European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday november 19, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 13 ample Power Good Fidel spacious Interior Buick s new regal wins High Marks editor s note today we take a look Al the Ken Buick Icsal the first of the front who a drive pm 10 series cars thai _ on nil motors is co Niina in la improve its fortunes on the u5. Market. Up Amo editor Jan a. Zverina hied Ink Road test report from is Trilby Jan  Detroit up the Only thing nol new Aboul the 1988 Buick Kceal 15 Ili name As it becomes the first of general motors new midsize tars la i the Market. The regal is the first tangible evidence of pm s massive s5 billion program to put an All new intermediate size car on the Road. Succeeds a regal that was last re done for 1978 and which received Only one major styling change that coming in 1981. To Oiher pm nameplates the Olds in Jobill Cutlass supreme and Pontiac grand prix also arc part of he Mio scrips project but Wilt debut after the first of the year. To help dispel the notion that pm builds look alike cars none of the new ears shares any Sheet Metal and each has radically different dashboards. All have distinctive snoopy new skins featuring flush Side Glass Ana headlamps and door handles mounted in the roof pillars. To promote Quality each Model will be built Al a separate pm Assembly Plant. This also cuts the car maker s manufacturing and delivery costs. The new cars incorporate uni body construction Are powered by transversely mounted v-4 engines and have front wheel drive. A four Speed automatic trans Axle four wheel disc brakes and Independent suspension All around arc Standard a revolutionary step far a bread and Buller car it uni pm thai s the Point right there. These cars represent pm s largest new car program Ever. Pm plans to build about a million of them per year and aim them straight at Middle America. They could Well be the automaker s Sal vation in restoring its share of the . Car the 1988 Duick renal limited has a clean uncluttered appearance. Market a Market eroded by a very Success All no. 2 Ford and a Host of foreign car makers. So far Only the regal is far enough along to be evaluated in production trim meaning the lest car is representative of those bring shipped to showrooms. A regal limited was evaluated base priced at $12,782 plus a $430 destination charge. A Host of popular options swelled its Slicker Price to Sis,717. The regular regal Model which has a less Plush Interi or starts at $12,449. Some of the extras on the test car included air conditioning $775driver s Power seat $240power windows $210am pm cassette stereo with Power Antenna and upgraded speakers $440cruise control $175rear window defogger $145 and till steering wheel 1125. Initial impressions the regal has one of the Slickest body styles Ever la be wrap Ped around a High volume car from de troit. It has a clean uncluttered look from front to rear and its roof line gives the impression it has a detachable Hardtop like some More expensive cars. Its rakish wind shield and doors that wrap into the roof give it a 33 percent improvement in drag coefficient Over the 1987 version. The Interior is spacious and Comfort Able although its six passenger rating is a bit ambitious. The dashboard is cleanly styled but void of All bul the most Basic information. Only a Large digital Speed readout is evident. Warning lights remain dark until trouble arises. The optional Digi Tal instrument Cluster is More Complete. The radio and ventilation controls have been condensed into Little 4-Inch-Squarc panels but Are easy to operate. Like most cars the adjustable steering wheel blocks one s View of the instrument panel when in the lowest position. The regal s so called automatic scat Bells found in Many pm cars for 1988. Must be the automaker s joke of the year. If anybody bothers to attach Ihm like they should be. They Al Best require a fair amount of acrobatics to Man Euver. Al worst they Are a Hazard and should just be used like conventional shoulder harnesses. The regal s 125-horsepower 2,8-Litcr v 6 engine gives ample Power while returning 20 to 29 Miles to the gallon. Bui More than a few passengers commented that the engine s drone is distracting. The Independent rear suspension gives the regal a Good ride but its front suspension unexpectedly thumps Over rough pavement. Its Highway ride is smooth As silk by a fair amount of wind noise Ujj heard at Speed owner Access to under Hood items and fluid checks is excellent except for the rear Ward Bank of spark plugs. The single serpentine fan Belt is Sci adjusting and plastic panels cover Many component to give the  a neat appearance. The Buick regal s size is slotted Between the Ctm Ury which is a Sedan Only and the Lesa re while it will most probably be a big seller the regal May steal sales from the Century and Lesa re As Well As from the luxury Buick Riviera which is about the same size As the regal but costs about $5,000 More. Buyers May do Well o Wail for the ods and Pontiac versions to compare All i rec new pm cars. Fat Tut an i on do m Buck n go. I Stew it by pfc. Itc., prompt Tivi Tju tit my con let Qunti i Moton Lii  i it cafes not min potato  to in e discriminatory to military company says petition planned to Challenge Epa s car ruling the environmental Protection Agency s final ruling to end its waiver on non emf Outing foreign Auto mobiles has drawn fire from a car conversion company in Frankfurt that is launching a petition to Challenge the action. The Epa announced in Sale september that it would abolish the importation waiver on vehicles five Model years old and older effective june 30. 1988, saying the policy is no longer needed and poses a potential threat to air Quality and has created a number of serious enforce Awni  an article on the Epa action appeared on the car Curie for Page recently so details will not be repeated making plans to put their petition into full swing arc Mike Cox and David Rodriguez directors of . Auto compliance of Frankfurt. We believe this new ruling is discriminatory where military personnel arc concerned and that it will cause great dissatisfaction and hardship to Mili tary and Doo personnel stationed overseas con and Rodriguez said in an interview. Rather than taking a Back scat and allowing this to happen with out a fight we feel it no Leuary to stand up and Lei the lawmakers Back Home know what we think. So we arc organizing a lobby on behalf of Dod personnel stationed abroad by supplying the acc Isary information and a Means for Mem to speak up. La an Effort to Challenge the Epa and to keep the waiver in effect where the military is concerned. We Wani to work together with military personnel through a focal Point Roget this accomplished on the petition to Challenge the Epa s final Rule. Cox and Rodriguez urge those interested to write to . Auto compliance Ann project compliance Mainzer lands Iassc 719, 6230 Frankfurt so or Call 069-3808232. Name rank and address plus slate of residence so that congressmen May be contacted should be Given. The company also plans seminars and forums on the Progress of its project and to pro vide general information on car conversions. . Auto compliance is determined to push its tight but will probably find it hard going As even the department of defense did not choose to Challenge the Epa s recent policy change. In the Federal Register of sept. 25, where the Epa detailed its action in a 30-Page report regarding rules and  the Epa said the Epa believes that the reasons for the need for eliminating the five Model year policy Are equally applicable Here regarding the military. No special treatment appears to be warranted simply because of military stat us. While some individual military personnel sub mined comments objecting to inc abolition of policy the department of defense did not advocate a continuation of the exemption or the inclusion of a Grandfather clause in their comments to the Rule  Cox and Rodriguez charge that proper consideration was hardly Given 10 . Personnel who live and work in Europe and they Point out that the Epa is continuing its waiver for foreign military personnel and people with diplomatic status. They also contend that it is unfair to those military people who already have purchased a car for conversion purposes and now have no Way to extend the con torsion period because of the absence Ofa Grandfather clause. The Epa in is final ruling said in the Federal Register that Marty of the individuals Rem meriting during hearings were military and overseas civilian personnel who together with the . Small business administration argued that even if the live Model year policy were eliminated the military should be treated differently. Some proposed that the five Model year policy be continued others proposed it be extended to them by Means of a Grandfather clause that would extend the policy to military personnel who had already purchased non conforming vehicles anticipating using the policy at inc end of their Lour of  the Epa then cited arguments that had been Given during hearings in support for special treatment of inc military but stated its position As follows the Epa believes that the  for the need for eliminating the five Model year policy arc equally applicable Here to the military. No special treat ment appear to be warranted simply because of Mili tary stains the  a then stressed the Point Hal the depart ment of defense had not advocated a  the exemption or the inclusion of n Grandfather clause and added the abolition of the policy will not go into effect until july i 19sk. Thus permitting military personnel to ship their vehicle Hack to the . Before abolition of inc policy takes  Randy Barnett