Robert Hall

I'm surprised dealers aren't adding bolt-on fins to Cadillacs..your choice of '49, '57, '59, '60, or '64 styles, for example...

I was once asked if the Red Sea was red. On a related note, I once asked a hotel staffer directions to a restaurant, and she said that she was 'directionally challenged' and wouldn't be able to help me.

Yes, you need at least a size 40 waist to be comfortable in such car seats, I think.. :)

Hmmm...pretty ugly, but I figure the kiddies will love it...(the F&TF, Need For Speed crowd)...

Tuner-style versions of the LaX and Lucerne would be interesting...

The big grilles remind me a little of the Maybach Excelero concept..

The Insignia would make a great full-size Saturn...

I found data for 2003...16.7 million US car & truck sales, 37.8% foreign brands (I don't know if that includes US-owned brands like Saab, Jaguar, etc)....

The 2 brand approach has worked for years for Toyota...

Well, Walmart has been importing a ton of Chinese products for years... Americans are already used to buying Chinese goods...I suspect Chinese-made cars in the US aren't that far off..

China is potentially the largest car market in the world..it makes more sense for GM to put effort there (as they have been doing) compared to Japan, which isn't growing...

Heh-heh... speaking of 'geeky' cars, one of my hardcore computer geek friends (my ex-boss who is a former CTO, independent consultant, UNIX kernel hacker, gadget freak, and all-around uber-geek) bought a first-gen Prius a few years ago. He said he bought it because it was the 'geekiest car' around... (he accused me of being a yuppie instead of a true geek because I bought an M3)..

Not bad..ugly color, though. The add-ons look more tasteful than the crap I've seen on the Roush Mustangs, IMHO...

At least 100...I've been in the software business 10 years, and worked with a lot of people from all over--esp. Indians here on H1-B visas... inevitably,when we talk cars, it comes to Toyota (a few Honda and Nissan). I have a lot of Indian friends in the biz and they agree that Toyota is an easy choice for people when they come to the US.. The 99% is an overly high guesstimate, of course, but Toyota definitely seems to be in the majority based on my observations of this demographic..

One of my coworkers has been looking to buy an SUV and instead of a Toyota, I convinced him that a Chevy TrailBlazer was a bargain and a good choice instead of a Highlander or 4Runner... After checking Consumer Reports, etc and test driving a few, he bought a used '05 with 12k miles for $20k. (now he's probably the only 30yr old Indian programmer in Denver driving a Chevy (no kidding-- 99% of software developers from India I know drive Toyotas--not a stereotype)

I assume a supplier did the design...

AUGGHGGGHHHHH...the end of the world is near!!! The sun is setting on the American Empire!!! AUGGGGGGHHHH!!! DOOM!!! GLOOM!!! Aren't you being a little overly melodramatic about things?

That's just a prototype..I'm sure the production Wrangler will continue w/ round lights.

True..I've read that in several UK magazines that the Signum is not doing well... I've always thought the Maxx was hurt by a stupid name (Maxx??) and dull styling (the Signum looks better, IMHO). I think the Malibu could do well by having a regular wagon and a 5-dr hatchback bodystyle like the Vectra...

I saw an '06 Civic coupe for the first time yesterday in the parking garage at work..surprised how short the nose is...it kind of has that continuous slope from the top of the windshield to the end of the hood like a Prius...

How about 'Autoclave' to go with 'Enclave'?

Wierd...I can't see comparing the Escape, Element with the Caliber...I see comparing the Caliber with the Focus 5dr hatchback and Mazda3 5dr hatchback,and the Vibe... the Escape is a compact SUV and the Element is a box..different realities. What I find interesting about the Patriot styling is it looks a lot like the old XJ Cherokee (roofline).

It's the Jeep equivalent of the H3, sort of. My understanding is the next Wrangler will be offered as a 2dr convertible like the current model and a 5dr ht like the concept.. I wonder if the LWB Unlimited will still be offered...

Sweet...the regular A8 is probably my favorite of the big luxo sedans (love the styling) and the S8 amps it up nicely..

I've read in the past that manufacturers may have provided 'ringers' to the magazines for testing (i.e. cars tweaked beyond production specification), so who knows? I'm not sure there is much documented evidence of this happening..