HarleyEarl

Hot...

You got that right Cremazie....you have supremely good taste.

What do these names have in common, Nova, Panther, Wildcat, Chapparal, G-Mini, GeMini and Gemini?

Pete Estes and the start of Camaro. What is the definition of 'Camaro' according to GM and Chevrolet? What was Ford's definition of the same?

The regular V8 model.

Balthazar, you can insert that anytime...as I scrolled down, my heart skipped a beat slightly, so fantastically stunning,...almost at a loss of words...it's couldn't possibly have been designed and built by mere human beings. Beautiful.

The phenomenal '69 Camaro ZL1 with 430 horsepower, cost 7,000 dollars when a regular Camaro cost 3,000.

ya baby.

I think a modern interpretation of fins would be very possible....it would be refreshing in a sea of banal. I would do cartwheels if Cadillac and others would even do a subtle fin like this again:

Gun holders of course.

I had never heard of this vehicle done by Harley Earl.....it's absolutely facinating. http://www.carofthecentury.com/buick_had_t...t_suv,_ever.htm Buick El Kineno

A mouth-watering, powerful work of art:

I hear ya joe......but it's relative....the Z06 is simply the performance bargain of the century, period. There is always the regular Corvette which is sensational in it's own right.

One Hot German:

The '72 Eldo gives good ass. Very Cadillac.

Could we have Corvette be a subforum within the Chevrolet Forum?....I think it derserves to be singled out.

Automobile Journalists of Canada put the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 in a Class of its Own Eeh MARKHAM, ON, Dec. 7, 2005; It isn't often that a production car is made that is so clearly superior that it is deemed to have no competition at all, but this year, at its annual Car of the Year awards presentation, the Automobile Journalists of Canada (AJAC) declared the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to be just such a car. As a result, AJAC announced the creation of a completely new award to recognize a 'truly exceptional vehicle that sets new standards' and presented the inaugural "AJAC Most Coveted Vehicle" award to General Motors of Canada for the Corvette Z06. Commenting on the new award, AJAC President Richard Russell observed that, "Every once in a long while, a vehicle comes along that stirs the hearts and minds of automobile enthusiasts. Often, it stands apart from the pack and in some cases has no competition at all, let alone in a category created for the annual AJAC award". Participants at the award ceremony were advised that the "AJAC Most Coveted Vehicle" award would not be presented annually, but rather it would be reserved for only those rare occasions where vehicles, like the Corvette Z06, truly stand apart. Derived directly from Corvette's long and successful racing experience, the Z06 is a highly sophisticated sport performance car that is leaving many of the far more expensive exotics in its dust - all at a price of just $89,900. With 505 HP and acceleration from 0 - 100 Km/h in just 3.7 seconds, the Corvette Z06 redefines performance and automotive passion. Headquartered in Oshawa Ontario, General Motors of Canada employs more than 20,000 people nationwide. GM of Canada manufactures a variety of vehicles, engines, transmissions and other components, and markets the full range of General Motors vehicles and related services through 765 dealerships and retailers across Canada. Vehicles sold through this network include Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Hummer, Saturn and Saab.

FOR RELEASE: 2005-12-09 Aspen Celebrates Delivery of Hybrid Buses GM delivers hybrid power for buses added to RFTA transit fleet ASPEN, Colo. - A fleet of seven New Flyer transit buses powered by General Motors hybrid technology will be helping to preserve the natural beauty and environment in Aspen and Roaring Fork Valley. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA), the City of Aspen, the Town of Snowmass Village and Pitkin County join the growing ranks of communities investing in transit buses powered by General Motors' hybrid technology, which offers cleaner emissions and greater fuel economy than conventional diesel buses. The Roaring Fork Valley is known as one of the premiere ski destinations in the world. The fleet of hybrid buses will shuttle visitors within the City of Aspen, to and from the Snowmass ski area and throughout the Roaring Folk Valley. The buses will also serve the Maroon Bells Wilderness, an environmentally-sensitive area where automobile traffic is already restricted in the summer months. Four GM hybrid powered buses were put into service today and three additional buses are scheduled for delivery in 2006. Chief executive officer Dan Blankenship, RFTA, invited the community and media to join in a celebration today along with executives from GM, New Flyer, the bus manufacturer and Stewart and Stevenson, the retrofitter of the hybrid technology. On hand for the festivities were Helen Klanderud, Mayor of Aspen; Bill Boineau, Mayor Pro Tem of the Town of Snowmass Village; and representatives from the RFTA, New Flyer and General Motors. "Noise and emissions from the previous diesel engine buses have been a cause for public concern," said Mayor Klanderud. "GM's hybrid technology considerably reduces noise and emissions, qualities that are particularly important and beneficial to our environmentally-sensitive area. These buses will provide a real benefit for residents and visitors to our beautiful city." Transit buses with GM's hybrid propulsion system deliver significantly better fuel economy than traditional transit buses, reduce certain emissions up to 90 percent and have operating sound levels approaching that of passenger cars. Furthermore, the buses will run on a blend of biodiesel, a renewable agricultural-based fuel, which not only helps to reduce dependency on foreign oil, but also provides dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. "RFTA, in partnership with the City of Aspen, Pitkin County and the Town of Snowmass Village, sought an alternative mass transit system that would reduce environmental impacts on the community and dependence on foreign oil by moving towards sustainable and renewable forms of energy," said Dan Blankenship, CEO of RFTA. "These buses are a positive step in that direction and a big win for everyone in and around the Roaring Fork Valley." Other benefits of the GM hybrid system include reduced maintenance costs resulting from extended brake, engine oil and transmission oil life; superior torque; and better acceleration than conventional diesel. "The GM Allison hybrid system impressed even the most skeptical people," said Bill Boineau, council member of Snowmass Village. "Its excellent performance, low emissions and reduced noise levels were what really sold people on the technology." The RFTA hybrid buses will operate year-round, carry up to 300 passengers per hour, and provide continuous in-service operation to visitors for up to 20 hours a day. The hybrid buses will operate under several unique conditions including operating at elevations of up to 9,000 feet above sea level, climbing grades as steep as 12 percent and regularly traveling at speeds of up to 65 mph. "These buses use the most efficient two-mode hybrid architecture available in the world today and have served as a starting point for GM's co-development of a two-mode full hybrid system for applications in trucks, cars, and sport utility vehicles with a variety of drive configurations, such as front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive," said Tom Stephens, group vice president, GM Powertrain. "GM will launch the two-mode full hybrid in 2007 in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon." The clean hybrid technology is manufactured by GM Allison Transmission, maker of transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems for commercial trucks, buses, off-highway equipment and military vehicles, headquartered in Indianapolis. The buses are manufactured by New Flyer Industries, the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in Canada and the U.S. New Flyer is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and has two facilities in the U.S. General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 321,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com. GM's corporate responsibility web site, www.gmability.com, contains additional information about GM's environmental initiatives. ###

Detroit show preview: Mercedes-Benz GL450; big GL in a class all by itself GREG KABLE Posted Date: 12/8/05 Big, bold and brassy—that’s the best way to describe the new American-built Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, revealed here officially for the first time prior to its first public outing at next month’s North American International Auto Show. The luxuriously-equipped four-wheel drive goes into production as the third all-new model from Mercedes’ plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and goes on sale across North America in April. Unlike the vault-like, truck-based, G-Class (aka Gelaendewagen), GL-Class uses car-like unibody construction to keep weight in check and to allow sharing of primary components such as engines, four-wheel-drive hardware, electrical systems and interior appointments with the second-generation M-Class and recently introduced R-Class. Not that anyone will confuse the GL-Class with the 26-year-old G-Class, which despite slow sales will get a facelift and will continue to be produced in limited numbers in Graz, Austria. The significantly larger and more sophisticated GL-Class aims to provide Mercedes-Benz with a valuable presence at the very top of the off-road ranks, where it will line up against high-end rivals like Land Rover Range Rover, Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX470 and Lincoln Navigator. Prices haven’t been announced for the GL450, the only model initially planned for the U.S. The new four-wheel drive is one of the largest models in Mercedes-Benz’s lineup, and the generous exterior dimensions combine with a lengthy rear overhang and compact four-wheel drive components to provide the basis for a roomy and luxurious interior. To save costs, the dashboard fascia, instruments, multi-function steering wheel, switchgear, seats and trims are shared with the M- and R-Class. The standard cabin layout serves up two rows of seats with seating for five and double the luggage space offered in the M-Class. An optional third row of seating increases capacity to seven passengers. As with the recently introduced R-Class, the rear seats can be stowed into the floor at the push of a button, either individually or in tandem to provide a flat loading surface. Mercedes-Benz is making big claims about the GL-Class’s safety credentials. GL boasts adaptive front airbags, side curtain airbags, three-point seat belts on all seven seats as well as seat-belt pretensioners and force limiters on the front and outer middle row seats as standard. Options include side airbags for middle row seats, whiplash reducing head restraints and the German car maker’s PRE-SAFE system, which networks the anti-lock brakes, brake assist and electronic stability program to help prevent crashes. Although U.S. buyers will only be offered one engine choice initially, the all-new four-valve-per-cylinder 335-hp 4.6-liter V8 in the GL450, Europeans will also get a 388-hp 5.5-liter in the GL500 along with a 224-hp 3.0-liter V6 and 306-hp 4.0-liter turbodiesel V8. Stuttgart sources reveal Mercedes is also planning to introduce a performance GL63 AMG model running the new 510-hp 6.3-liter V8 as unveiled in the R63 AMG at the recent Frankfurt motor show. Also under development, though unlikely to find its way into showrooms before the end of 2007 at the earliest, is a hybrid GL-Class using an advanced gasoline/electric drive system. As revealed in a prototype version of the M-Class at last January’s Detroit show, the system mates a 272-hp 3.5-liter V6 with two 34-hp electric motors located within the gearbox housing for what engineers say provides V8 levels of performance. As with the M- and R-Class, the GL-Class channels drive permanently to all four wheels via Mercedes-Benz’s 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox, which boasts the space saving Direct Shift arrangement as seen on the M- and R-Class. It replaces the traditional shift lever between the front seats with a steering column mounted stalk. The real off-road deal? The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class’s off-road aspirations are backed up by a raft of standard features that, on paper at least, suggest the big seven-seater provides stiff competition to today’s luxury off-road king, the Range Rover, both on the pavement and in the rough stuff. They include permanent four-wheel drive, speed sensitive power steering, self-leveling air suspension, adaptive damping, hill descent control, hill start assist and specially adapted antilock brakes that Mercedes says offer better performance in tricky off-road conditions. Models destined for the States will also get an optional Off-Road Pro engineering package. It adds a transfer case with dual range gearing, differential locks for the rear axle (although the front axle gets electronic control as on the M-Class) as well as an upgraded suspension with increased travel offering added ground

I have favorites in every era.....too confining to narrow it down to one specific time in automotive history. I checked off the cars of today. My two favorites from the '60s: Cadillac Eldorado Corvette My favorite of today is: Corvette:

For 1971 Cadillac Eldorado was entirely different than the previous generation. It was almost retro...harkened back to earlier Cadillacs. I like it, but not as much as the one it replaced.

I'm not feeling the Lumina vibe.

The rendering isn't very good....but if the new Malibu has the essence of this....I like it...it doesn't have the dorky qualities of the present one.

I've always liked those....amazing how timeless they are. They still look good.

Remember this Bugatti sedan?