HarleyEarl

NOS, completely right about the SSR being the reverse image of this style of car. Great observation.

...or taking matters into your own hands.

Didn't the Subaru DL beat the AMC Eagle to market as a 4 wheel drive wagon?...isn't it the first 'crossover'?:)

The 2006 Pontiac Pursuit GT coupe is at the dealership. I looked at it up close and personal. I have to say it looks very sharp. It's tailights have a large chunky round housing within the red lenses....rear looks especially good. It has the 2.4 litre engine, rated at 171 hp and the interior is essentially the same as the Chevy version. There are no plans to offer a supercharged one...odd when Pontiac is supposed to be the performance division. Again Pontiac has so many contradictions with it's image. I asked for a brochure. They didn't have them yet...huh?.....GM does not have the coordination set up to have the brochures there prior to the new model's arrival?! They had the car in the showroom and no brochures from GM. If the Cobalt SS didn't exist with its great motor, and I were choosing between this and the Cobalt, I would buy this.

I couldn't agree more.

It has some similar cues, but then most vehicles of that era and especially businessmen's coupes have that profile.

FOR RELEASE: 2005-09-06 GMC's Trucks AND SUV's Named Official Vehicles of the NFL Professional Grade Vehicles Will Be Prominent Throughout Pro Football Season Detroit -- When the Pro Football Season kicks off on September 8 with a special edition of Monday Night Football, GMC's trucks and suv's will take their place in the NFL starting lineup as the official vehicles of the regular season. As part of the affiliation, GMC vehicles will be a prominent player on ESPN's Sunday Night and ABC's Monday Night NFL coverage, a key participant in NFL celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Super Bowl, and throughout the season, the GM brand will have a dynamic presence in a number of Monday Night Football cities across the country. "Our involvement with Professional Football and Monday Night Football in particular is a big part of GMC's broader sports strategy to reach the millions of football fans who attend or watch games on television every week," said Steve Rosenblum, GMC Marketing Director. "GMC has historically used "Homelife" and sports as our promotional platform, but we've been expanding our involvement in the "Professional Sports" corridor to reach an even larger number of consumers." Are You Ready For Some Football Last year marked the first time specific products -- a GMC Sierra Denali and Yukon Denali -- were featured on ABC's Hank Williams Jr. 'Are You Ready For Some Football?,' Monday Night Football opening video segment. This year, GMC will enter its second year of exclusive exposure on the opening segment with a Sierra Denali. For the first four weeks of the season, the opening segment also includes a weekly sweepstakes in which one lucky viewer will win a 2006 GMC Sierra Denali. GMC will promote the sweepstakes in advance of the September 8 game with an advertisement directing viewers to the website, gmcroadwin.com, to identify the U.S. landmark the Sierra was shown in during that week's opening segment. Football-Themed Advertising The Sierra Denali and a number of other GMC trucks and suv's will also be featured in NFL and Monday night themed advertising that will appear exclusively on both Sunday and Monday night broadcasts. In GMC's feature advertisement, a :90 second spot entitled, Gridiron, the voice of HBO's weekly NFL highlights Harry Kalas narrates over a selection of modern era NFL moments of players performing beyond expectations, followed by a selection of GMC trucks performing their own version of feats of superior strength and capability. As the footage transitions from pro football to GMC's Professional Grade Trucks, Kalas states, "Time and time again the impossible becomes routine. There's a name for belittling the insurmountable. It's called professional grade. A higher standard to which every professional aspires. The same standard to which every GMC is engineered. In another advertisement running on Sunday and Monday Night broadcasts entitled, Assembly line, a number of GMC trucks are seen rolling down the assembly line, transforming from raw chassis' into finished trucks performing professional and recreational tasks. In the :60 second spot featuring the song, "Use Me" by Bill Withers, a Sierra dump truck is loaded with soil, an Envoy Denali is seen pulling a yacht, a Canyon crew cab configured as a life guard truck stands ready to save lives and a 3500 Series Sierra crew cab is shown pulling a monstrous Monday Night Football trailer. As the trailer appears on screen, the musical backdrop changes to the Monday Night Football theme as the narrator states, "And then there are those (trucks) who are destined for the gridiron. At GMC, we can't be certain how you'll use our trucks and suv's, so we engineered them all to the highest standards. Professional Grade." The Assembly Line spot will also air on general programming without the football trailer ending. Celebrating 40 Years of the Super Bowl In addition to seeing GMC's trucks on their television screens, thousands of football fans will experience GMC's professional grade capabilities firsthand. Fans attending live musical activities on Sept. 8 at the Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the first Super Bowl, will see 10 GMC vehicles - one for each of the nine teams playing on Monday Night Football this year, and a Sierra Denali wrapped in ABC and Monday Night Football logos. The musical activities at the Los Angeles Coliseum are part of the NFL's "Road to Forty" season that looks back at the history of the Super Bowl, honors the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and peers down the road to Super Bowl XL, which will take place Feb. 5, 2006 in Detroit. Live musical events are also planned at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., and the opening celebration will include footage from The Rolling Stones' performance in Detroit on August 31. The Professional Grade In Motion Tour Throughout the season fans will get additional opportunities to get up close and personal with GMC trucks. Beginning on October 10, fans attending San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium for the game between the Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the first to experience the GMC Professional Grade in Motion Tour. The tour allows visitors an unprecedented opportunity to see, hear and feel GMC. It includes a 53-foot semi with a 20-foot expandable theater and a seven-person ride simulator, giving more people an opportunity to experience what it's like going off road in a Sierra pickup. The GMC Professional Grade in Motion Tour will visit a number of Monday Night football stadiums this year and will be available to GMC dealers for individual promotional opportunities in 2006. GMC is a division of General Motors Corporation. The division markets the Sierra, Yukon, Envoy, Canyon, Savana, Safari and TopKick. GMC's lineup of professional grade trucks delivers outstanding capabilities that exceed customers' expectations with unique features and design elements. GMC sold more than 602,000 trucks in 2004, setting a national sales record for the 11th time in 12 years. More information on GMC and its products can be found at www.media.gm.com and www.gmc.com. # # # GMC Television Advertisement "Gridiron" Script When tree tops alight in fiery hues and a crisp chill hangs heavy in the air. It can mean only one thing. It is Autumn. The season of miracles. A time when skeptics become believers and mere mortals become supermen. Unthinkable yardage yields to missile like precision. Hulks of muscle and bone fold like a house of cards. Players deemed too small become giants. Distances deemed too long become trifling. Time and time again the impossible becomes routine. There's a name for belittling the insurmountable. It's called professional grade. A higher standard to which every professional aspires. The same standard to which every GMC is engineered. Like the indomitable GMC Sierra HD with an available 605 ft-lbs of torque. Or the incredible Yukon, a fullsize utility that handles tight turns with catlike agility. Or the Envoy Denali with 300 fuel efficient horses bred for seemingly endless stamina. No matter how you use your GMC, we engineer them all to the highest standards. Professional Grade." GMC Television Advertisement "Assembly Line" Script Some of our trucks will get the dirty jobs. Others will lead a more leisurely life. Still others will save lives. And then there are those who are destined for the gridiron. At GMC, we can't be certain how you'll use our trucks and suv's, so we engineered them all to the highest standards. Professional Grade."

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosconsumer/.../F03-305647.htm Soup it up Aftermarket signal mirrors increase safety Turn signals on exterior rearview mirrors alert other drivers; retrofit for Corvette is latest option. By Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery The Chevrolet Corvette is the latest vehicle that can be outfitted with aftermarket signal mirrors, those exterior rearview mirrors with the built-in turn-signal arrows. Muth Mirror Systems holds the patent on the mirrors it sells to automakers and as aftermarket vehicle enhancements. A signal mirror for the 1997-2004 Corvette is the company's most recent aftermarket offering. The standard signal mirror retrofits for the Corvette carry a suggested retail price of $219. Signal mirrors with a heater option to clear away frost or snow are $269. Muth recommends professional installation because of the electrical wiring involved and because the interior door panels must be removed for installation. K.W. Muth established his auto supplier company in Sheboygan, Wis., in 1947, but in 1992 Muth LLC sold off its trim, vinyl acoustics and vinyl truck flooring divisions to focus on the original equipment market, aftermarket and glass divisions. The company has produced more than 1 million signal mirrors. The mirrors use internal light-emitting diodes arranged in an arrow shape. The arrow blinks to indicate a turn to traffic next to the vehicle. The LEDs light up more quickly than conventional turn signals, fast enough to provide a warning to other drivers some 17 feet sooner when vehicles are traveling at 65 mph, according to Muth's Web site, www.kwmuth.com. Muth also offers a brake module that produces solid arrows in both rearview mirrors when the driver steps on the brake pedal, as well as a multi-function module that uses a strobe effect to indicate the vehicle is backing up, flashes to indicate the door is not properly closed and that emits an arrow "tick" every five seconds as a theft deterrent. Signal mirrors with a wide-angle feature also are available, as are signal mirrors for motorcycles.

http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/090501.html Pontiac's Bright Light Creating the Solstice The executives at General Motors have been talking about building "gotta have" products for the past few years. The Pontiac Solstice is among the few that actually deserves that appellation. By Gary S. Vasilash, Editor-In-Chief -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can a single low-volume car help generate levels of enthusiasm for a brand? Apparently, the answer is "yes." When asked what he thinks the Pontiac Solstice will do for Pontiac, John Larson, Pontiac division general manager, answers without reservation, "Worlds." Before the first car rolled out of the Wilmington, DE, assembly plant, the division had 9,000 orders. While Larson admits that some of those people might not follow through, the level of enthusiasm that he's witnessed for the vehicle (during the press introduction in Portland, Oregon, one of the "first 1,000" people to place an order for the car spotted a photo on a blog, analyzed the background, determined where the hotel was, and set out to see the cars and to meet people who have been raised to demigod status in that world, like Small Car vehicle line executive Lori Queen), he's not concerned that they'll be able to sell what they build. And while he's not specific about the number of vehicles that they'll be building annually in the plant—low-volume production that will be shared with Saturn when it comes out with its Sky roadster in the first quarter of '06—he provides a ballpark of 15,000 to 20,000 units, but notes that they'll always try to have one less Solstice than there is demand for, a strategy that was used by Mazda for its Miata two-seater. . .speaking of which, Larson points out that the 9,000 orders is nearly the number of Miatas sold last year (9,356). While there was some pre-production public speculation that the program was being delayed, Larson points out that they'd always promised that the vehicle would be coming in the Summer of '05, and that the first 1,000* went out the first week of August. "We're on the cusp of great things at Pontiac." With the exception of, say, the Corvette, General Motors is all about volume, about mass production. But with the Solstice, essentially a hand-built vehicle, it is doing low-volume production and charging a comparatively low price (MSRP: $19,995). Why you can't always believe even accurate reports about production problems being, well, problems. About those widely reported hiccoughs for the Solstice, the problems with the front fascia, the top, etc. Lori Queen explains that if the Solstice had been a high-volume, high-risk vehicle (like, say, the Chevrolet Cobalt, a program that she was working on at the same time as the Solstice), then those problems would have been, well, problematic. But in the case of the Solstice, this was a matter of expectation, not enormous concern. That is, the development of the program was one where they went from the math data to production tools. There were no intermediate prototype tools—or vehicles built (so-called "integration vehicles")—as would be the norm in a vehicle program. Part of this was an issue of cost, as this was to be not only a low-volume program, but a low-cost program, as well, with the car starting at less than $20,000 ("Ten years ago, a vehicle with fewer than 30,000 units would be a premium program," Queen remarks). And it was a matter of timing, too (it was a 27-month program), and tooling builds take plenty of time. "We pulled tools ahead and assumed that there would be fit or processing problems," Queen says, which is certainly a non-traditional approach to vehicle development. In fact, the entire program—which she not entirely facetiously describes as "no volume, no money, no time"—was one where non-traditional approaches were the norm, not the exception. Normally, she explains, there would be three iterations: Pre-prototypes Integration vehicles Production tools This was not so with Solstice. ("Boeing doesn't double tools," she remarks of how the aircraft manufacturer develops new products.) "We pulled the tools ahead and assumed that there would be fit or processing problems," Queen says. That's why there were those reports of problems. It may have surprised some people, but not the Solstice development team. While the present mantra at GM (as well as all vehicle manufacturers) is about the importance of math modeling and about "going straight to math," Queen (who is not only an engineer, but whose husband, Jim Queen, is GM's vice president, Global Engineering, so she knows more than a little something about engineers), points out, "If engineers think they have another chance, they don't take the math seriously." In other words, if it is known that there will be another opportunity to make a change to something as the program goes through another stage (e.g., pre-prototype to integration vehicles), then there is a tendency to figure that they'll get it right at the next step. "Engineers triage what to do everyday," she remarks. So what's key is getting things done. But faced with the fact of going to production tools, the opportunity for putting things off simply isn't there. She acknowledges that during the development they made some people uncomfortable as they followed a course that took the traditional critical path approach and threw it out the window. Bob Lutz in the concept Pontiac Solstice at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Show it in public first... then figure out how to make it. What they've done is to create a new approach. It is one that she says can be used for other programs going forward. The aforementioned problems were anticipated—not necessarily the precise problems, but that there would be problems was expected. It was a matter of building, testing, then tweaking until they got it right. Certainly, given that they were working on a low-volume program—Queen says that it is exceedingly unlikely that they'd ever take this approach for a Cobalt-like program, where you're betting the store on success—and that because they were starting with a clean-sheet (i.e., developing the Kappa architecture, so it wasn't a matter of trying to modify things that existed), the Solstice program methodology is in the GM book of how to do things better, faster and cheaper. When's the last time you read about a car being produced by a mainstream brand and "robotic welding" isn't part of the story? Structurally, observes Bob Lutz, the Solstice platform is like a "reduced Corvette," as there are two hydroformed frame rails running fore and aft. The cross-car beams are attached to those rails with MIG welding. Given the low-volume production volume of the vehicle, there is no robotic welding in the plant: all of the welding is performed by hand. Given that arc welding is a considerable skill and that most automotive welding is robotic resistance welding, extensive training was performed at Wilmington to get personnel there ready to weld what is arguably a hand-built car. Even though it was conceived and designed as a convertible, this arrangement makes the vehicle rock solid: it has a bending frequency of 20.9 Hz and a torsional frequency of 18.8 Hz. Remembrances of things past. When Pontiac produced the Fiero back in 1984, it was relatively revolutionary so far as North American vehicles went in that it wasn't a unibody nor was it a body-on-frame (at least in a conventional sense). Rather, the Fiero consisted of machined and then assembled structural elements that formed a "bird cage." Nonstructural polymer panels were then attached to it. In the case of the Solstice, the body panels are nonstructural; there isn't a cage per se—for one thing, there isn't a solid roof. But like the Fiero, the structure isn't dependent on the panels. Lori Queen said that one result of this was that they were able to produce 12 structural mules during development to help correlate with the analysis models that were created in math. "You don't need pretty sheet metal to do that," she says. Why working in public (sort of, anyway) can have benefits during development. Not huge ones, but benefits nonetheless. One of the benefits of revealing the concept Solstice (designed by Franz Von Holzhausen; driven out on a stage by Bob Lutz) at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in front of the world, then staying true to the car as styled was that during the development process they didn't need to worry about camouflaging the car or having spy photos taken during the development. They showed the car, received tremendous accolades and interest, and then they announced that it would be produced. But there was a nontrivial issue: What platform would they build it on? They didn't have a small rear-wheel-drive platform. Queen says that they looked at Sigma (which is used for the Cadillac CTS), but it was too big. They considered using the front-drive Delta platform (e.g., Saturn Ion) and running a transmission tunnel down the center, but that proved to be too unwieldy. She says they spent more than six months working on the determination of what they would do. And they settled on creating Kappa. The C5 Corvette brought tubular hydroforming to the fore. The Solstice will probably do the same for the sheet-forming process. The deep-drawn forms that make up the major elements of the Solstice body are not stamped. In fact, there's only one exterior panel that's stamped, which is a small panel between the front wheel well and door edge. Queen suggests that given the depth of some of the draws on the hood, for example, stamping is out of the question. This is a steel body. Even a progressive die set would be hard pressed to achieve those curves. The process that is being done is sheet hydroforming, also known as hydro- mechanical deep drawing. General Motors Metal Fabricating Div. (MFD) worked with Amino Corp. of Fujinomiya, Japan, which has opened operations in St. Thomas, Ontario, on this process that is ordinarily used for short-run operations. Amino Corp. has done extensive development on the hydroforming process; MFD has high competence in both simulation and production. Essentially, this is an operation where there is a pressurized water chamber into which a punch pushes the metal blank. The water in the tank performs as the female die in this setup. Since there is one hard tool, this is more cost-effective than a complete dieset. However, it is a far more time-consuming process, so its applicability, Queen observes, is pretty much limited to lower volume vehicles (~20,000) like the Solstice. (She is also working on the next Kappa-based roadster, the Saturn Sky. The Sky has sharp creases on its clamshell hood over the wheels [i.e., forming the fenders] in addition to the deep draws, so the sheet hydroforming is essential.) The structure of the Solstice is based primarily on two hydroformed rails that provide the roadster with considerable structural strength. The bending frequency is 20.9 Hz and the torsional frequency is 18.8 Hz. Oh yeah. The car. . . So what about the vehicle? "There's not a car out there with these proportions," claims Doug Parks, chief engineer on the program, who adds that it is a "dead-on ringer for the show car." The roadster's design features a long hood, short overhangs at the front and rear, a high belt line, clean sides, wide 18-in. wheels and tires out at the corners, and more curves than anything this side of the Rockettes. The overall length is 157.2 in.; the wheelbase is 95.1 in.; the width is 71.3 in. and the height 50.1 in. The curb weight is 2,860 lb. Under the clamshell hood is a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine that provides 177 hp @ 6,600 rpm and 166 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,800 rpm. So if you do the math, the vehicle has a weight-to-horsepower ratio of about 16.2 to 1. The engine has dual overhead cams, continuously variable intake and exhaust valve timing, polymer coating on the pistons, and other features that provide performance for the vehicle. Hydraulic engine mounts are used to smooth engine feel. The engine is mated (there is a full-circle transmission mount on the engine, so there's solid mating here) to an Aisin five-speed manual that features a short-throw shifter. (A Hydra-Matic 5L40-E automatic transmission will be on its way later in the '06 model year.) The rear axle is derived from the Cadillac CTS. The vehicle has a four-wheel independent suspension system. There are forged aluminum upper and lower control arms. Bilstein coil-over monotube shocks are used all around. The disc brakes have 11.7-in. rotors in the front and 10.9 in. rotors in the rear. The tires used are P245/45R 18-all season tires, or, more simply put, tires that put a whole lot of rubber on the road of a car of the size of the Solstice. In fact, given the base MSRP of $19,995, it's a whole lot of car, limited in volume though it may be. *As part of a promotion with the Donald Trump TV vehicle, "The Apprentice," Pontiac created an early-order program that combined an on-line element and a visit to a dealership. They figured that the 10-day program would net 1,000 orders. Remember: The car was not out. People couldn't kick the tires and slam the doors. As things turned out, 1,000 cars were sold in 41 minutes, probably something worthy of a Guinness Book of World Records slot. These first 1,000 owners will have their cars marked with a special insignia on the dash and a sequential VIN number. By the end of the promotional program, they'd sold 7,116 cars.

I found this great link for many auto museums of all kinds. http://www.autoswalk.com/automuseums2.html

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0.../C01-306262.htm Wednesday, September 7, 2005 GM gets tough in talks with the CAW General Motors takes a harder line on Canada labor costs than its rivals in contract negotiations. Detroit News staff and wire services General Motors Corp. is taking a harder stance than its U.S. rivals in negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers as the union prepares to pick a target for the talks, CAW President Basil "Buzz" Hargrove said. "GM is much tougher on saying we can't add costs, we can't do this, we can't do that," Hargrove said. "You have to read all of this as a message. It would appear they're looking for a fight." GM wants a pact that doesn't add to labor costs in Canada, company spokesman Stew Low said. "Given the circumstances we're in, it's a necessary objective," he said. "We're not looking for a fight." Hurt by weak SUV demand and high costs, GM's North American unit has become unprofitable this year. On Thursday, the union will select GM, Ford Motor Co. or DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group as the target company for this year's negotiations. Talks then will intensify between the selected company, with a Sept. 20 strike deadline. The CAW uses terms of a pact with the target company as a blueprint for the other two. Hargrove said GM's stance doesn't make the company more or less likely to be picked as target. GM was the target in 2002. In an interview with The Detroit News, Hargrove said GM, Ford and Chrysler have made similar offers. "All three companies must be talking with one another," Hargrove said. "But rhetoric with GM is different." Hargrove said the union still wants to settle without a strike. "We are even willing to settle early with the right deal to show the world we can compete," he said. The automakers have "shared a lot more information with us" about their Canadian operations than in previous talks, said Hargrove. "GM has to take a tougher line," said auto analyst Erich Merkle at consulting firm IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids. "They've been trying to get concessions out of the UAW. It's not going to go over well if they cave in to the CAW." Bloomberg News contributed to this report.

I really like both these versions. If you need a wagon, this would be the way to go. Fun and cargo. I'll see if I can find some interior shots.

I still notice that Oldsmobile is still included on GM sites. Is it officially gone or are there still new Oldsmobiles for sale? http://www.gm.com/

I saw a road test on television for this Jeep and it performed very well, looked very Jeep. I think this suv is going to do very well. It makes me wonder if it will take away it's own Grand Cherokee sales.

I'm having the same problem, kept thinking it would eventually go away, but still here as we speak.

Is it ever an addiction. I always thought I was weird until I discovered a whole bunch of car nuts on the net that were just as obsessed. Now I don't feel so alone.

It is usually unlike Honda to take risks like this. Espcially the interior. Remember the Prelude, a couple generations ago took a risk?.....it's interior was controversial for the times, it actually looked kind of Buick/Olds in style, it was very horizontal.

Yes, I think there is something about top down motoring (I mean the car's top!), that just does it on a date. Especially roadsters. Two seaters suggest it's just you and me babe, the air in our hair and sun on our faces. It's definitely a babe magnet. I vote for the Pontiac Solstice as being the current most effective babe date magnet.

I wouldn't care if the CTS was dead last, I would still buy it. And it's looking way cool with the painted out grill etc. The others just don't do it for me. And especially this one:

You actually saw it?!!....o man, it looks so good. I simply love that interior...well I love the whole thing.

Now thats funny.

I did an unscientific study, quickly flipped through a 2005 auto reference guide to see what at a glance hit me as ultimate chick vehicles. The two winners are: 1. Pontiac Sunfire 2. Toyota RAV4

The RAV4 defintely....man, everyone I see is driven by a chick. But it begs the question, do they really want a Hummer but can only afford a RAV?........or do they love the RAV4 for what it is, an emasclulated pretend off-road conveyance?

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/tw/05gallardo.htm September 7, 2005 Test Drive: 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo Review and photos by Tony Whitney There's nothing more fascinating in the world of automobiles than the super-exotic sports car segment, populated by mystical names producing vehicles that cost as much - or perhaps far more - than a decent family home in most parts of the country. Recent years have seen all kinds of changes in this segment, but the overall picture is one of amalgamation with major automakers, rather than a scenario in which great names gradually fade into history. Without big name automakers stepping in, few of those fabled nameplates of yesteryear would be around today to carry on their traditions. A quick look at "who owns what" reveals that British manufacturer Aston Martin is owned by Ford (along with Jaguar), and Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley are part of the powerful Volkswagen/Audi group. Ferrari is part of Fiat, as is Maserati, another Italian sports car builder of great renown. Mercedes-Benz produces an exotic sports car in the form of its amazing 617-horsepower SLR McLaren, and Ford itself is firmly in the segment with its gorgeous re-creation of the 1960s GT 40 coupe. The most successful independent upscale maker is Porsche, which seems to go from strength to strength. There are several other makers around the world building limited edition supercars, but most are so small they don't merit a mention here. The Geneva auto show throws up the most amazing stuff every year, but most of these flights of fancy rarely make it to the streets. My most recent exotic car experience was with a 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo (pronounced 'Gy-ar-do'). Lamborghini is once again well established in Canada after a few years of rather vague distribution. There are now several showrooms around the country, reflecting VW/Audi's ownership of the company, no doubt. My test Gallardo came courtesy of Lamborghini Vancouver. As most dyed-in-the-wool auto enthusiasts know, Lamborghini was once devoted entirely to the manufacture of agricultural tractors. Legend has it that owner Ferruccio Lamborghini was not happy with the Ferrari he owned and decided that he could build something better. In fact, when Lamborghini went to see Enzo Ferrari to complain about his car's clutch, the "Commendatore" made a comment along the lines of "what does a tractor maker know about cars," which must have cost him a lot of business in the ensuing years. A kind word and an offer of help from Ferrari and Lamborghini cars might never have been. The Lamborghini shield that graces the noses of the cars bears the image of a bull - and a fighting bull at that. Ferruccio was born under the sign of Taurus and decided that bulls were what he wanted to symbolize his cars with. In fact, several Lamborghinis over the years have taken their names from fighting bull breeds - including the Gallardo. The first Lamborghini appeared at the Turin auto show in 1963 and with some modification, later became the 350 GT, a model that earned widespread praise in the automotive press and is now a rare and highly collectible classic, along with its 400 GT successor. Even today, this is a beautiful car to behold and it really got the company off the ground. When the 350 GT went into production, cynical references to tractors ceased and from then on, Lamborghini created some of the most stunning automotive creations in history - many of them, quite literally, "cars as art." Landmarks included the superbly-styled Miura (a favourite of the Shah of Iran), a unique 2+2 called Espada, and the remarkable Countach, which set the whole sports car industry on its ear when it appeared. The Gallardo was launched as a "baby Lamborghini" and though it lacks the characteristic Lamborghini 12 cylinder, I don't think too many Gallardo owners will complain about its V-10. The concept behind the Gallardo was to create a sports car that can be used on an everyday basis. Naturally, the car takes off like a rocket and legal speeds come up all too quickly. Handling would shame some race-cars I've driven, but when driven in city traffic, the car is surprisingly docile - not always the case in the supercar field. The Gallardo is a truly beautiful car and you can look at it from any angle without seeing a discordant line. It hugs the ground in a predatory fashion and looks like it's seriously on the move even when standing still. The car is very light, weighing only 1,430 kilograms. Incidentally, the car is built around Audi's proven aluminum space frame technology. It uses sheet metal, diecastings and extrusions to produce a bodyshell of exceptional rigidity and lightness. The 5-litre V10, which uses dry sump lubrication like a race-car, develops a stirring 500-horsepower. Floor the gas pedal, if you dare, and you'll get a serious kick in the back as the Gallardo leaps off the mark. Lamborghini made extensive use of state-of-the-art electronics when it came to engine management, and throttle control is drive-by-wire. One of the highlights of this car is that it has four-wheel-drive - something rare in this segment. What this means is that you can accelerate briskly even in pouring rain and never get out of control. Floor the gas pedal and the car just takes off down the road without the least drama. I've always believed that all cars in this class should have all wheel drive - it's the safest way to make use of horsepower this impressive. The system is related to Audi's Quattro technology, so it ranks as among the best there is. The transmission is a 6-speed sequential system, operated by Formula One style paddles behind the beautifully-made steering wheel. There is no shift knob of any kind, which must alarm some first-time users. After a little practice, shifts can be lightning-fast and very smooth. There IS a fully automatic mode for times when a busy driver wants to leave everything to the electronics. Suspension is by double wishbone front and rear and Koni shocks are used. With its Pirelli P Zero tires, the car handles as though it were ready to take to the track. All the usual safety bells and whistles are included in the Gallardo's spec sheet, including huge Brembo ABS brakes. Find somewhere to safely exploit this car's performance, and you'll see 100 km/h come up in a scant 4.2-seconds and a top speed of 309 km/h. Clearly, the Gallardo goes as well as it looks. The cockpit is, unsurprisingly, a great place to do business. It's beautifully finished, which has not always been common to cars in this class. A Lambo I drove a few years back had bits in the cabin that looked as though they belonged in an old Dodge pickup. There is some use of Audi components around the stereo and HVAC panel, but nobody will complain about that since Audi does great work when it comes to interiors. As far as fuel consumption goes - well, let's not worry about that right now. It's doubtful that folk who shell out over a quarter of a million dollars for a car spend much time cruising the suburbs looking to save three cents a litre on gas. Suffice it is to say that this is one of the world's truly great sports cars and at $280,000 or so as tested, it's far from being the most expensive. Of course, for most of us, cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo are simply for dreaming about and there's always the question of whether any car can be worth between $250,000 and $300,000 (not excessive in this segment, incidentally). I believe that cars like this are worth the money when viewed as what they are - hand-built pieces of automotive art with race-car performance. It would be a dull world without cars like the Gallardo to lust after and the fact that it exists at all is an indication of how hard the world's automakers try to build something for every kind of buyer, whether it's a million dollar Bugatti or a $13,000 Hyundai. Technical Data: 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo Base price $252,000 Price as tested $280,000 Type 2-door, 2-passenger mid-size sports car Layout longitudinal mid engine/all-wheel drive Engine 5.0 litre V10, DOHC, 40 valves, CVVT Horsepower 500 @ 7800 rpm Torque 376 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm Transmission six-speed manual (optional sequential E-gear system with paddles on the steering column) Tires Pirelli P Zero (front/rear) 235/35ZR-19 / 295/30ZR-19 Curb weight 1430 kg (3153 lb.) Wheelbase 2560 mm (100.7 in) Length 4300 mm (169.3 in Width 1900 mm (74.8 in) Height 1165 mm (45.9 in) Cargo capacity 113 litres (4.0 cu. ft.) Fuel consumption City: 29.1 L/100 km (9 mpg Imperial) Hwy: 13.9 L/100 km (20 mpg Imperial) Fuel type Premium unleaded Warranty 2 yrs/24,000 km Assembly location Bolognese, Italy

I AM GETTING A BMW....BYE BYE GM.