HarleyEarl

What's an Alpha 159? Never heard of that brand.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/cadillac-cts-coupe.html Spied again: 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe (with interior shots!) July25 Spies have snapped another round of photos showing the production Cadillac CTS Coupe undergoing testing — this time on public roads. Overall, it looks like GM is keeping the production CTS Coupe as close to the concept’s design as possible. Codenamed GMX226, the stylish couple will be built alongside the CTS sedan at the Lansing Grand River Plant. Production will start in May of 2009. The coupe will feature a backup camera which is not currently found on the sedan, and won’t have traditional door handles, but rather a touch-pad setup instead. Thankfully, it appears that the majority of the CTS Coupe concept’s lines have been faithfully duplicated on this production model. Some feared that the concept’s radical fastback design might be watered down, revealing the Coupe’s sedan roots, but our profile view proves these fears as unfounded. It appears that the production version may have a slightly more pronounced rear deck, but if that’s so, it’s not enough to significantly alter the concept’s silhouette. The CTS Coupe prototype further separates itself from its sedan donor thanks to the elimination of a conventional door handle, adopting instead the concept’s Corvette-style design which hides the door trigger behind the door’s aft cut-line. The concept and production similarities continue with the Coupe’s revised lower side sill, and the distinctively sculpted waistline, which begins at the A-pillar/fender vent, and narrows as it stretches rearward. The camouflage hides whether or not the line terminates into the concept’s razor-sharp point at the C-pillar, but it looks likely that that’s another design convergence between the show- and production cars. Earlier photos also confirmed that the concept’s bold central exhaust will also reach showrooms. There are some visible differences between the Detroit Show Standout and the production model. Cost and feasibility studies have killed the concept’s glass-to-glass side windows, in favor of a visible B-pillar on the production model. The rest of the changes are found in front of the A-pillar. The concept coupe’s large, CTS-V-style hood bulge is gone on this prototype (although we’d love to see it return on the “V” coupe). And the show car’s reshaped front fenders — which sweep more voluptuously to a revised front bumper, tweaked front ground-effects, and more dynamic headlight and fog-light clusters — appear to have been replaced with stock items from the CTS sedan. It looks to us like the CTS Coupe and sedan will share identical front fenders and front fascia designs. From there back, however, the cars could scarcely be more different. The drama of the CTS Coupe concept is alive and well, and on its way to Cadillac showrooms. July 25th

I love the fastback version. Such an underrated sportscar. In the opening piece I was surprised about that special body kit, Mera that was available as a complete car at Pontiac dealers only. Had never heard of that. Mera:

This is like 'The Hills'...except without any goodlooking chicks.

July 22, 2008 Modern Classics: Pontiac Fiero, 1984-1988 http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jb2...ntiac-fiero.htm Pontiac Fieros. By Jeff Burry Pontiac Fiero, 1984-1988 Mid-engine sports cars are not generally associated with General Motors. People are more likely to associate them with exotic carmakers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini. However, the Pontiac division of General Motors produced such a car in the mid-1980s. The car was badged Pontiac Fiero, Italian for "proud." Conceived by John Delorean, and designed by Hulki Aldikacti, the car's chief design engineer, the Fiero was a two-seater, mid-engine sports car built for the masses. It was Aldikacti's belief that this vehicle would inject new life into the Pontiac image which at the time was somewhat "less than exciting." It was the first mass-produced mid-engine sports car produced by a U.S. manufacturer. The actual production of the Fiero started in August 1983 and was available for purchase in 1984. The very first models sported a transversely mounted 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 92 horsepower. Overall weight was just under 2600 lbs (1179 kg). The production of this two-seater sports car came about as a result of the on-going oil crisis, and the need for Pontiac to reclaim its performance image. Pontiac management saw an opportunity to produce a fuel efficient, low cost sporty commuter car. General Motors was still producing the Chevrolet Corvette, another two-seater sports car, but other than the seating accommodation, the cars were vastly different and built for different market segments. There were high expectations for the Fiero with its advanced mid-engine layout, space frame construction, impact-resistant plastic body and futuristic styling. It was a sports car that had performance characteristics and cool styling, all for a relatively low cost. In 1984, it beat out the newly designed Chevrolet Corvette as that year's choice to pace the Indy 500. A total of 136,840 units were sold across North America in its inaugural year, so the future was looking very promising for the new car. Models available included a base Fiero, Fiero Sport, SE or Indy versions. The high expectations soon lead to disappointment as automotive critics expected better performance and handling from the Fiero. In order to keep the costs down, a number of suspension and brake components had been used from other GM cars such as the Chevy Chevette and the Chevrolet Citation, which were not known to be "sporty" vehicles. Other noticeable negatives included a stiff ride, noisy cockpit, and poor rear visibility. But the biggest blow to the 1984 Fiero was the propensity for the engine to catch fire. In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a total of 148 complaints regarding Fieros that experienced engine fires. Apparently, low levels of engine oil coupled with aggressive driving led to the possibility of connecting rods breaking. The fires almost exclusively affected 1984 Fiero models with the 2.5-litre engine, but they weren't good for the car's image. Requests for an improved Fiero started to pour in and with the oil crisis of the mid-eighties receding, GM listened. Available for the 1985 model year was a GT version powered by a Chevrolet 2.8-litre port-injected V6 engine, rated at 140 horsepower. The V6 engine was matched to a modified Muncie four-speed transmission while the four-cylinder engine received a Japanese-designed five-speed transmission. For the 1985 model year, 76,371 Pontiac Fieros rolled off the assembly line in Pontiac, Michigan. The 1985 GT body style was used by the SE model, and late in the production year, GT and SE V6 models could be purchased with a five-speed Muncie transmission. Production increased slightly over the previous model year with a total of 83,974 units produced. In 1986, a fastback roofline was offered for the first time on all GT models. The front and rear fascias on the 1987 model were much improved, losing the unsightly black bumper inserts seen on the earlier models. The SE and GT versions maintained the clean, "aero-like" nose. Some modifications to the engine included a redesigned intake manifold, distributorless ignition system, open combustion chamber cylinder head and upgraded fuel injection system. Perhaps responding to backyard mechanics attempting to glamourize their Fiero, a special Ferrari-type body kit titled "Mera" was available for the 1987 model. It was produced by Corporate Concepts in Capac, Michigan. At the time Magnum PI was a popular television series featuring Tom Selleck. He played a private investigator whose mode of transportation was the often-borrowed red Ferrari 308. Why not produce a "body" that resembled that vehicle? The Fiero Mera kit was made available through Pontiac dealerships sold only as a new car. No kits were ever sold separately. A total of 88 1987 Fiero GTs were converted into Meras. Another 159 Fiero Meras were produced and sold for the 1988 model year bringing the final production number to 247. Corporate Concepts were eventually sued by Ferrari and ordered to stop. If one were ever in the market to purchase a Pontiac Fiero, the 1988 model would be the one to get. It is considered by most Fiero enthusiasts to be the best model year. Only 26,402 of these gems were produced. For that year, a brand new suspension built solely for the Fiero was fitted to the car. At the time Lotus was about to be acquired by General Motors, and it has been rumoured that this company had a hand in tuning the new Fiero suspension. Handling was much improved with the revised control arm and knuckles, which greatly reduced steering effort and scrub radius. At the rear, the old Citation parts were replaced with a real tri-link suspension and new knuckles. This new suspension came with 15 x 6 inch wide wheels up front and 15 x 7 inch wheels on the rear. These improvements greatly assisted the handling and balance of the vehicle. New vented disc brakes were also added on each corner to bring the vehicle to a quick but firm stop. Without a doubt, the Fiero brought some excitement to the Pontiac brand and today the car still has a strong cult following. There are numerous special interest clubs and forums that exist for people wishing to exchange information about the vehicle or search for a Fiero to purchase. For those of us who perhaps owned one of these vehicles in the past, seeing one on the street today still revokes many fond memories of 80's culture and warm sunny days when the price at the tank wouldn't empty your pocket book.

HSV. You know what it stands for. Not just Holden Special Vehicles, but what it truly stands for, the stance behind the badge. Bravado is one. Value for money is another. Most importantly, it’s muscle. True Australian outback beef squeezed into a box on four wheels. In keeping with this macho image, HSV has finally put out the MY2008 W427 into dealerships, a lesson in what engineering steroids can do to a sweet, Ausie rules-loving bloke. With that said, we can now cut through the grass and hit some serious manure. The W427 features 7.0-litres of muscle broth sourced from US sister brand Corvette, which allows for power to escape through the rear wheels in doses of 375kW at a time, depending on the engine speed of course. The limited slip diff ensures very little smoke is added to the show during enthusiastic (what other kind is there?) takeoff, from one green traffic light to the next. The high-strength 6-speed manual gearbox plays the starring role in all this, planting maximum torque of 640Nm. Manic as it sounds, the W427 – of which only 427 will be made – is a serious dad’s car, funked up with all kinds of comfort sweet things to make the missus smile while scaring the kids at the back all the way to the village of Tyre Shred. A 6-CD/ MP3 player is in there, so is an overhead DVD unit for them little ones to help stop them shaking in their little boots. Bluetooth is optional, as is satellite navigation. The list is long and impressive. If you are lucky enough to live close to Australia and aren’t owning one of the 90 cars already allocated for 2008 at AD155,500 then get right on it. We expect quick sales. Source: Holden http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080724.002/ho...ly-goes-on-sale

You should contribute to this site. You have a wealth of knowledge about the subject.

Hudson, thanks a lot for this....I'll definitely search these out. I remember having that 'All Corvettes are Red' in my hands, was going to buy it...and didnt. I haven't seen it for awhile. I have this crazy dream...one day I want to open an automotive bookshop....and I mean, get every possible automobile associated piece of literature I can find.

Yes, a thousand times yes....me too...I love this kind of stuff...I have this need to know every little behind the scenes detail...the logistics of it all and how things came to be. Wasn't there a book on the corporate side about GM?...wasn't it like the definitive book about a corporation?

Thats just the sort of stuff I'm craving. I looked up online about the authors and how they did their research. I'd be in some sort of automobile nirvana if it were me. Going through dusty old car history stuff...well, I'm getting dizzy.

I had never hear of GMnextWiki. Here it is...neato. http://wiki.gmnext.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Hey thanks...I'll look for that. See it's at Amazon....hadn't heard of it before.

It seems to me I remember a book about the original Taurus and how it was developed...never read it though. And wasn't there a book on the '84 Corvette and how it was developed? I wonder if there is such a derth of books like this, because car companies are guarded about giving away any advantage to the competition?

Do any of you know if there is a non-textbook type of book that shows the complete process of a car's development from beginning to end? I mean everything, the complete dirt. Timelines, how they put together things like the brochures, the owner's manual, the repair manual, advertising, what's the process of having parts etc ready at the dealerships, training, how they get parts suppliers involved and on and on.....I've always wanted to know all the nitty gritty behind the scenes stuff. Ha ha, maybe I am talking about a textbook!

I find anyone I mention Opel to, they have never heard of it.

I think females often want a male along for moral support, I think...not really for any recommendation. I got thinking about the list of possibles....and what I like about the Jeep Liberty is that it's authentic. Most of the others are poseurs. Trying to be something they aren't. To be honest, I wish GM had something like the Liberty. Have you told your cousin about that huge sunroof option on the Jeep?....the Sky Slider:

I like these little GM nuggets....not high profile but I find them very interesting.

There used to be a time that ugly, weird, goofy design would be the deathnell of a new model. Not anymore. I do believe ugly is in. This car and other Acuras will sell very well.

Yes to Opel. No to Saturn. Just say no.

From the sounds of it, GM isn't in trouble afterall. Great news.

Lexus wishes it could look this good.

I've had many ask me for help in purchasing a vehicle and what I find is they get exactly what they set out to buy. Nothing wrong with that but I don't know why I was consulted. From your list, the Jeep Liberty is my choice. It is back to being a Jeep.

Ok...now I hadn't thought of that. If they separated Corvette from Chevrolet and made the Camaro a Firebird....and on and on...you might have something there. To me that's the only way Pontiac can have some validity. Have Chevrolet retreat from the hi performance arena and let Pontiac have it. I think Chevrolet is fluid enough to do it. Chevrolet has been many things to many people.

I think I know now why I find the new Challenger a disappointment. The original had a very wide low slung look to it, which I like. The new one is more upright, taller in appearance, and just plain massive looking for a pony car.

I see where you are going with this, but the Corvette name and the Porsche are iconic brands. Now 68, I'm just ever so slightly surprised that you equate Celica/Supra brands with Corvette or Porsche. Not even close and I'm sure you didn't intend to present them that way Anyways, I was using the Corvette thing as an example of clear branding and continual improvement of a model year after year. GM could learn much from within their own corporation.