Velite, RWD Buick coming?

[buickguy]

http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?...E/60116001/1041

[Cananopie]

It really seems like the Velite still has a chance albeit about a half a decade old when it comes out.

My guess is Buick is definitely getting a vehicle out of this because it has been a long term goal to turn Buick to RWD for a while now. But also on the same platform they're talking about a RWD sedan, which would be good... but come on guys! A coupe! Give me a Buick coupe again!

[buickguy]

We should know in a couple of months.

[Paolino]

GM seems so up in the air with all of their plans, I don't know what the hell to believe.

[Dsuupr]

THey seem so hush hush about the rear wheel drive items, one has to wonder, are they all ready to go? For once maybe GM kept there secrets secrets.

[buickguy]

GM, especially Buick is very secretive. Look at the Enclave. No advance pics, the name wasn't even confirmed until weeks before NAIAS.

[evok]

GM seems so up in the air with all of their plans, I don't know what the hell to believe.

Keep that thought and disregard EVERYTHING you read in the press, including this thread.

[91z4me]

Keep that thought and disregard EVERYTHING you read in the press, including this thread.

Does that mean we should disreguard what you just said?

[Croc]

Not so much disregard...just keep in mind how quickly-changing the industry is and how this news could prove to be right, wrong, or still up in the air in a few months...

[bring_BUICK_back]

Does that mean we should disreguard what you just said?

That is one of the problems with Buick and GM. They need to do more promoting. Let us in on what is going on with Buick. Thgey make beautiful concepts that never see the light of day.

[evok]

Let us look at what GM actually said:

Lutz said "I know where it (Camaro) fits in the overall enthusiasm ranking. If it was a question of what would you like to do, I would obviously do this one first." But, he added, "We can't always follow our enthusiasm. We have to do what's right for the business."

"We have a big plan for rear-wheel drive," says Gene Stefanyshyn, vehicle line executive for what GM now calls its global rwd architecture.

But Opel no longer is considering such a car, says Hans Demant, managing director of Adam Opel AG. Says Demant: "It is just too big" for Europe.

The rest of the Autoweek article is just speculating. So as I said earlier, be careful what you read. What you read could be just opinion and not based upon what was said or actually going on. No where did I read, where a GM executive stated anything about the POTENTIAL rwd programs besides the POTENTIAL for Camaro's return.

Only Stefanyshyn said that there are big plans. Autoweek was thinking out load.

The article should have said, based upon concept cars shown using zeta, vehicles likely to be converted to rwd and leaked information on the internet, the following vehicles are candidates for rwd.

Edited January 20, 2006 by evok

[toesuf94]

That is one of the problems with Buick and GM.  They need to do more promoting.  Let us in on what is going on with Buick.    Thgey make beautiful concepts that never see the light of day.

I wanted to say that - with all of the cars - GM needs to focus the advertising on the features...like the new Tahoe adds that show the seats moving, the back-up camera...the stuff the truck actually does...and they need to do it accross the board - Many people are buying Toyota's for mileage when Buick's actually get BETTER mileage than the Avalon. Many people do not know any of the features of the Lucerne - like heated AND COOLED seats for instance. The word is not getting out to the public and this bothers me.

I am not hyjacking the thread, but I bought an 07 Tahoe - and to tell you this truck is lightyears ahead of anything the GM has ever offered is an understatement...and that word is NOT getting out. Please GM - Hire a decent Ad Exec that will tell the people what the cars are about - this is what is making Buick a slow selling brand. People do not know about them.

[buickguy]

New info from another website:

"for what its worth, I was at work today and a friend of mine says he was told about a convertible buick possibly to be built at our Orion assembly. I said the Velite? he didnt know what name it was but that was the only Buick vert' I've heard of. So I found the pilot team and they said they have been doing feasibility tests on a vert' Buick.....don't know how much to read into it but who knows.....we can run any platform at Orion.....but what about moving the G6 to Fairfax and building the Camaro, Velite at Orion?"

[Northstar]

Interesting news, but I'm guessing that would mean the Velite would be on Epsilon.

Having the G6, Malibu, and Aura all at Fairfax would not work too well. They are probably going to be at full capacity with just the Aura and Malibu.