have been able to significantly enhance my career in automotive sales, be successful and fulfill my life long dream of taking my family to Hawaii,” Villarrubia said. “General Motors is not just talking about diversity and Hispanic marketing, the company is actually taking action both at a grassroots level with the participating dealers and at a corporate level. GM is truly committed to serving the Hispanic community,” said Serna, whose Rockford, Ill. company handles training for the B.E.S.T. program. The B.E.S.T. program is part of a broader effort at GM to better serve Hispanic consumers nationwide. GM understands the importance of the Latino community and is committed to developing the programs necessary to become their company of choice. “GM is pleased to be able to provide the training and mentoring required in automotive sales so that hard-working individuals like Luis Villarrubia are able to reach their goals,” said Felipe Herrera, director of GM Diversity Sales and Marketing. “The Hispanic market is expected to continue growing in the coming years and GM has a great opportunity to grow along with it, but we also have a responsibility to provide job opportunities so that the Hispanic community can prosper with us.” For more information on the GM B.E.S.T. Jobs program please call 877-462-3781 or visit www.gmbestjobs.com

Wide tires come to aid of the trucking industry Larger size means that truckers need fewer wheels to carry the load on the conventional rig. Jim Davenport / Associated Press Mark Duncan / Associated Press Jim Smith holds the new Michelin X-One truck tire, right, designed to replace the double tires, left, commonly used on large trucks. See full image Printer friendly version Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery -- Take a closer look at some of the 18-wheelers rolling down the nation's roads lately and you might notice something missing: eight wheels. Some truckers are converting to wider tires that let them replace dual tires with single tires, turning their rigs into 10-wheelers to reap fuel and weight savings. The new tires are wide enough to make a hot-rodder happy. And they're drawing stares on and off the highway. People ask Jim Smith questions about the expensive, Hulk-sized tires all the time at his showroom at Exit 11 Truck Tire Service Inc. near Interstates 80 and 77 in Richfield, Ohio. "I tell them it's the future," Smith says. "It seems to be where truck tires are heading." Each tire alone weighs close to 200 pounds. That future isn't cheap. Mounted on an aluminum rim, the tires can run $1,250 or more, Smith said. That's twice a traditional tire's cost. It's worth the expense, said Luc Minguet, chief operating officer of Michelin America's truck tire unit. The tires can save 4 percent to 10 percent on fuel. That's a big consideration for transportation companies weathering diesel prices that soared from a U.S. average of just under $2 a gallon a year ago to a post-Hurricane Katrina peak of $3.16 a gallon in October. "That 10 percent fuel savings -- that's huge," Smith said. While Michelin may push fuel savings as a sales point, that can be elusive, said Robert Braswell, technical director of Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations. Fuel consumption can vary as much as 35 percent depending on whether a leadfoot or lightfoot is behind the wheel, he said. Minguet also notes the tires are lighter. A 10-wheeler saves 730 pounds and lets trucking companies haul more cargo, he says. The weight savings, however, is a big factor, particularly for tanker-truck companies, Braswell said. Carl Smith, owner of 3J Fuels Inc. in Champlain, N.Y., has been using Michelin's tires on his tanker trucks for about a year. His trucks don't haul fuel long distances, so he said he hasn't seen much in the way of fuel savings. But the wider tires are helping him stay within legal weight limits and "seem to ride better," he said. The big tires are still only a small part of the more than 17 million truck tires shipped in the U.S. this year. Competitor Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. decided not to introduce its own line after the company found a variety of problems in testing its version, said spokesman Dave Wilkins. A key issue was the reliability of retreaded tires, said Wilkins. That's a huge consideration for trucking companies accustomed to sending worn tires off to be wrapped in new tread two or three times during their life spans. Michelin spokeswoman Lynn Mann said that's not a worry for Michelin. The company says some of its tires can last more than 800,000 miles with its retreading process. Contract Freighters Inc., one of the nation's 50-largest trucking outfits, has become a big believer in the tires. By next year, its fleet of 2,300 tractors will be using Michelin's wide tires and the company has ordered them for 1,000 new trailers it will buy next year, Michelin said. The tires have downsides. For instance, a flat puts the truck on the side of the road, while trucks with dual wheels blow by on the Interstate. Before tire dealers like Exit 11's Smith stocked the tires, that could mean more downtime while a driver sought repairs or a replacement, Braswell said. That will be less of a problem as trucking companies embrace technology that monitors tire pressure, Braswell said.

I love all the 4-door hardtops shown, but for some reason don't enjoy the ones with mags.....just doesn't look right to me.

I have been very up close and intimate with the new SportCombi.....love it....beautifully done.

Baddest RS Vert Camaro EVER! That has to be the best photo of that era of Camaro ever. Beautiful!

For me being such an obsessed car guy, I'm amazed I have never really done much collecting of stuff. You guys are inspiring me to do so. Anyone else have auto related collections?

Balthazar, being I respect your vast knowledge and opinion, I will buy this book based on what you just said.

I love everything about the 300. It is the American sedan. It is what I want for GM too.

It has such a early Toyota look to it.

I think it would be great to have a C&G Car of the Year as voted by the members. Excellent idea Cremazie. The HHR is a great vehicle from GM. A stylish 4 cyl trucklet. It deserves all the recognition.

1976 Cadillac Eldorado:

By all means: lock down this thread and lets get one going with pics of dash plastic graining instead. I've only owned one 4-dr hardtop, a '65 Bonneville. For those who have not ridden in one with all the windows down on a warm spring day, you cannot imagine the tremendous difference. [post="62220"][/post] It's a feeling like no other.

This looks like a great book on American auto design. http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0932128076...j=1#reader-page About the authors: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0932128076...s=1#reader-page

http://www.autoextremist.com/page2.shtml#Rant

FOR RELEASE: 2005-12-20 General Motors Reaches New Milestone in Asia Pacific Sells 1 Millionth Vehicle in 2005 Shanghai, China – With the purchase of a midnight black Chevrolet Optra 1.8 LT, H.E. Manaspas Xuto recently became the 1 millionth buyer of a General Motors vehicle in Asia Pacific in 2005. The Bangkok resident, who is Thailand's former ambassador to Washington, D.C., helped GM achieve a new milestone. For the first timesince it began doing business in Asia Pacific in 1915, General Motors has achieved 1 millionsales in asingle calendar year. “GM has made the Asia Pacific region a corporate priority,”said Troy Clarke, GM Group Vice President and President of GM Asia Pacific. “ With Asia Pacific expected to account for well over 50 percent of globalsales growth over the next 10 years, we believe being a major competitor in this region is critical to the overallsuccess of our company. “selling 1 million vehicles is asignificant achievement and a testament to the hard work of thousands of GM employees around the world, ” Clarke added. “ It's all the more impressive when you consider that five years ago GMsold fewer than 250,000 vehicles in the region. ” GM products are currentlysold in more than 15 countries across the region under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Daewoo, Holden, Opel,saab and Wuling brands. In 2004, GMsold 887,000 vehicles, taking its marketshare in Asia Pacific to 5.2 percent. In the first 11 months of 2005, GM'ssales in Asia Pacific rose 19 percent on an annual basis to 953,278 units, giving it an estimated marketshare of 5.8 percent. “Despite oursuccess in the region, no one at GM is declaring victory,” Clarkesaid. “This is just the beginning. GM hasset ambitious targets for Asia Pacific and huge challenges lie ahead. By introducing new products in a wide range ofsegments and by meeting consumer demand for high-quality, high-performing cars and trucks, GM will continue to meet and exceed its goals in the region.”

So many guys have hairy backs.....I don't get the aversion to it...doesn't it make you more petable..cuddley lol. Don't girls/men like having their own live teddy bear? Is 'petable' a word? Why do guys shave their chests? What's wrong with girls having hairy armpits and legs? Do you discriminate against hairy people....is that ethical?...what does the Bill of Rights say?

If it is close to this, it is quite good looking...and nothing wrong with that. But, I always liked the current 7....it has some character...this one is too refined.

Razorba - the shaver for backs! December 13, 2005 Stand in front of the mirror when you get up tomorrow morning and you’ll notice more than a few reminders that man descended from the apes – an unhealthy disposition when threatened and a liberal sprinkling of hair are the most obvious. Males of the species range from growing hair on their heads to hair all over their body and personal grooming preferences often necessitate shaving some or all of this hair regularly. We’ve already covered the shaver designed specifically for shaving heads, and now there’s an equally ingenious shaving accessory for shaving your back – until now, everybody has had to employ the indulgence of a friend to successfully shave their inaccessible regions. Now you need just slip their favourite razor into the Razorba and shave yourself. All of the alternatives have major drawbacks - chemicals (costs, needs volunteer, potential skin irritation), laser treatment (costs muchos, requires appointment), waxing (costs, hurts muchos) are the sum total of ways man has used technology to combat this age-old problem. So you can see why Razorba should be commended for a job well done! Indeed, with nearly 3.5 billion males on the planet, we reckon this product could do really well as it sells for just US$30 (Paypal, Visa and Mastercard accepted) and will offer a lifetime of convenience. Indeed, with nearly 3.5 billion males on the planet, we reckon this product could do really well as it sells for just US$30 (Paypal, Visa and Mastercard accepted) and will offer a lifetime of convenience. Fancy pants can pay US$70 if they insist on the Platinum version, and there’s a middle class Gold version priced in the middle for aspiring consumers. What are the alternatives? All of them have major drawbacks - chemicals (costs, needs volunteer, potential skin irritation), laser treatment (costs muchos, requires appointment), waxing (costs, hurts muchos) are the sum total of ways man has used technology to combat this age-old problem. So you can see why Razorba should be commended for a job well done! Now one common fallacy we should point out at this stage is that shaving your back will cause the hair to grow back stronger, longer, thicker or darker. It’s not true. The hair will be the same thickness as before. The hair will not grow in longer. If this was the case bald men would regularly shave their heads to gain longer and thicker hair. It will not grow in darker. Read what Gillette says here. Via Shavingstuff

BMW unveils the turbosteamer concept December 14, 2005 A large percentage of the energy released when petroleum is burned disappears out the exhaust system as heat. This has always been the case but the amount of energy released looks set to be cut by more than 80% thanks to a new system devised by BMW. BMW’s announcement of the new technology is somewhat of a technological bombshell as it adds yet another form of hybrid automobile – a turbosteamer. The concept uses energy from the exhaust gasses of the traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to power a steam engine which also contributes power to the automobile – an overall 15 per cent improvement for the combined drive system. Even bigger news is that the drive has been designed so that it can be installed in existing model series – meaning that every model in the BMW range could become 15% more efficient overnight if the company chose to make the reduced consumption accessible to as many people as possible. Combining the innovative assistance drive with a 1.8 litre BMW four-cylinder engine on the test rig reduced consumption by up to 15 percent and generated 10 kilowatts more power and 20 Nm more torque. This increased power and efficiency comes for, well, … nothing. The energy is extracted exclusively from the heat in the exhaust gases and cooling water so it is essentially a quantum leap in efficiency. The Turbosteamer is based on the same principle of the steam engine: liquid is heated to form steam in two circuits and this is used to power the engine. The primary energy supplier is the high-temperature circuit which uses exhaust heat from the internal combustion engine as an energy source via heat exchangers. More than 80 percent of the heat energy contained in the exhaust gases is recycled using this technology. The steam is then conducted directly into an expansion unit linked to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine. Most of the remaining residual heat is absorbed by the cooling circuit of the engine, which acts as the second energy supply for the Turbosteamer. The development of the assistance drive has reached the phase involving comprehensive tests on the test rig. The components for this drive have been designed so that they are capable of being installed in existing model series. Tests have been carried out on a number of sample packages to ensure that the BMW 3 Series provides adequate space. The engine compartment of a four-cylinder model offers enough space to allow the expansion units to be accommodated. Ongoing development of the concept is focusing initially on making the components simpler and smaller. The long-term development goal is to have a system capable of volume production within ten years. “This project resolves the apparent contradiction between consumption and emission reductions on one hand, and performance and agility on the other,” commented Professor Burkhard Göschel. (gizmag)

Best look yet at BMW's next-generation 7 Series By Phil Lienert Email Date posted: 12-19-2005 We haven't seen the 2009 BMW 7 Series, but we know people who have a good idea of what it's going to look like. They put together these renderings based on their insider knowledge to give us a peek at what we can expect from BMW's next flagship sedan. Clear from these pictures, the radical design of the current model has been toned down for the 2009 7 Series. The 2006 7 Series already softened some of the harder edges that offended so many BMW loyalists, but this design will go even further. The most obvious difference between this conceptual 2009 7 Series and the current version is the shape of the rear end. Forget the old Bangle Butt, as it was so callously called, this 7's tail section will have a much smoother design that better integrates into the car's overall lines. Although the face of the '09 7 Series does not look dramatically different from that of the '06 model, it appears that BMW will likely replace the current semi-rectangular headlamps with a more elliptically shaped set. The taillamps also appear to have been altered in keeping with the vehicle's slimmed-down rear end. As conservative as the '09 7 Series appears on the surface, this next-generation version of the vehicle is expected to house the sort of progressive features beneath its skin that BMW loves. The cabin will likely feature a wider range of electronic systems with a more user-friendly layout than that of the 2006 7 Series. The clunky iDrive system will stay, but it will get yet another revision for better usability. Expect a greater use of active safety features, incorporating everything from cameras to radars in the name of accident avoidance, as well. Since BMW has officially partnered with DaimlerChrysler and GM on development of a hybrid drive system, don't be surprised to see a gas-electric version of this 7 Series added to the lineup. Look for both a short- and long-wheelbase version of the 2009 BMW 7 Series toward the end of the 2008 calendar year.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 Print this Comment on this E-mail this Auto sales limp in December Despite dropping market share, Big Three show slight improvement after a dismal November. Josee Valcourt / The Detroit News Tim Boyle / Getty Images North America General Motors Corp. launched its annual red tag sale earlier than usual this year to boost year-end sales. Ford is offering a similar deal, while Chrysler is plying year-end customers with two years of free gas on some models. See full image Detroit automakers continued to lose retail market share to foreign rivals in early December but showed modest signs of improvement compared with their dismal performance in November. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group, as well as Korea's Hyundai Motor Co., lost retail market share during the first 11 days of the month, according to a survey by the Power Information Network, an affiliate of J.D. Power and Associates. Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. posted market share gains in early December, while Nissan Motor Co. remained flat. Overall, new vehicle sales dropped 14 percent industrywide during the first 11 days of December compared with the same period a year ago. In recent months, auto sales have been sluggish as some car discounts waned and rising energy costs drew consumer dollars elsewhere. "The industry is sort of moderating. During the fall we saw some major drops, which most people contributed to payback for the summer (sales)," said Tom Libby, senior analyst at Power Information Network. The report is based on transaction data collected from roughly 10,000 dealers nationwide and doesn't include sales to fleet customers. Helped by a new round of discounts, Ford and GM are slowly pulling out of their slumps following the summer sales events. GM launched its annual red tag sale earlier than usual this year to boost year-end sales. Ford is offering a similar deal, while Chrysler is plying year-end customers with two years of free gas on some models. GM, Ford and Chrysler captured about 50 percent of the retail market in early December -- compared with 53.6 percent at this time last year. It was an improvement over November. Overall, U.S. new car and truck sales have increased about 1 percent this year through November. Paul Taylor, economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association, said the industry probably will fall short of the 17 million unit mark for the fourth straight year. "It's a combination of incentives that are not strong and ads that do not communicate the urgency about new car deals," Taylor said. Typically, sales are slow during the first half of December as consumers spend on general merchandise and Christmas gifts, said Chris Lemley, who owns several Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships in Boston. Sales could heat up by the end of the month as automakers and dealers push to finish the year on a strong note. "Our expectation is that we will see a flurry of fleet sales in the second half of the month," Taylor said, referring to sales to rental car companies and bulk orders from companies and government agencies. "But it will not be enough to make the month anything to celebrate madly." On a positive note, the Power Information Network found while sales slowed a tad more for the first two weeks of December compared with 2004, new vehicles are sitting on dealer lots for a shorter period of time. In early December, new cars and trucks sat on dealer lots an average 54 days versus 68 days for months of October, November and December in 2004. One reason for the improvement could be that carmakers have cleared their 2005 inventory and consumers are now sliding into 2006 models, Libby said. The trend indicates less incentive spending and dealers spending less on interest accrued for cars and trucks that sit on lots, he said. Doug Wilson, owner of a Hyundai, Kia and Dodge dealership in the Jackson, Miss., area, said sales for Hyundai vehicles excluding the new Sonata sedan have been slow. Yet sales of Dodge cars and trucks have been healthy during the past two weeks.

There's something about a Unimog...the name just suits it perfectly somehow and of course is going to be shown at the Dubai Auto Show...where else?

Here is the full pic, Razoredge and I agree, one of the best photos of this car...gorgeous.

Chevy Pickup: