Hey Now

Its funny. I am NOT an interior guy at all (I personally think the current full size pickups have a great interior, I mean, its totally utilitarian and works, i.e. you can rest your hand on the shift lever while in Drive and adjust the radio (brilliant!)). I am all about the exterior when it comes to new models. Until I saw the new CTS interior. I was blown away. Awesome. But on top of that, the exterior is even better! Subtle redesign cues from the current model. Its perfect.

Interesting question. I personally thought the Outlook's interior was better than the 07 Escalade's. Until I saw the Acadia's interior, I think that's the best of the 3. But, if you like brown (which I personally hate), the Enclave will probably be the popular favorite. In the end, the 08 CTS interior blows all of them out of the water.

They're the same, the one you quoted has some "enhancing" work done on it to the front end from Photoshop. Compare the side mirrors.

Its not. Neither is the Enclave's.

Jesus, is this because Josh called you by your first name in his reply on the other thread??? If that's the case, this is wrong on SO may levels........

Interesting. I wonder, did the diesel give better fuel economy resulting in less pit stops in the 12 hours?

Holy crap. Screw the regular model, assuming this goes for $4-5k more than the base model, its the deal of a lifetime. $25k for this would be an unbelievable bargin. This has enough aftermarket potential to be better than the Mallet V8 (for cost vs. hp). I would gladly pay an extra $50 a month in financing just to know that when I pulled up in my exclusve yellow Solistice next to a regular black 177hp model I would be smoking them off the line. This is "relatively" comparitive to those who buy the Z06 for $20k more than the C6. Anyone who is willing to put down the $ for a Solstice now should wait until Fall 2006 and get a GXP, live the dream with a 260hp Solstice! I've driven a regular Solstice and besides not fitting in it (I'm 6' 3") I found it to be so-so for acceleration, so this should be an ass-kicking improvement! (the first year models will sell based on styling for the regular Joe Q. Public masses, but the GXP is what will make it a "performace" car for those that want more power to stand out from everyone else!)

Depending on what article you read, I think its anywhere from $700-$800 million per year. GM doesn't disclose the exact amount, so any numbers are guesstimates based on # of workers and average pay. By the way, $800 million is enough to finance a brand new platform/architecture. Think of what could be done with that kind of dough if it was put back into the product portfolio.

Yes.

Seriously, Toyota would not care about the car side of the house. That would be out the door sans the Vette (they'd be stupid to pass up all the technology in the Vette). You don't seem to understand that "breaking in" to the HD market is HUGE. GM, Ford, and DCX are low cost because they've been in the game for a long, long time and carry over the lessons to any new HD platform, it is MUCH harder to start from scratch on something that you (Toyota) has never made. That is why I predict that the rumored upcoming Nissan HD will fail miserably, you just can't increase the thickness of the frame and hope you're customers will accept it, you must completely understand the HD market (which is NOT the average Joe Schmo off the street). As for fuel cell tech, GM and Toyota are working together on that anyway, plus that has not been proven to be the way of the future in autos......yet.

That's easy: the full size truck lineup, especially the HD's. Everything else would get pitched out the window, except maybe the Vette.

NEWS FLASH: "Hummer to spend over 50% of advertising budget on H3!" Oh wait, you never see an H1 ad.......doing math.......... ah nevermid.

Production of saleable vehicles starts a lot earlier than that and they (Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade) will be at dealers WAY before March. And its spelled Arlington.

Isn't it horrible when people are dropped on their head as babies......

Delphi only pays them the big $ if they leave, it was not a salary increase. That total $ amount is insignificant compared to the total $ debt at the company. If no one leaves, that money is never spent. Let's wait to see who leaves first. My guess is that there is greater financial incentives for them to stay and get Delphi profitable Delphi will survive for the immediate future, there is absolutely no way GM will let them close down due to the amount of parts they supply to the critical vehicles (full size trucks), even if it means GM having to pay billions. To get a new supplier to provide parts in huge numbers is not something done in weeks, months, or even years. That agreement can now be voided by a judge if he sees fit to do it. That's the point of bankruptcy, Delphi can no longer meet its current financial contracts with anyone. The UAW agreement is just another one of those contracts, it will be changed, if not voided, by the time this is all said and done. The line of thinking that the UAW is "untouchable" is part of the reason this whole mess is happening.

The national agreement is usually very general: wages, raises, health care, etc. Its the local contracts that get detailed, everything revolves around seniority. Don't quote me on this, but I think if overtime is needed, the high seniority guy gets asked if he wants to work before they would ask the low seniority jobs bank guy to come in. Its very complex and different plant to plant from what I understand.

Its usually due to the local contracts, i.e. one plant in Town A needs overtime, lets say the next 8 Saturdays, they won't bring in jobs bank people from shutdown factory in Town B because the local contract protect the local people it covers, meaning the overtime goes to the locals. Same kind of thing, Plant A is at max capacity for a certain Widget, Plant B makes a Widget nobody wants, local contracts prevent workers from B going to A to grab up A's overtime. Just found this from The Car Connection, looks like some non-UAW unions understand the money problems in Detroit right now: http://www.thecarconnection.com/blog/ Intersting quote from article: "However, one union leader speculated 400-500 new jobs would be created by the new work rules. The trade-off to union members, of course, is that some members’ overly healthy overtime bonuses may fall."

My predictions: -Jobs Bank is history -Delphi closes more plants than anyone thinks they will and those workers are gone -Wages get slashed, but not to the $10-12/hour that Delphi asked for, it will be higher -Blue and white collar workers wil pay the same for health care -Unless the UAW realizes what's happening and plays the game, there may no longer be a UAW at Delphi, the workers would be non-union -Another article already states Delphi will be out of bankruptcy by early 2007. UAW contract talks start Summer 2007, and the floodgates will be open, and they will lose many things to the Big 2.5

From Bloomberg News: http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=1...id=aO_secpM2RQk "Sept. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Anyone who thinks Steve Miller, Delphi Corp.'s chief executive, will try to pull off a last- second miracle so his company can avoid bankruptcy at any cost ought to reconsider. Signs are accumulating that suggest the biggest U.S. auto- parts supplier -- spun off from General Motors Corp. in 1999 -- is moving closer to a Chapter 11 filing by mid-October, and perhaps any day. Delphi has had cumulative net losses of $5.7 billion over the past four quarters, capping a dismal run in which it lost money in three out of the past four years. Standard & Poor's CCC-credit rating on Delphi's 6.5 percent bonds due 2009 is nine rungs below investment grade. And Delphi shares have fallen about 50 percent since mid-August, closing at $3.48 yesterday. The reason for the losses is simple: In the midst of strong consumer demand for vehicles, Delphi's costs, particularly for labor in the U.S., are out of whack because of union contracts that pay workers and retirees some of the world's most generous health-care, pension and other benefits. While bankruptcy would inflict plenty of pain, it might also set in motion a series of events that lead to a restructuring of other auto-parts suppliers, as well as GM and Ford Motor Co. A judge could void labor contracts, and eventually Delphi might even terminate its pension plan -- forcing competitors to seek similar concessions or face bankruptcy. "

I'm thinking the same thing. If I have a credit card, I've entered into a contract to pay the balance plus X% interest every month. If I declare bankruptcy, that contract is voided because my debt exceeds my income. Although this is a simplified example, I think the same thing applies here. The airlines had union contracts and they cut major things that were "guranteed" in the contracts, why would the auto business be any different?

Getting out of bankruptcy is one thing, having an approved plan (i.e. approval to close plants) is a much quicker process from my understanding. United Airlines had filed their restructuring plan within a month including slashing workers salaries, benefits, and pensions.

But does the UAW want to gamble that a lawsuit would take a year and a half? Not sure the intricies of Bankruptcy Court, but 1.5 years seems like a long time, thought most plans for restructure were approved by the courts quickly.

Its my understanding that GM is locked in to helping Delphi either way due to the GM-Delphi spinoff contract which was good through 2007. I think GM's going pay a bunch of $ regardless of the Delphi-UAW outcome. With Delphi supplying a ton of parts, GM will pay to keep them producing parts so they can keep producing vehicles, so they can make money, especially with the new high profit trucks coming. I too, think the UAW is going to have to give up something big to Delphi this time around, I don't think they want to press their luck with bankruptcy court. And giving up something big to Delphi, means giving up something to the Big 2.5 in 2007 talks.

"Concessions" means having to give up something you want, not necessarily taking something away that already exists. Asking for a $0.50/hour increase and only getting a $0.20/hour increase is a concession. I was unhappy at what my fellow Americans were making compared to me. So I went back to school and got a better job that pays more, now I'm happy and can provide a better living for others. Family comes first. Joe Everyman can't change the world himself, only for the people around him. The closest I ever came to Wall Street is when I visited NYC when I was 9. I own one suit that is used for weddings and funerals. That's why I put "40+". And ironically, a 40 hour work week is exactly to the minute what UAW workers have if there is no overtime. In fact, their 8 hours start when the line starts moving and stops when the line stops, all of which is computer controlled. And guess what? The 8 hours includes their breaks and lunchtime, yep, their breaks/lunches are paid breaks, which if memory serves, equals a free hour every day.

Well good job trying to put words in my mouth. Go ask the Northwest Airline Mechanics how well taking the hardline of no concessions worked for them at the bargaining table. Yes. This is the way it is now in America. Why it is now this way is a whole other thread topic. Got a job that is choking you? Evaluate your financial/personal/professional/family situation and either live with it or change. You make it sound like working, rasing a family, and going to school is some kind of an impossible feat. Guess what, its been done by many, many people, including myself and 3 friends I have and that's with 40+ hours/week at work. And another surprise: if you're in the UAW, guess who pays for your tuition? That's right, the company, you just provide the time to pass the classes. The real world is the world in which people lose jobs everyday due to the flow of the economy, not one in which they are in the 1% of American workers that never have to worry about losing their jobs (drinking on the job? theft? insubordination? Nope, none will get you fired in the UAW)