The Energon Pub

GetterDragun wrote:

Sonray wrote:Well..i wouldnt say that competition is a bad thing, if there was no competition the car world would be a very boring place. And striving forward to make cars run cleaner isnt a bad thing either, as much as i dont care about it and prefer the power of a good old fashioned internal combustion engine it is something that NEEDS to change, along with a lot of other things not just in the car business but everything relating to energy and how we use it.

I agree. But the probem is is that governments stifle this sometimes. I think the government (particulary the US) should enforce CAFE standards for vehicles selling mor ethan X amount. That way every companies Camry equivalent will need to do 35 mpg, but low selling cars...typically performance cars can get away with lower gas mileage. Chevy has a new model coming out called the Volt which can revoultionize transportation as we know it...it can go 40 miles without burning a drop of fuel. Now that sounds short, but it does have a small engine to help out and for most commuters that would be fine. How cool would it be to have a Volt as a daily driver and a ZR-1 Corvette for the weekend? This is what sells cars...and more of them.

Trouble is the government, especially the US doesnt care. They are gonna milk the internal combustion engine until literally every oil reserve is run dry. Why? Money and greed. Did you know there was an electric car made many years ago by an american company that was so good it did everything a normal car could do with almost no sacrifices in performance? They could have mass produced them and sold them on cheap and what happened? The american government canned the idea and kept it a secret. All of this global warming BS could have probably been stopped by now if that little car made it onto the production line. I dotn remember the cars name, i saw a video of it and i cant remember where but it was amazing.

Still there you go, thats governments for you, especially the US government. "global warming doesnt exist"

Oh wait wait wait...im sorry sherade but i need to tell you that i really dont agree with your comment about cars handling....

The car should never "drive you", you should always be in control of the car and feel safe and confident in it. Most american cars, especially muscle, see a corner and cry, this is common knowledge. America has never been able to make a car go round a corner, there has been very few only recently that could thanks to euro or Japanese help. I wouldn't want to drive a car that drives me i want to be in control and know that if things get a bit hairy i can avoid an accident or blitz round a track without ending up in the barriers.

First off the camaro looks tough i like it alot! The american automotive industry has been in trouble for yrs. I work at lear Corp. which produces the interiors to many vehicles some foreign some American. The plant i work at in Lordstown Oh. makes the seats for the Pontiac Solstice and the headliners for the Chevy Cobalt. The latter of which i'm the very proud owner of. I was raised in a family of proud autoworkers who strongly held on to their beliefs of buy American and support the American worker. Too many Americans over the yrs. have lost their jobs to foreign competitors who have a free pass to import their goods and products into the U.S. while American companies are extremely limited or have ridiculos stipulations to meet. There used to be a Toyota Cavalier made in the Lordstown plant that was to be shipped to japan. There were so many extra things on that car it would have made your head spin just to try and meet with regulations set by the Japanese. Basically it was doomed to fail from the start especially when they put the price tag on it. You could have bought a cadillac here for the price it was in Japan. It was basically priced as a luxury car. I think the American worker makes great products but is not on a level playing field with the rest of the world. Also most foreign workers in different countries have a different way of life and their societies have evolved differntly than ours. I would never hold American workers to have the same work ethic as say the Chinese, Mexicans, or Japanese. Also remember that some of these countries don't have free trade such as America, Canada, England, or Germany. It's not the people that are the problems in all of the countries including the United States it's the goverments trade policies. There's nothing wrong with foreign products as long as everyones on a level playing field and their countryman are treated fairly and can make a life for themselves and their families. This was not a knock on anyone who happens to be from the countries listed above and was not my intention. So who's to blame? Probaly a little of everyone. A select few WAAAAAY more than others!

I drive a minivan.

It only makes that Camaro more beautiful. One day....

Hey you never know, you could be driving a camaro and i could be in a vette! I always wanted a blue vette with the hood painted like tracks! I mean i said that if i won the lottery of course but i always thought that would be cool! A bit dorky but i would love it! Ahhh! To dream! Hey and minivans are'nt that bad.

Minivans are awesome. I've gone right past pickups and cars stuck in the snow--minivans keep on trucking! (well, mine did, at least) Plus it's comfortable to drive and travel in, and mine has a tv for the kiddies.

I was driving a BMW for about a month and while it's fun and fast, it was too tiny for a family car. Actually, my husband has the van and I'm driving my grammy's little Honda til we get another car. Still trying to figure that out. Too bad it can't be the Camaro....

I love my cobalt! It's very affordable, great on gas,and pretty good everywhere else. It's a nice economical car. I'm very proud to own something i helped build. Although it is'nt a camaro or vette. Someday.

Defcon! wrote:I love my cobalt! It's very affordable, great on gas,and pretty good everywhere else. It's a nice economical car. I'm very proud to own something i helped build. Although it is'nt a camaro or vette. Someday.

You know, I'd buy a Cobalt, but being as tall as I am, it isn't the most comfortable car ever. I like 'em though...well, more or less the SS, and if I had to, I'd buy one.
But since I can't afford a new car in general, I'll just go buy that '82 Mustang for 800 bucks, I can manage that.

And come on Sonray, your car could have the most outdated suspension and steering ever and still rock on a track.
It's all in how you drive. Personally, in a race setting, I prefer the Gone in 60 seconds (I mean the original) style slide and floor it type turning.

The sons a bit--es quit making the SS. I liked it too. Mustangs are pretty sweet. I always liked im, they're a mean lookin ride .

you know, I was excited for this camaro to come out...then they go and announce a new ZR1. Now if only they bring back admiral blue and i can scrape together 100k right...

leave it to the vette to get me off my zcar kick.

(insert obligatory comments trying to persuade sherade )

Defcon! wrote:The sons a bit--es quit making the SS. I liked it too. Mustangs are pretty sweet. I always liked im, they're a mean lookin ride .

Gm drops all te goods. The GTO, Bonneville, S10, Monte Carlo, and a few others, like the Bel-Air.

Defcon! wrote:The sons a bit--es quit making the SS. I liked it too. Mustangs are pretty sweet. I always liked im, they're a mean lookin ride .

Cobalt SS will be back as an '08 model. They only dropped it to do away with the supercharged version. It's coming back with the same motor the Solstice GXP, Sky Redline, and Chevy HHR SS has, which is turbocharged rather than supercharged. And it's coming back with 260hp and 260ft lbs of torque. And better mileage over the supercharged motor.

Pontimax 01 wrote:

Defcon! wrote:The sons a bit--es quit making the SS. I liked it too. Mustangs are pretty sweet. I always liked im, they're a mean lookin ride .

Cobalt SS will be back as an '08 model. They only dropped it to do away with the supercharged version. It's coming back with the same motor the Solstice GXP, Sky Redline, and Chevy HHR SS has, which is turbocharged rather than supercharged. And it's coming back with 260hp and 260ft lbs of torque. And better mileage over the supercharged motor.

Hopefully they will make it look half decent as well...man thats an ugly car.

Sonray wrote:

Pontimax 01 wrote:

Defcon! wrote:The sons a bit--es quit making the SS. I liked it too. Mustangs are pretty sweet. I always liked im, they're a mean lookin ride .

Cobalt SS will be back as an '08 model. They only dropped it to do away with the supercharged version. It's coming back with the same motor the Solstice GXP, Sky Redline, and Chevy HHR SS has, which is turbocharged rather than supercharged. And it's coming back with 260hp and 260ft lbs of torque. And better mileage over the supercharged motor.

Hopefully they will make it look half decent as well...man thats an ugly car.

In your humble opinion...

I wouldn't say its humble.

I dunno I just hate the way it looks. My friend has one and he is in love with it....he wants to marry the damned thing but i don't see the appeal. It looks like a very poor imitation of every other small sports care before it. Its lines are all wrong, its rear end is too high and its front end is really dull and non-aggressive.

To me its a very lazy looking car. Plus its a Chevy...eew.

I'd just like to throw this out there. I drive an 07 Chevy Cobalt LS. It's the biggest piece of **** I have ever sat in and has forever weened me off of Chevys.

Hello 08' Mitsubishi Lancer!

TheMuffin wrote:I'd just like to throw this out there. I drive an 07 Chevy Cobalt LS. It's the biggest piece of **** I have ever sat in and has forever weened me off of Chevys.

Hello 08' Mitsubishi Lancer!

Hmm...Mit' Lancer FTW!

TheMuffin wrote:I'd just like to throw this out there. I drive an 07 Chevy Cobalt LS. It's the biggest piece of **** I have ever sat in and has forever weened me off of Chevys.

Hello 08' Mitsubishi Lancer!

Sorry to hear that. I have'nt had any problems with mine and i hope i don't. It kinda upsets me and makes me a little sad to hear someone who bought a coblt had piece of crap one. It's almost a 50/50 kinda thing. People like them and have'nt had problems or people don't and have had all kinds of **** go wrong. Warranties are great but not if shits breaking while your driving and your car spends more time in a shop than on the road. It's a hard sell when people hear stuff like that. I mean all the cobalt is a revamped cavalier that's still affordable (10 to 15grand where i live) and good on gas 30 to 33 miles THG. I'm all for American made cars (even the foreign) and foreign cars from free trade countries. I would like to see everyone buy American or at least think about it. But hey they don't call this the land of the free for nothing!

Erm...most "american" cars arent made in america anymore, or use american parts and materials.

Sonray wrote:Erm...most "american" cars arent made in america anymore, or use american parts and materials.

Many American cars are still made in America and use American parts. Each vehicle has a % list on it of how much is American. And there are foreign car companies that have many plants in the United States. Such as toyota.

Defcon! wrote:

Sonray wrote:Erm...most "american" cars arent made in america anymore, or use american parts and materials.

Many American cars are still made in America and use American parts. Each vehicle has a % list on it of how much is American. And there are foreign car companies that have many plants in the United States. Such as toyota.

This is what pisses me off about the whole American vs. Japanese debate. The Honda Accord is 97% American content (neaning happy American subcontractors) and is built in Ohio. Lincoln, on the other hand is made of about 50% American parts and is built in Mexico.

Oh, and in terms of getting new cars...no more GT-R for me...most dealerships are marking the car up $30K to $50K over the sticker price putting it between 100k to 120k. I guess that's what happends when you make one of the fastest cars ever...and try to make it affordable.

It's screwed up is'nt it. I say regardless of the make or model as long as it keeps American people employed then great! It's amazing how American auto manufacturers have to outsource certain makes and models to try and reduce costs to stay competitive with foreign companies, and don't get the help from their own gov. on fair trade policies. The amount of jobs created by foreign auto companies pales in comparison to the jobs lost by American auto factories closing. It's a shame. But the world keeps on spinning!

Something more to peak your interest in the new Camaro. Fresh pictures without Camo. Thank you Bob Lutz.

http://www.motortrend.com/future/spied_ ... aro_spycam

GetterDragun wrote:Oh, and in terms of getting new cars...no more GT-R for me...most dealerships are marking the car up $30K to $50K over the sticker price putting it between 100k to 120k. I guess that's what happends when you make one of the fastest cars ever...and try to make it affordable.

I'm sure if you really want one, you will be able to find it close to msrp. Afterall, there arent THAT many people out there that think they need a 75k stock 11second car. Then you have people that won't buy simply because its a nissan...long story short, i don't think they will be hard to obtain IF you have the money to spend.

Gutter Bunny wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:Oh, and in terms of getting new cars...no more GT-R for me...most dealerships are marking the car up $30K to $50K over the sticker price putting it between 100k to 120k. I guess that's what happends when you make one of the fastest cars ever...and try to make it affordable.

I'm sure if you really want one, you will be able to find it close to msrp. Afterall, there arent THAT many people out there that think they need a 75k stock 11second car. Then you have people that won't buy simply because its a nissan...long story short, i don't think they will be hard to obtain IF you have the money to spend.

I've called locally and no commitments on markup, plus on the Nissan forum, no one has gotten a dealer to commit to less than $100K. That's nuts becaue you are basically throwing away 30 grand to own a car at the time of release. I can understand why it is valuable, but I'm sure in a year or two you can pick up a used one in the 50s.