thegriffon

It's based on the new Astra, which, yes, is just an update of the old Astra platform still built in Brazil, unlike the Cobalt and Ion which use Delta. It is bigger than the old Vectra and in most ways bigger than the European Vectra. Like the Civic and next Sentra sedans it uses a longer wheelbase than typical C-segment hatchbacks (and slightly longer than the European Vectra sedan and Malibu), in this case shared with the new Astra wagon and Zafira MPV.

If you don't want to be thought of as an ass, stop braying like one (that goes for Suresh too). Wage costs are high, but that is not GM's problem (even though Suresh may get paid less than a GM worker with overtime). It is high fixed costs such as the jobs bank and healthcare. GM is increasing production in India, China and looking at buying another plant in Romania to build Chevrolets, but none of that is to replace workers cut in North America. It's all about satisfying demand in local markets and making life hard for Toyota. Who was in charge while GM engineered this global renaissance? Oh yeah it was Wagoner. Give some credit for what he's done, and stop expecting him to roll back the sea.

I'm assuming it will be a new architecture, especially if it spans from the Matiz minicar (restricted in size by Korean regulations similar to Japan's keijidosha) up to small compacts such as the Corsa and Aveo. Suzuki (also a major shareholder in GM Daewoo) may be involved as well, so it could be related to the Swift and SX4.

Err, that's partly why everyone complains the exchange rate is too low. Effectively they are paid more, but the exchange rate makes it look as if they aren't.

It would be the board that decides Wagoner's compensation. Unless you're a majorty shareholder you don't get to give yourself a payrise.

"The Opel Corsa, GM Europe's second-best-selling model, and Chevrolet's top two sellers in Europe, the Aveo and Matiz, are based on the platform, called Gamma." Errr, I think that should be "will be based", but I don't think it will be Gamma anymore.

Toyota has been in China for decades, and faces strong competition from Hyundai as well as GM and Volkswagen. Being Japanese is still a problem for Toyota in China and unlike Chevrolet or Buick they don't have a unified marketing and dealer network.

Since they reference Germany perhaps this is relevant: "Medical workers at Europe's largest university hospital, Charite in Berlin, Germany, are on a weeklong strike to protest pay cuts and unpaid overtime."

"It seems to cushion Detroit from a series of management mistakes over the last decade -- specifically, its sustained bet on gas-guzzling SUVs. In effect, it punishes rivals such as Toyota for having the foresight and initiative to develop hybrids and other fuel-saving cars." I can't see how either of thse would be true. Better overall health indicators probably go a long way to explaining lower heath-care costs. The rest is because of chronic under-funding, not genuine "lower costs". The public health systems in the UK and Australia are a perennial source of political unrest, scandal, and pork. Governments have been known to "punish" sections of the electorate by closing services. The wait for non-emergency surgery can take years unless you pay as a "private" patient, and the gap between public cover and basic private costs such as a checkup is increasing all the time.

This from a site with stories like "John McCain: Torture Worked on Me", and quoting the Post? After-tax dollars from a source protected from a GM bankruptcy? What kind of two-bit hack wrote this?

It only, sort of, looks like that. If you see the originals you will also see where some of the details are not quite right - shape of the lights, grille etc. They are still fixated on a big 6.0 L V8, and I don't see Holden using a truck engine as the base V8 any more than the LS2.

Err, Reg, he is the outsourcing.

Errr, "bug" as in harass because he hadn't been paid until Wednesday.

Yes it worked so well for UAL ;-)

How much would GM sales improve if they could just get rid of the crappy dealers. One question about the Solstice - how do you get into the trunk with the top up?

That's it wildman, get all the "new" AMCs and screw with Chryslers sales reporting for 2005.

Yes, well they can afford to drive to one in another town ;-)

Huckfeldt only does photoshops - always very good, not always accurate. These are based on the Opel spy shots and are very close (except maybe for the interior, which is from the Daewoo).

You mean like at UAL? Delphi workers will not have to work for $9 an hour. It is meant to make the UAW see how serious things are, not be the definitive offer. It may have gone too far, but I doubt if the UAW refuses to negotiate that it will be the figure Miller takes to the brankruptcy court. The UAW and previous GM management (not Wagoner) are to blame for GM's troubles, by setting up an unsustainable structure of generous retirement, health and layoff benefits, exacerbated by the massive increases in healthcare costs. Social Security faces the same structural problems, and you can't blame any recent president or congress for that. GM has made apparent mistakes (discount pricing for one), but they are hamstrung by market perception, consumer and dealer demands (like Red Tag) and the aforesaid structural problems.

Other way round, the Fiat is based on this - it's about the size of the pre-2006 RX4 and Ford EcoSport - more of an all-road wagon than an SUV though. Also these were meant to be embargoed until Dec 1 ;-)

Those are chops, but they appear to be based on more photos of "spook" cars AutoBild acquired, and are very accurate. Combine the shots TCC published earlier, and AutoBild's new shots clearly showing the rear, and you get something very like this.

Presumably it's meant to represent a ball in flight, but ...

This quite often happens when people never wanted to go, but were too chicken to say so right away. They mean to cancel earlier put keep putting it off until they really have to. Some people make you wait so long it makes you late. They may like you, but they don't like the same things as you do anymore. They go to college, get a new job, get married, have kids etc. and suddenly they're not interested in doing the same stuff.

If the UAW is seriously willing to concede this to GM, they need to be telling people now, so the change won't be so traumatic when the contract is changed in 2007.

Ford dumping Jaguar is a regularly suggested, but then there is the issue of Jaguar's AJ-V6 and AJ-V8 being so widely used by Ford and Mazda.