mustang84

Another nice one from GM! I wasn't that impressed when I saw the small pics, but seeing the detail in the larger ones I really like it a lot, especially the rear 3/4.

COOL! I've never been itching to own a Hummer, but this thing is sweet!

St. Charles is a St. Louis suburb that's pretty uppity. This doesn't really surprise me.

'94 Euro with the 3100

Lately my car has been getting great mpg, and ironically I've been driving faster lately. Usually I go about 75 on the interstate, but the last week I've been waking up later and have a 45 minute drive to work, so I go about 80. I just filled up my car tonight and discovered I got 27 mpg! The EPA rates my car at 25 mpg and before I had my head gasket replaced I was getting 22-23 mpg. This is about 85% highway, 15% city driving. I would've assumed I'd be getting worse since I've been speeding more lately, but I'm actually doing better! How does everyone else do on highway MPG?

For those that have not seen... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMZilI_ct1A (Big Bottom) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVWJgIzftE (This Goes to 11) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXGbwIkvh38 (Stonehenge) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjITjQBtlRQ (album reviews) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9YKIgpkcmw (lost backstage) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aRqZ7DeQJI (bread incident) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri4-mHQysS0 (Lick my Love Pump) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T27oOfoZPg0 (airport security) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlynf--lsxA (Black Album) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4fCbqjWiek (Gimme Some Money) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FuAUaJflRs (Nigel Solos) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMmdzLHkXjA (Elvis grave)

These fender vent things are getting very old, very fast. First thing I thought when I saw the vent / upward crease was the '08 Focus, which is not the most flattering design. This one needs some work, IMO...mostly just the side profile.

I'm pretty sure the Taurus X will be dead soon, especially when the 2010 Taurus arrives on the scene. That leaves us with: Urban: Edge, Flex Off-road: Escape, Explorer That's really not too bad of a lineup, considering how fast the crossover market is growing.

I scored Obama #1 (62%), but in real life I support Ron Paul more. For me, it will be between either Ron Paul or Obama. Brownback, Huckabee, Romney, and Gore are at the bottom of my real-life list.

Saw two Malibus recently...one at home and one on the road. I'm starting to see more Focuses, too. Also, early 90s Honda Accord wagon on the northbound side of I-35 last week...burnt to a crisp.

This is what's needed to save the Explorer. If you need a V8, get an Expedition; but for most, this should do. We have an '04 Explorer and while the 2002+ are much larger than the old Explorers, they are cramped inside, especially the rear seats. It looks like Ford has made this much more space efficient. We have a V6 in our Explorer and it performs fine for modest towing needs. If you're going to be towing a boat or something larger, then you get the Expedition.

I was raised to believe in an afterlife but ever since going to college and especially since going to Rome, I've been struggling with that and am no longer a believer. Like Ven said, far too much energy is devoted toward preparing for eternal life rather than just living and enjoying life. I believe that when we die, we will go into a hole in the ground and that is that...but it does not bother me because everything comes to an end. Live life to the fullest, help those around you, be a good person, and your deeds will pass on to future generations even though you will not.

"This pretentious ponderous collection of religious rock psalms is enough to prompt the question, 'What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?'" [reading a review of the album "Shark Sandwich"] Marty DiBergi: The review for "Shark Sandwich" was merely a two word review which simply read "$h! Sandwich". Marty DiBergi: "This tasteless cover is a good indication of the lack of musical invention within. The musical growth of this band cannot even be charted. They are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry." Nigel Tufnel: That's just nitpicking, isn't it? [When asked what happened to their first drummer] David St. Hubbins: He died in a bizarre gardening accident... Nigel Tufnel: Authorities said... best leave it... unsolved.

Isn't Pontiac pretty popular in Canada? When I was in Montreal, I saw more Pontiacs than Chevys. GM is dumb if they kill Pontiac, because they are still fairly popular among my age group. One of my friends recently bought a Mercury Milan, but he was looking at a Pontiac G6 also. Another friend is looking at a Grand Prix. These are guys fresh out of college and in their 20s...if GM doesn't want that kind of customer, go ahead and kill Pontiac, but also keep giving people more reasons to go to the competition.

If Pontiac goes, I may have to re-evaluate my allegiance to GM. If Buick goes with it, I'm gone. It would take a lot for me to lose my love for GM, but elimination of another historic brand or two could do the trick.

I'm curious what kind of Oldsmobile it was. Maybe gramps drives a 442?

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

What the hell....Cobalt and Impala flip-flopped for sales in December. The Cobalt almost outsold the Impala! G6 jumped quite a bit too.

Taurus / Taurus X sales were pretty damn good considering how much Ford has bumbled that launch. Most of the new stuff seems to be selling well, except I didn't like seeing the Escape and Mariner numbers down...hopefully that isn't a trend.

Tundra didn't meet it's 200K sales goal, even with huge rebates.

I think it would have to be decades of continual losses before GM and Ford abandoned the North American market. We still are extremely large even with the shrinkage expected...doesn't the US sell about 9.5 million vehicles a year? I think China is about 8 or 9 million, although it will probably surpass us fairly soon.

Excellent post.

We have so many problems internally in this country that worry about the rest of the world should be our last concern right now. The world can handle itself...the US doesn't and shouldn't have to be the babysitter. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Instead of band-aid moves like CAFE, close all our military bases outside US territory and cut the military budget in half at least, then reinvest that substantial savings in MASS TRANSPORTATION. Restore a national rail network so that people won't have to drive everywhere. This way we have options, but we still have the choice to purchase what we can afford. Unfortunately, our government moves at a snail's pace and they have priorities in the wrong place, so I doubt we'll ever see anything like that happen even though it is the obvious solution. Europe has an extensive, fast, and efficient railroad network that works beautifully...why can't we have the same? The "innovators" in this country are few and far between these days. People would rather heap on industry-crippling regulation than actually tackling the source of the problem with obvious solutions. We pulled ourself out of the Great Depression for Christ's sake and this is the best our government can do?? Laziness on behalf of the population and total lack of competence within our politicians is why countries like China will probably knock us off our pedestal within the next 20 years. Benevolent corporate leaders that funded the great public works in this country at the turn of the century no longer exist. And those in government that had a vision of what America should be have been replaced with puppets who do the bare minimum to keep themselves in office and satisfy the puppetmasters who fund them. ------------------------------- Technology is the solution. It has always been the solution; all great empires rose because they innovated to solve problems. These same great empires fell from incompetence at the state-level, internal division among the population, and most of all, lack of innovation (sound much like the United States?) No amount of government bureaucracy is going to change the fact that people will still drive as much as they did before with more efficient cars. Fine, cripple our industry and regulate our lives so that we can "repay" the rest of the world for our consumption; make us drive cars that cost more with less content in order to comply with some dubious regulation. The Al Gore's of the world are reaping from this environmental push while the quality of life for the average American goes down the $h!ter. If that's what this country is going to become, then I would much rather live elsewhere. Canada is looking mighty nice these days.

Mr. Lutz, you will be missed greatly when the time comes to leave GM. I foresee a new era of mediocrity in the auto industry, especially here in America. China is the next emerging market and they will still get the Park Avenues and types of cars that Americans buy now, while our government will push the average Joe into some little breadbox to satisfy the environmental organizations that have a firm grip on a number of influential, vocal politicians. I am becoming less optimistic about the future of the auto industry and this country in general. And the real sad thing is that we were starting to see some actual progress in 2007, some light at the end of the tunnel...only to find out that there's an even longer and darker tunnel ahead.

So it's 1972 all over again; car performance seems to have reached its peak and we'll soon be stuck with a bunch of downsized cars with small engines. Great...so much for choice. I lived in Italy for four months and the majority of the small cars on the roads are average at best. Only the rich can afford the full-size Audis and Mercedes-Benzes. I guess that is where this country is headed. I would be willing to buy a hybrid or electric car if it was offered in a mid-size or a full-size, but you will never catch me in a compact. I'm tall and I tend to haul a lot of stuff and a compact is not going to cut it. Good thing I'm graduating this spring so I can get a Mustang before the government bans them too.