GM

[John H.]

Re: GM

With the demise of Pontiac and Saturn's uncertain fate (Will someone buy it or will it just be shut down?) the Solstace and Sky may be dead as early as next year.

Duke -

The Solstice and Sky (and the exported Opel roadster) are already dead; the Wilmington, Delaware plant that builds them closes in July of this year.

[Henry S.]

Re: GM

.

When I saw Henry's reference to the Vega, and having read some of the other exchange in this chain, I just couldn't resist stirring the pot.
Cheers,

OUCH Michael, what were you using a pitchfork.

[Edward C.]

Re: GM

Fiat says it will not sell its cars under the Fiat name because of the experience Americans had with them when they were her but under Chrysler's name. How humillating is it for an Italian car company is given a big share of Chrysler? Can I get a 500 cc 1200# death trap with a Chrysler name please? Will it also come with a Life Insurance policy and an option? Ed

[Michael L.]

Re: GM

Well I was watching ABC's 20/20 program and they had an interview with the Saudi oil Minister, and he stated that as far as Saudi Arabia needs to make $55.00 a barrel of oil to cover all the costs they spend in the whole oil exploration and drilling process. Now anything above that is pure profit, But he stressed that if you allow the cost to exceed $75.00 a barrel then your looking at losing money because people will be reacting by not using oil products as much as possible, and thats bad. I was surprised by his POV that the price of oil cannot be allowed to wander all around the the cost of a barrel of oil. There must be a stable cost per barrel across the board for all of us to continue using oil products. That was his take on wild the up and downs of oil prices ! I thought it was interesting that super high prices actually hurt oil producing countries and that's bad for everybody. I don't know ?

Yeah, they need that price to cover costs... In my latest Haggerty magazine I see a Saudi paid 14 million for a license plate for his car. Explore this!!!

[John H.]

Re: GM

Can I get a 500 cc 1200# death trap with a Chrysler name please? Will it also come with a Life Insurance policy and an option? Ed

Ed -

Whatever Fiat-based products end up being built and/or sold here will have to meet exactly the same NHTSA/DOT/EPA safety and emissions regulations as any other car, regardless of size. Some of the really little cars already sold here (like the Smart Car, Chevy Aveo and little Kia, Hyundai, Suzuki, Nissan and Honda products) look pretty scary from an impact perspective, but they all meet the requirements and pass all the impact tests.

In seven years it won't matter much what you WANT to buy - your choices will be very limited. The new requirement for each manufacturer to meet a fleet average CAFE requirement of 35.5 mpg says cars have to get 42 mpg, and trucks 29 mpg.

Know what a 42-mpg car will look like? It's no larger than a Honda Civic, will have a 1.3L 4-cylinder engine with a turbocharger and direct fuel injection, with about $5,000 worth of premium materials (aluminum, magnesium, etc.) to take another 500 pounds of weight out, and it'll sticker at around $30,000.

The average car buyer has no idea what's coming in 2016; all they know is that "Gee, my new car will get 35.5 miles per gallon, isn't that great?", because that's the message they hear every day out of Washington. Nobody from the Beltway is telling them that a compact (or subcompact) is as big as they'll get, and mid-size and full-size cars will be history. That's "change" they don't know about yet.

[Clem Z.]

Re: GM

what ever happen to the 100 MPG carb that the oil companies were hiding ???

[Michael L.]

Re: GM

what ever happen to the 100 MPG carb that the oil companies were hiding ???

According to a guy I work with, he has it in his garage! He states he can get 100 MPG or more out of a conventional V8. I wonder why he is still working??? We as a culture THRIVE on gossip and misinformation and tend to dwell on the negative as well...

[Edward C.]

Re: GM

John I agree they will meet safety standards but reliability and build quality? Remember the "Fix It Again Tony" when Fiat was here before. We are screwed with our own tax money. Ed

[Terry M.]

Re: GM

Ed -
The average car buyer has no idea what's coming in 2016; all they know is that "Gee, my new car will get 35.5 miles per gallon, isn't that great?", because that's the message they hear every day out of Washington. Nobody from the Beltway is telling them that a compact (or subcompact) is as big as they'll get, and mid-size and full-size cars will be history. That's "change" they don't know about yet.

[David D.]

Re: GM

Ed -

Whatever Fiat-based products end up being built and/or sold here will have to meet exactly the same NHTSA/DOT/EPA safety and emissions regulations as any other car, regardless of size. Some of the really little cars already sold here (like the Smart Car, Chevy Aveo and little Kia, Hyundai, Suzuki, Nissan and Honda products) look pretty scary from an impact perspective, but they all meet the requirements and pass all the impact tests.

In seven years it won't matter much what you WANT to buy - your choices will be very limited. The new requirement for each manufacturer to meet a fleet average CAFE requirement of 35.5 mpg says cars have to get 42 mpg, and trucks 29 mpg.

Know what a 42-mpg car will look like? It's no larger than a Honda Civic, will have a 1.3L 4-cylinder engine with a turbocharger and direct fuel injection, with about $5,000 worth of premium materials (aluminum, magnesium, etc.) to take another 500 pounds of weight out, and it'll sticker at around $30,000.

The average car buyer has no idea what's coming in 2016; all they know is that "Gee, my new car will get 35.5 miles per gallon, isn't that great?", because that's the message they hear every day out of Washington. Nobody from the Beltway is telling them that a compact (or subcompact) is as big as they'll get, and mid-size and full-size cars will be history. That's "change" they don't know about yet.

John,
I agree....In my opinion, Life as we KNEW it will never again be. No more putting the entire family, comfortably in with the pet, and luggage to take that 500+ mile vacation. Our standard of living has and will continue to be taken away from us.
Many companies in the past have tried to TELL the customer what they wanted/needed, but eventually failed or came to the realization that in order for them to succeed they needed to start manufacturing what the customer wanted/demanded. This, within reason, must be controled to meet necessary restrictions, but I am afraid that the Government will try to TELL everyone what it is we need and will like. This, like most other things the Government touches, will also be a failure.
JMHO,
David

[Chuck S.]

Re: GM

Ed -

Whatever Fiat-based products end up being built and/or sold here will have to meet exactly the same NHTSA/DOT/EPA safety and emissions regulations as any other car, regardless of size. Some of the really little cars already sold here (like the Smart Car, Chevy Aveo and little Kia, Hyundai, Suzuki, Nissan and Honda products) look pretty scary from an impact perspective, but they all meet the requirements and pass all the impact tests.

In seven years it won't matter much what you WANT to buy - your choices will be very limited. The new requirement for each manufacturer to meet a fleet average CAFE requirement of 35.5 mpg says cars have to get 42 mpg, and trucks 29 mpg.

Know what a 42-mpg car will look like? It's no larger than a Honda Civic, will have a 1.3L 4-cylinder engine with a turbocharger and direct fuel injection, with about $5,000 worth of premium materials (aluminum, magnesium, etc.) to take another 500 pounds of weight out, and it'll sticker at around $30,000.

The average car buyer has no idea what's coming in 2016; all they know is that "Gee, my new car will get 35.5 miles per gallon, isn't that great?", because that's the message they hear every day out of Washington. Nobody from the Beltway is telling them that a compact (or subcompact) is as big as they'll get, and mid-size and full-size cars will be history. That's "change" they don't know about yet.

Aw, John, that's only true if we keep relying on petroleum based fuels. Now, if some genius could up with a tiny little nuclear reactor design that was cheap, and safe...that would put these politicians right out of the mandated fleet mpg business because it suddenly wouldn't be relevant any more.

[David J.]

Re: GM

In my biased opinion, I believe GM is making cars equal to or better than the axis countries. The bad economy and high legacy costs have made it near impossible to produce these vehicles profitably. GM has no one to blame but itself for these costs as they caved into the UAW contract after contract. Even now, the disparity between UAW benefits and the salaried workforce is atrocious - current employees and retirees. Being in the latter catagory, in retrospect, I might have better gone to work on the line instead of waisting my time and money going to school just to wear a clean dress shirt and do interesting work. Guess I have to settle for years of having a sense of accomplishment and not having a lot of money to blow on smoking and booze to boost my self-esteem.

That's why here in Florida you can tell a Union GM retiree from a salaried GM retiree very easily; they now drive the new Cadillacs (Lexus and Infinities) and we're in the old "happy" Chevy's.

Stu Fox

I agree with you 100%. GM is a great company and builds a great product. I use to work for GM in the late 70's to the late 80's and the product we put out was BAD. I just took delivery of an 09 GMC and what a product. This thing drives like a Caddy.