I'm with you on the 'vette. And the Caddy... Well here's the thing. I've been living in Los Angeles for eight years. Apocryphally, BMW sells more cars in SoCal than they do in Bavaria. It's one of those statistics you hear a lot but can't source... yet it sure feels true. And they're all driven by assholes. This is true of all German cars in SoCal. Audi, VW, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes... if there's an asshole in front of you, his car came from Deutschland. If the Boxster were a Toyota I'd love one, but it's got that stink of entitled Westsider. Meanwhile, the mooks from the 909 love their gigantic Mustangs and Camaros, and the mooks from OC love their Astons and Maseratis because it proves they have all the talent and class of the Redneckistanis but shit tons more money. But Cadillac? Lincoln? You either operate a towncar company or are certifiably deviant. Extend to most American brands. buy a BMW 1-series you're frugal. Buy a Chevy Cobalt you're an Armenian weirdo. I see more Masaratis than I see new 'vettes. I see more Lamborghinis than I see new 'vettes. And I see more Bentleys than I see Cadillacs. The 'vette and the Cadillac CTS are the most "american-made" cars available. And tha Darth Vader-lookin' angular monstrosity is starting to grow on me. When you say "I want a 2-door AWD coupe with a back seat that isn't German" your choices are severely limited... and when one of the best values turns out to be an old man car, you almost get there for the irony alone.
I'm glad she's okay. Got cut off by a BMW again this Tuesday, before I even hit the freeway. Had to slam into the breaks hard to not hit the fucker. Interestingly enough, here in Europe the Audi drivers have taken over the role of most dickish driving behaviour from the BMW drivers. Do they sell Volvos there? Great quality, generally reliable and safe. Better than Saab because Saab drivers are managers who think they're cooler than they actually are.if there's an asshole in front of you, his car came from Deutschland.
IMO, Volvos have been Fords for quite a while. Saabs have been GMs since 1994 (which is why I drive a '93).