MILKA'S CITGO TEAM PLACES 8TH IN 24 HRS OF DAYTONA(CLICK HERE TO SEE MILKA'S INTERVIEW WITH PLANETATV.COM)

Daytona Beach, FL (January 29, 2006) The No. 7 CITGO/SAMAX Pontiac-powered Riley Mk XI finished eighth in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona – the first 24-hour race for the new team. During the final six hours of the race, Milka Duno, Dario Franchitti, Marino Franchitti and Kevin McGarrity paced a strong recovery from an earlier drive-shaft failure and a broken right-rear suspension. Only half of the 30 entered Daytona Prototypes finished the race, putting the CITGO Riley in elite company.
Milka Duno: "It was such a great race for me! I had great co-drivers and it was truly an equally shared effort. All four drivers had the same amount of time behind the wheel - six hours each - which was very important to me. I wanted to prove that I could hold my end – and I did.
We had reached as high as second overall when a driveshaft broke Saturday evening. The team worked very hard to make the repairs as quickly as possible but even though everyone fought as hard as they could - we just couldn’t get all the way back up there again.
I was in the car at the end which gave me the honor of taking the checkered flag – which was truly fantastic!
All things considered I’m very happy with the result and I know that we earned every bit of our top-ten finish. Had we not had the trouble I’m very confident that we would have enjoyed at least a top-five and most likely a podium. Many thanks to CITGO, Dario, Marino, Kevin and the entire team for their great effort!"
Marino Franchitti: "Without the half-shaft problem, which cost us 30 laps, we would have been in the top three. That's disappointing. This is my third Daytona 24 Hours and my first finish here. To finish in the top 10, with the problem we had, is testament to not only the CITGO/SAMAX team, but to my teammates Dario, Milka and Kevin."
Dario Franchitti: "I'm happy to finish. The guys had a couple of things to overcome with a driveshaft problem – which a lot of teams had – and a wishbone problem. Without those, we'd have been looking pretty good. I don't think we had the ultimate pace, but we just kept pushing. I'm very happy to have finished. We'll come back next year and try to win it."
Peter Baron, SAMAX Motorsport owner: "In roughly one month's time [since starting the CITGO/SAMAX program], to finish eighth in this international all-star field at one of the greatest Rolex 24 events is truly an amazing accomplishment. We're very proud of the drivers and crew, and happy to be part of the CITGO Racing program. It's a great group of people; I'm very thankful for the opportunity they gave the team."

USA TODAY ARTICLE ON THE BUICK LUCERNE!

What a fine surprise. Buick has replaced two cars, Park Avenue and LeSabre, with a single big
sedan called Lucerne, and it's a honey.

Sure, Buick has had some stinkers over the years, but the 2006 Buick Lucerne is not one of them, inside or out.

Based on the chassis used for Cadillac DTS, Lucerne winds up nicer than the Caddy — more pleasant to drive, more appealing inside, slicker-looking outside.


In fact, Lucerne is among the best big, front-drive sedans on the market. Yes, better in significant ways than Toyota Avalon (Test Drive, Feb. 11, 2005), the standard-setter for the mainstream, big-sedan category.

We won't make this totally a one-vs.-the-other discussion, but some comparisons should be made.


Lucerne's interior is more tasteful and roomier than Avalon's. The trunk is bigger. The Buick offers an optional V-8 engine, which the Toyota doesn't. Driving Lucerne is a smoother, more pleasing experience. The Buick's automatic transmission is a four-speed instead of the Toyota's modern five-speed, but Lucerne's gearbox is smoother-shifting than Avalon's.

Where Avalon rules is efficiency. It weighs about 400 pounds less, and its 3.5-liter Toyota V-6 puts out 71 horsepower and 21 pounds-feet of torque more than Lucerne's base 3.8-liter V-6. Lucerne needs the optional General Motors Northstar V-8 to outdo the Avalon's V-6 power ratings.


Avalon's fuel-economy rating is better. In government tests, it gets 25 mpg in combined city-highway driving. Lucerne's V-6 is 22, and the V-8 is 20. The Buick V-8 needs premium fuel to get the advertised horsepower. The Toyota and Buick V-6 engines use regular.


To properly regard Lucerne, we need to address three prejudices.


• Detroit models have inferior quality.


Get over that one, folks, especially in this case. Buick outscores Toyota, Honda and some other highly regarded brands in J.D. Power and Associates' surveys.


Power's 2005 tally of things gone wrong the first 90 days of ownership showed the Buick brand was fourth, behind Lexus, Jaguar and BMW and ahead of Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota.


Buick also places fourth in Power's 2005 study of problems with 3-year-old vehicles behind Lexus, Porsche and Lincoln.


• Toyota can do no wrong.


Get over that one, too. The 2005 Avalon was recalled last year, its first on the market, because somebody forgot to weld the steering mechanism together on some cars, meaning the driver might not be able to steer, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.


The auto industry, in its frenzy of cost-cutting that's become corner-cutting, has sunk back into the first-year bugs of the old days, so Lucerne could have some teething problems, too. So far, though, NHTSA files show no complaints, investigations or recalls involving Lucerne, on sale since October.


• Buicks are fogey cars.


Man, are you out of touch. No, Buick's not a young, hip brand like Scion. But it has a high-performance heritage that is decades old and is being renewed in Lucerne. There's even a sports Lucerne model, CXS, that has bigger wheels, tires and brakes than the others and a firmer suspension for more agile handling.

One trade-off of the big wheels is a 44-foot turning circle diameter, as big as a full-size pickup. That makes it clumsy in some parking lots.


Yes, Buick has had stinkers. But the 1953 Skylark convertible and the 1971 boat-tail Riviera are collectible classics. The 1960s Wildcats offered enough power to spin the tires almost at will. Grand National and GNX turbocharged models of the '80s were blisteringly quick. More recently, supercharged 3.8-liter V-6s have been punchy enough to substitute for V-8s.


And since when are a comfortable ride and pleasant amenities bad things? Been in a Mercedes-Benz lately? Or a big BMW or Lexus? Buicks by another name.

Let's just enjoy the marvelous package Lucerne is.

The V-8 model, powered by a 275-horsepower version of the 4.6-liter Northstar engine used in Cadillacs, is more fun than the model with the 3.8-liter V-6. But the 197-horsepower V-6 is no dog. It's just that the mildly tuned Northstar seems right in the Lucerne, giving it the kind of oomph that once made large Detroit sedans such marvels of quick comfort.


The V-8 gurgles and growls softly, reinforcing your impression that the car will do about what you ask it to with your right foot. The V-6 sounds and feels a bit coarser, but is more than adequately powerful.


Inside, back-seat leg and knee space are adult-size. And the car is wide enough that three child seats can be strapped across the back seat, not just two. Or, if you hook your kid seat in the middle of the back, there's room on either side for grownups (as long as they don't make a living playing in the NFL).


Interior trim, fabric, controls, the way parts fit together are all premium. Front seats are comfortable without requiring the tinkering that some chairs need to fit you right. Proper driving position is easy to find.


Lucerne wraps the goodies in a smoothly drawn body. You have to accept the Buick tradition of portholes, though. The V-8 model has four on each side of the hood; the V-6, three. They are faux vents, meant to suggest exhaust outlets. Some folks will think they're stupid. But they've
always been a Buick signature.


Lucerne might not be for you, but if you decide that ahead of time, powered by prejudice, you're cheating yourself.


2006 Buick Lucerne


•What is it? Full-size, front-wheel-drive, four-door sedan replacing the Park Avenue and LeSabre. Lucerne is based on the chassis used for the Cadillac DTS, is available with V-6 or V-8 engine and is manufactured at General Motors' Detroit Hamtramck Assembly plant. Buick sees it as a direct rival to Toyota Avalon.


•How soon? On sale since October.


•How much? CX V-6 base model starts at $25,990 including $725 destination charge. CXL V-6 starts at $27,990. CXL V-8 starts at $29,990. CXS V-8 sports model starts at $34,990.


Expect to pay close to full window-sticker price, online car-shopping sites say.


•What's with the name? Lucerne is a Swiss state and the name of Safeway grocery products. It is presumed Buick was keying on the former.


•What's the powertrain? 3.8-liter V-6 rated 197 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, 227 pounds-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm. Optional: 4.6-liter Northstar V-8 rated 275 hp at 5,600 rpm, 290 lbs.-ft. at 4,400 rpm. Both engines come with four-speed automatic transmission and traction control.


•What's the safety gear? Front, front-occupant side-impact, and front and rear head-curtain air bags; anti-lock brakes.


•What's the rest? Standard features include: air conditioning; power steering, brakes, locks, windows, mirrors, driver's seat; AM/FM/CD stereo; cruise control; rear-window defroster; remote-control locks; tilt-adjustable steering column; auto on/off headlights; OnStar
telecommunications system with one-year free service. Other features vary by model. More information is available at www.Buick.com.


•How big? Full size; 6 inches longer, 1 inch wider than Toyota Avalon, weighs roughly 400 pounds more, has more room inside and a bigger trunk.


Lucerne is 203.2 inches long, 73.8 inches wide, 58 inches tall on a 115.6-inch wheelbase. Passenger space is listed as 108 cubic feet, trunk as 17 cubic feet. Weight ranges from 3,764 to 4,013 pounds, depending on model. Rated to tow 1,000 pounds.


•How thirsty? V-6 is rated 19 mpg in town, 28 on the highway. V-8 is 17/26. Regular grade gasoline is specified for the V-6; premium is required to get advertised power ratings in the V-8, but it will safely burn regular, GM says.


V-6 test car's trip computer showed 17.6 mpg around town. V-8 showed 15.6 around town.


•Overall: Watch your back, Toyota.

MISS REPUBLICA DEPORTIVA PICKS UP TORRENT AT AUTOCITY OF PINECREST(Click here to see video)

Univision's popular TV program, REPUBLICA DEPORTIVA, recently held a contest to choose its 2005 MISS REPUBLICA DEPORTIVA. The winner was Giselle Sauda, a Colombian beauty who works at Hooter's Doral location. Autocity of Pinecrest was chosen to deliver a 2006 Pontiac Torrent that she received as the grand prize. Here are some photos taken at the moment of delivery.

MILKA DUNO TAKES DELIVERY OF A PONTIAC SOLSTICE!(Click here to see video)

Milka Duno, the Venezuelan race-car driver and only woman to have won a professional sports car race in North America, visited Autocity of Pinecrest this past Monday to take delivery of her brand-new Pontiac Solstice. Milka was excited to finally get her Solstice, which she had been anxiously waiting for since she is the spokesperson for Pontiac in the U.S. Hispanic market. From now on she will not have to answer any more questions as to why she was not driving a Pontiac.

While at Autocity of Pinecrest Milka was interviewed and photographed by Diario Las Americas for an article that will be published in the next few days.

Milka will be racing in the 24 Hours of Daytona this week-end with her new Team, SAMAX Motorsport, and her new car, a Pontiac-powered, Riley-chassis, Daytona prototype. She is very confident that she and her teammates, Dario and Marino Franchitti, and Kevin McGarrity, will be very competitive in this unique event. She will be driving her Sosltice to Daytona with the top-down, putting the Solstice aside for her 600-hp Daytona prototype for 24 hours, and heading back to Miami in her Solstice, hopefully thinking about her victory in Daytona.

Milka did not waste anytime to get behind the wheel.

Jose Camus explains how the top folds into the trunk while Milka watches attentively.

Lomberto gives Milka the keys to her black beauty.

Lomberto presented Milka with a second(miniature) Solstice.

The entire Autocity of Pinecrest sales force helped Milka with the delivery of her Solstice.

NEW BUICK ENCLAVE!

Automotive News / January 23, 2006 - 6:00 am

DETROIT -- The interior of the 2008 Buick Enclave crossover purposely was designed with less interior space than typical SUVs with three rows of seats.The reason? General Motors' priority was to create an exterior design that is not common on SUVs or crossovers, said Anna Kretz, vehicle line executive for GM's upcoming mid-sized Lambda vehicle architecture. The Enclave features tall, sculptured fender lines that are tied to a gently sloping roofline.The Enclave, 2007 Saturn Outlook and 2008 GMC Acadia will be the first crossovers developed on GM's Lambda architecture. Kretz said many SUV owners are tired of boxy-looking exteriors. Those vehicles have that shape "because the box gives you the most interior volume, and for some that is important," she said. Owners may require a larger, taller cargo area behind the second or third seat for camping or boating needs, for example."But there are a whole group of people who really want to move beyond that," said Kretz, who was interviewed at the Detroit auto show. "They have had several SUVs and really want something that is a little more unique. It takes the functionality from the interior, but it gives you an exterior that is a little bit unexpected."The Enclave is expected to offer carlike ride and handling when it goes on sale in fall 2007. While the concept represents the exterior styling for the Enclave, the interior will be toned down a bit, said Kretz.The production version of the Enclave will offer a seating position that gives the driver nearly the same commanding view of the road as an SUV. The height of the Enclave concept is 3.4 inches lower than the 2006 Buick Rainer SUV. The concept and the production Enclave will feature seating for six -- three rows of seats with two seats in each row. The Lambda architecture is engineered for front- and all-wheel-drive applications. Both V-6 and V-8 engine applications are expected, teamed with GM's new six-speed automatic transmission.The Outlook goes on sale this fall, Kretz said. The Acadia will go on sale in 2007.Crossovers developed on the Lambda architecture will be engineered to pull a 20-foot boat or a trailer with snowmobiles. Buyers needing a vehicle to pull a trailer with two or three horses will need look elsewhere, she said. Additionally, vehicles developed on the Lambda platform are not engineered for serious off-roading.Kretz said the architecture also is engineered for seven- and eight-passenger vehicles.Asked whether the architecture will be used for GM's next-generation minivans, Kretz said "we are capable of doing those kinds of things." But she said there are no plans for global use of the Lambda vehicle architecture.

PONTIAC ANNOUNCES PRICING ON G6 CONVERTIBLE!

Jan. 20, 2006

In keeping with GM's recently announced pricing strategies, the new G6 Convertible will
be offered at a price point far below vehicles with comparable features.

The convertible will carry an MSRP of $28,490 (including destination
charges), making it the first retractable hardtop available in North
America for under $29,000.

"The G6 has been a great cornerstone of the entire Pontiac renaissance, blending modern styling and crisp performance
with a great value proposition," said Mark-Hans Richer, Pontiac marketing
director.

"The G6 convertible takes that winning formula and adds the
all-season versatility and security of a retractable hardtop, a feature
never before available in this price range."

DID YOU KNOW? . . . Following are some "fun facts" about the G6:

The addition of a coupe and two new engine options allowed the G6 to
move from the 25th to the 11th best-selling car in North America in
2005.

Fourth-quarter G6 sales were up 137 percent compared to 2004.

Strategic Vision recently gave G6 the highest "Customer Delight" score
in the mid-size car segment, besting many top-selling imports.

J.D. Power and Associates named the G6 their Most Appealing Entry
Mid-Size Car.
_________________________________

GM LEADS IN MOST 2005 DELIGHTFUL VEHICLES!

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2006--In 2005 the results from Strategic Vision's surveying the market may be startling: General Motors leads all the rest. Strategic Vision measures the experience of approximately 90,000 new vehicle owners annually. The survey has been done since 1996. Because of the nature of the factors measured, the results give the industry actionable information about multiple issues, including (a) building better vehicles, (b) communicating more effectively, (c) increasing sales opportunity, (d) creating strong brand image, (e) creating loyalty, and (f) assessing success and failure of strategy. GM product, not problems, and multiple levels of success are foremost.

Amid speculation that GM -- "locked in organizational turmoil and strangled by old product" -- is lost, General Motors has been creating stronger products in the eyes of its customers year after year over the last five years. General Motors has delivered: Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, GMC Sierra 2500/3500, Buick Rainier, Pontiac G6 and Cadillac DeVille all lead in delivering delight in the segments in which they compete. While industry pundits scratch their heads, the customers speak clearly. G6 can, indeed, outperform Camry on rational-emotional dimensions that reflect customers' response to their experiences, for example. An implication: General Motors may be able to accomplish what it states it will. Being able to delight portends being able to build products that attract attention and sell. Of course, the proof is in the execution, but the opportunity is present.

"How can GM beat Toyota?" muse analysts (even within GM). The key is in understanding what is being measured: Delight captures emotional commitment as well as attribute-based excellence. Strategic Vision, a worldwide, research-based consultancy proposes that the clear hints about the future can be delivered.

Dr. Darrel Edwards, CEO, Founder and Creative Director of Strategic Vision, affirms, "The measurement of Customer Delight provides a look at tomorrow. Satisfaction speaks to the past -- contracts fulfilled. Appeal might capture a glimpse of tomorrow, but it is never truly measured. Being `Outstanding' does compare one aspect of a vehicle with another, but comparisons change rapidly as the market changes. While some surveys tell you how to increase the `Overall scores' in their survey, Delight addresses increasing initial quality, overall satisfaction, retention, advocacy, emotional commitment and loyalty today and tomorrow

GM TO CUT PRICES!

January 11, 2006

BY JUSTIN HYDE
FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF

General Motors Corp. will cut the window sticker prices on three-fourths of its models by an average of $1,300 today in an attempt to break the feast-or-famine cycle of huge incentives it has fostered during the past few years.
The new prices will apply to 57 of GM's 76 North American models, which account for about 80% of its volume. All prices for Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models will be lowered, as will some Pontiac and Cadillac vehicles. Saab, Saturn and Hummer prices will not be affected.
GM said Tuesday the move was not an end to rebates or the occasional big promotion, and the changes would have little to no effect on the final price customers actually pay for most GM vehicles. Instead, the program will make what had been increasingly irrelevant sticker prices on GM vehicles -- a key figure for Internet shoppers -- closer to reality.
The moves also will affect all-new models such as the large SUVs rolling out this year that are essential to ending billions of dollars in losses from GM's automotive business.

2007 GMC YUKON XL

From edmunds.com

2007 GMC Yukon XL

What Is It?
2007 Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL

What's Special About Them?
They're nearly 19 feet long, weigh 5,600 pounds and can seat up to nine people, but according to General Motors, the Chevrolet Suburban, and its twin, the GMC Yukon XL, will get well over 20 miles per gallon on the highway when they go on sale in April. It won't be enough to get them off of the Greenpeace Most Wanted list, but it should make them a little less costly to the families that need them. Both trucks are 20 inches longer than their standard-size counterparts. The extra length allows for nearly 10 inches of additional third-row legroom and 29 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats. If you need maximum cargo and passenger space, these trucks are unequalled by anything else on the market. Unlike their Ford competitors, the third-row seats in the Suburban/Yukon XL twins don't fold flat. We asked John Larson, general manager of Buick/Pontiac/GMC, why they didn't incorporate that feature into these trucks. "We asked our customers what was more important to them when it came to the functionality of the third-row seats. They told us that access to the seats was more important than being able to fold them away." GM's solution is an optional power-fold feature for the second-row seats. It works well, but if you want maximum cargo space you still have to drag the backseats out manually. Like the standard-size Tahoe and Yukon models, the Suburban and Yukon XL come standard with a 320-hp, 5.3-liter V8 and a four-speed automatic. Three-quarter-ton versions get a 355-hp all-aluminum 6.0-liter V8 coupled to a six-speed automatic. If that's not enough for you, the Yukon XL Denali offers a 6.2-liter V8 with 380 hp. Tow ratings for both trucks max out at 8,100 pounds.

What's Edmunds' Take?
If you're one of those people who actually needs room for nine, along with decent cargo space and the ability to tow an 8,000-pound boat, these trucks are your only option. And now that they have decent interiors and reasonable mileage it won't be such a tradeoff to own them. — Ed Hellwig

2007 BUICK ENCLAVE

The Enclave is one of three crossovers that GM is building off the same so-called Lambda platform--this, the GMC Acadia, and the Saturn Outlook. The Buick is the most interesting of the three, with elegant lines and a gorgeous interior, whereas the Saturn and GMC are a little dull to look at, we're told. The Enclave even has portholes in the hood, but they look good here, as opposed to the dorky ones on the current Buick sedans.
The Buick is front- or all-wheel-drive, and power comes from a 270-hp 3.6-liter DOHC V-6, although there will be V-8 option. The GM triplets are larger than most crossovers so they can accommodate a real third-row seat.

NEW CAMARO INTRODUCED AT DETROIT AUTO SHOW!

The New Camaro concept hints at the fact that if it becomes a reality the New Pontiac Trans Am cannot be far behind.

LANEVE: IT'S TIME TO TALK PRODUCT AT GM!

From Automotive News

LOS ANGELES -- General Motors' top sales executive says gloomy financial news has overshadowed the GM product story, but new ads this month will begin to change that."These ads will say we have the best product, here's why -- and that we also have the best price," he told Automotive News during an interview at the Los Angeles auto show. "And if we have to compare them to competitors, we will."He also said GM won't lose any more U.S. market share in 2006. GM ended 2005 with 26.2 percent of the U.S. market, down from 27.5 percent in 2004."We plan to stay flat," in terms of market share, LaNeve said. "We're not naive enough to think we'll get to 30 again, but we're not willing to concede any share either."Asserting that GM is getting its financial house in order, he said:
The company started this year with 1 million units of inventory, compared with 1.25 million units in January 2005.
Low-profit sales to daily rental fleets are down substantially.
Dealer profits, while down from years past, held steady in 2005 compared with 2004.LaNeve says the company has growth potential in rural areas, where GM has less competition from other brands than in major metropolitan markets."The rural dealers are an asset," he said. "We should have much more market share in those areas."He said the company does not plan to add rural points, but said, "We are looking at ways to leverage them more."

SOLSTICE GXP PACKS 260 HP!

The Pontiac Solstice GXP is GM's first vehicle for North America with gasoline direct injection. The pistons and fuel injectors have a unique design. From Automotive News

Pontiac's plan to re-establish itself as General Motors' performance division will pick up speed in August when the 260-hp Solstice GXP arrives at dealerships.The Pontiac Solstice GXP packs a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with variable valve timing and direct injection. It will be introduced this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.With 260 hp coming from just 2.0 liters, the GXP's engine has a higher output per liter than any engine GM has ever made, says spokesman Tom Read. It's also the first GM engine for North America with gasoline direct injection.The GXP's fuel system moves the injectors off the intake manifold and onto the cylinder head. With gasoline direct injection, fuel is precisely aimed and controlled in the combustion chambers, resulting in a fuel and air mixture that creates more power."What we are trying to achieve with this engine is not only the high power but also good low-end torque and response," said Ed Groff, assistant chief engineer for the 2.0-liter Ecotec engine.Pontiac says the Solstice GXP will reach 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than its main rival, the Honda S2000, and a full 2 seconds quicker than the new Mazda MX-5 Miata.The GXP package includes dual exhaust and stability control. It will carry a price premium of $4,000 to $5,000. The base Solstice, which has a 177-hp 2.4-liter engine, starts at $19,995, including shipping.The rival S2000 starts at $34,600, including shipping. There is no comparable high-performance Mazda Miata model.

NEW GM HYBRID!

GM unveiled a concept hybrid Sunday named Sequel, which combines fuel cell propulsion with by-wire technology, replacing mechanical controls for steering, braking and other vehicle with electrical signals

AT THE DETROIT AUTO SHOW!

From edmunds.com

What Is It?
2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP

What's Special About It?
"Turbo boost" is a phrase that's been missing from the Pontiac vocabulary for at least a decade. Thankfully, that's about to change with the 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP, which will receive a huge jump in power courtesy of a turbocharged version of GM's 2.0-liter Ecotec engine. Power numbers aren't yet finalized but the estimates look promising. According to Pontiac, the GXP will make as much as 260 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque — a considerable increase from the 177 hp and 166 lb-ft the 2.4-liter Ecotec makes in the current roadster. The new engine bristles with technology not yet seen in combination in a North American GM product. It uses direct injection, dual-cam phasing and a twin-scroll turbocharger to make up to 130 hp per liter.Solstice GXP will be available with both a five-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmission. GM claims the GXP is capable of sub-5.5-second 0-to-60-mph sprints with either transmission. Visually, the GXP is only marginally different than the standard Solstice. Darkened foglight surrounds, an extra air inlet below the twin grilles, a small rear spoiler and dual exhaust distinguish the boosted car. Eighteen-inch wheels are fitted with 245/45 Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.Turbocharged Solstices are expected to sticker for $4,000 to $5,000 above the standard car's $20,490 base price and should be on sale this summer.

What's Edmunds' Take?
More power is exactly the infusion of personality the current Solstice needs to keep it interesting. The current car lacks the sharpness, build quality and driving experience of its primary competition, the Mazda MX-5. Another 83 horsepower will go a long way toward making everyone forget all that. — Josh Jacquot

PONTIAC G6 PERFORMANCE COUPE!

From edmunds.com

What Is It?
Pontiac G6 Performance Coupe

What's Special About It?
Pontiac claims that the G6 coupe is so good in stock form there's not much you can do to "raise the excitement level." We've driven it, and it's pretty good, but there isn't a car on the road that couldn't benefit from a few tweaks here and there. The Pontiac G6 Performance Coupe is an example of how extreme this car could look with nothing more than a few new body panels. Pontiac's designers replaced both the front and rear fascias and the side rocker panels. The front end exaggerates the twin port Pontiac grille without making it look like a mouth hanging open while the extended rocker panels square up the sides with the deeper front end. Pontiac's designers also added a tough-looking ram air hood and a whale tail spoiler out back. The hood blends perfectly with the new front end, but the big spoiler is a little much for a car with only 270 horsepower. That's the output of this coupe's 3.9-liter V6. It's the same engine that's in the G6 GTP with a few minor variations. It has higher-flow heads with Corvette Z06 valve springs, a hotter cam and a cat-back exhaust. Running through a six-speed manual transmission, it would make for a pretty quick car. The Wilwood brakes aren't stock and neither are the 19-inch Forgeline wheels, but we could see an owner going that route with this slick-looking coupe.

What's Edmunds' Take?
This Pontiac looks pretty tough and the fact that it's not too far from stock makes it that much cooler. We wouldn't mind seeing these parts offered as an upgrade to the standard GTP coupe. — Ed Hellwig

GM TO ANNOUNCE NEW PRICING STRATEGY AT DETROIT AUTO SHOW!

Brett Clanton and Bryce Hoffman / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. will use the Detroit auto show to launch a sweeping vehicle pricing strategy that will be its broadest effort yet to lower sticker prices on cars and trucks and wean customers off huge rebates.
The plan, which will be outlined Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show, is aimed at jump-starting GM's faltering U.S. sales at the beginning of a critical year.
While GM is closely guarding specifics, the automaker will launch new vehicles this year with comparatively low sticker prices and plans to reduce prices on some of its best-selling cars and trucks now on the market.
"We're going to be much more direct this year," Mark LaNeve, GM vice president of North American vehicle sales, service and marketing, told reporters Thursday at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.
"We'll say, 'Best product, here's why. Best price on an MSRP basis.' We think our product story has gotten lost in all the reporting of our financial results."

The new initiative signals the automaker is making a more serious push to implement a long-promised competitive pricing strategy -- known as Total Value Promise.
The first big test will be the upcoming launch of GM's redesigned Chevy Tahoe, which reaches showrooms Thursday, and other full-size SUVs, which are expected to carry lower price tags and lower incentives.
"With every new product we bring to market, we'd like to price it very aggressively," LaNeve said. "If we need to make some changes to the pricing levels on some of our existing models, we'll do that. Because we think that ultimately, customers want to see more compelling MSRP and a more simple proposition in the marketplace."
At the same time, LaNeve promised to "fight like hell" to protect GM's current share of the U.S. auto market.
GM spokesman Jeff Kuhlman confirmed that LaNeve will make a "significant" announcement Tuesday at the auto show and that dealers will be informed in a separate satellite broadcast.

NEW SOSLTICE GXP DEBUTS IN DETROIT WITH TURBO POWER!

Knight Ridder - Friday, January 06, 2006

Chicago Tribune

By Jim Mateja

The Pontiac Solstice roadster is cute and cuddly and boasts a design that proves General Motors stylists are finally awake.
But where's the beef?
Pontiac promised it would offer a high-performance GXP version of Solstice to silence complaints it could use more muscle.
Pontiac is keeping that promise at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. It's offering details on the 2007 Solstice GXP coming this fall.
GXP will be powered by a 2-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder boasting 260 horsepower, or a whopping 47 percent more than the 4-cylinder in the base version.
No word on price, but GXP gets more stuff: Standard equipment includes stability control, which is not offered on the regular Solstice; and anti-lock brakes, power windows/locks/mirrors and sports-tuned suspension, which are optional on the regular Solstice.
So expect to pay $3,000 to $5,000 more than the $20,490 that can put you in the base model.
Pontiac said it will hold Solstice production at 20,000 units annually, including the GXP. The mix will depend on the number of each ordered.

CITGO Racing joins SAMAX Motorsport!

January 3, 2006.Venezuela, Scotland and Northern Ireland will team with
American power for the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Milka Duno of Caracas,
Venezuela, will be reunited with two of her co-drivers in last year's Rolex
24, Scots Dario and Marino Franchitti. They will drive the No. 7 CITGO
Pontiac-powered Riley Mk XI with Kevin McGarrity of Belfast, Northern
Ireland. The race is scheduled for Jan. 28 and 29 on the 3.56-mile Daytona
International Speedway infield road course in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Duno, a triple Rolex Sports Car Series winner, is the first woman to win a
major North American sports-car race and the first woman to score points in
the highest Rolex Series class - the Daytona Prototype. Dario Franchitti,
now residing in Nashville, Tenn., has won 14 races in the IRL Indy Car
Series and CART Championship Series. His brother Marino, of Bathgate,
Scotland, has excelled in endurance racing, with results that include the
fastest Rolex 24 GT test speed in 2002 and a record P2 pole in the 2004 12
Hours of Sebring. McGarrity has raced at the top in both open-wheel and
sports cars. He set the fastest straight-line speed in the 24 Heures du Mans
in 2004.

"Daytona is magical - the environment, the people, the fun - and the Daytona
24-hour is an amazing race," Duno said. "I'm very happy to race again with
Dario and Marino because we raced last year and I learned so much from them.
We'll return with Kevin for a podium this year!"

Marino Franchitti believes the quartet could be even stronger this year.
"It's good to be back with the CITGO team," he said. "We were so competitive
last year; we were fast enough to win the race. It's something to build on
again for this year. I think it's going to be even more competitive - the
level just keeps going up - but we've certainly got the car and the drivers
to do it, so we'll try our best."

The Franchitti brothers partnered with Duno and Dan Wheldon of St.
Petersburg, Fla., in the 2005 Rolex 24 and were running fourth when contact
with a wayward Porsche ended the strong run after 18 hours.

"I'm really excited to be racing for CITGO again with Milka and my brother
Marino," Dario Franchitti commented. "It is an added bonus to have my good
friend Kevin McGarrity on the team this year. I think we will have a lot of
fun, but ultimately we are here to try and win some watches!"

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Daytona Cosmograph watches are presented to the Rolex
24 class winners.

McGarrity is no stranger to 24-hour races, but this will be his first
attempt at the Rolex 24. "I'm really happy to be on board," he said. "I
happen to be racing with two good friends, in Dario and Marino. I can't wait
to partner them and Milka. Dario and Marino said they got on well with her
last year, so I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to get going!"

The CITGO Riley will be prepared by Florida-based SAMAX Motorsport, under
the watchful eye of team owner Peter Baron. "I'm really happy to welcome
CITGO to SAMAX Motorsport and to have the opportunity to combine the talents
of the team with such an exciting driver lineup," he said. "I am confident
we have all the ingredients to build a successful program."

The team will be on track for the Rolex 24 At Daytona test, Jan. 5 to 7.

GM's and Ford's Future Looks Bright -- You Can Bet on It

By Warren BrownSunday, January 1, 2006; G02

I am naturally optimistic, and that has been my salvation. You've got to have faith in something better when growing up black in New Orleans.
But this column isn't about race; nor is it about the city of my birth, whose actual tragedy has nothing to do with last summer's destruction by Hurricane Katrina. That's another story. I will write it later.
This is about the human spirit, its ability to triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. It's why I believe General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., despite the enormous difficulties that confronted them in 2005 and the many challenges facing them in the future, will regain strength and prosper.
In that regard, I am different from many of my peers, some of whom, intentionally or not, give the impression that they are eager to write the obituaries of the nation's largest automobile manufacturers. They look for every negative number, every perceived hostile market shift, every executive reshuffling to make their case for the imminent demise of Ford and GM.
And to that drama they've added the proverbial horse race, the business of whether Toyota Motor Corp. will overtake GM as the world's largest producer of cars and trucks. There is a frenzied anticipation of capitulation. You can feel it.
Of course, anything can happen, which is the point I want to make here. GM and Ford can come back. I believe they will. Here's why:
Both companies are still very much alive. They still have many talented people. Those people want to win. They are working to win.
That sounds like paltry stuff against the drumbeat of praise for supposed Japanese manufacturing superiority, and the incessant outpouring of criticism from the media and Wall Street about all things Detroit. But I liken that criticism to the stuff I've heard all of my 58 years of life about what certain people can't do, how certain people are naturally inferior to others, how certain people are destined to fail.
If I and all of those other certain people had listened to that rubbish, if we had injected it into our psyches and souls, we all would have ceased to exist long ago. We chose, instead, to embrace the possibilities of the human spirit. We rose above our critics; and we continue to rise, despite difficulties, and America and the world are better for it.
It may seem the un-businesslike, un-journalist-like thing to do, but I always look for that spirit -- that willingness to keep fighting when everyone is counting you out as a sure loser -- whenever I look at a corporation.
I saw it in Hyundai Motor Co. in 1986, when everyone considered that South Korean car company the laughingstock of the global automotive industry. Hyundai is now a formidable world competitor in the car and truck business.
I saw it in a young black Washingtonian, Kimatni Rawlins, when he had the audacity, the temerity to launch a business several years ago on the premise that the hip-hop culture would have a major styling and marketing influence on the car business. Other journalists, black and white, laughed at him. But Rawlins was right. Car companies all over the world now pay close attention to his "Automotive Rhythms" online magazine.
I saw it in Shanghai in the enthusiasm of young university students who found a way to make a car run on hydrogen peroxide. Laugh if you will. But those same students believe that their country's future in the automobile industry will be found in the exploitation of alternative fuels and propulsion technologies; and they are working night and day to bring that future about.
And I see that same spirit in the people of GM and Ford. They know that their companies have made serious mistakes. They know that they are paying now, and will continue to pay for those errors for some time to come. But not many of them are rolling over and playing dead. Instead, they are coming out with new and better products, such as Ford's mid-size Fusion sedan, which is competitive with anything in its category.
Both Ford and GM will continue to make pickup trucks and SUVs. They'd be stupid to do otherwise, considering that all of their major competitors are doing the same thing. The passenger truck market will be smaller in the wake of rapidly fluctuating fuel prices. But it isn't going away as long as there is a need to pull and carry people and things over long distances. There's still money to be made in that segment. And both GM and Ford are set to make it with better-designed, more-fuel-efficient pickups and SUVs, such as the completely revised Chevrolet Tahoe.
Last year saw a marked increased in passenger car sales in the United States, and a concomitant whine from the media about how "truck-heavy" Ford and GM have been placed at a competitive disadvantage -- as if Toyota and Nissan weren't "truck-heavy."
It's baloney.
The completely revised Chevrolet Aveo is a small-car winner. Ditto the Ford Focus. And in overseas markets where small cars make sense to people paying substantially more for motor fuel than we pay in the United States, both GM and Ford, directly and through their various foreign subsidiaries, have bountiful, competitive small-car offerings.
Thus, taken altogether, that means I'm betting on GM and Ford to ultimately start having many happy and prosperous new years. That's not a Wall Street wager. Wall Street gambles with other people's money; but it doesn't give a hoot about people, which is why I don't give a hoot about Wall Street.
I believe in people, their talent and their spirit. GM and Ford have the people to make a difference.
© 2005 The Washington Post Company

THE DETROIT AUTO SHOW

The Buick Centienne gives hints of the upcoming Enclave.

From edmonds.com

It's almost January, so that means it's almost auto show time in Detroit. Beginning January 14, for nine days, the entire city basks in the limelight of everything that makes the automotive industry so great: technology, design, showmanship and glamour.

Dozens of new models and concepts will debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). As always, our goal is to let you know what's coming, and give you insight as to what it all means.

Formal press conferences commence January 8. Save the date because that's when we'll go live from the show floor. Until then, here's a head start on what to expect in Motown:

General Motors There's no holiday break for the folks at GM — they have much too much going on with the Los Angeles and Detroit auto shows around the corner. Their all-new sport-utes based on the GMT-900 platform will show up at the Los Angeles show in the form of a Chevrolet Suburban and a GMC Yukon XL. Joining the Suburban in L.A. will be the high-performance Pontiac Solstice GXP. While these models are important, GM saved the really big bling for their homies.

• Buick EnclaveThe all-new Buick Enclave is the first of several full-size crossovers to be based on GM's new Lambda platform. The eight-passenger will utilize 3.9-liter V6 and 5.3-liter V8 engines (with the V8 featuring Displacement on Demand) and a six-speed automatic transmission. Front-drive and all-wheel-drive versions will be offered. A dual-mode hybrid is expected in 2009.

Expect the Enclave to be larger than the current Chevrolet TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Buick Rainier. Styling cues were foreshadowed by the 2003 Buick Centieme concept (pictured). Curiously, our non-GM industry sources assert that the first Lambda-based vehicle to go on sale will be the Saturn Outlook. The GMC Acadia will be next, and the Buick will hit showrooms last, replacing both the Rendezvous and the Rainier.