wildcat

Here's more GM press: FOR RELEASE: 2004-09-10 Prices For New Buick Lacrosse And Terraza Bring Refinement Into The Premium End Of The Car And Mid-Van Markets "DETROIT - Buick's renaissance is in full swing as two new premium products hit the market this fall that offer a high level of refinement and style at an affordable price. The all-new 2005 LaCrosse premium midsize sedan, featuring an all new vehicle, powerful new engine and notably improved ride and handling, is the first in a new lineup of Buick cars that will build on Buick's strengths as it moves into its second century . . . With GM's product development machinery running at speed, GM now has the opportunity to take Buick to higher ground. Both the LaCrosse and Terraza reflect the beginning of a 3.2-billion dollar investment over the next five years to not just make Buick relevant, but desired, and the envy of competitive premium brands that don't enjoy our reputation for quality . . ." Who's responsible for squandering so much money and getting so little competitive product in return? People have pointed out all the Cadillac was able to do with, was it, $4 billion. How could it have cost so much to give Buick so little?

Maybe they mean Buick and Pontiac need a clear identity in today's marketplace. The past shows what they were, but, during the last few decades (!) they lost much of their essence. So GM has to make crystal clear what a Buick and Pontiac are now, both in terms of other GM makes and against all the competition from other manufacturers that there is. Besides, the report says ". . . scale down . . . in the near-term until they have a clear . . ." which makes it sound like if Buick and Pontiac enjoyed rising sales, their models could be expanded (perhaps by coupe or convertible variations, as opposed to completely new models). See, this is what GM forces its customers and fans to do, when they say little about specifics. Having nothing else to go on, we have to read into every word.

According to this J.D. Power study, the Buick Century was the top midsize car and the Buick Regal was #2 midsize car in long-term dependability.

Some additional information should be provided, for this to be as meaningful as possible. First, this is a J.D. Power survey, a long-term study, which measures problems experienced by original owners of 3-year-old (2003 model-year) vehicles. buickguy: Why did you also post it in "General Motors News"? One or the other, please.

Yet another quality study that will get little press. (Buick can't beat Cadillac!) All that I can say is, great for Buick... but it's v-e-r-y hard to change the perceptions of the American public.

Each of these four winners is so well-done that they could all be made just as pictured! Decka's SS looks cool. I guess I've accepted in my mind that NOS2006's Grand Prix is what Pontiac will make. Of course, my sentimental favorite (and what I voted for as very best) is Zulehan's Buick Electra (love the name) -- great job -- and I like the blue color, too.

Tom Walsh, in the 8/5 Detroit News, says GM's new product strategy and marketing plans are making sense. And that GM may announce the building of the Camaro later this week. To read Mr. Walsh's article, click here.

No, I'd hope not as-is, but with a couple dashes of Buick styling. (I wonder what the canceled Invicta would have looked like? I guess the Enclave is Buick's template for the foreseeable future.)

I know that you keep a high standard for information, and I wouldn't doubt what any of the sources you mentioned would state. I appreciate the trouble you went to, to identify the post from Evok. But I thought guionM, or, as I think he's been called, "Guy," was knowledgeable, too. Besides the Statesman, weren't there enough new Commodores recently introduced (VE SS V, VE Calais V, VE Commodore, WM Caprice) that GM might fairly quickly bring one over for a Buick "halo" car?

Thank you for responding. The GM "future product plans" report is forthcoming from Automotive News this month, right? If there were plans to use the Holden Statesman as a Buick, will it be reflected in the Automotive News year-by-year chart, or is it too late of a development? If there aren't plans as I've described above for a Buick "halo," why did Lutz mention a Buick Statesman? Why was there a report that GM board members were recently given the opportunity to drive some of the Holden cars, eyeing potential use in NA? For further discussion, please view CamaroZ28.com under their "Automotive News / Future Vehicle Discussion" thread titled "Best quote I've seen re: Holden's role in US RWD car development." It was posted by guionM.

There are many threads on C&G addressing bits and pieces of Buick's future line-up. Based on available facts plus some speculation, I believe that Buick has and will receive the bulk of the $3 billion promised for their revitalization. Due to higher priorities over the last few years, the plans and cadence of Buick's new vehicles had to be delayed or changed. Again,based on available facts plus some speculation, here is what I foresee as their present intentions, to make Buick "elegant, graceful and incredibly sophisticated": GMT*** = Lambda crossover sport-utility = 2008 Buick Enclave [ production begins late 2006 ] GMX*** = W body with upgraded powerplant / revised front end = 2008 Buick LaCrosse Super [ production begins during this period ] GMX*** = Global RWD (based on Holden LWB VE) = 2009 Buick Statesman convertible [ production begins early 2008 ] NOTE: The above Buick Statesman will NOT replace the Lucerne. It will be intended as Buick's "halo car," achieving a low sales volume. It MAY carry the name "Riviera," a word mark first used by GM in 1963, registered by them in 1989, and still "live." (The name "Invicta" will NOT be used, as its trademark filing was abandoned March 21, 2006. Similarly, GM's "Roadmaster" word mark, first used in 1936 and registered March 5, 1991, was canceled on March 17, 2002, so it will NOT be used either.) GMX*** = LWB Epsilon II = 2010 Buick LaCrosse [ production begins winter 2009 ] GMT*** = Theta crossover = 2010 Buick crossover [ not yet approved and not yet named - will depend on market conditions ] GMX*** = Global RWD (based on Holden) = 2011 Buick Lucerne [ production begins Oct. 2010 ] Comments? E D I T - In respect of the confidentiality of certain GM information, I have removed GMX and GMT code numbers, even though these occasionally come up in these and other forums, and are available on at least one personal website.

We all know GM has a long way to go, but how about this headline: "GM exec: Sales slide finally over". To read the article, which is in today's Detroit News, click here.

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Peter DeLorenzo, on his website autoextremist.com, has re-printed an older piece about car companies and golf tieups. As he puts it, "In honor of the Buick Open, which takes place up the road in Grand Blanc this week, we thought we'd set the Way Back machine to July 27, 1999 (AE#9), when Peter exposed the true reasons for the car companies' infatuation with sponsoring professional golf." GMman: I'm sorry, I don't know what the date for availability of AWD on the Enclave will be. Cananopie: I've noticed that, too - but I thought it was, somehow, that msnbc.com or Google or Yahoo (or whoever) kept statistics about the things I searched on or looked at (ex: Buick, Buick, Buick) and so "customized" the pages that I see with focused advertising. If not, then GM is doing a good job keeping the Lucerne online.

Some especially good ones came in toward the end. Can we vote yet, or do we have to wait until you open the phone lines at the end of the show? Remember... these are "888" numbers, not "800."

Today I received an e-mail from Buick about a "signature Tiger Woods hat." Here is a direct link. I personally don't care about Tiger Woods or his hat, but I'm glad to see continued promotion in support of Lucerne.

Did the writer mean the Opel Kadettes, sold at one point through U.S. Buick dealers?

The 2006 Buick model line-up actually looks pretty good, as shown for the "Buick Summer Event" on buick.com's homepage. The Lucerne is in the forefront, and the LaCrosse, Rendezvous, Rainier, and Terraza are also shown, each in a gray or silver. To view the page, click here.

I don't know if you consider other GM fan websites as competition, but I wanted to alert you to "Help Fix GM." To go directly to the website, click here. At this time, there's not a lot of content, but mostly a request for ideas to, as the name says, help fix GM. Would you ever consider a merger between C&G, GMI, and Help Fix GM? (Hey, if nowadays people suggest that GM merge with anyone and everyone... ) Just think of how you could reduce the cost of bandwidth with united buying power. Just think of how you could triple the number of complainers. Or silly posts like this one.

LaCrosse is continuing on, as an Epsilon II.

No, I mean let the present G-body Lucerne run its course (until it's replaced by a RWD Zeta in late 2010), but also sooner than that (ca.2008?) introduce (import from Australia?) a large wheelbase Statesman as a RWD flagship, priced above Lucerne. Maybe as their "halo", though personally, I'd prefer something with more pizzazz and not a conventional 4-door. Otherwise, why did Lutz mention the Statesman becoming a Buick? Is he talking 5 model years from now?

And there's no chance GM would say the Lucerne is FWD and the lwb Zeta is RWD so Buick can have both? (I hope they don't, but I'm just wondering.)

ehaase: Thank you for kindly correcting me. 91z4me seemed to be suggesting that Buick would offer a Lucerne and a lwb Zeta, but perhaps I misunderstood there, too. Given your response, I'm relieved that GM won't be giving Buick two large 4-door sedans, in what I understand to be a declining market segment. By the way, I noticed your comment elsewhere on C&G about possibly canceling your subscription to Automotive News. I know that you hold them high on the accuracy scale. Traditionally, their special reports about GM, Ford, etc. "future product plans" come out several weeks in a row around August and are my favorite issues, so I contacted the Chicago advertising office of Automotive News a few days ago, to find out if any local newstand sold single weekly copies of the publication. Nope, I was told they are only available by subscription. Anyway, you're right, the news and rumors do make it here without having to pay for a print subscription.

thegriffon: I'm confused. Can you please clarify: so the lwb Zeta Buick will come before the Lucerne gets replaced in Oct. 2010 then? Will there be (and does the market call for) two large-ish Buick 4-door sedans? How much of its own bodywork will a Buick have - or do you expect it to be a virtual copy of the Holden, but with a Buick front and rear? Or will it be just like the Royaum is in China? Is this the vehicle GM will use to make a halo car for Buick?