I think "quarterly earnings per share" is the bane of long term planning for large American manufacturing companies. Government backed Japanese manufacturers lost 100s of billion$ as a part of a patient 20 year plan to penetrate markets worldwide.

GM always seemed to be "patching" or "updating", instead of designing and retooling.

If GM management could say they could have the best, and best selling, cars in the world in five years.... but to do that they would have to lose money for 5 years. The stockholders would crap, and the board would fire everybody.

there'* no long term good business sense in mounting a flawed intake for 10 years, on top of one of the best engines ever made.

Coming from a person who works at a GM dealer part time - I completely agree.

I've never been in one so I can't really comment, but the Yaris was indescribably cheap.

You guys all have some valid points, and seem to recognise the trouble GM is in. GM needs to look at the direction Chrysler went in amalgamating with Mercedes, and stow the pride that it costing them market share and billions of dollars.