I just went for a ride in a 2002 BMW M5. The car is amazing...so much power, so smooth. Too bad a used one still runs $50K! My friends who work for The General brought it by. The car was a benchmarking vehicle for the Cadillac CTS-V. It still had the Nürburgring stickers on it.
Speaking of GM...they lost $8 Billion dollars last year. Its amazing to think that only 30 years ago the federal government wanted to break them up due to anti-trust laws. I really don't feel that sorry for GM as a company, but I do feel sorry for the 300,000 people that work there. Its amazing how some poor management decisions are killing a once great company. Let's delve into GM's product line.
Saturn. What in the world...they had such an opportunity with Saturn. Anyone would buy a Saturn just because of the sales/service experience. Then the Ion came out. What a fugly piece of junk. Everything about the car is cheap, the only person I know that likes hers came out of a 1986 Cavalier. Now GM is closing the Spring Hill, TN plant that makes Saturns. They spent $1 billion to open that plant, and it is one of their nicest facilities. The biggest reason they are closing it is because there is a separate union contract so they can easily lay of the workers. Sad.
Chevrolet. Who buys Chevy's? As far as I can tell, only rednecks and rental car agencies buy Chevy's. I take that back...the Corvette is an amazing piece of machinery. I will admit, the Cobalt is a nice small car, but since Chevy's "brand equity" for cars (not trucks) is just about zero, they have to put huge discounts on the Cobalt. If that car was badged as a Honda, it would sell like hotcakes.
Buick. Did you even know that was part of GM? The last Buick I drove was as a rental when I went to Boston a few years ago. It was AWFUL. It made the Taurus look exciting. What a waste of raw materials. Please send Buick the way of Oldsmobile soon.
I should mention Cadillac as the crown jewel of GM. Their lineup is outstanding, and it is clear that Lincoln is envious of what Caddy has done. Lincoln has decided to emulate Caddy's new badging system, as evidenced in the Zephyr to MKZ name switch. I, for one, really liked the Zephyr name. And if the Escalade didn't have enough bling for you, the new Navigator might just do it.
I yearnfully looked at my Miata tonight. It sits peacefully in my garage...thanking me for not subjecting it to another Michigan winter. In its 11 years on earth, I believe this is the first time it hasn't been subjected to the salt slurry found on Michigan's roads. I think I'll put it back on the road after spring break. Then I can sell my '91 Protege...for cheap. Know anyone that wants a $400 car that runs/drives well?
I've been thinking about dumping the LS and picking up a Protege5. I would love to have all 4-cylinder vehicles in my fleet, as I drive a lot. The LS sucks down premium at a rate of ~ 24 mpg...I'd save ~$80/month if I got a car that used regular at a rate of 30 mpg.
In Michigan economic news, Toyota won't be opening a plant here anytime soon thanks to the UAW. Did you know that Michigan has the worst unemployment rate in the country now? Maybe that's why my house has only gone up 1% in value in 3.5 years...
Trivia question: what was the largest displacement AMC engine ever made?
posted by carlos @ 10:15 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
My Brother,
Good post, good to see that you're going to maybe be active here.
As you know, I hate GM almost as much as I hate Toyota. Unlike Toyota, I don't have to give it up for GM cars, as they truly do suck. (with the agreed exception of the Corvette) (It really pisses me off sometimes how good Toyotas are) (including the one I own) (my wife bought it before we were married, so I have an excuse)
Anyway, back to the GM hating. I can't stand Caddy. American manufacturers are almost as bad at luxury as th Asians. When I see someone in a Lexus, I see a sucker. When I see someone in a Caddilac, I see a jingoistic sucker.
Chevy trucks are acceptable, but I still prefer ovals. Oval vans are also far superior to the bowties.
OK, my gut on the AMC engine is 401, but I'm going to google it now... OK, google backs me up. Back when I had my SX/4 I saw an Concord based AMX that had a Buick 454 in it that got me thinking about trying to smush an AMX and an Eagle together, as in that era they were both Concord based. I'm assuming the ridiculous driveline in the Eagles would interfere with the tranny/engine of the AMXs, but that could have been hot.
The 401 is the big winner.
I still keep a picture of your green Hornet, since it reminds me of one of the most ridiculous stories ever.
Yes, Oscar once closed the Tappan Zee bridge. He was towin an AMC Hornet using a Bronco II. Brilliant! Almost as good as when I set a '64 Ford on fire in downtown Seattle.
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