And Furthermore …
By Jack Keebler
GM Director–Advanced Concepts Group
First, I’m very grateful for all of the perspectives offered on front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive. GM has been traditionally (and perhaps rightly) accused of ignoring customer input. Too often without that perspective, we’ve offered buyers well-reasoned — but perfectly passionless products.
Second, as I suspected, the widely divergent thoughts posted indicate that there’s a healthy market for various driveline layouts. Given the company’s eight North American divisions, some identified with specific driveline types, there would appear to be a need for great-driving front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive cars and trucks.
Specifically though, I promise to work on the creation of a line of small, agile, rear-wheel-drive cars. And quite frankly, I can’t imagine a front-drive version of Camaro.
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Haha, this is great news! Not to ask for too much, but I know some people enjoyed the fiero’s mid engine rear wheel drive.
Well at least you cant imagine a fwd camaro. I really am glad that the design studio’s are putting out awesome stuff… now lets get some drivetrain to set GM ahead of the game in styling and performance.
I thik that GM listening to this blog is great news for GM as well… looking for conusmer input is invalaubale. Lets see more vehicles with more excitement.
I can’t wait to hear more about this new line of small, agile, RWD cars.
And I hope small and agile and NOT overweight, apply to the new Camaro as well.
PS
It’s GREAT to hear people like you and Bob Lutz and everyone else from GM,using the word “Camaro” in public again!
Charlie
Different driveline approaches could help differentiate the GM divisions with distinctive products.
But please don’t new GM products out too soon? And give customers driveline options (like V8 power for the Solstice, AWD for the MAXX, etc).
Finally, how about a “tuner ready” version of their favorite GM brand?
Thanks for the opportunity to respond. While it is exciting to see the slumbering giant waking up. Why has it taken soo many years and wasted billions? Lost customers I.E. the Oldsmobile fiasco. Gm has been far too arrogent for far too long. Gm has had the mentality we are going to build what we want and your going to buy it!! You are in the position you are now in because of this type of thinking. Ron Zarella was no friend of the car business.
I believe you finally may have arrived at a moment of clarity!!! We are all pulling for you to do the right thing with new exciting product. Your survival is dependant on your next generation of products what ever they may be. DON’T waste this moment of clarity. Do the hard work INSPIRE your people to excellance. Seize the moment. Forget your past arrogence!! Set the bench mark high and expect nothing but the best. I wish you the best! Ron
Seems like the Nomad concept is dead in the water and it was my all time favorite car. Someone mentioned a Camaro Nomad. Seems like a great idea! Would extend sales into an otherwise un-tapped direction. Thing is, I REALLY like the idea of a two door “sports” wagon. And since they discontinued the Volvo P1800, what has there been??
I vote for direct injection, turbocharging and RWD. Wait a minute, that describes a Solstice GXP! Hey GM, more of the same!
How about a small rear wheel drive sedan, compact or sub-compact, for Pontiac.
Chrysler captured the market with their large rwd vehicles, maybe GM could beat the rest with small RWD vehicles.
Just imagine Pontiac having a Mazda3 type vehicle, except that it is RWD – SWEET!!!!
I also want to see more rear drive vehicles from GM. Especially a smaller Cadillac sedan and coupe that will be a real competitor to the 3-series across the world.
Also, a smaller Camaro, more true to the original. What I can’t imagine is a Camaro that is the size and weight of the current GTO. The Camaro has always been a compact coupe while the GTO has been midsize. The Camaro needs to be sized close to what the 3-series and G35 coupe are sized, that is about 180″ long, with a long wheelbase and short overhangs. The Camaro concept vehicle, while good looking and true to the best Camaro generation, is 186.5″ long and 79.6″ wide. Its size doesn’t correspond to what it stood for in the past. I fear that the Camaro will end up with a vehicle that is 3800 lbs and not true to the original. Maybe I’m asking for too much, but other companies seem to be able to pull off smaller, lighter cars. I would also like to see a high revving 302 cu.in. LS-series engine to be in the top of the line Camaro Z28. But that will never happen. I’m probably better off just buying and restoring a 1968 Camaro then hope for the future Camaro to be everything I’d want it to be.
“I promise to work on the creation of a line of small, agile, rear-wheel-drive cars”
I’ll be waiting! Something fun, lightweight, and agile with RWD is exactly what i’m looking for. I wouldn’t mind a return of a mid-engine car, like the pontiac Fierro or old MR2. But i’m not sure how much of a market is for that. I’m a big enthusiast for the Lotus Elise, Lancer Evolution, Miata, and older Toyota MR2s.
I can’t readily think of a GMC car that is light/nible and rwd. I just don’t know if I could buy a rwd car over 3,600lbs. I even think my AWD Talon is a pig at ~3,400lbs. But hell, I continue to think about ripping out all the carpet and ‘useless junk’ out of my miata, it’s only at ~2400lbs….
Good luck GM. I do love the new Camaro concept… but I think it will be too porky for my taste.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I love to cheer for the “home team,” but I’ve long been turned away from GM, because frankly, none of your products have appealed to me in any way.
I really love the way you guys are turning things around. An affordable, small, agile, and LIGHT rear drive car is precisely what I am (and countless others like me are) looking for! Your brands have been conspicuously devoid of any sort of affordable enthusiast vehicles for too long. The Corvette is wonderful, but I don’t have that kind of money to spend.
These are exciting times, indeed. Bravo.
I’m please to hear about Camaro,we need one.Please don’t make the same mistake we made on the last Camaro.The secret to winning the Pony Car race is affordability.
When I was looking for a car, I was focused on small to midsize AWD sedans. While I like both the CTS and the 9-3 designs, neither of them had AWD so I was forced to look elsewhere. Premium brands like Cadillac and Saab need to have AWD to appeal to buyers in snowy areas that do not want SUVs or crossovers and need a premium AWD vehicle.
How about reviving the Nomad concept? That was one of the most interesting GM vehicles I’d seen in a long, long, LONG time.
Next time you guys decide to make a vehicle, build it with the competition in mind. (Not what they are doing today, but what they will do 3 years from now). That is how you become best in class.
Example: Equinox vs Rav 4 (Spring 2006).
Equinox: 210 torque, 185 hp, 19/25 gas mileage.
Rav4: 246 torque, 269 hp, 20/28 gas mileage.
Problem is GM builds a car to compete with the current model which is out of date within 6 months. How can the Equinox compete against the Rav 4? Equinox has less torque, less hp (84 hp), yet gets WORSE gas mileage. Plus the residual value is lower, etc…
Build something that will compete with what Toyota will offer 3 years from now – that is how you beat them. This is why we’re losing to Toyota. You must over compensate for the perception problem by significantly beating the competition (right now we don’t even come close to the competition and can only compete with gimmics like rebates and employee prices, etc…).
Solstice Coupe GXP – room for gear, drive for fun.
GM really dropped the ball when they gave up on the Fiero! Sales kept going up while sales of the various other lines were going down.
Too bad the other cars were being pushed when they were not what people wanted. The foreign car market saw it & stepped right in.
I will always look at domestic cars first!
This is a rebuttal to an article in a finance magazine.
I think that your perception is way off, not GM’s models.
The Chevy division is for everyone, and is less costly. Pontiac makes exciting cars and (for the most part) is the brand that GM tries its prototypical sports cars on. Buick appeals to those who want older style luxury, with the new amenities, new ride, and at a bargain price. Cadillac is unparalled in innovative design and stature. So there you have it.
By the way, Sloan started the LaSalle division in 1927 and had it killed off in the late 30’s.
A RWD pontiac sport sedan to compete with something like an acura TSX would be a great addition to the lineup, as would a camaro for chevy!!!
GM has to redesign is main line of cars in the Pontiac, Buick and Chevrolet Divisions. The Impala, Grand Prix, Allure and Monte Carlo are outdated and not up to the standard expected in todays marketplace. They all remind me of the Lumina. I think that the following models should be put on rear wheel drive:
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Impala
Pontiac GTO
Pontiac Grand Prix
Buick Allure
Dump the Monte Carlo – that nameplate has no credability in the market place anyway. Those NASCAR racecars dont have anything in common with production cars. Give all these cars really good interiors and exterior designs which befit those names. Also, please offer various trim and engine levels for each model (EXCEPT FOR THE GTO & CAMARO SS which have to have the most powerful engines available) The Camaro design is excellent. Please make sure the next generation GTO is as good. Hint: look to the 64/65 models for guidance. Let the next generation Mailbu and Epica compete with the Toyota Camry. Differentiate the above mentioned models from the Camry / Accord so that people have a reason to buy them. I am in Canada: I hope you will sell these cars here as well as in the USA. Please forward this e-mail to Mr Lutz.
GM has to redesign is main line of cars in the Pontiac, Buick and Chevrolet Divisions. The Impala, Grand Prix, Allure and Monte Carlo are outdated and not up to the standard expected in todays marketplace. They all remind me of the Lumina. I think that the following models should be put on rear wheel drive:
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Impala
Pontiac GTO
Pontiac Grand Prix
Buick Allure
Dump the Monte Carlo – that nameplate has no credability in the market place anyway. Those NASCAR racecars dont have anything in common with production cars. Give all these cars really good interiors and exterior designs which befit those names. Also, please offer various trim and engine levels for each model (EXCEPT FOR THE GTO & CAMARO SS which have to have the most powerful engines available) The Camaro design is excellent. Please make sure the next generation GTO is as good. Hint: look to the 64/65 models for guidance. Let the next generation Mailbu and Epica compete with the Toyota Camry. Differentiate the above mentioned models from the Camry / Accord so that people have a reason to buy them. I am in Canada: I hope you will sell these cars here as well as in the USA. Please forward this e-mail to Mr Lutz.
I also echo the comments above about bringing back what I’ll call a “Fiero like” car. More high tech of course, with more power than was offered back then – just to make it more of a contender against the rest of the world (unlike it’s previous life!). But a big thing – and this applies to ALL the lines & models – quit forcing packages! If someone wants power windows, and leather seats… why force a package of 65 other options on them? Let them go down the list, check what they do and don’t want. Done!
Thanks for listening.
Holy Cow! GM really seems to be getting it! If Keebler isn’t kidding, GM could be well on the way towards turning the tables on the competition and resuming its rightful place in the automotive pantheon!
How so? Well, even though Toyota’s gaining market share and selling a lot of vehicles at the moment, they’re mostly for people who need basic transportation, the automotive appliance market. When the two Toyota vehicles getting the most coverage from the automotive enthusiast press and the tuner market are the last generation Toyota Supra which has been out of production for the U.S. market for several years and the ‘85-’87 Corolla GTS, which has been out of production for decades, you know that company’s facing some trouble on the horizon, despite its current success. In fact, Toyota doesn’t have any RWD cars on the horizon, just a continuing succession of well-made but uninspired front wheel drive cars.
Well, GM’s got a response for that. A whole division in fact. It’s called Buick. While the driving dynamics of the average Buick aren’t exactly sporty, the cars are extremely well made, extraordinarily comfortable, the warranties are pretty lengthy, and the styling is definitely far more attractive than the average Camry.
Honda? Hondas are tremendously fun to drive well-made little cars, that’s why I own one. However, responding to Honda’s challenge isn’t exactly rocket science. For instance, the new Solstice GXP should be a big shot across the bow of the Honda S2000. $32k for a generic looking 240hp roadster, or $26k for a beautifully styled turbo-charged 260hp roadster? Yeah, the Solstice for $26k is looking good. Follow that up with a line of “small, agile, rear-wheel-drive cars”, and Honda is toast, as people will overlook rental car interiors if they’re inside agile rear-drivers, especially if they’re priced competitively, and have lots of turbo and upgrade options from GM Performance Parts. (If you go ahead and allow people to add GM Performance Parts without voiding the warranty, you’ll have a home run!)
Do that, and offer a Twin-turbo Northstar so Cadillac fans and pushrod haters can have a high-powered and high-tech engine to compete with the Germans, and GM will be on the way to an amazing return!
(If you do that AND work with Ford to lobby for universal national health coverage to show that what’s good for GM really is good for America, and you’ll be unstoppable!)
You’ve got my resume, I’d love to come be part of this comeback!
Definately, the Camaro must be rear wheel drive – wouldn’t be a Camaro if it wasn’t. Is there a timeframe we can look for on a decision of when the Camaro will be put into production? I think from the reviews from the auto show and the comments and feedback GM is receiving, a decision should be coming soon…Good luck -we’re all waiting. Thanks.
Make an affordable mid-engine v8 with plastic body panels and people will say “they really do build excitement!”
What a relief! I’m glad to hear you guys aren’t thinking about a fwd Camaro. A small Mazda RX8 type vehicle would be interesting from GM. Hmmm? Perhaps as a Saturn model?
Mid Engine!!
Mr. Keebler: First a repeat of a previous response to Mr. Lutz – Let me congratulate you on an impressive launch of the Solstice, it will stimulate an interest in Pontiac products that has been missing since the late ’70s Trans Am. But Pontiac must expand the Solstice lineup quickly to take advantage of the buzz the convertible will generate.
The real answer is a 5 passenger Sedan (Pontiac G4) the size of a BMW 3-series; hopefully this model is already in the pipeline.
GM has never offered a model like this on the U.S. market. This will be the most critical model that Pontiac would introduce; it would define Pontiac as a legitimate player in the high performance sedan market and lay the foundation for other mass market offerings.
New comments:
It should offer the ability to carry (4) four 5′10″ adults with their (4) golf bags and weekend luggage in comfort for a 5 hour trip (L.A. to Vegas comes to mind) and offer a fold-down front passenger seat with split folding rear seat for snowboards to the slopes or surfboards to the beach.
Power choices start with the 2.8L I-4, optional 3.6L V-6 and 4.2L I-6, with the 5.3L V-8 filling out the choices. Backing up these engines would be variations of Corvette transaxles; both are proven design 6 speeds that would help the sedan achieve the desired 50-50 weight distribution. Using the Corvette rear transaxle and suspension will guarantee a high performance sedan and offset development costs.
It would be offered in Coupe and Sedan versions starting in the low $20K range with top performance models priced competitively with the BMW 3-series.
Both RWD and AWD versions would be offered by SAAB and Cadillac. An Estate (wagon) would be offered by SAAB replacing the 9-2X. The new SAAB Sonnet would be a retractable hard-top convertible. SAAB models would offer 2.4L Turbo (Solstice GXP) and 2.8L Turbo V-6 engines with turbo diesels for Europe.
Cadillac versions would have the 3.6L standard with optional 4.6 Northstar and 4.4 Turbo in the V-series, and be offered in Coupe, Sedan and Hard-top convertible models.
In the mid-size market, there is the new Camaro which should start with a 3.5L 220 HP V6 and 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic for low cost entry LS model. The RS would have 4.2L I-6 and 5.3L V-8 options, the Z/28 would offer the 6.0L of the concept. Of course the SS would need a 6.5L 396 to be a true 396 SS model (a 3.83″ crank in the new 4.06 bore Escalade block) and as another blog commenter suggested a true COPO 427 model.
A new Firebird (make it like the ‘77 based concept on the internet) with a base 4.2L SE model with a 5.3L Formula and 6.5L Trans Am model (the 396 is close enough to the original 400). AWD versions would be offered in both Z-28 and Trans Am models.
5-series competitor: Based on the new Camaro a 5-passenger 4 Door sedan (Pontiac G8) would start on a 114″ W.B. and offer exceptional interior comfort for (4) adults and offer fold-down front passenger seat with split folding rear seat. Saturn and SAAB 9000 models would be offered in 4-door sedan and estate (wagon) models.
Engines start with the 4.2L I-6 optional 5.3L V-8 with 6.5L 396 and limited edition 7.0L topping the list. Again the Corvette transaxles would be used. AWD versions would be offered.
The 6-Series competitor would start with the Buick Velite Hardtop Convertible and include the new GTO and Monte Carlo with the same engine and drive-train lineup.
Offered on a limited basis would be new incarnations of the classic 69 or 70 Chevelle, 70 Buick GSX and 69 Pontiac Grand Prix all with 5.3L V-8 base engines and optional 7.4L 454 “Tall Block” version of the LS-7 (4.125″ Bore and 4.25″ Stroke crank). Both the “Stage IV” Buick and “Super-Duty” Pontiac would have unique cam and intake packages. This engine in 383 (3.78 Bore), 409 (3.9 Bore), 427 7.0L (4.0 Bore) or 440 7.2L (4.06 Bore) could be used as the base gas engine for HD pickups.
Top of the line models based on a 120″ WB would be offered in Caprice and Electra models. The Caprice would be an aggressively styled 6-passenger 4 door with 3.9L base and optional 5.3 and 409 SS versions. Buick Electra models would start with 3800 with variable 3-valve timing and 240 HP with optional 5.3L V8 and would be a conservatively styled 6-passenger sedan with a large amount of rear seat space.
That covers the small rear drive coupe and sedan, mid and large rear drive coupe and sedans along with specialty and AWD models. Thanks for asking our opinion and please get the G4 and G8 models out as fast as possible, both the Solstice and Camaro need follow up models. More on FWD models in another comment.
bring back the MR fiero!!!
I for one would love it if you had another true Mid engine, rear wheel drive two seater similar to the Fiero. Despite bad publicity this car was awsome, and many believe that it was only ended when it became a threat to the Corvette’s claim to be the fastest. Time to make the Corvette guys sweat a little, and make our pulses rise alittle as well.
Small, agile, RWD cars? I vote for the Fiero. If you would build another Fiero, Mid-engine RWD with a 3800Supercharged, 5.3L V8 (LS4?), or Turbo Ecotec with a 6-speed and I’d be first in line. And I’d probably trade in my 2000 Camaro Z28 on it. I’m a big fan of GM cars, but killing the F-Bodys and the Fiero were a couple of huge mistakes in my opinion. The Fiero was killed the year before the Miata came out, because you guys thought there would be no market for small RWD coupes. Boy how that was wrong. You killed the Camaro and Firebird in 2002, look at how the Mustang sold after that. I just hope that the Camaro isn’t too late in the current Muscle car war, and I hope that it’ll weigh 3400 lbs or less (my ‘00 Z28 weighs in at 3400 and its a bit heavy). The Camaro should probably have like a LS4 in the base model if its possible (303 hp) or a high-output V6, a LS2 in the Z28, and something like a LS6 or LS7 in the SS. Also, let me say this again, PLEASE re-make the Fiero! The ‘90 prototype is STILL fresh even today, and many people think my ‘88 Fiero GT is a new car and love it! The generation who remembered the engine fires and other bad press are almost out, and a new generation is lining up to buy cool-looking unique sports cars, like the Fiero, Solstice, Camaro, and Sky!
It would be useful to start a similar discussion on the engine designs. GM has very advanced engines like Ecotech and some old fashion pushrods. How should GM leverage its technology in designing next generation engines.
Good job on your survey and your bold statement. Just remember to stay light. Do not let your cars get porky, my 9 3 is light and crisp.
Focus on weight, agility, clean lines, short overhangs, manual transmissions, light engines, high power to weight ratios, lots of gears, you know the drill. Keep it clean and basic. Can you design a small car that could be ordered rear wheel drive or all wheel drive as an option of $1200.00, with a 2 MPG penalty? That would be a good option.
Look at the guys in the BMW’s and design a car you see them buying. The Corvette is nice but they would never buy one. Take the enthusiast market back, the guy that works for GMAC Mortgage, Microsoft, etc. Have the smart and effective people designing and engineering your trucks work on the cars. Get the car recipe as good as your trucks an you will succeed. I love my Duramax crew cab.
I will keep buying your vehicles, if you keep executing and keep your union workers from robbing the store, and kicking the company when it is down.
Good Luck !
Thanks for allowing us to provide input. I’m another Fiero fan, and I was a bit disappointed that the new Pontiac sports car was not mid-engine. A couple of years ago, Lutz made a statement, seemingly directly to the Fiero crowd, to “watch what was coming.” Although the Solstice is sweet, it’s not what many of us wanted. Of course I recognize that the Fiero name is dead, but a V6 (or -dare I say it- V8?!) mid-engine by any name would be killer! And nobody else is doing it (other than Fiero owners. By the hundreds.)
Also, please loose the “V” shape in the bottom line of the new Camaro’s grill. As a fan of the straight lines of the 1st gen, it really puts me off. (At least Chevy lost the chrome bar in their other grills. GOOD move!)
One last comment: PLEASE fix your arrogant/inept dealership network. They’re a huge part of GM’s problem. Listen to your present/former customers about their issues.
Thanks! Steve H.
I agree about the Camaro not becoming the heavyweight that it was back in the last generation. While it was good looking, it was also a bit heavy, and the front was a big complaint among people I knew that thought of buying one. Being in the norteast, that nose always scraped driveways, parking blocks etc… most couldn’t see the nose to judge for parking and such, so alot just opted for the blue oval car because it was a smaller package.
I’m glad to hear that GM is listenting to the public more and like someone else said building what they want, and saying , take it or leave it.
GM needs more brand identity among its branches to give buyers a choice within GM. I’m all for platform sharing as long as the price isn’t a rebadged version of car “a” to become car “b”.
Bring the excitement back to driving and keep the quality going up, and you’d be surpirsed how many will give you a second look.
Keep it up, you’re on the right track.
I have to say this is the best news I’ve heard in years from GM (sorry Camaro fans). A lightweight, affordable, agile car is what could REALLY get GM going in the right direction again.
Make sure you offer manual transmissions, too. The G6 is too heavy (3400+), and has no manual at the lower end of the price range. Malibu and Maxx have no manual available. If there were a RWD or AWD car in this size, I would have bought it instead of a Saab 9-2X, which is mostly Subaru engineered, but it IS AWD, agile, and just over 3000 lbs.
If you build it, they will come.
when it comes to drivetrain I tolerate fwd only to get the compact light weight gas saver that will get me too and front work. However it is not a platform I will ever be willing to spend any money on to get something brand new. For that it requires AWD or RWD as I fully enjoy the added traction of both of these platforms.
For styling, it amazes me that GM hasn’t brought over many of the Opel models perhaps badged as saturns to help revive the saturn brand.
Dee said: “GM really dropped the ball when they gave up on the Fiero! Sales kept going up while sales of the various other lines were going down.”
I’m not sure where you’re getting your numbers from there Dee. The actual figures for the Fiero are:
1984 – 136,840
1985 – 76,371
1986 – 83,974
1987 – 46,581
1988 – 26,401
As you can see, the only year that the production numbers went up were between 1985 & ‘86 (when the GT was introduced). It was downhill from there and 26,000 vehicles just wasn’t enough to maintain production the vehicle.
Greg
It would appear to me that your R&D department spends its time drawing silly faces on Chevy trucks and rebadging them for different divisions. I believe the same can be said of your other platform cars. Where’s the REAL research and developement dollars going…your art & color department? GM makes too many of the same cars. If you want that retro thing so bad, have a look at how you were structured in the 50’s and 60’s and pull your hide out of the fire!
Perilous Driving Conditions
Wow. The American automobile industry seems to be undergoing a phase-change before our eyes. I’ve been closely watching Bob Lutz’s comments on the GM Fastlane blog for over a year. Lutz has made it clear that the only way for
I don’t think Lutz has the guts to create a new Fiero that would do it justice. Ps, V8 Fiero owners are in the thousands (4.x, 305, 350, LT1, LS1, Northstar)…
I’d love to be a fly on the wall inside GM. Although I haven’t driven a GM product for 25 years, I’ve never felt other manufacturers were smarter than GM – just more efficient.
I imagine there are many original and quality designs conceived on computer screens inside GM. But, after passing through all the layers of management, accountants and approval, what comes out at the end is the mediocrity that put GM where it is today. The key is a more direct line from design to finished vehicle. If GM can learn to build the cars it designs, I doubt anyone can do it better.
A lot of good comments here.
Fiero, RWD sedans, Nomad, more options instead of expensive packages, less weight… these are truly car people.
I can’t add much more other than allow these cars to be affordable. A V8 Camaro should be able to be purchased without power everything, leather seats and a $6000 pricetag above the V6. Someone, myself perhaps, may just want a barebones performance machine.
Passive entry, remote start, rear passenger side air curtains and steering wheel mounted stereo controls should all be seperate options.
Even on just a plain sedan (ie: a Buick), I’d pass up on fancy bobbles and light-up aluminum trimmed LED bits if it means I can at least afford a V8 powering the rear wheels.
Rick Lupori,
I really like your RWD G4 idea. But I’d want the turbodiesels available here.
I’d probably buy one with a turbodiesel.
Thanks for the opportunity to respond. It looks to me like we could take the current 2wd canyon and colorado chassis lower it and put a sexy car body on it and tune it like a performace car. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel all the time. Its compact and has great mpg. You could supercharge either the 2.8 or 3.5 liter engine. I don’t know if the 4.2 liter six will fit? I think you could do this very quickly and very inexpensively. How about it? Lets work smarter and harder!!!
GM is on the right track! I understand you fiero owners want to see your model back, and by the grace of god it’s here! It’s called the Solstice! I know it is not mid-engined, but it is a great handling car that is small and is affordable! I guarantee if you get in it you will forget to complain! The only suggestion for GM is to get usable trunk space for it, and make a coupe or the wagon style…quickly! The mid-engine design of the fiero will cost too much to create for GM to make a reasonable business case for it, anyway.
The camaro is a great model, and GM has a chance to make serious money on other cars with the same platform, with the G8, etc.
Saab needs to compete with BMW, Pontiac needs more competitive RWD cars like the Solstice. Chevy needs to create more cars with the passion it had creating the best trucks and SUV’s on the market. This time, the reviewers really had to scrape to find anything bad about them.
I believe Hummer can compete with Jeep and Land-Rover, and keep getting vehicles like the H3 coming. Cadillac needs to keep moving upscale to compete with Mercedes, while Buick can defeat Acura and Lexus with models like the Enclave and Lucerne. Just infuse some RWD into them as well with models like the Velite concept!
Saturn is going to be knocking on the doors of Honda and Nissan in sales in that division alone if it keeps making models like the Aura and Sky! Keep it coming, but don’t make it too upscale. I would personally like to see Saturn take the place of many of Pontiac’s models, and let Pontiac be a true sports-car division.
Lastly, don’t completely do away with FWD. FWD has a huge place in the marketplace, and many foreigner nameplates have few to no RWD cars, but at the same time, RWD can really distinguish GM. Good Luck on your mission.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I am glad to see that GM may be heading back to its RWD roots. I personally will never buy a $25000 piece of FWD plastic, and neither will a good portion of the GM fanbase
I think, with the driveline advancements over the last 20 years or so would allow you to use a rwd/awd setup in your mid to upper sized sedans. While I do enjoy my ‘99 Ultra, there is nothing like getting behind the wheel of my ‘65 Wildcat. Now, if the Wildcat only handled as good as a modern car and could be driven up a slight incline in the snow….get the hint?
Jack,
If you are looking for sales…
GO here…
We miss the days when Camaros, Firebirds and Mustangs filled up high school parking lots until the insurance companies discovered that teens can’t drive.
Adding up the impossible cost of insurance and the gentrification of the Mustand and presumably the Camaro those days are over.
But this is the key…the market is still there and it’s a big market for a car that acts like a sports car to the buyer but not to the insurance company.
The one example would be the Ford Probe. It exploded out of the box when it was introduced and they were everywhere. Not a sports car, yes front drive but very sporty, but to the insurance company it was just a coupe.
Here is where you are missing the market. The closest thing to this segment now that the Probe was cancelled to make room for the Mustand is the Sunfire,(dead) Prelude,(dead) Scion tc,(succeeding) and the Cobolt coupe.
But here is the problem, the image of the Cobolt is still connected to the 4 door family sedan as was the Sunfire.
You need a sporty practical coupe that acts like a sports car but stays under the insurance radar. Hay the college, high school and young singles market didn’t die out it is growing.
Yeah, they can’t afford a Camaro or Mustang, affraid the Solstice will not be practical but…
That huge market is there waiting for you.
Tap into it with unique coupes that are not twins of their four door sibling and run after Scion and those 400,000 Sunfire customers GM threw away.
As far as RWD is concerned.I to cant imagine a Camaro with FWD.The cars.Camaro,Mustang,Challenger are symbolic of an age that has been captured in movies and magazines for decades.Does that mean FWD cant be successfull.I think you hit the nail on the head when you say if its packaged right.I remember a car back in the eighties that sparked alot of talk.The Buick Grand National won over alot of people maybe because it could back up its good looks with plenty of bight.V6`s werent thought of as masculine until it lined up with many V8 powered cars and blew there doors off.When I think of GMs plight wright now.I cant help but look at Apple Computer.For a while there Apple was floundering.Until Steve Jobs came back and WOW!!!They sold what over 30 Million Ipods!!!!Leadership is critical!!The Camaro Concept is a winner it has that (I GOTTA HAVE IT) appeal to people just as the Ipod does.Also though quality is critical GM should focus on this like a LASER BEAM!!!They should give every GM employee,dealer,a button QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS JOB SECURITY!!!!
Keep running with stuff like the soltsice, sky and camaro (and another Fiero, something to fill the lightweight void between the solstice and vette). These are original cars that will inspire pride in ownership. Transfer this identity to the sedans, it can be done! I can safely say i would not feel proud owning ANY of gm’s front wheel drive sedan offerings. The combinations of the 3.8 and those interchanable platforms are stail and have been so for ten years. Get some Opel and Holden product over here. Give every brand it’s own identity, once again the interchangable platforms are the downfall here. Give saturn a hybrid, that would really postion them to compete with honda and toyota. Also borrow those opel guys and let them design your interiors, the bottom of the line opel corsa rental car i drove last year felt tighter and had better quality materials than anything offered by gm in north america.
Ohh… I’d like to see some time soon a delta sized (IS350 beater/3series) type of rear wheel drive car… something really sporty with pontiac…
give something with excitement…
GM’s Keebler Drops Hint of Small RWD Cars to Come
Come on, Keebler, you’ve got a chance to use the Blogosphere to generate some of the good buzz GM really, really needs these days.
Jack, its nice to see you all finally responding to us and having dialog. I had lost faith in Bob for a while after he ignored the requests for a Camaro for at least a year it seems, but he finally came around and showed that he wanted to talk about it, but just had to keep it on the downlow for awhile.
Anyway, I think a new version of the Fiero would be good if you could pull it off; its definately worth checking out, and it would most certainly make a perfect Saab in my opinion if you pulled it off right.
Anyway, I’d really like to thank you for sharing GM’s design philosphy and for involving all of the fans (including me) in your decision making process. It really means a lot to know that the executives and administration are listening to the people who buy your cars.
Anyway, Thanks again and keep up the good work! I can’t wait to see what you’ll have in store for us!
Speaking of brands, why not kill a few more divisions? I would disband everything except Chevrolet and Cadillac and follow the model of the Japanese with a full line division and a luxury division. Chevrolet would manufacture a full line of excellent vehicles, from entry level to near luxury, while Cadillac would be a true luxury brand. With the massive resources of GM focused on just two divisions, remaining quality issues could be put to rest and the divisions strengthened. Just don’t make Volkswagon’s mistake and try to go too upscale with the Chevrolet brand (I’m talking about the Phaeton here).
You could sell a ton of Camaros, IF the size was reasonable (max 6′ wide, 15′ long), and so was the price.
The Camaro concept, while terrific, looks too huge and will not appeal to younger drivers, imho, especially if it’s more than $20K reasonably equipped.
Thanks for the chance to respond. My perspective on the Camaro concept is probably a little different from the people you’ve already heard from. I have sold new Chevrolet’s in various dealerships since the 70’s. In the good old days there wasn’t such a thing as front wheel drive cars and believe it or not people still got around all year long, even in rain and snow storms. There is definitely a need for FWD cars. There is also a need for fun to drive RWD performance cars. GM needs to build this Camaro and get it into production ASAP. Ford has beaten us already with the Mustang and the Challenger will be in showrooms withing 18-20 months. Build the Camaro fully equipped,LS2,ABS,power windows,locks seats etc with only a few other options that aren’t already standard. Kind of like on the ‘05 GTO. Make mine in Hugger Orange.
Let’s see a nice mid-engine awd hi-performance hybrid!
I’ve got no issue with a RWD rebirth for the Camaro and the next gen GTO (I had both back originals in high school). I also like the promise of the Sky (hope it does well)
However, I think GM’s really missed some opportunities in the FWD sports compact arena.
I bought an ‘03 Ion Quad Coupe and in many ways I love my car. But, through a combination very poor marketing strategies and some quirky vehicle dynamics that just miss the mark, GM missed the opportunity to create a neat niche vehicle with Tuner appeal.
A refined vehicle similar to the Ion QC would be my vote for a next gen FWD Tuner. The Cobalt SS is OK but the convential unremarkable styling misses the mark.
Good Gas Mileage, good looks, moderate pricing and a fun driving experience are not mutually exclusive features. Subaru has the WRX, Scion has the Tc. Mitsubushi has the Lancer. GM should work to prove that they can do as well.
I know this is a bit of a rant but I just don’t understand why GM allows others to succeed with design elements that they pioneer. That GM allows the trade press to get away with promoting these features on the competiton is even more puzzling.
For examples; according to the trade press, Quad Doors are an design anomoly on a Saturn coupe but a great innovation on a Mazda RX8. Center console dashes are a bizarre on an Ion but perfectly acceptable on a Prius or a Mini Cooper.
Both are features you should pursue on future FWD coupe designs. Functional and Unique. With the right marketing, big sellers. With the right Marketing the ION QC would have been a big seller. Instead the car was seen only in the presence of TV Clowns and evil movie villains.
(e.g. why place a QC as a car destroyed by the bad guy in “Spiderman II”; Instead Peter Parker should have been seen driving a Red Line!)
Scion (Toyota) came to market with their Sc which has similar styling to the Ion QC but Scion’s marketing and quality hit the mark the first time.
Now GM has pulled the plug on the Ion while Scion continues to grow the Tc.
I think it’s about time we move away from the V-8s, they almost automatically make a car to heavy just by themselves. I am stuck in Japan, and have fully enjoyed the turbo inline 6. Its lighter, smaller, and when done right can get near as much HP as a V-8, with better gas mileage, and cheaper production costs. All I want is car under 3400lbs that is functional with RWD, a ~300 HP engine, and doesn’t look like it was created by an artist; and if anyone in GM is listening, could you build it in 3 years, so that when I do have to give up my Skyline, I don’t get clinically depressed when I drive.
I also have to say a great job to opening the lines of communication. I agree fully with the last post. He said it much better than I could. As a person in Rochester, NY I have no idea what i would do without my FWD Pontiac Grandprix. All wheel drive is a bit over kill for most situations. A solid line up with FWD and RWD cars would please the majority of people in the car market.
I ask you though while putting all this time and effort into better more exciting drive-trains, also focus on quality. I know my family with six GM’s in the drive way have always stood by your products. A great show of faith in your product would increased warrantees. I think it gives such a good message that it would be worth the added cost.
Jack
You are doing all the right things, it pleases me to read your response.
GM must do 2 things:
1. come up with great product direction
2. execute the concept without losing the original intent
Sounds great. So we may see a Chevy Stingray? Hopefully the Stingray and Buick Velite is just the start of what you guys are developing.
Buick desperately needs a “make-over”. A Velite offered with a Buick badge would blow open consumers perceptions about Buick. “A Buick performance car? Nah.”
I think you could do a modern awd gmc typhoon crossover on the cayon chassis. Supercharge what ever engine you use. If i remember right the tyhoon was the quickest productin gm vehicle the few years it was built. You could easily create some inexpensive excitement at gmc and not let the car guys have all the fun!!! Make it fun, fast and stylelish and watch em sell!!!
Yes to a mix of RWD,FWD, and AWD. Obviously, the wholesale conversion of the big 3 to FWD back in the 80’s was a near-fatal error. Here’s a thumbnail of what seems obvious to me in a few concise bits of advice.
Speed counts when going from show to showroom.
Flexible platforms(architecture) are essential.
Look to Holden for d**n near everything.
Listen to the folks that buy the cars, we are more than happy to tell you what we want.
Be bold and creative if you want to survive.
Did I say look to Holden?
I am a Fiero guy, and I believe the mid-engine design is the place to go for a small, high output, sports car. The Fiero has proven to be a very flexible design for modification and engine swaps. With today’s technology, a new mid-engine should be able to blow the doors in on cars like the Solstice or Vette. (Not that they are at all bad) A boosted mid-engined Ecotec for instance,at 2700 lbs curb weight would be awesome
“Someone mentioned a Camaro Nomad. Seems like a great idea!”
In the name of all that is good and holy and right in this world, NO!
A Camaro station wagon.
You oughta be flogged for even THINKING of such a thing.
Nothing you do will matter because it will be business as usual. You could start fixing things by firing all the accountants that don’t know a spark plug from a bathtub plug and replace them with car people. This right here would both fix the penny pinching where it doesn’t need to be, and would end the force feeding of option packages. Last time I tried ordering a truck, I wanted a GMC with nothing in it. Fully stripped, no radio, carpet or anything. All I wanted was a 5.3L, 5 speed manual, and air conditioning. I could get the truck, but only as an automatic, and it would have been 21 grand. Or, I could take a loaded model on the lot for 19 grand. How wrong is this? I wanted a stripper both to save money on the cost and to get as light a vehicle as I could. I wanted a manual so that I could eventually add a 6 speed manual behind that 5.3L, and I wanted the biggest engine I could get in a halfton. I also wanted to add my own stereo system, and redo the interior the way I wanted it. Can’t do it at GM anymore though.
Speaking of options, stop building them so the vehicle makes all the decisions. The vehicle has no way of knowing that I may have a reason to have the headlights off at night, but there’s no way to easily shut them off without playing with small buttons unrelated to the headlights. Why does the AC come on with the defroster? Do you not consider that, while the AC is highly effective at dehumidifying the air in the winter, that some people like running the defrost when the AC is not needed? Why not do as the Japanese, and have the AC compressor ONLY come on when the button is pushed? Why must max cool automatically go to recirc? What is wrong with using the recirc button? Why does the computer control the foglights? Am I not smart enough to know when I want the fog lights on? These are some things that I had to go modify on the GM vehicles I’ve owned since the 90s, to ELIMINATE these unhelpful features. STOP IT!!!
Sorry, I’ll stop ranting now. In short, make it easier for customers to order only the options they want, stop forcing option packages (you saw how well that worked with Oldsmobile) and stop trying to screw the customer out of their warranty. Do these three things, and a lot of former customers like myself will return.
i have a fiero and i love it more then any car i have ever driven….. why not bring back an affordable mid-engine….. a 2010 fiero anyone? i know all of PFF would buy one
Love the new Camero, can’t wait to drive it.
Although I never wish for job cuts, I hope GM looks at Ford’s plan. They cut jobs to create a more efficient entity.
They want to create cars for the people, not for the factories. Before they were designing cars so that they would put the factories to 100% use. Now they will be able to make “smaller” production runs. This means more innovation hitting the dealer showrooms.
From GM, I would like to see smaller, more powerful cars. The Solstice was a step in the right direction, but d**n if it’s not ugly! Whomever designed the exterior needs to be shot. And wasn’t it a mid-engined concept before they put the engine up front?????
I guess I could have posted closer to the aim of the blog. Yes, small RWD cars with healthy power to weight ratios would be great. Watch both the quality and the cost if you want a winner.
I stated before that I had a 1989 Camaro RS with the 305, with a chip it was able to net 30MPG highway with TBI injection. Fast forward to today, make a fun 2 or 4 seater, put an aluminm 4.8 in it, and tune it properly, and you will have a fast, fun to drive car that could potentially net 40-45MPG. Make this and a lot of the import crowd will come running.
One other thing: another poster suggested making cars that a 5 foot 10 adult would be comfortable in. This would be fine in Japan, but I know of few American men who are 5 foot 10 or shorter. I am 6 foot 4 myself, and consider myself to be average on the tall side height-wise. Consider making the cars comfortable for someone who is 6 foot 6 and you will have a much larger market share available as most of the other auto makers do aim for that 5 foot 10 person.
One other little thing; Please adopt direct-injection fuel for your engines. As Audi has shown this makes a dramatic improvement in lo-end torque and high end horsepower, they’d be just the thing for those small RWD (and maybe an AWD or two) vehicles you are considering developing!
You don’t have to look to hard for the prototype of the small agile RWD vehicle. The Belair concept from a few years back was stunning and IIRC was based on the Kappa platform. Get Busy!
But bold styling and modern powertrains are not the only way to generate “buzz” and sales. The world is ready for an ultra-safe vehicle. Think NASCAR style roll cages, 5 point belts, and “roller-coaster car” styled passenger restraints.
40,000 dead each and every year in America from car accidents and yet the biggest automaker is more concerned about fender portholes, gauge lighting colors, steering wheel grips, air conditioned seats, and shiny fake wood.
Give us a car with passenger safety ratings far beyond Government standards and any competition. Astonish us by saving lives and the entire market will be forced to follow.
Someday in the future people will look back at this era and wonder how we tolerated so much carnage for so many years before automakers put passenger safety ahead of styling and performance.
Jack,
I suspect there is a very sizeable market for a lightweight mid engine design. the Fiero was near perfect in dimension/packaging, with enough space for a comfortable weekend, yet small enough to handle like a true sports car. By incorporating the advances in technoligy since the Fiero was killed off (all aluminum DOD V8, big brakes, overdrive trans and lighter chassis construction)a 12 second/35 mpg slalom champ is easily within reach!
“Mutation by Chance”
If nature did not have this natural mechanism no species would be alive today.
In the same spirit when GM creates three vehicles off one platform 1 vehicle should be an exception, a mutation like the HHR from the Cobalt platform.
My preferences are toward heritage and these vehicles on rear drive.
1. An original Corvette inspired roadster for Buick off the Kappa platform.
2. A Grand National designed after the Holden FJ Efigy concept from Australia. This would be a coupe version to this car…
3. A return to the REAL American family sedan with a high roof Buick 8 heritage sedan.
If the Chrysler Imperial doesn’t convince you with the words over it proclaiming “America’s hottest automaker.” MT then I don’t know what will.
4. A big HHR with styling from the ‘41 Buick Estate Wagon to replace the Terazza.
There, Buick’s full line of heritage vehicles to compliment it new Velite, Velite sedan and Velite crossovers.
AND NOBODY WILL CALL BUICK DEAD ANYMORE.
I have a ‘91 Buick Century with 328,000 miles on it. The thing won’t die, mechanically, but as it approaches its 15th birthday (it was assembled in May of ‘91) the old beast is literally falling apart: door handles breaking, hydraulic struts collapsing, trim pieces falling off, etc. That seldom happens on Japanese vehicles of the same vintage.
GM has always been known for great powertrains and apparently they eventually figured out how to conquer the electrical gremlins, too. But, in addition to being the ugliest car I’ve ever owned, hands-down, including fake plastic woodgrain on the sides of the station wagon (who ever thought this was attractive? and they were still doing it even in 1991?), this Buick is an ergonomic disaster and reeks from a vast array of cheap quality interior materials (as does every GM rental car I’ve ever driven, right up to the present day).
Before they killed off Oldsmobile (and, WOW, didn’t that do wonders for the company’s bottom line?), I had the unexpected pleasure of driving an Olds Intrigue from Albuquerque to Phoenix and back, for the most part over mountainous, twisting two-lane roads. I was frankly stunned by how vast an improvement that car was in terms of driving characteristics over standard GM fare. If I had been blindfolded before I sat in the driver’s seat and all GM emblems had been removed from the interior, I would never in a million years have guessed it to be a GM product. It drove much more like a BMW, IN SPITE of the FWD layout. Of course, the gas cap cover didn’t align properly, the automatic trunk release worked only intermittently, and the right side windshield wiper was misaligned and rested at an absurd angle in the OFF position. (This was on a rental car with fewer than 3000 miles on the odometer.)
Still, I was so impressed by that Intrigue that I seriously thought of buying one in a couple of years when it was time for me to replace my primary vehicle (the Buick wagon is merely a beast of burden for hauling that refuses to die).
Then, of course, GM in its infinitely bad wisdom chose to kill off the entire Olds brand. Funny how the garish “boy-racer” division, Pontiac, lives on even though I have yet to drive a rental Pontiac that even remotely approaches the agility and smooth performance of that Olds Intrigue from a few years back.
My final comment is about this obsession with rear-wheel drive. One of the many reasons Camaros and Firebirds lost sales over the years is that they were too much car for the average driver to handle, with the rear end far too easily breaking away under hard acceleration, especially under anything less than bone dry pavement conditions.
Yes, I understand that stability control systems can compensate for driver error and help to make RWD less of a nerve fraying experience in bad weather. But to think that a reversion to RWD layouts is going to save GM is absurd. The Chrysler 300s have succeeded primarily because of bold design, something GM and Ford long ago abandoned in their mass market models.
The average driver could not tell the difference between FWD and RWD by the car’s performance characteristics (unless a tire starts visibly slipping). Torque steer on a FWD car with big power under the hood can be very noticeable, but few drivers would even understand what the drivetrain layout has to do with causing it.
What drivers do notice is how a car feels overall. The Olds Intrigue would have easily won any driving comparison with, say, a retail Ford Crown Victoria. Even a little old lady would have noticed the superior handling of the FWD Olds over the RWD Ford.
Yet, isn’t it amazing how Ford can even take the horrifically mushy Crown Vic and turn it into an athletic police cruiser with an array of performance enhancing tweaks, especially to the suspension? So the drivetrain layout is NOT the final arbiter of driving performance that some would suggest it is.
In the final analysis, flashy new designs and marketing hype about a return to emphasis on RWD may draw some new blood into GM showrooms, but if the interior materials and overall construction quality isn’t up to par (which now means at least comparable to, good grief, a Korean vehicle!), then finally showing some pizzazz in exterior design isn’t going to matter one whit, ultimately.
I rented one of the very first Pontiac Fieros available at Avis. I’ve never gotten so many admiring looks from passersby while driving an American made car. And it was fun to drive, too, for a weekend. What killed the success of the Fiero was poor quality and questionable design (shoving a heavy 6-cylinder engine into a car that needed to be light, nimble and not a nightmare to service due to a ridiculously cramped engine bay).
This new Pontiac Solstice is supposed to be loads of fun. But will it stand the test of time against, for example, the Mazda MX-5 Miata? I doubt it. GM has never had the commitment to keep its designs current and to emphasize quality over the long-term.
And when they do do something right, like with the improvements to the Olds division in its last few years, they prematurely throw in the towel because the public doesn’t immediately react to the genuine superiority of the product, in large part because severe doubts about long-term reliability of GM products persists, which is an albatross around the company’s neck that is well-deserved.
I mean, really, even if I were a buyer tempted by a car like the Pontiac Solstice, I’d have to seriously wonder if GM won’t summarily kill of the entire Pontiac division in the next few years, rendering my dollar investment vulnerable to the huge depreciation of owning a lame duck nameplate.
Only a complete and total commitment to improving quality in materials and long-term reliability is going to save GM (and Ford) from continuing to dwindle in market share and relevance.
Ron, thank you soo much for the opportunity to respond to you.
A smaller Cadillac sedan and coupe that will be a real competitor to the 3-series across the world is really important. Do not make a car the size of E class the current CTS as good as it is a land boat. No wonder you had to do an unwanted BLS for Europe. The Next CTS should be as small as the outgoing 3 series. People say GM is incapable of making a small car. Looking at the Size of Solstice compared to Miata, I suspect that may be the case.
You should also consider a V6 Kappa Cadillac or Buick to go after Porsche Cayman Z4…Here is my plan… Solstice=Hardtop like you did for 2005 SEMA, Sky=Hatch…like mini cooper, Cadillac=Cayman or Z4 styling… Consider it.
FWD large Sedan should be left to Buick. Let the Next Lucerne be a FWD with AWD option. GM being the largest automobile company should have a Large Sedan to go up against the big boys…
Namely BMW 7 Series, Bentley, Maserati quadraporte or, S class ETC… it should start at $90,000.00 K. This should be the next Cadillac DTS. It should eclipse without apologies any big sedan out there. With bold designs like the new Buick Velite and Enclave and the Cadillac Sixteen, GM is clearly the leader of design prowess…Be prepared to loose money on the project. Do not even project profits for the first model cycle.. let it just be expensive and exclusive….. but make sure, it’s the biggest badest big sedan out there.
It should have a 10 speed(Lexus has 8 speed), V12 standard, 600 Hp AWD and all the technological wizardly known to man. Knowing your design direction lately, and all the financial and economic might GM has… this should clearly show that GM is the master of cars.. sell it without rebates…Please.
FWD.. Please make the next Malibu put Camry in its place. 6 speed, 300 HP on its V6 and an ecotec pumping a cool 200 HP, an interior that puts the brilliant tahoe interior to shame…
Shorten the life cycle of Lacrosse, Lucerne and Impala…3 years to 4 years max.. bring new products…
Take Impala RWD… keep the rest FWD and offer navigation in all cars, from Aveo to my New DTS
Well, Where is the Aveo hatch? And 5 door Hatch?
I’d like to re-iterate CaminoLS6’s comments regarding Holden.
Look to holden for a shortened version of the Zeta platform.
Holden is an ideal source for this type of car – it is a high-value platform designed to be both a mild US$21000 V6 family car or a wild V8 6.0 animal with BMW hadling dynamics.
Holden is also an ideal source for many of the cars i have on my GM’s GOTTA BUILD list:
Chevrolet El Camino (Holden SS Ute)
Chevy RWD (Holden SS)
Saturn Large RWD V6 (Holden Commodore)
Buick RWD sedan&coupe (Holden Statesman)
New GTO (a new Monaro but this time designed from ground-up as a ‘real’ GTO)
It is great to hear that GM is once again looking to RWD for some products.
They cannot come soon enough.
Bob/Jack,
Stay locked on target–Affordable RWD performance cars!!
Chevrolet has it right; H.O. 4 and 8 cylinder short wheelbase 2 door vehicles. The Camaro is an obvious must build, but so is the Nomad. Given current/future costs of gasoline and the ocean of cookie-cutter econo-boxes on the market the Nomad would be a standout vehicle. Who would not want something that looked like an early Vette; be fun to drive, and possess to some degree versatility/utility? I’ll take one!!!
If I were GM King for a day:
* Corporate wide memo to engineering telling them its okay to put chrome trim (except around windows) and two tone paint schemes on cars
* Saturn:
** Direct transfer of Aveo line from Chevrolet–Have engineers immediately design/build the other half to these cars. Rational: Obvious.
* Chevrolet:
** Priority 1–Turn division over to Chevrolet performance group
** Build Nomad and Camaro with a release date of last week
** Introduce a restyled AWD Impala SS — Rational: So it won’t look like a Toyota
** Fall-back plan if Nomad cannot be built. Introduce an AWD 2 door version of the HHR — See: http://www.hhrclub.org/galleries/chevrolet-hhr-concept-sema-2005/
** Bring back the Chevelle SS (retro 1967) — On the GTO or CTS platform; at $23K
** Bring back the Nova (retro 1965, 2 door) — 102 in. wheel base, RWD, Alum 5.3 V8 (SS) or Supercharged 3.8 6 cyl (RS) w/6 speed. Body-on-frame construction, with generous wheel wells. Rational: Got to go drag racing with something!
** Discontinue Malibu SS. Rational: “SS” on this vehicle is equivalent to putting Z/28 on a 1974 Camaro–Remember that one?
** Reintroduce Silverado SS in only one configuration: regular cab, 572 cu. in., 6 speed, 4/5″ lowered ride height, 17″ brakes, and P315/50-20 tires
* Pontiac:
** Ensure on-time release of restyled GTO–Drop price to $25K. Rational: Undercut Mustang GT
** Give the engineers on G6 a big pay raise. Rational: Did such a good job!!
* Buick:
** Restyle the Lacrosse — Rational: Current look okay if it was 1998 again.
** Give the engineers on Lucerne a big pay raise. Rational: Did such a good job!!
* Hummer:
** Build H3 pick up per concept vehicle.
* Cadillac: Nothing–They are all great!
I love the idea of small rear wheel drive products. Do it fast to keep GM on the cutting edge, PLEASE!
Bob Lutz, please, please, please build a car with the original 69 Camaro body on a contemporary Z06 chassis. I will buy one tomorrow. Look at the retro Mustang and the Challenger, they got it right. The Camaro concept falls short of the mark. The Joel Rosen Baldwin Motion car revealed a the SEMA show is what everyone wants, trust me. Even in 69 you moved almost 700,000 units, imagine what that car would do today. thank you
Do any of your RWD concepts have a front engine/rear mounted transmission (ie Corvette and 61-63 Pontiac Tempest)? I’m told that those Tempests were very reliable and sold well. This may be a better way to attack the problem with RWD in the snow country.
Mr. Keebler: GM should have the following divisions with primary focus markets noted:
Chevrolet FWD Value
Saturn FWD Sport / Hybrids
Buick FWD Luxury
Pontiac RWD Value/Sport and AWD Value
SAAB AWD Sport / Turbo Gas and Turbo Diesel
Cadillac RWD Luxury and AWD Luxury
Chevy Truck Value
GMC Truck Sport
Cadillac Truck Luxury
HUMMER: Specialty Truck
CHEVROLET (FWD Value and Truck Value)
Aveo (FWD) 4D and 5D
Aveo (FWD) tall wagon (Rezzo)
Cobalt (FWD) 2D and 4D
HHR (FWD)
HHR SS (FWD) 2.0L SC with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto (Cobalt SS)
Malibu (FWD) – 2.4L Base otherwise carryover until new model arrives
Impala (FWD) – Same but with Fog Lights, Alloy Wheels, Spoiler and Folding rear seat std on 3.5L LT2
Equinox (FWD/AWD) – 3.5L with 6-Speed Auto
Uplander (FWD/AWD) – 3.5L or 3.9L with 6-Speed Auto
Borrego (Fiero based Rally look from concept – would be FWD with drive-train switched from Fiero AWD models would utilize Fiero rear transaxle for rear wheel power)
Monza 3D Coupe (Solstice 3.5L V6) Hatch like BMW Z4 Coupe with 1954 Corvette styling (Nomad Concept)
Monza 3D Wagon (Solstice – Nomad concept 107″ Wheelbase – 54 Vette styling)
Camaro LS – 3.5L V6 with 5-Speed Manual or 5-Speed Auto
Opt. 4.8L V8 AFM with 5-Speed Manual or 5-Speed Auto
Camaro RS – 4.2L I-6 AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Hybrid Model Camaro with 5.3L E-85 Hybrid Drive-train from Tahoe – Optional AWD
(Great style and MPG with V-8 power – what’s not to like)
Camaro Z/28 – 6.0L AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Camaro SS 396 – 6.5L 396 CID (4.06 x 3.83) AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Camaro ZL1 – 7.0L 427 6-Speed Manual (What else would it have?)
Camaro (COPO) – 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block
CHEVELLE (styled like 69 Chevelle for alternating 4 year run with 70 styled Chevelle on other 4 year run)
1969 style (Model year 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 – evaluate extension or temporary suspension in production)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
SS – 6.5L 396 (4.06 x 3.83) 425 HP / 450 ft-lb Escalade Block AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
1970 style (Model year 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 – evaluate extension or temporary suspension in production)
4.2L I-6 300 HP with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Opt. 5.3L 320 HP AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
SS – 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block 500 HP / 525 ft-lb AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Monte Carlo (RWD) (styled like 70-72 Monte Carlo for alternating run with modern style version)
1970 style (Model year 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 – evaluate extension or temporary suspension in production)
Modern styled aerodynamic for NASCAR model year 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017)
4.2L I-6 300 HP with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Opt. 5.3L 320 HP AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
SS – 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block 500 HP / 525 ft-lb AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Bel Air 2D, 4D and Convertible (Retro 55-57 styling – Truck base) (alternate 55, 56 and 57 styles)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
SS – 6.5L 396 (4.06 x 3.83) 425 HP / 450 ft-lb Escalade Block AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Biscayne 409 6.7L 409 (4.125 x 3.83) 450 HP / 500 ft-lb Corvette LS7 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Nomad (Retro 55-57 styling – Truck base)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
SS – 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block 500 HP / 525 ft-lb AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Caprice (Holden Caprice) 3.6L V-6 with 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Corvette L88 – 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block 500 HP / 525 ft-lb AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
El Camino (Holden Ute) and El Camino 4 Door (Holden Crossman)
3.6L V-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
SS – 6.5L 396 (4.06 x 3.83) 425 HP / 450 ft-lb Escalade Block AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
SSR (1955-57 Truck style with fixed hardtop base model optional Extended Cab- more aggressive than SSR)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
SS – 6.5L 396 (4.06 x 3.83) 425 HP / 450 ft-lb Escalade Block AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
SSR Panel / Sedan Delivery (1955-57 Truck style – use extended Cab model doors open 170 degrees)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
SS – 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block 500 HP / 525 ft-lb AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Borrego (Fiero based Rally look from concept – would be FWD with drive-train switched from Fiero AWD models would utilize Fiero rear transaxle for rear wheel power)
Cheyenne (Trailblazer based mid-size truck line with 67-72 truck style)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Astro (shortened 123″ Wheelbase Express or new Trailblazer)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
K5 (2Dr Trailblazer based mid-size truck line with 67-72 truck style with Extended cab doors)
4.2L I-6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Colorado – 3.9L with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto optional unless 4.2L fits add small Turbo-Diesel and Hybrid model
Colorado SS – 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Trailblazer – add small Turbo-Diesel and Hybrid model
Silverado – 4.2L I6 base add small Turbo-Diesel for 1500 models (extended Cab model doors open 170 degrees)
Tahoe and Suburban – add small Turbo-Diesel for 1500 models
Express – add small Turbo-Diesel for 1500 models
Buick (FWD Luxury)
All Buicks to have the following as standard equipment – (luxury brand must have well equipped base models)
PW (express up/down) – PL w/Remote Start
Body Color Power Mirrors (heated)
Adjustable Pedals
Tilt/Telescoping Wheel
8 way power driver with manual lumbar and 2-position memory
Steering Wheel Audio/Driver Information Controls
Fold Flat Passenger seat
CD Player with Driver information display (MPG/Oil Monitor etc.)
Manual Dual Zone Climate Controls
Rear Window Defroster
Side Curtain Air Bags
Split Folding Rear Seat
On Star
Cornering Lights
Fog Lights
Back-up Warning sensors
SKYLARK (HHR with 3.5L V6 and 6 speed Auto) (FWD) 108″ WB with luxury interior like new Enclave
Opt 3.6L V6 with 6-Speed Auto GS models
Skyhawk Estate (Solstice 5D wagon version of Monza Wagon 3.8L 0n 110″ WB)
Skyhawk Convertible (Solstice 5-passenger hardtop Convertible 3.8L on 107″ WB)
Century Sedan (FWD) (G6 with formal styling) 3.5L with 6-Speed Auto – Optional 3.6L with 6-Speed Auto
Century Estate (FWD) (Vectra Estate) 3.5L with 6-Speed Auto – Optional 3.6L with 6-Speed Auto
LaCrosse (FWD) Add base equipment noted and GS model with 5.3L AFM and 6-speed auto
Lucerne (FWD) Add base equipment noted and 6-speed auto
Enclave (RWD/AWD) – New model
Terraza (FWD/AWD) – 3.5L or 3.9L with 6-Speed Auto
Buick GS / Grand National (styled like 70 GSX for alternating run with 68-70 styled Grand Prix)
1970 style (Model year 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 – evaluate extension or temporary suspension in production)
5.3L 320 HP AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Grand National – 3800 Turbo V6 350 HP with 6-Speed Auto
GSX – 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block 500 HP / 525 ft-lb AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Velite (H/T convertible CTS or new Monaro)
Park Avenue (STS based Large RWD)
Buick 8 (6.2L powered short WB version of Cadillac Sixteen)
Gran Sport (4 Door Sedan Corvette)
Pontiac (RWD Sport / Value and AWD Value)
Corsa 3D (FWD) and Corsa 5D (FWD) 1.8L 140 HP Ecotec
Sunbird 3D (FWD) (Astra 3D Sport Hatch)
Sunbird 5D (FWD) (Astra 5D)
Sunbird 4D (FWD) (Astra 4D – Brazilian Vectra 2.4L)
Sunbird Convertible (Astra Twin Top)
Solstice
Solstice Coupe – Hatch like BMW Z4 Coupe with fold flat passenger seat
G4 Coupe (Solstice Coupe – 5 Passenger Solstice 3.6L or 4.2L I-6)
G4 Sedan (Solstice 3.6L or 4.2L I-6)
G4 GTP Coupe/Sedan (Solstice 5.3L)
G6 (FWD) – change power seat to heated cloth 8 way with lumber – optional leather add Fog Lights to 2.4L models
Fiero (mid engine using delta platform FWD drive-train similar to original)
1.8L Euro Ecotec 140 HP with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Opt. 2.0L S/C (Cobalt SS)
Ventura (Borrego based rally buggy) (Fiero based Rally look from concept – would be FWD with drive-train switched from Fiero AWD models would utilize Fiero rear transaxle for rear wheel power)
Firebird Formula – 3.6L V6 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Trans Am – 6.0L AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto Optional AWD
Opt. 6.5L 396 CID (4.06 x 3.83) 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Grand Prix (RWD G8 Coupe) (68-70 styled Grand Prix for alternating run with 70 Buick GS)
(Model year 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 – evaluate extension or temporary suspension in production)
5.3L 320 HP AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Super Duty 7.4L 454 (4.13 x 4.25) Tall Block 500 HP / 525 ft-lb AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
G8 Sedan (RWD) 4.2L I-6 AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
Opt. 5.3L AFM with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
6.0L AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
GTO – 6.0L AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto – Optional AWD
Optional – 6.5L 396 CID (4.06 x 3.83) AFM E-85 with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto
G-5X (Solstice utility 4.2L I-6 – 5.3L V8) similar to BMW X-3
Safari (shortened 5 passenger SRX) similar to BMW X-5
Torrent – FWD/AWD) – 3.5L with 6-Speed Auto add optional 3.6L with 6-speed auto
Montana SV6(FWD/AWD) – Dropped
GMC (Truck Sport)
Canyon Denali (5.3L)
Jimmy (S3-X)
Combo Cargo
Envoy XUT (Envoy w/ 5′ bed – similar to Explorer Sport Trac)
Sonoma (Envoy based Extended and Crew Cab)
Acadia (RWD/AWD) – New model
Canyon – 3.9L with 6-Speed Manual or 6-Speed Auto optional unless 4.2L fits add small Turbo-Diesel and Hybrid model
Envoy – add small Turbo-Diesel and Hybrid model
Sierra – 4.2L I6 base add small Turbo-Diesel for 1500 models (extended Cab model doors open 170 degrees)
Yukon and Yukon XL – add small Turbo-Diesel for 1500 models
Savana – add small Turbo-Diesel for 1500 models
SATURN (FWD Sport – Hybrid/Hydrogen)
Vue – (FWD/AWD) – 3.5L with 6-Speed Auto add optional 3.6L with 6-speed auto
Aura – (FWD/AWD) – new model
Astra 3D Sport Hatch, Astra 5D and Astra Estate with optional 1.9L Turbo Diesel
Astra Twin Top
Combo Tour
Meriva
Zafira
LT420 (Saturn Mid-size truck version of Cheyenne)
Outlook (RWD/AWD) – New model
Relay (FWD/AWD) – 3.5L or 3.9L with 6-Speed Auto
Cadillac (AWD-RWD Luxury – State of Art Tech and Truck Luxury)
ATX (Solstice utility 3.6L – 4.4L Northstar)
BLS (Vectra – 2.8L Turbo)
BTS (Solstice 4 Door Sedan 3.6L 4.4L Northstar)
CTS
DTS (FWD)
STS (RWD/AWD)
Fleetwood (STS base formal sedan 7.5L V-12)
BRX (7 passenger Torrent 3.6L)
SRX (RWD/AWD)
SRV (STS base 7 passenger Cross-over)
Escalade LTS (Crew Cab) (7.5L V-12)
SIXTEEN
Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT
HUMMER (4WD Truck)
H1
H2 and H2T
H3 Add turbo Diesel and 5.3L AFM with 6-speed Auto
H3T (Ext/Crew cab H3)
H4 (Dune Buggy version of H3)
H5 (2D H3 narrowed)
H5x (4D H3 narrowed)
SAAB (AWD Sport – Turbo/Turbo Diesel)
9-2 4D (Brazilian Vectra 2.0 Turbo)
9-2X (Solstice Estate)
9-3
9-5
Sonnet (Solstice Hard Top convertible)
Sonnet 3D (Solstice 3D Hatch)
Sonnet 5D (Solstice 5D Hatch)
9-3X (Torrent 1.9TD)
9-5X (Solstice Utility 5 pass 1.9TD)
900 (CTS base RWD and AWD)
9-6X (Outlook base)
9-7T (Envoy XUT – Explorer SporTrac)
9-8V (Outlook base van – Europe)
All of the Opel models noted should be brought to the U.S. market as soon as safety and emission regulations can be met. The Saturn models would be introduced first, followed by the Pontiac ones. If GM only breaks even on these models it would be far less expensive than creating an all new model and have it fail. It costs at least (1) Billion dollars to introduce a new model and GM would do better than that on the noted models and could take advantage of these excellent designs while the market is hot for them. Market studies would be based on the real market and any needed changes could be incorporated when the new global architectures are designed.
This is a quick overview and obviously not all models noted will be made. Hope this helps you define GM future lineup and thanks for asking.
I’ve traditionally been an import enthusiast, and having not been around when the Muscle Car Era was in full force, I’ve always admired the beauty of the classics. If GM can continue to produce great looking retro-modern classics, I’ll never consider an import again!
I am a Cadillac guy… I’ve had two CTS’s and I’m now driving a fully optioned V6 STS (Still crabby I couldn’t order it with HID headlamps) and I for one would be more than happy to drive a diesel version… Hybrids are silly, great marketing but the business case doesn’t make sense. And, for the “greens” who think a plug in power plant is a good idea…ask them about the environmental problems associated with landfilling all those worn out batteries and also ask them about all the pollution that will be introduced in to the air when they use there primarily coal fired electrical powerplants in this country to charge their cars… sheeeeeeesh!!
As a displaced automotive supplier excutive I wanted to share my opinion on GM cars and the sales difficulty. I am doing this in the hope that we can turnaround the negativity and the continued displacement of the workforce. In my experience it is not the price of the car that discourages people from buying a GM product but a perception of product inferiority and a perception of a burecratic bloated workforce. I cannot comment on the workforce because these perceptions will change with superior product that GM advertises as superior by quoting numbers to counteract the perception. I do have some stretch goals to suggest for GM that, if implemented, could help reverse the negativity. Perhaps the program could be termed 95 to indicate speed is important to implement the goals within 5 years. The 9 goals for GM products are that every product must be within 10% of the market leader in a variety of categories. These categories in no particular order are:
1. Lowest warranty cost
2. Highest sales
3. Best interior
4. Best fuel economy
5. Most fun to drive
6. Best durability with fewest after delivery issues
7. Safety ratings of 4 stars.
8. Lowest repair cost.
9. 3 star purchase recommendations.
I realize that some goals require compromise and that the definition of market leader and within 10% are difficult however, a simple solution is the best and there are plenty of media and consumer surveys available so that the data can be obtained in short order. General Motors once represented the best and I believe that GM can again.
I’ve had 3 Pontiacs ,2 Saturns, 1 Chevy, 1 Ford and 2 Chrysler products. I tried to find a GM product for my last purchase, but couldn’t find one that met my needs.
I would love to see more RWD cars, another mid-engine car would also be cool.
I would like to see more of your models have standard transmission options, especially the sporty models.
I will admit though that I am a bit surprised that some of your models don’t get better mileage from a regular gasoline engine. I remeber getting 40MPG Highway in my 97 Saturn. I think it was rated at 38 or 39 highway, but today you are hard pressed to find a GM car that gets that kind of mileage. Unfortunately Saturn has seemed to take a step backward in some respects. I don’t know if the new engines have enough performance to justify the appearant decrease in fuel efficency. I also think that the plastic body panels were a big part of what set Saturn apart, and they seem to have moved away from that as well.
I think you guys are on the right track with the new Solstice and HHR. Both vehicles are stylish, affordable and have decent performance and efficiency.
The competition’s drive type can be important to perception. Whenever GM can, it should offer greater fuel efficiency with a drive type than the competition.
My Camaro handles great in the snow, which surprised me, I’ve never gotten stuck. The center of gravity is just right for a rear drive car. I am always receiving complements on the cars looks. The handling and ride on long trips is wonderful. The performance on rough road conditions remains impressive. The Camaro is a best in class vehicle for GM. Honda/Acura owners have asked me if I really get 31 mpg with the Camaro, and the answer is yes. The Camaro really gets 31 mpg highway. It shows GM is getting their attention.
GM cars do have a great feel whether FWD, RWD, or AWD. That is to your credit. I’d also say, GM engines and transmissions are the most reliable. This is what many import buyers are missing. Many just buy perception. GM builds the best products, yet GM has to get more saavy at the perception game.
The media has failed miserably at informing the public of GM’s advantages. Let’s hope that changes.
In a comment above I read something I thought to be an idea worth debating over.
“Dump the Monte Carlo – that nameplate has no credability in the market place anyway. Those NASCAR racecars dont have anything in common with production cars.”
Forget it! I take the comment of debate back! I believe the comment about Dumping the Monte Carlo should be deleted and forgotten! Obviously careful consideration wasn’t taken when a remark like that was made. I don’t know about many of the other readers on this website, but I see on average, 12 + Monte Carlo’s a day, and I travel a considerable distance to and from work and I commend myself for noticing the little things, these Monte Carlo’s are all different vehicles with different owners! It may be true the NASCAR racecars have nothing in common with the production car, but the nameplate Monte Carlo has won more NASCAR races than any competitior! It’s also a Nameplate that a large amount of consumers are familiar with. And for the record, I’ve owned 3 Monte Carlo’s, my most recent vehicle being a 1998 model with 198,000 miles on it. It still runs strong, and it still picks up! I don’t watch NASCAR and PONTIAC is my favorite Brand of choice, but my hat goes off to a good vehicle when need be… I now own my second Grand AM, along with a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire, 1991 Pontiac Grand AM.
My poster for the RWD design teams…
RWD TEAM: We have niche cars, we have high end cars, now make me some real volume cars. DESIREABLE, AFFORDABLE,& AT A PROFIT! NOW!!!
You could really make a killing in the small front drive youth market by creating a new RWD small car segment.
Then walk away with the mid-sized segment by having great looking, great handling, affordable sedans.
Each model line should be able to accept various drivetrains and have lots of engine bay room. The models should have a low cost base ,but can go through the roof by adding options. That where to mine for profits.
Oohhh ya, and add my modular dash idea so the wired generation can add & subtract their gizmos. The aftermarket supporting a standard modular size concept would push these wired consumers to your vehicles.
Marketing the Design Team
I think it’s time to create superstars out of car designers or car design teams and use their names as part of branding your products. (and No,an Eddie Bouer style limited edition branding doesn’t cut it)
This RWD project could be a great launch of this concept. After the car is approved the team would work with the marketing side of the business and prepare for as necessary. Then after launch participate in things like this forum, car shows, Jay Leno, Sports venues, you get the drift. Oh ya and drifting :”) I could see Nike wanting your team wearing their shoes saying it helps them think on their feet with tongue in cheek skits.
Guys having to jump out of the way of test cars, designers with their feet on gas and brake pedals under their desks while working on computers, etc…
To date everyone wants to create a buzz or click with consumers to bond them together around their product. This design team marketing would be a means to that end.
OK, how about this.
A PERFORMANCE hybrid car.
Since all the hybrid vehicles out there cost more than you’ll ever save in gas, they are NOT economical. So marketing them as “economy cars” makes no sense.
Try a vehicle with a powerful engine which only runs electric motors. The best case would be four electric motors, one per wheel. This is a “full-hybrid vehicle”. You’d get better performance plus the “greenies” won’t feel too bad about buying it either. The premium market is also more likely to spend more money to get a hybrid.
Glad to hear you can’t imagine a fwd camaro. What happened with the Monte? The Impala? These cars need v8 engines and rwd. I have almost given up on GM. If you do build a Camaro (like the one you concieved) I’ll buy.
PLEASE HAVE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS IF YOU PLAN TO OFFER A NEW LINE OF RWD & AWD CARS.
Small, agile, RWD cars do not like 4 speed automatic transmissions and neither do driving enthusiasts (who i think will respond well to this line up). That’s like putting GMC HD allison transmission in the AVEO. It just doesn’t make sense. Please offer these with 6 speed manuals.
We need an STI & EVO fighter with a better interior. Possibly a Pontiac of some sort.
We also need a smaller cadillac under the CTS.
We also need a new family of AWD “Pontiac Vibe sized” cars.
If you decide on a Fiero it needs to be done on Kappa and i believe its already called a Solstice. Pontiac Solstice and Fiero wouldn’t be right unless you make a lot of money.
For all this bleating about the Camaro, all that was good was the price and the engine and the rear wheel drive (except in the first gen, which was beautiful).
The new concept camaro is ugly. Cadillac angular windshield, corvette looking rear, the rear quarters seem to be 1967 ‘maro, but then they ruin it with a plastic grill. PLASTIC. Nice.
I won’t even pretend I’m not excite about a rwd, agile car from GM. If its lightweight too (3000 pounds with options means 2700 pounds stripped to me), it just…won’t be a GM car. Lets face it. They’ve failed us so many times, what are we really expecting?
So it’ll be cheap, but it’ll have a crappy engine. Or it’ll be light and agile, but just plain lame.
The 260 horse 4 banger from the solstice gxp would be a nice engine. What would be nicer? Making it easy to modify.
GM should, ON PURPOSE, make it easy to modify. What if GM made a crossmember, an OBC, and CARB legal headers that allowed a LS2 swap to be 100% legal? It just voids the warranty. Then you’ve given everyone the REAL halo vehicle, for an undisclosed (but somehow tangible) price.
I just thought of something else. Get this – the car is light weight, agile, RWD, and has the turbocharged 4 from the solistice GXP. It even looks good… It just has the torsional rigidity of a wet noodle.
I am betting on GM failing here. Because I think GM works like most Americans – when they’ve got someone to prove wrong, they work best.
If you tru´ly want a small agile vehicle. Make it weigh less than 1100kg, and preferable less than 1000kg. That way you’d need less engine, less brakes and so on and so forth to get competetive performance. I’m so tired of these “sporty” cars that has a heap of hp but then their weight kill all the fun…. And dont forget…a light car will use less gas…maybe even make it an E85 vehicle? Also, dont go into the expensive trap of using aluminium to reduce weight…use high performance steel 800-1500MPa UTS. A sporty car in my opinion doesnt ned climate control, simple air condition is enought and the true enthusiast will forsake even that for better performance…no heavy electric chairs…power roofs and such crap. Make an affordable lightweight car that is stripped clean of all the usual non essential equipment… Then you’ll have a winner in my eyes!
The new camaro needs a base stripper model with the biggest engine,no A/C,power windows ETC. This will help bring the younger people to the car. Cars with all the extras cost too much and are hard to modify for extra performance. I drive a 2005 Corvette,10th new Corvette i have owned, but I remember the days when I bought new 68 and 69 Z-28s and pulled the engines with only 8 miles on the odometer,distance from the dealer to my house, so mine would be the fastest in town.I am 72 years old now and i just drive them but the fact that i was able to modify them made me buy Chevys back then and have been a GM customer ever since. My first new car was a 1953 Chevy that i also modified so i could outrun all the V-8 F–ds back then when every other young guy drove a F–d.
We need more RWD cars in the lineup. It also needs to have a good amount of power, be in a price range that the average person can get one and have decent gas milage.Build something in a sedan format that will not be considered a sports car. How about a Malibu sized car on a CTS platform.
It also needs to be bilt in the USA where pride will be taked in the building of the cars.You need cars that the employees will be proud to drive and not just feel the have to drive.
Redo the GTO to look like the early models and build it here in the states as well.
Another suggestion would be a retro styled pickup. The SSR should have been the now Colorado or Canyon.
Hey Jack,
Instead of telling you what the company do, just send me all of GM’s future product plans. I’ll review them and let you know if you’re on the right track.
I’ve set aside next Saturday afternoon to do my review.
Hope a 4wheel drive Pontiac Grand prix is in the future
Where is the Prius fighter? They will sell 100,000 this year. You have to meet or beat their mileage numbers.
We have the cash to buy one right now, but we would not be caught dead in a Toyota. Help!
Can’t you just license the technology from Toyota and put it in a lightweight Cobalt or (choke) Aveo chassis?
The people who won Le Mans for Corvette could do it in 6 months.
Alternatively, when is the fuel cell car really coming? Maybe we’ll keep the old 95 Impala SS going and just wait it out.
We own 6 Chevy cars and trucks, but we are not going to buy any more until one of the above appears.
A smaller RWD platform? Would it be the Beta platform that was said when Holden released the Torana TT 36 concept??
A great idea. But it will be greater if we from Brazil could have its slice of this cake. As said in other times, there’s in our lineup a huge price and size gap between the Aussie Omega (which will soon move to the Zeta platform) and the Vectra, which costs in the Elite almost the same of a basic Accord. Ford will soon bring the Fusion from Mexico by the same price of the Vectra Elite. So, we’re seeing the market being slowly brought to normality, with big cars (midsized in American standards) released with fair prices and even being a menace to the overpriced mid rides (compact for American standards).
As said other times, GM do Brasil was the biggest seller of front-engined, RWD cars in my country. Take all the sales of Chevette (produced from 1973 to 1993. It was the first T-body car in the world, 6 months before Opel presents the Kadett C), Opala (produced from 1968 to 1992, basically an Opel Rekord C body with Chevy II/Nova engines) and Omega A (1992 to 1998) and their derivatives and you have more than 2 million units in the street. The second biggest seller of this kind of cars here was Ford, in a relation of almost 10 Chevies per one Ford. Yes, if you combine the sales of our Galaxies (1967 to 1983) and Mavericks (1973 to 1979), you will have only something by 200 thousand units.
But, since 1998, when the Omega A was phased out, we don’t have any big or RWD car made in Brazil. The Aussie Omega (it’s almost the same as the Holden Calais) is too far from our reality and stratospherically priced (by the price of an Omega, you can get two Vectras Elite to home). It’s almost the opposite of the Opala, that sold a million units because of its honest price and package. In the first half of the 70s, was outsold only by the Beetle and in all this decade, outsold the Maverick in a relation of 5 per 1. Even in the 80s performed well, besides the fact of being a 60s project in a yuppie decade. The Omega A was far more expensive than the Opala that suceeded, but it was still cheaper than imports as the 3-Series Bimmer or even smaller, like the Corolla and Civic (yes, in the Brazil of the 90s, the Japanese duo was imported, not produced here as today). But in 1999, with the mega-devaluation of the real, the Aussie Omega, which was only a little bit expensive than the Vectra CD, went far from Brazilian reality and let a gap for smaller cars to be overpriced. An, as Australia and Brazil don’t have any trade agreement, it comes here paying full taxes. The Brazilian always bought RWD big cars made here. It’s only a matter of how right is the price and package. Don’t say that it’s not viable to produce cars like these in my country. Look at the US. When Ford and GM were only making FWD cars, Chrysler made the LX family. Brazil isn’t that different. We’re poorer and buy mainly FWD compact cars, but we have people that would like bigger RWD cars and are buying Vectras, Corollas and Civics only because we don’t have any other bigger option. And these people are the ones that will buy the basic Accord when it becomes avaliable in larger numbers than the 50 first units imported in the end of last year. So, between a Mexican built Accord avaliable in only 50 dealers (the number of Honda stores in Brazil) and a reasonably-priced Brazilian-built RWD car by the same size avaliable in the hundreds of Chevrolet sellpoints, it’s not neccessary to say which one would be deeper in our people minds.
The name for a new-gen big RWD Brazilian ride is there: Opala. You let a huge fan base orphaned with the demise of this car and after 1998 with the demise of Omega A. Opala is still one of the strongest nameplates here and is being not used. Bring the Opala back with an heritage (not retro) stile (Coke-bottle shape and other small bits that can characterize a true Opala to their admirers. You could even consult the people at the clubs of this ride to help in the task) and you can even export it to other Third World markets that would like a good ride.
It could be also the basis for new engines. The Family I/II engines are good, but aren’t as good as the powerplants of the competition, and Chevrolets are the gas-guzzlers of their niches. Replace them with Ecotec units converted to FFV technology and you have a very nice car for our people and an excellent outdoor to technologies. What better than a fun to drive everyday car to show the new achievements? But after an hypotethical new Opala debut, you would have to spread these new Ecotecs to all the lineup… And, as the original Opala had 4 and 6 inline engines, a six-pot could also revive good memories. Use the Alloytec for it.
A platform like this could even be used in the First World, underpinning a Pontiac replacement for the Sunfire, if shortened, and a Buick bellow LaCrosse/Allure (a poor’s man Lexus IS), if stretched. It’d be a non-geriatric three-shield ride, don’t you think?
If Pontiac has the GTO and the Solstice and Opel, after the demise of the Omega B, has a RWD car ressurecting the GT nameplate, why can’t we Brazilians have our beloved Opala back in a new shape? Just let the people leadered by Ray Young project it.
You guys are listening! Nice! Check out what people think at the Drag Race shows, SCCA races and Classic car rallys. Especially Classic car rallys. What lines and what effect cause someone like myself to spend thousands on a 35 year old car? I know this sounds obvious but I think its been missing.
I think an AWD or RWD V8 5.3 Solstice coupe might go over well at the performance division. Shelby Cobra coupe goes Rally Sport WRX Si style.
A NorthStar Kappa go after Z4 Maybe Buick or Caddy.
As for me Im hoping to get that LS2 Z28 Camaro KEEP the 69 styling. Please put the 69 wheel well lines that go straight back and make the car look like its going so fast the 69 Camaro wheel well lines are blured back and fade into the doors. Would seperate the car from the Mustang Flat Wheel well lines. Z28 is M6 lite at half the price
Love the Enclave btw. Didnt think there would be a Buick that I would like to own…
One more thing. Please stop saying the last thing we wanted the Camaro to look like is exactly like a 69 Camaro. Youre breaking my heart!
I live in Northern Michigan. I have a 2005 Chrysler 300C and decided to park it for the winter due to the relatively poor traction of rear wheel drive and wide tires. I bought a 2003 Park Avenue to use as a winter car. Wow, what a difference! Nice, smooth ride, and excellent traction in snow, with the front drive and smaller 16″ tires.
It is too bad that Buick discontinued Park Avenue. Why would you do that when the demographics of the number of older drivers is expanding?
When I think front wheel drive I think wimpy. GM needs modern versions of real American cars. GM needs to build the same cars as both sedans and coupes. Build compelling sedans and then offer the same car with 2 doors for people like me who cannot regard a sedan as a personal car.
In the past, I have lobbied for more rear wheel drive cars. For example, a V-8 rear wheel drive Impala SS to replace our 95, which is getting a bit tired.
Now, however, the ground has shifted. We are looking for a Prius fighter. Nothing less will do.
BS!! – the camaro showcar is perfect, too porky- STFU. If they think it is too porky, buy smaller cars – size=beautiful coupes
Australians love the RWD, it’s good to hear Americans have similar taste. But we need a turbo in the GM Holden Commodore and Monaro. It will be interesting to see what GM Zeta offers these models when they go into production in Q3 2006.
For new platforms, GM needs a hybrid and should consider a RWD gas/ethanol/LPG/diesel engine with FWD electric. This would give the best of both worlds.
Also, get rid of GMLAN3 bus for body electronics and get onto optical-fibre technology (eg MOST). BMW are releasing MOST across all platforms, including with iPod interface for the 3-series. We need these comfort feature options in all GM platforms too!
Lets hope that you -still- have plans for a RWD Buick!
I have been waiting for years now!
I wish I could get a brand new Buick Wildcat instead of a Chrysler 300!
When I called Buick’s 1-800 information line, the guy over the phone suggested that I buy a Cadillac instead. I told him that it was very unlikely to happen!
I’m worried about a 3500lb Camaro with a 6.0 400+hp by 2009. I think that would sell now, but by than big gas burning engines are likely to have quite a bit of a bad rap. You really need to be looking forward. Your 6.0 is awesome and if you were making Camaros today with the 6.0 I’m sure it would sell. But those days are coming to an end. There is a small glimmer of hope with burning hydrogen in the same engines, but I think that it’s pretty obvious by now that there is alot of efficiencies to be gained through an electric drive train. By 2009 you really need to have a serious electric rear drive sports car with possibly gas engine generating electric power temporarily until you have hydrogen or ethanol or some other energy source sorted out. You are already pushing 80%+ automatic drivetrains. It’s time to move on. Tie the electric motors directly to the wheels. Give us 600HP Peak driven directly from electric motors. 200HP continous, for the long hauls. The fuel cells or gas engines can provide the continous power but with break throughs in ultra capacitors and batteries, there is no reason not to take advantage of the huge current capacity that is available there. I’m sure an electric motor can handle being over drive 10 times in short bursts. Let’s see some big power coming out of 21st century technology. Let the 20th century go now.
Build the Camaro NOW. Don’t even listen to everybody with nit-picky suggestions on shortening it one inch or adding 3 horsepower… this will add unnecessary and costly time before production.
Also, how about a SAAB Sonett? (or Sonnet, however it’s spelled).
SKY Redline is a must as well…
Give Buick a sporty car of some sort.
If GM gets back on it’s feet, bring back the Oldsmobile marque, and do it right this time… higher performance “rocket” cars…
I’d like to see the Monte Carlo, Impala, and Grand Prix go back to rear-drive. Bring back the Grand Prix coupe, too.
Proof that despite your attempts to market a new GM, Bob, Jack, et. al., the finacial boobs and beancounters still do not understand the business. They have caved to the whining dealer body and have now announced another badge engineered MISTAKE for Pontiac, a clone of the cobalt. This is a perfect example of what you have VOWED to STOP doing!
read above: “Too often without that perspective, we’ve offered buyers well-reasoned — but perfectly passionless products.”
This is why america has lost faith in GM. Even when you claim to find religion, you back track and destroy all of your customers’ resale value. Why buy this new G5? Why buy a Cobalt? They will be worth ZERO in 2 years time. This stopgap engineering is killing you!
compare to 4th generation
appeal is a lot better
have to get used to retro
idea.think buy iroc and put in a 400 HP motor in it
stil appeal is great
The Camaro concept car is fabulous. I’m a GM customer, but I now own a new Ford Mustang GT, because the retro look is done right, and there is nothing else out there. However, 300hp is not enough. I will pre-order a new Camaro, especially if I can get an automatic, 500hp Z06 engine.
It’s really great to see that GM is using these blogs to listen to their devoted league of customers. I have been a true GM enthusiast my whole life, and I know there are a lot of us out there. It is very important to keep these people interested and involved.
I am happy to hear that RWD will be coming back into the GM lineup. It has been missed in the automotive world. Years of pathetic FWD cars are driving me nuts. FWD never did and never will provide the same handling and feel. RWD cars are American, and it is what has produced the rabid auto enthusiasts in the first place. Japanese car makers may be doing well at the moment, but it is because people do not have all that many desirable choices, and I guess that even includes GM, right now. I feel like things are starting to take shape under Rick Wagoner’s direction, and that’s a great thing. Hopefully it will continue on into the future and really begin to develop. I like the direction of Pontiac and Chevy in particular, but I do have one issue with the smaller truck line. The engine choices should be 6 or 4 cylinder, not 5 or 4. What was the idea behind the 5-cylinder. It drives like a 4-cylinder and gets gas mileage of a 6. I own a 2002 sonoma and would like to get the next platform smaller truck from GM but it is not an option for me right now. I drive too far for work to own a Sierra or Avalanche/Silverado, but can not even fathom driving around in a 4/5 cylinder truck. Help!! What’s the plan, because the styling is defintely there – but the engine platform is not. How about 8/6/4 – SS colorado possibly. A lot of people are nit-picky on this site so I do not want to sound like that – just asking a question.
I certainly hope GM does not completely abandon full-size vehicles with front-wheel drive. I live in the Northeast and can’t help noticing that RWD cars really struggle in snow and ice. I have purchased GM FWD cars (1989 Chevrolet Beretta, 1995 Pontiac Grand Am, and two Oldsmobile Intrigues) because they have been safe and reliable in handling bad weather, especially when equipped with snow tires on the front. I am sure I am not alone in this opinion. PLEASE do not go to 100% rear-drive in your larger car lines.
I forgot. This is GM. Its going to take them until 2012 to get a small, lightweight, RWD car to us if they started actually designing it today. They’ll be gone by then anyway, at this rate.
Those General Motors Fans Of Rear Wheel Drives,
I just returned from The Toronto International Auto Show( 2006 ) where I viewed for the first time the new Camaro Project Car. All, I can say is WOW!!! This is the BEST LOOKING CAR at this year’s auto show. Yes, the new Cadillac STS-V looks TERRIFIC as well! I really hope that the GM BRASS in Detroit begin serious plans to put this New Camaro into production( Exactly As Viewed! ). The overall consumer response to this was fabulous. With the upcoming Dodge Challenger & Mustang Cobra looming, the New Camaro will steal a lot of thunder from these competitors. The New Camaro must, of course, keep the corvette engine to gain a competitive edge in this race. The recent launching of The New Camaro at Cobo Hall says it all: beautiful display of all 4 stages of Camaro lining the red carpet treatment. I realize that GM is going through a lot of corporate re-shuffling but the New Camaro design lines will attract an all New breed of GM performance owner. Currently an owner of a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP( Gold coloured )2000 – ONLY 20 Sedans ever built & a Camaro Z28 ( Bright Red )1997 Convertible – ONLY 33 ever built, I praise the quality, design, performance & engineering of both cars.
Both are highly reliable & fun to drive. The Camaro with the rear wheel drive has the edge over my Pontiac.
If you compare, the Mustang Cobra, the Dodge Challenger, The New Camaro knocks the ’spots’ off both. The bottom line: PLEASE BUILD THIS NEW CAMARO ASAP.
A True GM Patriot, Fan & Owner. Thanks,
Bob Henderson
Thornhill, Ontario
Canada
Bring back the Fiero concept , this time make it a world class performer with the Corvette V8 for example. The transaxle and rear suspension set up alone will make the car valuable. I once sat in a Fiero and was impressed with the interior design, I’m sure something much high quality can be put together (maybe under the Cadillac name plate?). Mid-rear engine cars cannot be ignored, the worlds most costly sports cars are built this way.I sure would want one.
I also think the time is over due for the development of engines such as “oscillating rotor”,high torque,variable compression,high processor integration,and naturally hybrid..
OK im done venting..Thankyou..
GM is not short on the rhetoric about looking to build ‘gotta have’ cars. I’ll admit, the interiors recently are looking much better but they are nowhere near the refinement and build quality of VW/Audi. Why can’t your company make good on this promise instead of just pushing the hype? We all want a reasonable deal, but not everyone is interested in the lowest price – some of us are actually willing to pay more to have a higher level of content. I saw many of your designers crawling all over cars at VW’s display at the Detroit auto show, taking pictures and notes. Hopefully they use this information as inspiration to pen some intelligent designs. The god-awful gaudiness that has plagued so many GM cars continues as does the focus on cheap instead of quality.
GM started its long, death spiral when each of the divisions began to share parts and engines.
It started in the 70’s and is alive and well today:
The Olds 88 = the Buick = LeSabre = the Pontiac Bonneville. The Olds Ciera = the Pontiac Grand Prix = The Chevy Lumina.
DIDN”T YOU LEARN YOUR LESSON!?!? How ignorant do you think buyers are? You continue to rebadge even after you profess to have “learned you way” as posts above read. Yet behind the closed doors you take an outdated Equinox w/ a 30+ year old engine made in CHINA w/ a Japanese tranny and rebadge it as Pontiac?!?!
You did the same thing w/ your solid axle, bottom of the market leading, mini-van family.
Why do I bring this up? GM deserves to die if dashboard designs and paint schemes are the only thing that differentiates your divisions!
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I was a huge fan of GM. I hope you do regain the market share that you’ve lost. If Nissan can do it, why can’t you?!!?
Study their playbook – they were belly up in 2000 and look at them today! I look with envy at a G35 coupe / sedan and say, “Wow – gorgeous”. I’d love to have one. I can pay $6000 more an get a GTO? Hmmm, I can’t do that.
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To be honest, I have given up hope. 4 speed autos when the competition has 6-7 speeds. A new Civic engine that tachs out to 8,000 rpms and the new Cobalt engine that starts wheezing at 6,000. STi and WRX are all over my neighborhood and there is nothing at GM that can compete. Odessey and Sienna minivans continue to move in to our neighborhood and out go the 1999 Blazers!
I have no reason to continue to support your company. My wife’s 2003 Bravada SQUEAKS to the point I WILL NOT drive it anymore because it drives me up a tree. back 3 times to the dealer – I can’t afford that anymore!
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Drastic times = drastic measures. Fire all the people involved w/ green lighting the SSR to let people know that you are serious about new products that succeed. The HHR – only 4 years late to the party. Again, I’ve given up.
I am an ex GM employee and it saddens me to see what is happening to GM. The announcement of the latest sales results for GM is once again pointing to its most insidious problems, horrible designs and second rate engineering of its cars, as compared to its competitors. And it again highlights the inability of GM’s current management teams to correct the problem and affect real change. GM would do well to hire designers and engineers, executives, away from BMW, Chrysler, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota to breathe life and passion into GM and its vehicles. It would signal to consumers that it’s serious about implementing change. Of course this is just wishful thinking as luring necessary talent would be difficult if not impossible.
It’s been evident for many years that either the current designers and engineers are incapable or devoid of designing/engineering with passion or GM management is incapable of recognizing it in turn stifling it. Either case in my humble opinion until it can fix that problem no amount of cost cutting will ensure it’s survival in the future.
I have been a die hard GM fan for as long as I can remember, but that has changed in the last 4 or 5 years.
Your styling sucks on everything from you Chevy trucks to your GTO,at least Ford stuck with rwd boats,you cant even say that.as far as Im concerned, my 01 impala is the last new GM vehicle I’ll ever buy. too little too late.
I cant believe its come this far, But for me It’ll be Dodge trucks(your Duramax sucks) and my next new car will be a Mustang, I cant tell you how disapointed I am with any thing I’ve seen on a GM lot. Good By GM
Forget the specialized and niche vehicles for right now. Back to basics. Focus on point A>B general transportation vehicles for the general driving public…i.e.; bread & butter vehicles, grocery-getters, entry-level cars etc. Small to medium FWD people-movers getting great fuel economy that are attractive, comfortable and ‘fun’ to drive….and must definitely include hybrids. Base them on successful Asian or European platforms if necessary but build them in the US for brand and American loyalty. Americans hate rebadged imports but love small to medium, fuel efficient cars….and lately the greener the better. Catch these buyers’ loyalty at entry-level and they’ll be back later for their minivan, X-over, SUV,sports or luxury car later. GM completely missed the entry-level and youth (aka tuner)market. Designate one or two badges as small car only; Chevy & Saturn for example. Eliminate duplication across brands and specialize each division. Chevrolet being the exception: build one of each > people love Chevys. Pontiac and Buick don’t need minivans, Chevy and Saturn do. X-over;Chevy,Saturn entry to mid level, Buick and Caddy higher end. Pontiac stays youth and performance minded but doesn’t need it’s own Cobalt, the Solstice and G-6 covers that gap, again no minivans here. Buick should strive to keep their loyal buyers as in LeSabre, Park Avenue etc. amongst the aging baby boomers as well as their realignment towards a more youthful buyer. I could go on and on but to simplify things: GM should return to the successful formula they had in the sixties where each brand knew who they were and represented a designated segment of the market…..a time when the ‘car guys’ ruled at GM…..and before the beancounter era. If GM does it right they’ll be able to keep the customer ‘all in the family’ from entry level to sports car to minivan to luxury. Good luck.
How serious are you about the nes Saab concept car with the moving windshield and gull like doors?
The manual 2.8L Fiero rocked! I got 31 mpg consistently, while driving it like a teenager. It *felt* fast, even if it really wasn’t ( that’s important, it’s called *fun* ). It didn’t rust in Ohio like everything else did. And it was comfortable, very comfortable for a 6′1 guy. What a great sports car for the younger crowd, and it wasn’t too bad to work on either, parts were very cheap and readily available. Bring it back.
For the life of me, could someone tell me why Cadillac did not create a gas/fuel cap that could be locked? They have no such item and can not be purchased as an accessory! How dumb. I can see why the foreign countries are surpassing the American auto makers…
It really doesn’t seem to matter what prototypes Gm displays. Whatever makes it to the market is 5 years behind the competition. The Saturn Sky is a radical departure for GM, but how long has the BMW Z series been on the road? Leadership is not giving customers what they are already buying. It is creating a market. That’s how the Japanese succeeded in dominating our domestic market.
The area of drivetrain offerings I feel GM is sorely missing is AWD cars. I am currently in the market for a good looking small sedan with good engind and road handling performance and GM just does not have anything other than the Saab 9-2X and Vibe AWD. Both of these offering are in a compact size range. When I see the G6 I see a great looking 4 dooor design that rivals an Audi A4 but no AWD option.
I feel GM is missing a lower cost alternative for higher income professionals that do not want to pay the high prices marks like Audi are commanding.
Right now I am giving serious consideration of the Saab 9-3 SportCombi but lack of AWD (I live in NorthEast and own several AWD SUV’s but want to scale one down to a good AWD car) is one drawback.
I think the Aura is another new exciting mid-size that GM should look to have AWD. So is the Saab 9-3, Chevy HHR, Malibu Maxx, Cadillac CTS. IMO, GM needs more of this drivetrain offering to seriously take on and take market share from Audi, Subaru, Acura, VW, Toyota etc.
Let me recommend a name for an AWD G6. The G6.4
I would like to see or hear more what GM is thinking on AWD cars, not just crossover SUV’s.
I would love to support you and buy a GM product. However, the vast majority of your exterior designs (all of the SUVs) are just awful. Best described as cheesy, flakey and overly dramatic! Furthermore, please stop trying to copy Japanese design cues, with ridiculous and embarassing results. Drop the front-wheel-drive. KEEP IT SIMPLE!
The Germans have rear wheel drive V8’s with style. Why not look at them.
The styling of the 66 Nova II and other early 60’s GM coupes have a modern descendant in the 2002 Mercedes Benz CL500 coupe. I’m not saying copy the Germans. But they took square cars of the 90’s and give them sleeker smoother lines while retaining their ancestry in the 2000 models. GM needs to do the same. Take your classic hits give them the German sleeker smoother lines retaining treatment. And you would have something. If GM styled the 04 GTO’s body after the 2002 Benz CL500 coupe with stacked headlights, split chrome grill, and CHROME bumpers while retaining the 1966 ancestry it would sale out over night. And when did chrome bumpers on American cars become a bad thing? Chrome bumpers seem to work for SUVs and Trucks. Bring back chrome but used properly. The reason Chrysler making money with the 300 series is because their styling looks like a higher in car like Bentley. The Japanese happy fish and smiling cat face front end designs are killing GM. A 2006 Chevy Cobalt has no business looking like a bloated 1998 Honda Civic. People don’t buy Japanese for style they buy for reliability. Chevy’s slogan is American Revolution give us one bring but American Style with a little German Help.
P.S.
BOB watch TLC’s Overhaul hire Chip Foose to help you out with designs.
I’m a huge GM fan, own a 2003 Century, a 1992 Cutlass Supreme, and am about to buy a 1988 Regal (everybody thinks I’m crazy; they must hate low-end torque).
My question is, since much of the success of the Honda/Toyota/Nissan bunch has relied on false HP and torque claims (”flywheel” ratings), will there be any response to that? I don’t mean to imply that GM should exaggerate readings as well, but perhaps indicating that the engines are rated differently? For the moment, people are led to believe that a Nissan/ Honda/ Toyota 3.5 liter engine, for example, makes anywhere from 250-280 lb-ft of torque, while the Malibu’s 3.5L seems much weaker, at 220 lb-ft. With such apparent disparity, the choice might seem clear to a new shopper looking for the most powerful engine.
I realise that lying about engine figures doesn’t really make a car faster, and so do those companies, but as the years pass and they’re expected to produce a newer, more powerful model, they just shorten up the gears, so people see Honda making these apparently huge leaps in performance from generation to generation, while GM seems to lag behind.
Sales literature for the “imports” doesn’t mention that their newfound speed is actually the result of shorter gearing. For example, the last generation Honda Oddysey advertised 3.5 liters making 250 lb-ft of torque, and a Consumer Reports (biased, I know, but their test data seems almost right sometimes) 0-60 of 8.6. The generation before that made 229 lb-ft from the same engine, with an accordingly slower 0-60 of 10 seconds. It seems obvious that the added power did the job. The newer model, however, was geared 15% shorter than the old one, and, just by coincidence, that dropped about 15% off of the old 0-60 time (10.0 to 8.6).
But that part isn’t advertised. Perhaps there’s nothing to be done, and perhaps it doesn’t matter at all. My Cutlass has 140hp, while the new Civic advertises the same 140hp. And unfortunately, I think many customers buy the other brands because they honestly believe those “140″s are the same.
Long live pushrod, wheel-HP-rated, long geared, quiet cars. (Northstar can come too)
Excellent. I’m glad your looking at the RWD of upcoming car designs. I really do want to thank you for producing the Z06, I’ve driven it, love it, and will continue to hold it up with similiar desirability as I did with the famed ZL1 of 1969. I wanted to mention my approval of your new Enclave, it’s truly a step forward and I think it will sell extremely well. I also want to note that I did in fact notice the SS carline as a group of cars that is finally offering the Gen X’rs something we can burn the tires off if we choose. There still is a gap that I think will need to be bridged, and it’s in the area between the SS carline and the V series cadillacs. The CTS-V is the drivetrain that I truly feel you are right on the mark and should offer scaled down versions to fill the void between the SS and the V, Call it the X series to denote the gen X’rs that are coming into their own in the business world.. You could offer the X series in the buick car line, pontiac, saturn and enable us to drive distinct vehicles. Remember, to us, we prefer exclusivity and distinction, we were all fans of the 60’s and 70’s muscle cars and truly need to see more testosterone as well as sleek and sexy designs built into our vehicles.
Thanks for your time,
Jim Chicosky
i have an 1989 iroc z hardtop i was told that there where only 6600 made that year is this true..
I used to have a 1986 Fiero SE (V6), it was one of the best cars I ever owned, why not bring it back for 2010, make it 100% electric like the Tesla at a price point of $70000+ or a hybrid like the Honda Insight 3 cyl. It would be fast and efficient, price point $20000+ (I’d buy a hybrid version)
I too also loved the “concept” of America’s first and only mid-engined production sports car. I would love to see GM bring back the Fiero! But it would be a much better car if it was engineered from the ground up instead of using pre-existing technologies. And also, give it the style and performance that the mid-engine concept was bred for, ie. Ferrari…ect. Give Americans true european performance in an American car at a reasonable price!!
The car which my family needs is a sport wagon, something which has sufficient seating for 4 adults, cargo space, preferably a turbo charged engine and oh yes something which has a great design! Graceful lines have all but disappeared from the current lineup. Design a car based upon the 64 Buick Riviera body style, and I’ll buy it!
Bring back the fiero. Put decent engines this time, and power steering, maybe a targa top or
T-top or a convertible. Don’t allow the corvette guys to have a hand in the fiero development;
it’s their problem if they can make a low cost corvette.