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General Motors – known in the past for solid steel and big block cars; currently known for putting out plastic crap. Not even the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette differentiates itself from this plastic extravaganza. Open a door and feel the plastic door panels creak. Take a seat inside, feel the not-so-solid backings of the seats on a $60,000 car wiggle back and forth. Let’s turn on the radio, hopefully the knob won’t fall off. And if you feel like opening the trunk, be sure not to press too hard, you might crack the plastic body panels.

We got a chance to see and feel the 2010 Corvette at the 2009 San Francisco Auto Show. The first thing we noticed was a peeling racing stripe decal (see picture below) on a car valued at $60K; you might expect racing stripes to actually be painted on a car of this caliber. After adoring the cool looking body, we took a seat inside only to find that the seats wiggle back and forth about ten inches; no big deal, I suppose they’re not clicked in. So we get out of the car, play with the seat controls, and they still wiggle like crazy. I asked a company representative about this issue: he checked the seats on the Corvette and told me they shouldn’t be doing that. He proceeded to another corvette, only to find the seats doing the same thing. And later, when we were looking at the SV 9 Competizione (which is built on the Corvette platform), we noticed the exact same problem. Enough about the seats – the whole interior creaks and the quality of it feels like it belongs in a ten year old, worn and used sedan. Well, to fish out some positives, it puts out amazing horsepower (436 HP for the Grand Sport and 638 HP for the ZR1) and excellent gas mileage (16 MPG city / 26 MPG highway for the Grand Sport and 14 MPG city / 20 MPG highway for the ZR1) for a price you can’t beat ($54,770 for the Grand Sport and $106,880 for the ZR1) – just don’t expect the 2010 Corvette to feel as sturdy and solid as, say, a Porsche or Ferrari.

EDIT: Well this is interesting: looks like GM just raised the MSRP on the 2010 Corvette ZR1 from $106,880 to $108,180 according to their website.

Photos taken December 2009 at the San Francisco International Auto Show.

Chevy Corvette Convertible

Chevy Corvette Grand Sport Coupe

• MSRP of $54,770 (the one pictured is $60,550)
• LS3 6.2 Liter engine making 436 HP
• Dry Sump Oil System
• 6-Speed manual transmission
• Active Handling
• Traction Control System
• 4 Wheel independent suspension
• Power speed-sensitive variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering
• Limited Slip Differential

Chevy Corvette ZR1

• MSRP of $106,880 (the one pictured is $121,000)
• LS9 6.2 Liter Supercharged V8 making 638 HP
• Dry Sump Oil System
• 6-Speed manual transmission
• Active Handling
• Traction Control System
• 4 wheel independent suspension
• Power Speed-Sensitive Variable Ratio Rack-and-Pinion Steering
• Limited Slip Differential

The SV 9 Competizione is built on the Chevrolet Corvette platform. It looks like a Corvette and feels like a Corvette. It also shares some of the Corvette’s problems, including wobbling seats. The engine bay has also been modified, using quite a bit of carbon fiber. These photos were taken December 2009 at the San Francisco International Auto Show.

One automotive manufacturer which definitely stood out amid the 2009 San Francisco Auto Show, sort of like a roaring tiger at the top of Mt. Everest, was Toyota. It seems like they’ve got everything right – a well priced hybrid, a solid off road machine, solid work trucks, safe and reliable family transportation, and a good future. The FJ Cruiser seems solid, simple, easy to work on, and full of great features for 4×4 off road use. The 2010 Prius seems like a promising and solid car, and according to company reps, the 2011 Prius will use Lithium batteries and will be plugged in overnight. Toyota’s lineup of minivans, sedans, and SUV’s seems very promising and reliable as well. If you’re thinking about a new car, Toyota is one brand to definitely consider. The following photos were taken December 2009 at the San Francisco International Auto Show.

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota FJ Cruiser

The 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser starts at an MSRP of $25,270 and is powered by a 4-liter V6 DOHC 24-valve Dual VVT, 258 horsepower, 270 lb-ft of torque engine. Included is a 5-speed automatic transmission, part-time 4WD, Variable Gear Power Steering, Cyclone Air Pre-Cleaner, and 17 inch black steel wheels with P265/70 R17 tires. The FJ gets an EPA estimated fuel economy of 17 MPG city and 21 MPG highway.

Toyota Prius

The 2010 Toyota Prius starts with a $25,800 MSRP and is powered by Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive System, which includes a 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT 4-cylinder engine. 4-wheel disc brakes and front independent suspension is also included. EPA estimated fuel economy is 51 MPG city and 48 MPG highway.

Toyota Prius Hybrid Plug-In

Toyota Tacoma

The 2010 Toyota Tacoma starts with an MSRP of $26,750 for the Double Cab 4×4 4-liter V6 5-speed automatic transmission version. It’s powered by a 4-liter V6 DOHC 24-valve VVT engine producing 236 horsepower. The 5-speed automatic transmission is part of the 4WDemand system, which is Part-Time 4×4 with a 2-speed electronically controlled transfer case. It also has an Automatic Limited Slip Differential, coil over shock double A-Arm front suspension, multi-leaf rear suspension with staggered outboard mounted shocks, and power assisted front disc and rear drum brakes. EPA estimated fuel economy is 16 MPG city and 20 MPG highway.

Toyota Yaris

These are cars that are worthy enough of a post, but didn’t fit in anywhere else, or didn’t have enough photos to include in a separate post. Taken December 2009 at the San Francisco International Auto Show.

Taken December 2009 at the San Francisco International Auto Show.

VW GTI

The 2010 VW GTI starts at $23,290 MSRP and features a 2-liter turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder direct injection engine, producing 200 horsepower and 207 lbs-ft of torque. The GTI includes independent front and rear suspension, Electronic Stabilization Program, Anti-Slip Regulation, Cross Differential System, Electronic Differential Lock, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Anti-lock Braking System, and rides on 225/45/R17 all season tires with 17 inch alloy wheels. EPA estimated fuel economy is 24 MPG city and 32 MPG highway.

VW Jetta TDI

The 2010 VW Jetta TDI starts with an MSRP of $22,660 and features a 2-liter, 140 horsepower, 236 lbs-ft of torque, in-line 4-cylinder TDI engine. The Jetta TDI is front wheel drive, has independent front and rear suspension, ABS, Anti-Slip Regulation, Electronic Stabilization Program, Electronic Differential Lock, and rides on 205/55/R16 all season tires with 16 inch alloy wheels. EPA estimated fuel economy is 30 MPG city and 42 MPG highway.

VW Touareg TDI

The 2010 VW Touareg TDI starts at an MSRP of $43,960 and comes with a 3-liter, 221 horsepower, 406 lbs-ft of torque, inline V6 TDI Clean Diesel engine. The Touareg has 4XMOTION Permanent 4WD with low range gear, a center differential lock, and 255/60/R17 all season tires with 17 inch alloy wheels.

VW Old Beetle / Bug

And a little something extra.