Motormouth Online

It represents the first new vehicle rollout in the post bankruptcy General Motors era.
The 2010 Buick LaCrosse is vital to Kansas City as it is assembled at the General Motors Fairfax plant located in Kansas City Kansas. Success of this vehicle could add additional well paying jobs to this region’s battered economy. Already birthplace to the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura, the Buick LaCrosse provides an additional product line for this plant.

A product of global design collaboration, this new Buick will be available in both front wheel drive as well as rear wheel drive, with a selection of three engines and three trim levels. The entry price for this level of luxury begins at $27,835, with pricing escalating near the $40,000 level for all of the advanced technologies.

As one can see, the design is world class with much of the chassis, powertrain and suspension developed in Europe, the interior developed by Chinese, and much of the exterior design produced in North America.

Arriving from around the United States and Canada, journalist were invited to experience the new 2010 Buick Lacrosse. The event held at a former Catholic Seminary may have been appropriate as the employees and stockholders of General Motors are literarily praying for redemption. The big guns were out in force as global mid-size car vehicle line executive Jim Federico and Tom Stephens, GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Development were there to promote and answer questions of a skeptical press. Bob Lutz made his appearance earlier in the week as there is little room for mistake in the rollout of this product.

Arriving Tuesday, we met in the courtyard for an early breakfast. Maybe the church like setting was appropriate as God provided perfect weather at a peaceful setting just miles from the epicenter of the automotive crisis.


Before the drive, I took a stroll through the Chapel at St. Johns. St. John’s Provincial Seminary dedicated this remarkable chapel over a half century ago. The facility continues serve the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit as a comprehensive center for corporate and social conferences with the chapel hosting Catholic weddings and celebrations.

Located next to the train tracks in Ann Arbor, MI the Gandy Dancer provided an excellent lunch in the beautifully restored 1886 Michigan Central Depot. Right at home next to this historical landmark, the elegant design of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse provided additional art for the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair.

Back at the Inn of St. Johns, we were free to write and contemplate in the many gardens.

Art abounds in Michigan and the Inn at St. Johns provided a virtual museum for paintings. Of course for auto enthusiasts, we view cars as rolling art. The historical significance of automobile art continues from the days of Harley Earl to modern designs of the Chevrolet Camaro and this new Buick LaCrosse.

So with one last look at the 2010 Buick Lacrosse, I’d say the future for General Motors may remain cloudy but the present is as good as ever.

Labels: Buick, GM, LaCrosse, Preview

posted by Motormouth  # 10:32 AM 0 Comments Links to this post