Ha ha! I knew it. I could turbocharge my F150 and get 600 hp, but I don't need it. There is no doubt that the Japanese have some outstanding engineering and high quality control. I would hate to see the US lose our auto industry though. The gay thing is a good sterotype, and as such it does have some truth in it. Like, only rednecks buy Camaros and F-15Os.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, they wouldn't be stereotypes if they weren't true to some extent. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I hate to see US lose the auto industry too. But it makes me mad that companies can get away with inferior products for so long. They either have to make their cars so people will buy it, or go out of business. We can't afford to give all kinds of companies unlimited money just because they didn't do what they were suppose to.

the new electric vehicle from Dodge looks extremely Lotus. RSX-ish headlamps.

I was just reading an article about how the big three sent their executives/people to Washington to "beg" for the help/loan,

they went via a 36 million dollar corporate jet! 1st class isn't even good enough
for them, but they want more of our money anyway...

It looks a little Viper-esque.

lotus europa. solves that mystery.

There is a lot of "fat" in our auto industry. I am tired of my tax dollars going to overpaid failed executives, too. From what I understand of it, one of the huge costs is the UAW pension and health care. Our competitors mostly have gov't health care, so that does put US makers at a disadvantage. We need to save our auto industry, but I'm not sure how. Maybe a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and some reorganization and renegociation of union contracts is the way. I don't really know. I just think that it would be a disaster for our economy and even our national security to lose such a vital heavy industry.

the 'b' word will do too much damage. it will eradicate sales and kill the companies. the key, if my business degree was worth anything, is automation. more machines doing more work controlled by fewer humans. it's terrible but those workers are expensive and either have to find a new trade or work for less. unfortunately there are only two ways to get away from them: pay the pensions or go bankrupt.

i would, however, love it if the govt ruins those executives' lives and makes them, gasp, walk to work like the rest of us. make them drive the cars they sell! why should the CEO of ford drive a Focus? i guarantee he'd make it a great car if he had to live with it every day. i actually like the fusion (aka mercury milan). if i was back in the market, i'd be willing to buy a milan, mariner, malibu, or any number of 4 cylinder American cars. i'd love a mustang but they're not good for NJ.

we need practical, safe, efficient, all weather street vehicles for those of us who have our fun on motorcycles or a second weekend car. that's why accord and camry are so successful. i don't like those cars. i'd take a malibu over them any day, unless i knew my ten year warranty would be worthless after GM went under.

I just hope that some solution can be found to save our auto industry. I am not smart enough to know the answers, but I am getting a little tired of our fine industries and good jobs going overseas. Even Briggs & Stratton has gone to China. This just isn't in America's long-term interest in my opinion. I think we need to look at all our trade treaties and make sure we have fair trade. To heck with free trade. Yes, I am a protectionist. Maybe our Congress can do something right for a change. I sure hope so. I realize that a few foreign car makers make them here in the USA, but I'd like to see some US auto companies survive.

Over here turbo deisel 1.9L's producing 140bhp and giving 45mpg are the best selling type of cars....I have an Audi A4 Estate with an auto box and fully loaded etc...and it works well...when I was in the US recently you never saw anything like these...maybe it is a mindset thing...but thirsty big engine transport is just "old" technology...I guess that the R&D side of things in the US stuck with what they figured "worked" for their market...that consumers wanted big powerful engines...now they cannot catch up quick enough?

People talked to me about 25mpg cars as "economical"...over here that is thirsty...my Audi gave me 35mpg doing 120 mph crossing Germany overnight to CZ.
I have owned a lot of fast cars but my journey times are no better than the Audi because of speed limits and traffic...the same seems likely in the US.