GM plans to sell China built cars in US

[fightingbee]

No China-built cars for me.

Ditto. I will take an import branded car assembled in NA anyday before a Chinese car w/ an American name slapped on it.

[DetroitNut90]

Nope. I don't like the G8, it's not a real Pontiac just another rebadge, and I don't care to buy a low-volume car made a world away that is unique enough for parts to be an issue.

Dude, the Intrigue is unique enough to have parts availability issues.

And is the Impala a 'real' Chevrolet? Couldn't one say it's just another rebadge? GM doesn't sell the G8 as anything else on this continent, but I could go to my local Chevrolet/BPG dealer and find substantially the same car wearing 3 different badges on the same lot.

Re: Chinese-built GMs: meh, I wouldn't mind seeing the Park Avenue coming over.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Dude, the Intrigue is unique enough to have parts availability issues.

And is the Impala a 'real' Chevrolet? Couldn't one say it's just another rebadge? GM doesn't sell the G8 as anything else on this continent, but I could go to my local Chevrolet/BPG dealer and find substantially the same car wearing 3 different badges on the same lot.

Well I'm sorry that I don't care for the "sainted" G8.

Last I checked the Impala doesn't share sheet-metal or an interior with any other GM vehicle... the fact that it's a rebadge is one reason I don't go for the G8. That being said I'm not knocking the G8, it's a competent car but I don't think I really want to drive something that wasn't originally designed to be a car under the badge it wears at this point... that and the G8 doesn't drive like the cars I like. Besides although the Intrigue is unique it's not a low volume car with nothing like it sold in NA, that was carted over from Oceania that happened to be made for 2 MY.

Additionally I will not buy anything made outside of US/CA/MX (and that's a big if on MX)

Edited May 14, 2009 by vonVeezelsnider

[DetroitNut90]

And similarly, I’m not knocking the Impala; it does what it’s asked without complaint. But I don’t get calling the G8 a rebadge, when its closest relative on the continent is the Camaro. And yes, I could pillage a W-body that met an unfortunate end for the nuts-and-bolts type needs for my car, but GM did the Intrigue’s interior differently enough and produced just enough of the cars themselves to make tracking down parts somewhat difficult, as I found out earlier this week.

We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

/hijack

[Chicagoland]

"it's not a real Pontiac"

1st, Pontiac has shared GM parts since 1926. 2nd, the last Pontiac motor was the Iron Duke 4, a POS. Last, most of the iconic Pontiacs were on shared A, B, F, or other shared platforms with Chevy/Olds/Buick.

The Fiero was its own, but used Chevette parts. I cant think of any other 'unique' Poncho, the 61-63 Tempest shared with Olds/Buick.

The 64-72 GTO/LeMans shared quite a lot with the A body Chevelle. But, back then more was done to differentiate cars so the loyalty come about. However, in the collector car market, A bodies are grouped together by parts catalogs, and not thought of as 'separate cars' anymore.

[Drew Dowdell]

Arguably, the only current vehicle that comes close to being a "true" Pontiac would be the Solstice, but even then it uses the corporate Ecotec, the same transmissions as the CTS, the CTS rear end....

[G. David Felt]

QUOTE (vonVeezelsnider @ May 13 2009, 01:04 PM)

I'm not buying a Chinese made car... from any manufacturer. That would defeat part of the reason I support American manufacturers in the first place.

Bingo!

Personally this should not make a differance to either of you two or anyone else here. If our beloved GM stays in business and imports a few thousand cars made in China. How is that really any differant than now with auto's coming in from Australia, Europe, mexico, canada and home built?

Remeber, at least this is still an American Headquartered company and unlike Arab counteries that have to import in everything we have a variety to choose from.

This is far more American than those that say you should buy a superior Honda or Toyota auto as they are American Made. Lets not forget that the bigger issue is the profits, do they stay here in America or go elsewhere, Seems if it is not an american Headquartered company your hard earned money is going out of the country. IMO

[longtooth]

"it's not a real Pontiac"

1st, Pontiac has shared GM parts since 1926. 2nd, the last Pontiac motor was the Iron Duke 4, a POS. Last, most of the iconic Pontiacs were on shared A, B, F, or other shared platforms with Chevy/Olds/Buick.

The Fiero was its own, but used Chevette parts. I cant think of any other 'unique' Poncho, the 61-63 Tempest shared with Olds/Buick.

The 64-72 GTO/LeMans shared quite a lot with the A body Chevelle. But, back then more was done to differentiate cars so the loyalty come about. However, in the collector car market, A bodies are grouped together by parts catalogs, and not thought of as 'separate cars' anymore.

Fiero was, even given it's flaws, a masterpiece of engineering.

GM wasn't shy regarding disclosure of the number of off-the-shelf parts used in it's manufacture.

Never owned a 4 cylinder but had the '85 and '86 GT. The '86 had the sail panels added to give that car the classic Fiero GT look. Even today, the examples I see appear contemporary. The RIM panels used in it's manufacture have held up rather well if they've not be damaged by collision.

Firing up the red '85 at night for the first time and seeing the headlights emerge urgently, hearing that mellow 2.8 litre V6 wanting to transport my wife and I...

Good in the snow too.

Relatively faithful in terms of reliability.

Those be my recollections of the Fiero anyway.

Uniquely Pontiac.

Greater than the sum of her parts.

[Camino LS6]

"it's not a real Pontiac"

1st, Pontiac has shared GM parts since 1926. 2nd, the last Pontiac motor was the Iron Duke 4, a POS. Last, most of the iconic Pontiacs were on shared A, B, F, or other shared platforms with Chevy/Olds/Buick.

The Fiero was its own, but used Chevette parts. I cant think of any other 'unique' Poncho, the 61-63 Tempest shared with Olds/Buick.

The 64-72 GTO/LeMans shared quite a lot with the A body Chevelle. But, back then more was done to differentiate cars so the loyalty come about. However, in the collector car market, A bodies are grouped together by parts catalogs, and not thought of as 'separate cars' anymore.

You really are a slow learner, you should pay more attention to the inevitable, upcoming, corrective post from Balthazar regarding the overt inaccuracies in the quoted post.

[CaddyXLR-V]

I guess the question here would be: What is more Pontiac?

A Chevy rebadged to look like a Pontiac but built in the US, with zero driving excitement, OR

A Holden rebadged as a Pontiac built in Australia, with the driving excitement rivalling, or at least coming close to, a BMW

My vote goes for the second option.

[Drew Dowdell]

I guess the question here would be: What is more Pontiac?

A Chevy rebadged to look like a Pontiac but built in the US, with zero driving excitement, OR

A Holden rebadged as a Pontiac built in Australia, with the driving excitement rivalling, or at least coming close to, a BMW

My vote goes for the second option.

+1

Additionally, even though the G8 wasn't released at the same time as the Commodore, they still had the inclination that it would be sold in the U.S.

[Camino LS6]

+1

Additionally, even though the G8 wasn't released at the same time as the Commodore, they still had the inclination that it would be sold in the U.S.

More than an inclination, it was designed for our market (as welll as others) from the start. They knew it was to be a Pontiac from day one, and GMNA had a major role in it.

[Camino LS6]

Here's a question: Are the Park Avenues still being shipped from Holden as knockdown kits with final assembly in China?

If so, it's more an Australian Buick than Chinese Buick.

[Camino LS6]

Anybody know?

[pow]

Here's a question: Are the Park Avenues still being shipped from Holden as knockdown kits with final assembly in China?

If so, it's more an Australian Buick than Chinese Buick.

The engineering is Australian, though I believe there's a 60% domestic (China) parts content requirement.

[Lamar]

Anybody know?

I think it still is a CKD kit, but it's hard to find a source that isn't Wikipedia to back that up.

[daves87rs]

Here's a question: Are the Park Avenues still being shipped from Holden as knockdown kits with final assembly in China?

If so, it's more an Australian Buick than Chinese Buick.

It would make sense...

[Camino LS6]

The engineering is Australian, though I believe there's a 60% domestic (China) parts content requirement.

I can't see how they met that requirement, must be a loophole.

[pow]

I can't see how they met that requirement, must be a loophole.

I can't see why not - there are hundreds of OEM suppliers to BMW, Audi, VW, etc in China.