It's not supercharged. There all you do is change the supercharger oil every 20K miles just like you should do the DexCool, and you'll get great life out of the supercharger.
The portholes made me think it's an Ultra.
The 05s may ahve the Series III motor which essentially went back to the aluminum UIM which didn't have EGR port deterioration in a about 25% of them. Even if it did have the plastic, it's replaceable for $150 with a Dorman which also replaces the EGR tube with a smaller pipe leaving more air room around the plastic intake avoiding the deterioration. It's equivalent to the 2nd gear problem in Honda transmissions; it's no big thing. Fix it once. About 4 hours and a new upper.
I'd really check for history on the car to look for flood or other negative.
But it's one that would catch my eye. (I'd take off the portholes if they're not truly OE for that model.) I cringe when I see a Camry, Seville, Buick withthe gold trim and gold portholes that show up around here. I've even seen a Lexus with portholes on it in Dayton.
I know the last thing General Motors needs is another brand in order for it to "Succeed", but on another board, there was mention of the brand, and I was wondering if everyone thought GM is right to have killed the brand? If not, what could Oldsmobile's niche have been in the new GM (ie-would they be in BPG dealers with a limited lineup)? Etc...etc...etc...
Oldsmobile, could of perhaps been a FWD luxury car brand which would of sold well in the rust belt. They could of been like Buick, but FWD. More upscale than Saturn. However perhaps it's best they are dead because I do not know what else the brand could of became that GM, doesn't already have a answer for ????
NEW WORLD RECORD . . . Third-quarter global sales for GM were up 4 percent compared to last year, thanks to record-setting results from LAAM, Asia-Pacific and GM Europe. All told, GM sold 2.38 million cars and trucks around the world in the third quarter of 2007. This included seeing the 21st consecutive quarter of year-over-year improvements outside the U.S.
Highlights included a sales jump of nearly 22 percent in LAAM, bolstered by a 45 percent jump in Cadillac sales, a 27 percent increase for Chevy and a triple-digit boost from HUMMER. In the Asia-Pacific region, GM China saw a 21 percent increase that put the group on pace to become the first to ring up 1 million sales a year in that country. Overall, the region notched a 16 percent increase in sales compared to the same time last year. GM also had the highest quarterly volume among top-ten manufacturers in Europe, partly spurred on by Chevrolet’s record third-quarter sales of 113,000 vehicles, up 28 percent. Cadillac also contributed significantly by posting a 61 percent sales increase for the quarter.
“GM global sales of 7.06 million vehicles for the first nine months of the year reflect solid results and more than 2 percent growth. We’re on track to have our second-best annual sales performance in our almost 100-year history,” said John Middlebrook, GM vice president, Global Sales, Service and Marketing Operations.
"ut it's one that would catch my eye. (I'd take off the portholes if they're not truly OE for that model.) I cringe when I see a Camry, Seville, Buick withthe gold trim and gold portholes that show up around here. I've even seen a Lexus with portholes on it in Dayton."
Here in south jersey the "porthole" craze is happening too. People put them on anything. My fav recently was on a Chrysler 300 it was a V8 and only had 3 portholes. If you are going to do it, do it right should have 4. OK, end of rant.
In the 3rd qtr GM was up 4% worldwide (Toyota was up 7%). Globally market will be up 3%. So far GM has added capacity with additional shifts, manpower and joint ventures but is going to have to build some plants.
General Motors Corp.'s fast growth in foreign lands may soon force the automaker to add and expand factories around the globe, the company said Thursday.
Despite its struggles in the critical U.S. market, GM reported a 4 percent increase in global sales for the third quarter. The automaker sold a record 2.4 million cars and trucks.
GM has worked to grow in emerging markets without pouring money into new factories, which can be a risky venture fraught with uncertainty.
Portholes were added as a styling feature, and had nothing to do with the engine. Someone had added portholes to their Buick as a customization feature, which was seen by someone who thought it was a good idea for the production models. The idea of three holes (per side) for the lower end models and four holes for the upper end models was not based on anything to do with the engines.
The current buick porthole convention of having three for the six cylinder engines and four for eights is still a lower end/upper end convention. The LaCrosse does not have any portholes. The Enclave has trim that simulates a porthole, but really is not.
I'm aware that Buick portholes were a just styling element. Ned Nickles customized his 1947 Buick by punching four holes in each side, finishing them with chrome plumbing fixtures, and inserting colored lights hooked to the distributor which caused them to flash when the cylinders fired. I think it was Harlowe Curtis who saw it, thought it was a great idea and ordered it to be used on the all-new 1949 Buicks.
I was just thinking if the portholes actually corresponded to the straight-8 engine configuration, there would be eight holes longitudinally on top of the hood. Heck, some wag photoshopped a Lucerne and had the eight portholes running in two horizontal pairs of four on top of the hood to reflect the FWD transverse V-8.
The new LaCrosse Super now has portholes. I'm not sure about the other LaCrosses.
S&P takes automaker off upgrade list despite labor pact savings.
General Motors Corp.'s new labor contract so far has failed to provide a much-needed boost to its credit rating, with Standard & Poor's on Friday removing the automaker from the list of companies in line for an upgrade.
S&P said serious challenges ahead for GM continue to make loans to the automaker a risky venture, despite the potential for GM to reap big savings from a landmark deal with the United Auto Workers.
An upgrade isn't likely for another six months to two years, S&P said.
"We had to look at the economy and non-contract issues," S&P analyst Bob Schulz said. "Still, the most important factor is if they're using or generating cash. We still expect GM to be using cash in their North American operations."
GM and Ford Motor Co. hoped a cost-cutting deal with the UAW would begin to move their ratings out of junk bond territory, a designation that makes it exceedingly expensive for the companies to borrow money.
Under the deal reached last month with the UAW, GM will offload $47 billion in retiree health care costs into a company-funded, union-run trust. The automaker will spend $32 billion to get the retiree burden off its books.
The UAW also agreed to create a tier of lower-paid union workers, which could save GM billions as it clears out veteran workers and replaces them with new hires at the lower rate.
Ford's deal is expected to include similar provisions.
While Wall Street was pleased with the labor deal, many factors continue to cloud GM and the domestic auto industry.
Weak U.S. auto sales are expected to continue through 2008, Schulz predicted, and GM likely will continue to burn through cash as it pours money into restructuring with no significant increase in revenue.
At the same time, the health care trust still requires court approval, and the savings won't start until at least 2010 when the fund is scheduled to be activated.
Even with the challenges, S&P is keeping GM's outlook as stable on the expectations that the automaker will continue to make progress on its turnaround plan and generate healthy profits in markets outside the United States.
Moody's Investors Service changed GM's outlook to positive from negative earlier this week and said the automaker could get an upgrade in 12 to 18 months.
Fitch Ratings took GM off the review for a downgrade on Sept. 26, when the automaker reached a tentative deal with the UAW. That contract was ratified Oct. 10.
GM's ratings still remain at least five to six levels below investment grade status.
...that 2005 Buick Park Avenue turned out to be a dud. The rear bumper was repainted - poorly - as there was paint overspray on the BUICK chrome lettering in the bumper, the front bumper was scuffed and indented, and ther were a lot of scratches on the other surfaces. I know I'm picky, but I can afford to be. Shame, the car drove well.
The only good thing is that the portholes were OEM and not the tacky aftermarket jobs. Both the regular Park Avenue and the Ultra had the portholes in 2005.
...that 2005 Buick Park Avenue turned out to be a dud. The rear bumper was repainted - poorly - as there was paint overspray on the BUICK chrome lettering in the bumper, the front bumper was scuffed and indented, and ther were a lot of scratches on the other surfaces. I know I'm picky, but I can afford to be. Shame, the car drove well.
This did not come from the factory this way. The dealership must of had some damage and fixed it themselves.
...finally got to see a Cadillac CTS up close yesterday. Didn't get to try it out as I got there a few minutes too late as the dealership was closing. The car really, truly is nice. It's even got nice touches like a chrome Cadillac "V" embedded in the seat backs - a nice detail that harkens back to Cadillacs of old. Seems everybody was excited about the CTS as I was one of at least ten people looking at them on the lot and at least five of 'em were parked off to the side as sold. People were trying to get in the dealership, but they had already locked the doors. Dummies! Who knows how many more CTS's they could've sold that day? Good thing for me, though. I didn't want to start making car payments again!
Toyota Motor Corp. slipped back into second place behind General Motors Corp. after reporting slightly lower sales for the July-September quarter than its U.S. rival.
Toyota sold 2.337 million vehicles in the quarter ended on Sept. 30, the second quarter of the Japanese fiscal year, a 4 percent increase over prior-year levels but a lower figure than GM's sales reported last week of 2.38 million.
For the first nine months of the year, Toyota's sales were up 7 percent over the year-earlier period to 7.05 million vehicles, said company spokesman Paul Nolasco. That was fractionally behind GM's year-to-date sales of 7.06 million vehicles, but most analysts expect Toyota to regain the lead in coming months.
Remember when I wondered if the imports manufacturing cars here would do something to keep the cost advantage and possilby force thier plants to unionize? Well that may be happening.
Just watched Autoline Detroit and one of the media guests said they may reduce wages to keep the advantage which may cause some grumbling.
As chairman of the UAW-Chrysler national bargaining committee, he probably read in the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that Honda Motor Co. is hiring for its new plant in Indiana and planning to pay between $15 and $18 an hour for work on the assembly line, compared with $24 an hour or so in a typical UAW plant.
He knows that Toyota Motor Co. plants down south are diverging from the company's practice of matching the basic UAW wage scale in places like Kentucky and instead are paying a premium on the local prevailing manufacturing wage, substantially below UAW scale.
Japanese carmaker's sales up in 3Q, but not as high as U.S. rival's
TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. slipped back into second place behind General Motors Corp. after reporting on Monday slightly lower sales for the July-September quarter than its U.S. rival.
Toyota sold 2.337 million vehicles in the quarter ended on Sept. 30, the second quarter of the Japanese fiscal year, a 4 percent increase over prior-year levels but a lower figure than GM's sales reported last week of 2.38 million.
For the first nine months of the year, Toyota's sales were up 7 percent over the year-earlier period to 7.05 million vehicles, company spokesman Paul Nolasco said. That was fractionally behind GM's year-to-date sales of 7.06 million vehicles, but most analysts expect Toyota to regain the lead in coming months.
"This slip behind is temporary," said George Magliano, a New York-based analyst with consulting firm Global Insight Inc. "They've basically moved past GM and by the end of the year, they'll put some distance between themselves and GM. That's our forecast," he said.
But Toyota's remarkable expansion has not come without a price. "Toyota has stubbed a few toes in the last couple of months," Magliano said. The automaker has been embroiled in a public relations dispute with environmentalists who accuse Toyota of hypocrisy because it is lobbying for a milder version among the U.S. mileage bills before Congress.
Toyota also has suffered a fresh dent in its once bullet-proof reputation for quality after sliding from first to third place in the latest vehicle ratings by the influential Consumer Reports magazine. Consumer Reports also withdrew its recommendations for three key Toyota models: the four-wheel-drive V-8 Toyota Tundra pickup, the all-wheel-drive version of the Lexus GS sedan, and the V-6 powered Toyota Camry.
Toyota's global quarterly figures include sales of its Daihatsu minicar and Hino truck divisions. The Japanese automaker did not issue a sales statement or offer a breakdown of its sales or any further comment.
GM said last week that its sales gains reflected growth in overseas markets, while its sales in the United States continued to decline. But GM's struggle in its home market has been partly offset by growth, particularly of its Chevrolet brand, in emerging markets.
GM's sales in the combined regions of Africa, Latin America and the Middle East increased by 22 percent in the third quarter. Its vehicle sales in the Asia Pacific region, including the fast-growing China market, were up 16 percent. Its sales rose 15 percent in Europe.
Toyota first overtook GM, the longtime global leader for more than 70 years, in the first quarter of 2007. But its second-quarter sales were slightly lower than GM's, and it remained No. 1 for the first semester by a slender margin of only 39,000 vehicles.
I think the recently announced GM RWD Alpha platform BMW 3-Series fighter, slated for introduction in the '11 model year, stands an excellent chance of helping GM succeed. While the Fall of 2010 is a long time from now, I think Alpha is a very exciting piece of news.
Definately. This has me really excited because when I graduate 5/2010, there will be a rwd Pontiac G? and a Cadillac B?S waiting for me that same year. I'm glad GM will finally have some cars to pull younger buyers into the fold and create a new generation of return customers.
General Motors has done a brilliant job of redesigning its Cadillac CTS sedan. The 2008 CTS is gorgeous inside and out, has a more powerful engine than the previous CTS, comes packed with high-tech gear and handles like a dream. But can it really match the import rivals GM says it can, including the BMW 3-Series and 5-Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4, Infiniti G35, and Toyota's Lexus GS 350?
The answer – surprisingly – is yes. In one of the most competitive segments of the car market, the 2008 CTS not only matches some of the best cars in the world but in some ways surpasses them. For instance, I prefer the CTS's interior to those of the BMW 335i and the new Mercedes C350. The optional Bose entertainment system is a marvel of great sound, advanced technology, and easy-to-use controls. In the "Black Raven" version of my test car, I even found the CTS as visually appealing as a BMW, a Mercedes, or a Lexus. One measure of how serious Cadillac is about challenging BMW for the hearts and minds of driving enthusiasts is that the CTS is available with either a six-speed automatic with a manual shifting function or a six-speed stick shift. The Lexus GS 350 only comes with an automatic, and Mercedes has dropped the stick shift on its new C-Class, even in Europe.
...including the BMW 3-Series and 5-Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4, Infiniti G35, and Toyota's Lexus GS 350
I love how this car doesn't fit in one class. One one hand its cool (in a rebel sort of way) how Caddy isn't fitting into the typical luxury market segments yet, but the OCD part of me wishes GM had a clearer way to market this car as either a 5/E/GS competitor, or a 3/C/IS competitor; like they come out and say "hey guys, we benchmarked X for the '08 CTS".
love how this car doesn't fit in one class. One one hand its cool (in a rebel sort of way) how Caddy isn't fitting into the typical luxury market segments yet, but the OCD part of me wishes GM had a clearer way to market this car as either a 5/E/GS competitor, or a 3/C/IS competitor; like they come out and say "hey guys, we benchmarked X for the '08 CTS".
My point exactly. The CTS has the price of the smaller cars, yet can compete size wize with the larger ones. And it seems it can compete not only in price and size but also competitive attributes. Seems like they could put in another $5000 in cost and be very competitive with the 5 series size/class/segment. Perhaps when the smaller 3 series sized Caddy is introduced they will up the ante with the CTS?
Perhaps when the smaller 3 series sized Caddy is introduced they will up the ante with the CTS?
I hope so, but what it really needs is a V8 to compete.
And as a side note, I hope the 3-series sized Caddy is called BTS, not BLS, just to be a little consistant with past marques. And as a side side note I'd like to point out that the BTS will correspond to the 3-series and the CTS to the 5-series. So, the 7-series fighter IMO should be called DTS (you know B, then C, then D). Part of it is also that the DeVille nameplate has been around forever, and I'd hate to see it go, but the other is that I am a bit OCD and I like a degree of order: 3/5/7; B/C/D. Before anyone says anything about it being a damaged name, I just want to say that I doubt the general public knows there is a DTS, or if they recognize it as a Caddy it is probably seen as a DeVille. Also, going from FWD to RWD shouldn't matter because GM preserved the name when it went from RWD to FWD.
I think a lot of people here (enthusiasts) prefer actual names to alphanumeric nomenclature, so if Caddy would actually admit to the DTS as being a DeVille touring sedan that IMO would be a fair compromise.
"...what it really needs is a V8 to compete." Nonsense. The idea here isn't to produce a muscle car, but one that is at least as good as the 3-Series in terms of handling and ride, balance, interior and exterior styling, acceleration, refinement, price and operating costs. That's a tall order, for sure, but you don't need a V8 in a car of this size to beat the 3-Series at its own game. A state-of-the-art six, and perhaps a diesel option, can do the trick.
"...what it really needs is a V8 to compete." Nonsense. The idea here isn't to produce a muscle car, but one that is at least as good as the 3-Series in terms of handling and ride, balance, interior and exterior styling, acceleration, refinement, price and operating costs. That's a tall order, for sure, but you don't need a V8 in a car of this size to beat the 3-Series at its own game. A state-of-the-art six, and perhaps a diesel option, can do the trick.
If the 3-series was the true competitor for the CTS, I'd agree. I feel, however, the future role for the CTS will be that of a 5-series competitor, and it will need a V8 for that. You mention "a car of this size", well, the CTS is really not the size of a 3-series. The price, yes, the size, no. I'd also like to note that I'm not talking about taking out the V6, just saying it needs to be augmented by the option of a V8 to move into its size class as opposed to its price class.
I will admit to not being fully versed in the lux market. My background has been in the mid size market. However instead of a V8 (which will drop into the current CTS and I have no doubt will be there soon)how about a dual turbo to get the HP up to 400+? Would that be competitive? In this soon to be 35 mpg CAFE world the OEM's need to come up with powertrains that have the MPG and the HP.
As things stand the CTS competes with the 3-Series and the 5-Series, the first on price and the second on size, so I agree with you there. You're also correct when you say that the future role of the CTS will be to compete directly with the 5-Series, once the '11 RWD Alpha platform Caddy is introduced, since that one will be squarely aimed at the 3-Series. In terms of engines, the Caddy six cylinder competes with the BMW six, and the respective eight cylinder cars compete with each other. Maybe we're in agreement after all, but I thought your use of the word "NEED" wasn't correct because it implied to me that Cadillac needs a V8 to compete against BMW models that are heavily sales weighted with sixes.
In today's driving environment, taking traffic, speed limits, and the need to be more mindful of hydrocarbon output, a six ~300 hp provides very satisfying performance. I wish it weren't so - we all like to fantasize about unrealistic conditions that would permit us to enjoy 400 or 500+ horsepower with few restrictions - but the only place you can really enjoy that kind of power, without losing your license, is on the track. That's part of my reasoning for challenging your statement, especially since the great majority of BMW 3 and 5-Series, and Mercedes C and E Series, are sixes. The BMW M-Series, Mercedes AMGs, Cadillac V-Series, and Lexus F-Series exist to a great extent for marketing reasons, since they sell in small numbers. Their primary role is to enhance the performance image of their respective brands, and Cadillac's is in the hunt with its Corvette engine V-Series.
I agree a six w/ about 300hp is enough. The only reason I say bring on the V8 is about image; I want everyone to recognize Caddy as a luxury marque without any excuses. Right now, Mercedes and BMW dominate [the perception; Lexus in sales] and Caddy should meet them on every front (not the R-class, though :sick: ) if they want to be taken seriously. If GM can't get Caddy up to Tier One status, how will Buick fit on Tier Two?
Comments
The portholes made me think it's an Ultra.
The 05s may ahve the Series III motor which essentially went back to the aluminum UIM which didn't have EGR port deterioration in a about 25% of them. Even if it did have the plastic, it's replaceable for $150 with a Dorman which also replaces the EGR tube with a smaller pipe leaving more air room around the plastic intake avoiding the deterioration. It's equivalent to the 2nd gear problem in Honda transmissions; it's no big thing. Fix it once. About 4 hours and a new upper.
I'd really check for history on the car to look for flood or other negative.
But it's one that would catch my eye. (I'd take off the portholes if they're not truly OE for that model.) I cringe when I see a Camry, Seville, Buick withthe gold trim and gold portholes that show up around here. I've even seen a Lexus with portholes on it in Dayton.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Lutz is just too cool :shades:
-Rocky
Oldsmobile, could of perhaps been a FWD luxury car brand which would of sold well in the rust belt. They could of been like Buick, but FWD. More upscale than Saturn. However perhaps it's best they are dead because I do not know what else the brand could of became that GM, doesn't already have a answer for ????
-Rocky
Regal/Grand Prix/Century/Impala/Monte built at Oshawa
Highlights included a sales jump of nearly 22 percent in LAAM, bolstered by a 45 percent jump in Cadillac sales, a 27 percent increase for Chevy and a triple-digit boost from HUMMER. In the Asia-Pacific region, GM China saw a 21 percent increase that put the group on pace to become the first to ring up 1 million sales a year in that country. Overall, the region notched a 16 percent increase in sales compared to the same time last year. GM also had the highest quarterly volume among top-ten manufacturers in Europe, partly spurred on by Chevrolet’s record third-quarter sales of 113,000 vehicles, up 28 percent. Cadillac also contributed significantly by posting a 61 percent sales increase for the quarter.
“GM global sales of 7.06 million vehicles for the first nine months of the year reflect solid results and more than 2 percent growth. We’re on track to have our second-best annual sales performance in our almost 100-year history,” said John Middlebrook, GM vice president, Global Sales, Service and Marketing Operations.
NOG
But doesn't this Gabriel Bell human look just like Captain Sisko...
QUARK (dismissive)
All humans look alike.
Here in south jersey the "porthole" craze is happening too. People put them on anything. My fav recently was on a Chrysler 300 it was a V8 and only had 3 portholes. If you are going to do it, do it right should have 4. OK, end of rant.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
General Motors Corp.'s fast growth in foreign lands may soon force the automaker to add and expand factories around the globe, the company said Thursday.
Despite its struggles in the critical U.S. market, GM reported a 4 percent increase in global sales for the third quarter. The automaker sold a record 2.4 million cars and trucks.
GM has worked to grow in emerging markets without pouring money into new factories, which can be a risky venture fraught with uncertainty.
Plants in China. If Rocky wants to work for GM, he'd better hope there's a Muzzy series for Mandarin.
Aftermarket portholes are nothing new. I saw them on a 1948 Chevrolet in an old B & W snapshot.
Even factory portholes, or a stylistic simulation thereof, date back pretty far. Heck, the 1940 DeSoto had them!
The current buick porthole convention of having three for the six cylinder engines and four for eights is still a lower end/upper end convention. The LaCrosse does not have any portholes. The Enclave has trim that simulates a porthole, but really is not.
I was just thinking if the portholes actually corresponded to the straight-8 engine configuration, there would be eight holes longitudinally on top of the hood. Heck, some wag photoshopped a Lucerne and had the eight portholes running in two horizontal pairs of four on top of the hood to reflect the FWD transverse V-8.
The new LaCrosse Super now has portholes. I'm not sure about the other LaCrosses.
-Rocky
General Motors Corp.'s new labor contract so far has failed to provide a much-needed boost to its credit rating, with Standard & Poor's on Friday removing the automaker from the list of companies in line for an upgrade.
S&P said serious challenges ahead for GM continue to make loans to the automaker a risky venture, despite the potential for GM to reap big savings from a landmark deal with the United Auto Workers.
An upgrade isn't likely for another six months to two years, S&P said.
"We had to look at the economy and non-contract issues," S&P analyst Bob Schulz said. "Still, the most important factor is if they're using or generating cash. We still expect GM to be using cash in their North American operations."
GM and Ford Motor Co. hoped a cost-cutting deal with the UAW would begin to move their ratings out of junk bond territory, a designation that makes it exceedingly expensive for the companies to borrow money.
Under the deal reached last month with the UAW, GM will offload $47 billion in retiree health care costs into a company-funded, union-run trust. The automaker will spend $32 billion to get the retiree burden off its books.
The UAW also agreed to create a tier of lower-paid union workers, which could save GM billions as it clears out veteran workers and replaces them with new hires at the lower rate.
Ford's deal is expected to include similar provisions.
While Wall Street was pleased with the labor deal, many factors continue to cloud GM and the domestic auto industry.
Weak U.S. auto sales are expected to continue through 2008, Schulz predicted, and GM likely will continue to burn through cash as it pours money into restructuring with no significant increase in revenue.
At the same time, the health care trust still requires court approval, and the savings won't start until at least 2010 when the fund is scheduled to be activated.
Even with the challenges, S&P is keeping GM's outlook as stable on the expectations that the automaker will continue to make progress on its turnaround plan and generate healthy profits in markets outside the United States.
Moody's Investors Service changed GM's outlook to positive from negative earlier this week and said the automaker could get an upgrade in 12 to 18 months.
Fitch Ratings took GM off the review for a downgrade on Sept. 26, when the automaker reached a tentative deal with the UAW. That contract was ratified Oct. 10.
GM's ratings still remain at least five to six levels below investment grade status.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071020/AUTO01/710200318/1148- /rss25
-Rocky
-Rocky
The only good thing is that the portholes were OEM and not the tacky aftermarket jobs. Both the regular Park Avenue and the Ultra had the portholes in 2005.
This did not come from the factory this way. The dealership must of had some damage and fixed it themselves.
-Rocky
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071022/UPDATE/710220393/1148- /AUTO01
Toyota Motor Corp. slipped back into second place behind General Motors Corp. after reporting slightly lower sales for the July-September quarter than its U.S. rival.
Toyota sold 2.337 million vehicles in the quarter ended on Sept. 30, the second quarter of the Japanese fiscal year, a 4 percent increase over prior-year levels but a lower figure than GM's sales reported last week of 2.38 million.
For the first nine months of the year, Toyota's sales were up 7 percent over the year-earlier period to 7.05 million vehicles, said company spokesman Paul Nolasco. That was fractionally behind GM's year-to-date sales of 7.06 million vehicles, but most analysts expect Toyota to regain the lead in coming months.
Just watched Autoline Detroit and one of the media guests said they may reduce wages to keep the advantage which may cause some grumbling.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071022/OPINION03/710220317/1- 363/AUTO04
As chairman of the UAW-Chrysler national bargaining committee, he probably read in the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that Honda Motor Co. is hiring for its new plant in Indiana and planning to pay between $15 and $18 an hour for work on the assembly line, compared with $24 an hour or so in a typical UAW plant.
He knows that Toyota Motor Co. plants down south are diverging from the company's practice of matching the basic UAW wage scale in places like Kentucky and instead are paying a premium on the local prevailing manufacturing wage, substantially below UAW scale.
-Rocky
-Rocky
TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. slipped back into second place behind General Motors Corp. after reporting on Monday slightly lower sales for the July-September quarter than its U.S. rival.
Toyota sold 2.337 million vehicles in the quarter ended on Sept. 30, the second quarter of the Japanese fiscal year, a 4 percent increase over prior-year levels but a lower figure than GM's sales reported last week of 2.38 million.
For the first nine months of the year, Toyota's sales were up 7 percent over the year-earlier period to 7.05 million vehicles, company spokesman Paul Nolasco said. That was fractionally behind GM's year-to-date sales of 7.06 million vehicles, but most analysts expect Toyota to regain the lead in coming months.
"This slip behind is temporary," said George Magliano, a New York-based analyst with consulting firm Global Insight Inc. "They've basically moved past GM and by the end of the year, they'll put some distance between themselves and GM. That's our forecast," he said.
But Toyota's remarkable expansion has not come without a price. "Toyota has stubbed a few toes in the last couple of months," Magliano said. The automaker has been embroiled in a public relations dispute with environmentalists who accuse Toyota of hypocrisy because it is lobbying for a milder version among the U.S. mileage bills before Congress.
Toyota also has suffered a fresh dent in its once bullet-proof reputation for quality after sliding from first to third place in the latest vehicle ratings by the influential Consumer Reports magazine. Consumer Reports also withdrew its recommendations for three key Toyota models: the four-wheel-drive V-8 Toyota Tundra pickup, the all-wheel-drive version of the Lexus GS sedan, and the V-6 powered Toyota Camry.
Toyota's global quarterly figures include sales of its Daihatsu minicar and Hino truck divisions. The Japanese automaker did not issue a sales statement or offer a breakdown of its sales or any further comment.
GM said last week that its sales gains reflected growth in overseas markets, while its sales in the United States continued to decline. But GM's struggle in its home market has been partly offset by growth, particularly of its Chevrolet brand, in emerging markets.
GM's sales in the combined regions of Africa, Latin America and the Middle East increased by 22 percent in the third quarter. Its vehicle sales in the Asia Pacific region, including the fast-growing China market, were up 16 percent. Its sales rose 15 percent in Europe.
Toyota first overtook GM, the longtime global leader for more than 70 years, in the first quarter of 2007. But its second-quarter sales were slightly lower than GM's, and it remained No. 1 for the first semester by a slender margin of only 39,000 vehicles.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/AUTO01/710230334/1148- /rss25
What this means to you: GM, regain it's #1 crown and status after a tough fight.
-Rocky
-Rocky
Oct. 22, 2007
General Motors has done a brilliant job of redesigning its Cadillac CTS
sedan. The 2008 CTS is gorgeous inside and out, has a more powerful
engine than the previous CTS, comes packed with high-tech gear and
handles like a dream. But can it really match the import rivals GM says
it can, including the BMW 3-Series and 5-Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi
A4, Infiniti G35, and Toyota's Lexus GS 350?
The answer – surprisingly – is yes. In one of the most competitive
segments of the car market, the 2008 CTS not only matches some of the
best cars in the world but in some ways surpasses them. For instance, I
prefer the CTS's interior to those of the BMW 335i and the new Mercedes
C350. The optional Bose entertainment system is a marvel of great sound,
advanced technology, and easy-to-use controls. In the "Black Raven"
version of my test car, I even found the CTS as visually appealing as a
BMW, a Mercedes, or a Lexus.
One measure of how serious Cadillac is about challenging BMW for the
hearts and minds of driving enthusiasts is that the CTS is available
with either a six-speed automatic with a manual shifting function or a
six-speed stick shift. The Lexus GS 350 only comes with an automatic,
and Mercedes has dropped the stick shift on its new C-Class, even in
Europe.
I love how this car doesn't fit in one class. One one hand its cool (in a rebel sort of way) how Caddy isn't fitting into the typical luxury market segments yet, but the OCD part of me wishes GM had a clearer way to market this car as either a 5/E/GS competitor, or a 3/C/IS competitor; like they come out and say "hey guys, we benchmarked X for the '08 CTS".
My point exactly. The CTS has the price of the smaller cars, yet can compete size wize with the larger ones. And it seems it can compete not only in price and size but also competitive attributes. Seems like they could put in another $5000 in cost and be very competitive with the 5 series size/class/segment. Perhaps when the smaller 3 series sized Caddy is introduced they will up the ante with the CTS?
I hope so, but what it really needs is a V8 to compete.
And as a side note, I hope the 3-series sized Caddy is called BTS, not BLS, just to be a little consistant with past marques. And as a side side note I'd like to point out that the BTS will correspond to the 3-series and the CTS to the 5-series. So, the 7-series fighter IMO should be called DTS (you know B, then C, then D). Part of it is also that the DeVille nameplate has been around forever, and I'd hate to see it go, but the other is that I am a bit OCD and I like a degree of order: 3/5/7; B/C/D. Before anyone says anything about it being a damaged name, I just want to say that I doubt the general public knows there is a DTS, or if they recognize it as a Caddy it is probably seen as a DeVille. Also, going from FWD to RWD shouldn't matter because GM preserved the name when it went from RWD to FWD.
I think a lot of people here (enthusiasts) prefer actual names to alphanumeric nomenclature, so if Caddy would actually admit to the DTS as being a DeVille touring sedan that IMO would be a fair compromise.
If the 3-series was the true competitor for the CTS, I'd agree. I feel, however, the future role for the CTS will be that of a 5-series competitor, and it will need a V8 for that. You mention "a car of this size", well, the CTS is really not the size of a 3-series. The price, yes, the size, no. I'd also like to note that I'm not talking about taking out the V6, just saying it needs to be augmented by the option of a V8 to move into its size class as opposed to its price class.
In today's driving environment, taking traffic, speed limits, and the need to be more mindful of hydrocarbon output, a six ~300 hp provides very satisfying performance. I wish it weren't so - we all like to fantasize about unrealistic conditions that would permit us to enjoy 400 or 500+ horsepower with few restrictions - but the only place you can really enjoy that kind of power, without losing your license, is on the track. That's part of my reasoning for challenging your statement, especially since the great majority of BMW 3 and 5-Series, and Mercedes C and E Series, are sixes. The BMW M-Series, Mercedes AMGs, Cadillac V-Series, and Lexus F-Series exist to a great extent for marketing reasons, since they sell in small numbers. Their primary role is to enhance the performance image of their respective brands, and Cadillac's is in the hunt with its Corvette engine V-Series.