Apparently General Motors likes to play cock-tease with this 'Generation Y' the automotive industry is so desperately trying to connect with. First the rumor on LEFTLANE NEWS that Pontiac may be making the shift to rear-wheel drive for its entire lineup after the enormously positive response to the Solstice, then just days later a nameless Pontiac spokesman downplays the rumor. God forbid Gen Y pay less than $30,000_USD for a decent rear-drive car. Oh, wait, I'm talking about Bavarian Motor Works...

    Where did the rear wheel drive go? The Nixon energy crisis is over (Nixon upsets the Arabs, UAE pinches oil supply, *!BAM!*, Civic Nation - Represent for the next forty years), Ford 460 gas mileage is thankfully a thing of the past, all that's left is the hand wringing Soccer Moms afraid of it - Im so tired of everyone falling back on this inclement weather argument when the question is asked: "Where did all the good cars go"? Ive had a 91 Civic hatchback in light and heavy rain and Ive had a Datsun S110 in the same conditions plus the occasional heavy snow and Ive lost control with both cars.

    People, if you lose traction in a FWD car - you are fucked! There is nothing the front wheels can do to save you from going nose-first into a ditch; at least with the Datsun I was able to intuitively throttle-steer out of a few tight spots. Sure there is the possibility of over-shooting the mark:

    Wave to the back end kids, here it comes!

    But for the 285 days a year when road conditions are *fine*, I want a balanced, well handling drivers car without wondering how much weight was added to the Pontiac Grand Prix to counter torque steer so that it might Run with the BMWs (Car and Driver?). The Pontiac Grand Am looked downright *raw*, but knowing that underneath lies another sleepy front-wheel-drive automatic-transmission family sedan makes it hard to give up my Datsun S110 (which doesnt run) or my newfound love a 1989 Nissan 240SX, in exchange to track one down.

    General Motors needs the street credibility of rear-wheel drive. If one of its divisions stood up and made a commitment to rear-wheel drive, and the oneness-between-horse-and-rider driving experience in general, at all performance levels and price points, I believe that particular brand has not only a shot at establishing itself from the pack, but becoming a serious competitor on American soil, where everyone seems content building and selling poorly re-bodied Honda Civics.

    Rear-wheel drive isnt inherently enough; it has to have the handling to match (hello bulky lumbering faux-retro Mustang and Nice-Try Caddy CTS). The Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline are price, performance, and lateral acceleration competitive to a Honda S2000, and thats not a bad start. However, instead of competing with Japan (read: Toyota) and making uninteresting Japanese cars, General Motors should be aiming higher: Germany. Already Saturn has become the incubation for Opel autos in America; is competing with Mercedes and cutting a path to BMW-territory a bad strategy? On your best day, the Cobalt SS becomes a cheaper alternative to a C230 Kompressor and a hats-in-the-air success. On your worst day, you make a poor handling 325i (*ahem* CTS *ahem*), which shouldnt happen given the amazing results of the Sky Redline share that knowledge with the rest of General Motors brands and use that suspension technique as a base and work road comfort into it.

    Start sporty and work docile into it, in that there may be a hint of sporty in everything, rather than traces of boring compromise in everything sporty.

    Nay-sayers be warned If youre afraid of rear-wheel drive, then stand up and say youre afraid of rear-wheel drive, but dont keep the rest of us trapped in Camryland on your account just because you run inside and cover up your prized automatic transmission Accord V6 every time it rains.