Embarrassing Mistakes in '06 Brochures

[The O.C.]

I picked up a bunch of '06 GM brochures the other day.....two of them being the 2006 G6 brochure and the 2006 Cobalt brochure. In the G6 brochure, on the page that is titled "Larger. Smarter. Faster. Pick Three" and about 15 pages into the brochure, Pontiac claims that the GT models feature "...mores standard power than Audi A4 or BMW 323i." BMW hasn't sold a 323 model since the early 2000's. The standard 2006 BMW 325i has 215 horsepower....clearly MORE than the GT's 3.5L V6. In the Cobalt brochure, on page 5, talking about the SS coupe and sedan, GM advertises a "Tuned Sport suspension and a fully synchronized five-speed AUTOMATIC make driving more playful." I almost got excited thinking GM slipped a new 5-speed auto into the Cobalt.....but alas it's apparent they meant MANUAL transmission. It's really embarrasing to see such nicely-done brochures with such OBVIOUS mistakes in the print. Doesn't anyone review these before GM sends them out to their thousands of dealerships?

[Carguy]

Thats what happins when people who dont know ANY THING wright these things. I would call these mistakes -- BUREAUCRATISISMS.

[caddycruiser]

This is bad, but what's worse are the commercials GM sometimes makes claiming or saying the same stupid things, but audibly and with video. :o

Case in point, one of the G6 commercials where they were proclaiming the things they had on the competitor's, like a Panoramic roof and Remote Start that Camry and Accord didn't have, but then it all went to hell in a hand basket with this....

"And more standard horsepower than Altima 2.5"....... :o :blink:

Every time I heard it, I sat there dumbfounded, wondering if the makers actually did realize they were proclaiming their "better" V6 sedan had more horespower than a competitor's base model 4-cyl.... :o It was like, HUH?! Edited September 16, 2005 by caddycruiser

[Mach5GTP]

"And more standard horsepower than Altima 2.5"....... :o  :blink:

Every time I heard it, I sat there dumbfounded, wondering if the makers actually did realize they were proclaiming their "better" V6 sedan had more horespower than a competitor's base model 4-cyl.... :o  It was like, HUH?!

[post="15150"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I think they're trying to say that, at the moment, the base G6 engine is a V6, and thus overpowers the base Altima engine. Once the sad 4-banger G6 comes out, that little selling point goes out the window.

[evok]

The Brochures were probably created as a task for the up coming season of the Apprentice. Heck, that is what you get from free labor and free advertising. Gotta cut cost somehow!

[sciguy_0504]

2.5 Altima moves pretty well for a 4 cylinder.

[The O.C.]

.....and the sad thing is, the brochures are REALLY nice pieces.....nicely done, good photos, good color, nice paper.... But the obvious lack of editing really casts a shadow on them....

[Cadavillac]

BMW hasn't sold a 323 model since the early 2000's.  The standard 2006 BMW 325i has 215 horsepower....clearly MORE than the GT's 3.5L V6.

[post="15148"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

They probably meant 325, but who knows? In most auto brochures the manufacturers compare their new model to the competitor's previous model year car because a lot of times info on competitor's new model isn't available at the time of printing... though horsepower figures for the new 3 series have been no secret for a looong time now. Plus, comparing any vehicle to a lame duck vehicle from a different manufacturer is dumb anyway. Besides, GM vehicles are nice (and getting nicer with each new car), but who cross-shops BMWs and Pontiacs in that segment anyway? At least have the same drivetrain...sheesh. :D

That reminds me of Ford touting the Freestar's flip and fold rear seat—an option, they said, that wasn't available on Chrysler or Dodge vans. And they weren't on the previous model year vans. The sad part was the new vans had already been released with Stow n' Go seating. DC asked Ford to pull the ads because it was akin to comparing their Wrangler to the old Bronco II. Edited September 17, 2005 by Cadavillac

[CARBIZ]

BROCHURES? You guys got BROCHURES? WOW. Misprints or not, at least you got some! We're still waiting for ours. Maybe they have a bunch of Chinese workers making 5 cents an hour using white out on the rest of the brochures. Maybe that's why we are still waiting.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well, I doubt most people would be able to tell what BMW they're talking about. Hell, I never would have noticed.... Just a bunch a numbers.

[Newbiewar]

does GM know this, or should I raise hell to my bosses?

[frogger]

Hehe sounds like they just made up stuff/name dropped models thinking it sounded impressive. Imagine if they did it for a Corvette ad.

[caddycruiser]

I think they're trying to say that, at the moment, the base G6 engine is a V6, and thus overpowers the base Altima engine.  Once the sad 4-banger G6 comes out, that little selling point goes out the window.

[post="15157"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

That's true, but another fact about that which always furthered my view is that, in truth, the V6 model of that same Altima costs almost exactly the same as the G6, but has MASSIVELY better engine power and refinement. Comparing it to the base 4-cyl of a competitor, whether or not because you have a standard V6, is just stupid...

[Dsuupr]

Having collected brochures for the past 15 years from all the manufactures, I've noticed such issues every year. All the manufactures make such mistakes. The odd part is that GM, and other manufactures, don't always do a corrected version.

[sciguy_0504]

I thought I was the only one who collected car brochures. I stopped doing it a few months ago because I was running out of room. Only did it for a few months, too.

[thegriffon]

Brochures are recognised "collectibles". In fact if they did "correct" any, the "uncorrected" printings may be worth.

[Dsuupr]

I have over 2 dozen large plastic containers full in my garage. I started when I was 12. Unfortunately I was dumb enough to throw away a bunch of them back in 1992, but since then have kept everyone.

[CARBIZ]

I started in 1974 writing to the Big Three and pestering them to send me stuff. Chrysler and Ford were awesome. GM was cheap. Chrysler would send me their entire press release kit with B&W photos of every single car they made. GM would send me a form letter. I even have an entire glossy photo set of the Cirtoen SM back when they used to sell vehicles in Canada. I used to keep all my Motor Trends, R&T, C&D, etc. I threw a lot of them out about 6 years ago when I moved. I kept the ones with articles on cars I liked (like a "shoot out" between the IMperial, Lincoln and Cadillac in 1975. You folks with a collection out there, don't you notice that the media were always touting the Big Three's "comeback." Comeback from what? Anyone collect "dinky toys?" I kept all mine, dating back to the mid-60s. Unfortunately, when I was really young my friends beat up on some of them. I have hotwheels and small toy cars from the early 70's that are still mint.

[Cory Wolfe]

I do this too... But GM stopped sending me them when I requested them. Bastards. <_<

[Flybrian]

I had a completely different response from GM, CARBIZ.

Back in late November of '99, I requested information from Buick, Olds, and Cadillac for a 9th grade school project I was going on GM. I asked them for anything that could be useful for a 10-minute presentation - press releases, pictures, brochures whatever they had "laying around" - and that I needed it by January 10th or something because on the 15th I was to give the presentation.

Three weeks went by with no response, so I thought I'd just have to ride my bike down to dealerships and get the stuff myself.

Wrong.

From Buick, I recieved a large envelope on Christmas Day(!) with not only fullline brochures, but huge individual model brochures, glossy 8x10 b&w and color photos, and old press kit for the '98 Sigma concept, and brand-new copy of a GM History of Buick book. A few days later, I got a box of 2000 LeSabre debut CDs to hand out to the class.

From Oldsmobile, I got a document box with brochures, a whole bunch of information from the '97 Centennial celebration, a 50-page history book, and several 8x10 glossies, including one of Ransom Olds.

From Cadillac, I not only got brochures and historical information, but the Assistant Media Director actually called me the week after my presentation and asked how I did! I mean, holy crap!

All of them sent letters wishing me luck and to call their relations offices if I needed anything else.

I still have pretty much all of that stuff, too, as well as my original presentation board. I mean, wow. What more could I have asked for?

[Cory Wolfe]

Goddamn, Fly... Mind if I steal your idea? :P

[Paolino]

I had a completely different response from GM, CARBIZ.

Back in late November of '99, I requested information from Buick, Olds, and Cadillac for a 9th grade school project I was going on GM. I asked them for anything that could be useful for a 10-minute presentation - press releases, pictures, brochures whatever they had "laying around" - and that I needed it by January 10th or something because on the 15th I was to give the presentation.

Three weeks went by with no response, so I thought I'd just have to ride my bike down to dealerships and get the stuff myself.

Wrong.

From Buick, I recieved a large envelope on Christmas Day(!) with not only fullline brochures, but huge individual model brochures, glossy 8x10 b&w and color photos, and old press kit for the '98 Sigma concept, and brand-new copy of a GM History of Buick book. A few days later, I got a box of 2000 LeSabre debut CDs to hand out to the class.

From Oldsmobile, I got a document box with brochures, a whole bunch of information from the '97 Centennial celebration, a 50-page history book, and several 8x10 glossies, including one of Ransom Olds.

From Cadillac, I not only got brochures and historical information, but the Assistant Media Director actually called me the week after my presentation and asked how I did! I mean, holy crap!

All of them sent letters wishing me luck and to call their relations offices if I needed anything else.

I still have pretty much all of that stuff, too, as well as my original presentation board. I mean, wow. What more could I have asked for?

[post="16405"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Wow, now that's the way companies should be. I mean, that type of stuff would something my parents would say to me about the "olden days"... like "When I was your age, you'd go to the butcher, and you'd pick up some ground beef, and they'd throw in a few pounds of spare ribs for free."

Companies who do that win me over.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

I haven't yet gotten my 2006 G6 brochure (or any other Pontiac, Buick or GMC), but I got a good number of 2006 Chevy brochures (all cars except Aveo, HHR, Uplander, and Malibu and some trucks), and I didn't notice that mistake in my Cobalt brochure. Thanks!

[CARBIZ]

Perhaps in the 70's when GM had 50% market share they didn't care. Or maybe my 13 year old really bad hand writing was illegible. (I didn't get my first typewriter until 1975.) It is good to see that their PR department takes this stuff seriously. I was a big Chrysler fan for decades and part of the reason was how generous they were with the glossies when I was a kid.