Video: It's nice to know that America still builds rockets

Advertising like this is great and better than anything that govt money could buy.

I loved Corvettes when I was younger, but that line about priorities made me think about what Carles V said when he found that his new Spanish subjects, in order to welcome him, had destroyed much of the interior of the mosque in Cordoba to build a Gothic church: "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world."

Yes, yes, fast car = rocket, I get it. But this ad (which interleaves endless clips of Saturn V) also implies that this is the last American rocket, and that is patently false: we have other super-fast testosterone-soaked muscle cars and all manner of orbital and sub-orbital launch vehicles. The Corvette at any speed is a gnat and a homebody compared to any space vehicle.

Nostalgia sells, but this ad unfortunately yanks on political heartstrings to sell cars, and frankly, I wouldn't encourage that by buying this car. BZZT. Fail.

Apollo 12 crew of course had matching Corvettes.
Astronaut Bill McArthur is a big Vette fan.

NASA Connection at the Corvette Museum

http://www.corvetteblog.com/archives/corvette-museum-nasa-connection-at-the-corvette-museum.html

I have a 1969 Camaro, what a great car. Still hasn't been equaled in my opinion. Might not be as fast as the '11 Vette, but she's got style in spades and she always gets the job done! Simplicity and a focused design will win every time....

Sorry folks, but the Saturn V rocket was the last rocket that took us to anyplace really inspiring and meaningful.

Going up to the ISS is nice, but we did that already with Skylab.

(sorry, but the Shuttle does not inspire in the same way, it is more like a classic Porche or 67 Mustang.)

Now if they did the commercial with a Direct SDLV that was placing a nice Orion into a translunar flight path... now that would be more like it.

Yeah, after all, Elon is South African. But he also builds cool cars. How many pounds can a Corvette put in LEO?

We had muscle cars in the 60s too. Muscle cars are great, but it doesn't replace the Saturn V. I want to hear the words "You are go for TLI". Or TMI would work too.

YeP

The X37B is still in space,no issue.

Bring it on GM

Fiat X1/9 AutoSlalom - Alfredo Giamboi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCg5QW4m8Nk

Your still nothing but wheel spin and ill handling want to be

Sorry to say guys but that apparently is not us anymore. America used to grab problems by the throat. Now we can't even pony up what is essentially rounding error in the federal budget to keep a real space exploration progran going. Heck, its been 10 years and we still have 2 holes in the ground where The Towers used to be. The America I grew up in would never have tolerated that. We are now relying that Musk, et al. can cobble together a Kmart version of a space program that will alter both the laws of physics and economics with a dynamic new business strategy to give us $10 worth of value for $1 worth of outlay. While I'm sure Mr. Musk will do well, I'm not sure the nation will be well served.

@ not -
Chalklines are for wussies.
Speaking as a former x1/9 owner - that was the last decent FIAT.

This country will be well served by a balanced space initiative that combines commercial capabilities such as crew and cargo to ISS with a robust federal space program that develops advanced technologies and plans for manned and robotic deep space exploration. One is not a substitute for the other. A healthy NASA is not inconsistent with a vibrant commercial industry.

Well, if the rocket could just win a few races, I might have more respect for it.
I kinda like this Fiat also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR_kz8l9CjE

if you noticed the X1/9 course was uphill,,,

we have to loose the pushrod V8, and yes I have quite a few of them in trucks

Amen Les; well said!

@ not -
Well, true, they didn't do that well this year, but 6 recent LeMans class wins (GT1, IIRC) I think is a decent record.

Haha: Les mentioned SpaceX and Kmart in the same breath.

What struck me when the Iridium deal was mentioned was that the most important terms of any deal with a former bankrupt is not the expected amount, but the credit terms.

K-mart taught me that.

Well, all we can do is hope!

This is weak!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpx8-cF8PvM
I do have found memories of Detroit Diesel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19eQBQep-sc