2005 Buick Rendezvous Cx, All Wheel Drive, Third Row Seating, 2 Owner on 2040-cars

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GM laying off more than 4,000 workers Monday morning

According to reports from Automotive News, The Detroit News, and CNN, General Motors plans to begin laying off more than 4,000 salaried workers starting Monday morning. In a statement to AN, a spokesperson for the automaker said, "We are not confirming timing. Our employees are our priority. We will communicate with them first." We've been expecting layoffs at General Motors since November, 2018. At the time, the Detroit-based automaker announced it would seek to shed 8,100 salaried employees, shut down five assembly plants in North America, and kill off several slow-selling models. One month earlier, GM offered buyout packages to 18,000 workers and said it would seek to cut its global workforce by 25 percent. A spokesperson said at the time the moves were "proactive steps to get ahead of the curve by accelerating our efforts to address overall business performance." The cost-cutting moves are expected to save GM up to $2.5 billion in 2019 and as much as $6 billion by 2020. David Kudla, CEO and chief investment strategist of Mainstay Capital Management, referred to the impending culling as "Black Monday" and told The Detroit News that the layoffs would begin around 7:30 a.m. and continue in waves throughout the coming days and weeks. GM plans to deliver on its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 earnings report on Wednesday. President Donald Trump plans to deliver the annual State of the Union address a day earlier on Tuesday. We expect to hear plenty more from both sides over the next several days.

2018 Buick Enclave launches luxury Avenir trim

Remember the shapely Buick Avenir Concept from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show? Well, this isn't that, even if they both share the same name. Meet the Buick Enclave Avenir, a new trim built atop Buick's redesigned 2018 Enclave seven-passenger crossover. Think of it as Buick's version of GMC's Denali trim and you'll be on the right track. As the brand's new top trim level, everything that's normally optional in the Enclave comes standard in the Avenir, along with a bunch of exclusive content. And this is just the first application of the Avenir package for Buick – expect the rest of the TriShield brand's products to get a similar makeover in due time. All Avenir models from Buick will get what the brand is calling a three-dimensional mesh grille with a new set of chrome wings. From there, the Enclave edition bundles unique pearl nickel 20-inch wheels, a Rear Camera Mirror like the one seen from Cadillac, and a new kind of LED headlamps that use something called Evonik Acrylite lighting technology. An in-car air ionizer promises to keep the cabin smelling fresh. The rest of the Enclave package sounds pretty good, too. It's got a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine with 302 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional. A tow rating of 5,000 pounds is standard fare for this class, as are seven seats inside. A frameless eight-inch LCD screen and integrated 4G wireless connectivity are other family-friendly highlights. We expect more Avenir-branded models to make their appearance in the Buick showroom soon. In the meantime, check out the Enclave Avenir in the image gallery above, and stay tuned for more from New York. Related Video:

Buick Blackhawk concept headed to auction block again

While the collector car auction market is often criticized for inflating the price of vintage models out of the realm of affordability for many buyers, these sales do give us an opportunity to look back on some of the beautiful, rare designs of the past. Just take a glance at this Buick Blackhawk concept with a shape right out of the '40s or '50s. Despite the heritage styling, it was pieced together from older pieces for Buick to celebrate itself in the early 2000s With styling inspiration from the classic Buick Y-Job concept car, the Blackhawk mixes actual vintage components to create its curvaceous shape. However, the power retractable top is thoroughly modern being made from carbon fiber and stows in the deck lid when the roof needs to go down. After so much work on the outside, the Buick has something equally surprising under the hood. It's a 1970 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8 GS Stage III V8 with a claimed 463 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, and for easy cruising the mill is linked to a four-speed automatic. Built in-house by Buick, the Blackhawk was once part of the General Motors Heritage Fleet, but the automaker sold it off in 2009 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ, along with many other members of the collection. The concept went for $522,500 after the buyer's premium, according to the auctioneers. Now, it's crossing the block again with no reserve as part of RM Auctions sale of the Andrews Collection on May 2, 2015, in Fort Worth, TX. The 75-car auction also includes highlights like one of seven 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Cabriolet models bodied by Pininfarina. Featured Gallery Buick Blackhawk Concept News Source: RM Auctions, Barrett-Jackson AuctionsImage Credit: Darin Schnabel Courtesy of RM Auctions Design/Style Buick Auctions Convertible Concept Cars