classic car: camaro

Showing posts with label camaro. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

What The GM Should've Done: My Plan For A Better General

Everyone knows that General Motors got it all wrong when they killed off many of their brands. Many think that Saturn was right to die, but almost all other marques could've been saved if GM would've made better decisions. I have my own version of this plan, in which only one brand is killed off. I think that General Motors could have kept almost all of their brands, and these brands could've been profitable. Here's my plan for every brand in the General Motors Portfolio:

Chevrolet: Get rid of all medium commercial trucks and let GMC take over that area of business. Focus the SS badge on real performance cars, not over-chromed econoboxes and sedans. Stop bringing in re-badged Daewoo cars from Asia, continue on the sharper design path that's been taken, and focus on creating a less confusing array of models. Make the Tahoe and Suburban less luxurious, sharper-looking, and more Chevy-like in general.

Buick: Keep going on more youthful design path, kill the Lucerne, and do not launch any Crossover besides the Enclave.

Pontiac: Kill the G3, G5 and Vibe as they are just re-badged Chevys, continue producing the G6, G8, and Solstice as sporty, more youthful Chevy alternatives. Re-introduce the GTO, but make it more visually distinctive than the last generation.

Cadillac: Continue producing sharp-looking luxury cars, make the larger sedans better-looking, introduce an ultra-sedan in the BMW 7-Series price range. Focus on marketing that doesn't make women look stupid. Kill the Escalade to make way for Hummer. Bring the XLR back and differentiate the technology a little from the Corvette, creating something more luxurious, if a little less muscular.

GMC: Turn the brand into the nameplate for the GM medium-duty commercial trucks, maybe eventually branching into large semis and buses once again. Produce no more Chevrolet copies, instead being the GM commercial vehicle brand. Also, take over for Hummer in producing military vehicles.

Hummer: Hummer takes over for the Cadillac Escalade as General Motors' luxury SUV maker. After giving control of military development to GMC, make small (H4), medium (H3), and large (H2) SUV options for the relatively wealthy and city-dwelling. Launch off-road racing team.

Saab: First of all, Kill every single crossover or SUV that ever crossed a drunken GM designer's mind. Then, continue making sturdy sedans, wagons, coupes and convertibles that pull you along like a motorized feather pillow (maybe not the best comparison, but it's all I've got). Make all cars more unique, as Saabs should be.

Saturn: Sorry Saturn, you're screwed either way.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Three Reasons Not To Be Worried About CAFE

With Obama pushing 35 MPG by 2016 for cars, many enthusiasts are worried about their next-gen supercars being limited to only 100 MPH to meet the standards. Of course, there is merit in that thought, as we all know from the late seventies. But I know that there are ways to meet and beat these standards while keeping our cars muscular and quick, ways that weren't even a forming idea in an engineer's head during the malaise era. Here are some ideas to get us through the CAFE standards fast: I mean seriously fast, not to mention in style.

1: My first idea to get us through CAFE with a bang is a system already used on a car from a startup Texas-Based supercar manufacturer named Ronn Motor Company, which uses it to get 40 MPG out of its Scorpion supercar. This system, which Ronn Motor Company calls H2-Go, is made up of hydrogen fuel injection to optimize economy. If this technology was used in the mainstream auto industry on such cars as the Mustang or Corvette, it could launch us into CAFE with ease.

2: This one I call the Lotus Formula because it is a hallmark of all of the cars from Colin Chapman's company since the Lotus Six was conceived. This strategy pairs light weight with power and torque that is not too over-the top to create a quick car that is nimble around corners, accelerates in only a few seconds, and above all is economical for today's standards. You could also tweak this and create a monster by putting in a vintage 600-horsepower 1-liter Ferrari racing motor or a similar, but cheaper design in a lightweight car such as the Ariel Atom or a Lotus Elise.

3: There is another option for all of you who were reading this and thinking the entire time that I'm betraying real brute performance, and you'll be glad to hear it. Just pay your gas-guzzler tax on your Lamborghini. I mean, if you have a Murcielago you're already paying a fortune for it, so you probably don't care all that much about a couple extra grand tacked on to legally enjoy it without hybrid whirring or a light feel. If you love to feel the road in your steering and feel connected through weight with a real burbling high-octane fuel V-8 in front of you, this is your favorite option.

So ignore your fears; There is hope.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Camaro Is Orange And Other Road Trip Ramblings

Today we went on a day trip to Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, and saw many, many cars along the way. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, but I did list down every interesting car I saw. Here's a list with comments on the cars:

2010 Chevy Camaro SS (you have no idea how good this really looks. I think it's the best-looking new car EVER, I'm that serious. Also, get it in orange)
A Custom Dodge Magnum (complete with fake strut grille and two-tone paint, it probably had a base four-banger, which makes no sense)
Mercedes-Benz CLK350 coupe (silver, needs a redesign)
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (a real looker, the CLK designers can learn from this car)
1971 Oldsmobile 442 (A custom orange and custom wheels, may be a clone)
Four brand-new 90's Geos abandoned on a car hauler at a truck stop in the 90's
A brand-new Audi S5 Coupe (light silver, still with window sticker, being test driven)
1970 Chevy Nova SS (yellow and black with a Yenko sort of look, but not really a Yenko)
2001 Porsche Boxster (silver, custom rims, sitting out in the rain all the time)
1981 Monte Carlo SS (teenage custom, 30" wheels, two-tone purple and green)
1969 Chevelle SS396 (lovingly restored, bright blue)
Two 1981 El Caminos (one restored, one, um, not. It was horrible, to say the least)
Late 80's Toyota Celica (sitting under a cover in somebody's garage, I asked about it)
1974 GMC Pickup (it had collector plates, but wasn't a real looker. brown)
Two late 60's Ford Broncos (one restored, one a parts car. owned by a die-hard Ford guy)
1988 Toyota Supra Turbo (daily driver, stock, ugly)
Two 2004 Toyota MR2 Spyders (this a car that should've been. a real economical looker)
Two 2008 Porsche Cayman S (very nice, cruising around Madison)
Two Cadillac Escalade Limos (same company owns them, rented to collegers at Madison)
2010 Honda Insight (blue, being test-driven)
1968 BMW 2002tii (I've always liked the 2002 series. A lovely red example)
1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL coupe (actually a removable hardtop, white)
Three 1950 Chevy "Sedanette" fastbacks (two together, one at a gas station, nice!)
1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe (a nice, if unimaginative rod. Your usual bright yellow)
1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass (customized, lowered and chopped, which is odd)
Two Audi TTs (one new, one first-gen. They were both silver)
2009 BMW Z4 (This is the only car that I see as an "ugly" Chris Bangle Design)
Early 70's Pontiac Conv't (red, for sale, project)
Six new Kia Souls at a dealership (A nice compact for teens or mid-life crisis people)
1967 VW Beetle (designed to look like a GB Packers helmet, at a repair shop)
1957 Chevy Bel-Air (this is actually in my neighborhood. It belongs to a woman, but her husband takes it to car shows on the weekends)
1962 Cadillac Coupe (to sqaurish for my liking, neglected by its owner)
1967 Chevy Slabside P/U (in the process of restoration, blue)
Lincoln Town Car limo (at the mall, who would rent a limo to go to the mall?)
1959 Dodge P/U (sitting out, looking forlorn. Somebody should rescue it)
1984 AMC station wagon (at a repair shop, an 80's AMC's perpetual home)
1964 Ford Falcon custom (hood scoop, black, T-bird roof)
2009 Nissan GTR (at a dealership to attract customers. Next to a 370Z)
2009 Mercedes-Benz S600 (a really expensive sedan, humongous. The only color for these is black)
Tons and tons of Corvettes (from 2005-2010, including one ZR1)

Wow, that was a handful to write!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Camaro Caught!

This has been bothering me for some time. I keep seeing a silver '68 or '69 Chevy Camaro that always blows by me when I'm driving. About twice a week, I see this car go by , and usually I'm not in a position to get a photo of it. Finally, after seeing this Camaro for about a month now, I was finally ready to get a photo. I insisted on being in the passenger seat, and brought my Fujifilm camera with me every time I was in the car. I was intent on showing you what I've seen, so I spotted it about a quarter mile away, coming towards me one day, and got this shot. So if you didn't know it before, it takes a lot of effort to get a photo of a car that is coming at you at 40 miles per hour from the opposite direction.

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