Harry P.

Final vote: 34-25 MODEL! Ha!!! Gotcha!!! It's REAL! Next ROM coming MONDAY!

It looks a lot better than any 50-year old Belvedere that wasn't buried!!!

Fantastic! You should do a decal how-to for the mag...

Herbert Hoover and Warren Harding were no great shakes either...

Actually, the other word for brainwashing is "advertising" (aka marketing).

? I'm not sure why you mentioned that. I'm not arguing comparative pollution levels, I'm talking simple economics. Dollars. Plenty of people want to "go green" and help the environment... that's why Prius is selling fairly well. But if people who are considering a GM hybrid can't afford it, then all the good intentions GM may have had are out the window. Putting a $40,000 price on the Volt turns it from a "mainstream" priced car into a niche vehicle that only a limited number of people will consider... so how much good will it do? Shutting out the majority of potential customers doesn't seem to be a very good business decision. Apparently GM still doesn't understand where the automotive market is heading. The Japanese makers saw the writing on the wall years ago...and their hybrid programs are well underway and evolved, while GM is still taking baby steps. It's like the Japanese already have figured out time travel, while GM has just now discovered the wheel...

That's right... the marketplace! Which is exactly how GM's fate should have been decided... by the marketplace.

I was always under the assumption that, in general, single-axle cabs were used for "local" runs and the dual-axles tractors were for the long-haul (and larger, interstate trailers). You may be right, and I assume you are... but that L700 with a relatively small gas engine (and the relatively small amount of torque compared to a diesel) looks to me like it could never pull a fully-loaded trailer that size! For a "big rig" it's awfully small!

Exactly so. GM's hybrid program today is where Honda's and Toyota's were... 15 years ago!

Sure, just like some people will see no problem with spending $400,000 on a Bentley. I get the concept of "different strokes"... I wasn't born yesterday. Yes, you're right, there are people who would buy a $40,000 hybrid... but how many??? My point is, if GM wants to get a foothold in the hybrid market and compete with the existing hybrids out there, if they want to be a player as far as the mass market goes, and carve out a new rep as a "greener" company, a $40,000 hybrid is a foolish way to get into the mix. You're shutting out a huge amount of potential buyers right off the bat with a price tag like that... especially when there are competitors available for a lot less money. GM needs to right the ship and start selling cars... lots of cars... to lots of people, not just appeal to a few well-off environmentalists. Given their current situation, they should be casting a much wider net.

Yeah, that's the public perception all right... because it's true! And now, in an effort to show us how much they have changed and want to sell us the right vehicle for these economic times, they come up with a $40,000 hybrid that'll go a whopping 40 miles per charge??? Toyota and Honda must be laughing so hard that they're wetting their collective pants...

Ok, Hyundai "whatever"... but you get my point. As far as the Volt being "cleaner" over a 10 year period... that depends entirely on how the electricity it runs on was generated.

Ok, I'll admit right off the bat I'm not a "truck guy"... but isn't that cab/engine a bit puny to be pulling a trailer that size? Is that even a hypothetically possible combination?

Seems like an awfully expensive way to accomplish that goal. You could buy a Hyundai Excel or something similar, drive your "less than 40 miles a day" for years, and still be ahead, $$$ wise, ten years down the road vs. having bought a $40K Volt... and that includes the gas you'd have bought!

You still may find Fred Cady decals available here and there (most likely ebay)... but there ain't no more coming...

And the power brakes and power steering were probably options back then!

Just out of curiosity, I checked. These are the "comfort and convenience" items that come with the most basic, cheapest "entry-level" 2010 Mustang (the V6): Air conditioning Tilt steering wheel Cruise control Power mirrors Power windows Remote keyless entry AM/FM/CD player Digital-media player connection Variable-intermittent wipers But no power seats, Harold! I remember seeing those cheesy used-car ads on TV as a kid, back when they made a big deal if the car came with exotic options like "radio, heater and whitewalls!" Things were a lot simpler back then!

That was the idea with the Road Runner... big performance in a stripped down, el cheapo package, no power windows, no carpet, bench seat, etc. But these days people have become spoiled. I doubt very many people would actually want a car with crank windows, manual seats, etc. American consumers love gadgets and gimmicks in their cars... GPS, nav screens, DVD players for the kiddies, 45 cup holders, backup cameras, parking assist, "lange change alert", and on and on. So manufacturers load up the cars with stuff they know the general public will eat up. I don't think things like manually operated windows are even available in a Mustang, Challenger or Camaro, even if you were one of the 12 people who actually wanted them. These days if you want a stripped down car your only choice is a small Japanese or Korean car. I don't think there are many American cars available in a basic no-frills version anymore.

That's why I was thinking maybe the Volt would be axed by the feds... it doesn't have the range of a Prius or Insight, yet it costs a whole lot more (I've heard projected cost estimates of $35-40,000).

That's right folks! If we're going to talk about things that we disagree on, let's at least disagree agreeably...

There's always Maaco!

I was just wondering how much input the government now has as far as upcoming products... since they obviously have a lot of input into executive hiring and firing... even more than the company board! I figured maybe the feds might have killed the Volt program.

Unfortunately, you're exactly right. Maybe not all of them, but the vast majority... On a sort of related note: Now that GM has restructured, is the Volt still on schedule to be produced?

No, they're real! I know they are because a guy down the block just got one, it's sort of an orange-bronze color. I have to admit the look is growing on me (except for that horrid front end, which I'll never like)...