smk4565

Properly executed brands could succeed (although Saab and Hummer have no place anymore), but GM doesn't have the money to pay to make every brand properly executed. The cash burn is over $1 billion a month, by 2010 they are out of cash. Meanwhile Toyota has $25 billion in cash, and yearly profits in the $15 billion range. GM can probably fund 4 great brands and attract new buyers, or they can keep funding 8 mediocre brands and lose sales. If the luxury market is shrinking, then BMW Group must be doing something right, because they sold 746,000 cars worldwide in the first 6 months, which is a record for them. Mini is up, Rolls-Royce is up, and BMW is up. Mercedes and Audi sales are up this year also. Maybe just the American and Japanese luxury brands are shrinking.

Exactly. 30+ years of brand recognition, vs a new car that no one will know, and they will have to run a big advertising campaign for.

Saab lost $428 million in 2006. I have said for years, too many brands, too many models and too many big SUVs. History and Nostalgia can't be used as factors when determining which brands to keep. They need Chevy and Cadillac, and 2 brands to fill the gap with semi-luxury and sporty cars and niche products. Trying to keep 8 brands going another 5-10 years will lead to bankruptcy. The stock is at a 55 year low, market share has gone from 40% to 20% in the past 20 years, the strategy has to change and change radically.

What is the last Buick made without a marshmallow suspension? The 1987 GNX comes to mind and that was limited production. I've driven the Aura XR, which handles pretty well for a front drive car, still rolls a little, but the engine I thought lacked refinement. The Buick won't be tuned at tight as the Aura XR. My Aurora body rolls more than I'd like it to, I can't see a Buick with tighter handling than the Aurora or the Saturn. I hope Epsilon II is good because Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear called Epsilon the worst chassis ever while driving a Vauxhall Vectra. I think that is a little harsh, I have a friend with an 04 Malibu, there are definitely worse chassis. Although after driving 2 Epsilon cars, I can say I wouldn't buy one.

Where's the V8? They killed the Ultra, and the LS3 isn't the answer.

Those are 2 awfully different cars. One looks good and has handling, the other will drive like the suspension is made out of marshmallows and brakes made out of wood.

It looks similar to the Malibu interior (similar gauges) but with a faux leather wrapped dash to be like the CTS. Much better than the current LaCrosse, but nothing breakthrough or exciting. Hopefully this tops the Accord's top end interior. Looks like they got the 2-tone gray with silver metal trim a la the Sebring.

These 3 won't be missed, Nissan has the Rogue, Xterra, and Murano (which I think are ugly) for SUVs and they were always geared more toward sportiness, big trucks don't fit their image. They can always make the Pathfinder off the Frontier platform if they need a bigger SUV. The demographics of Nissan buyers may not include families with 3+ kids, so maybe they don't feel they need a big vehicle. I think more big SUVs from other brands will get cut in the future, GM is cutting the H2, I could see them dumping the Yukon or Ford getting rid of the Expedition. They won't be big profit margin kings when gas is $4-5 a gallon.

If the next LaCrosse is a fancy Malibu in the $27-37k range, then they don't need the Lucerne and that is GM's answer to the ES350 and Avalon. If they have to, they can do a 25-33k Malibu sized LaCrosse and a 4-5 inch longer version on the same platform at 30-37k for the Lucerne, but it seems like overlap to me. G-body can't fit the 6-speed, Epsilon is the only front drive GM platform that can, if they make an Epsilon Cadillac I won't ever step foot in a Cadillac dealership again. Front wheel drive cars are not worth over $40k. The good V6s are powerful enough to torque steer like crazy and the ride/handling of anything front drive will never be as good as a $40k+ rear drive car. Cadillac's problem is they are the value luxury brand, people buy a luxury car for prestige and because of the features/performance of it, not because it is cheap and the common man has one. The Alpha Cadillac can be priced where the CTS is now, everything else they make should be over $45k. GM is too invested in trucks, they put their R&D and marketing money into trucks and now trucks aren't selling and they don't have enough cars that are winners or fuel efficient options. What's worse is it will take the 4 years to react to what the market is demanding now. GM has sold 843 hybrids in 2008, that is pathetic. They don't have any diesel plans either, when a midsize diesel sedan could easily get 28 mpg and still be sporty. What frustrates me is, I think the Silverado, Yukon, Tahoe, etc will keep getting made with their big V8s, but to compensate in CAFE they will make all wimpy 4 cylinder rental cars. So Cadillac will be stuck with V6s only, so they can make 14 mpg trucks that need $6000 rebates to sell.

Can't make a front drive Cadillac, the biggest Cadillac has to cost at least $80,000, priced in the 50s will make it a bust like the STS was. GM needs diesels, a BMW 335d has the same 0-60 time as a CTS DI, more quiet than an Enclave and better gas mileage than a Cobalt. The problem is diesel is $4.30 a gallon, but that is a supply issue, not a cost of production issue. Diesel is cheaper to make than gas, there just aren't any refineries for it. Automakers, plus the Gov't that wants higher mileage needs to push for more diesel production capacity. If they kill Hummer all together, that helps CAFE, instead of spending $4+ billion a year on Saab to generate $3.5 billion in revenue, they can kill that off, and put that $4 billion into fuel saving and weight reduction technology. Saturn sales are down, even with the all new lineup, if they stay in a slump, they could kill this brand, make the Astra a Pontiac, Vue a GMC, Sky could go to Chevy (or dumped, they have the Solstice) don't need the Aura with the Malibu being same size, price and content, don't need the Outlook. The problem with GM4life's Cadillac plan is the 3-series is an entry level car, a Mercedes E-class is a mid level car. If the CTS is mid-level it should be $53-70,000. The FTS (not sure why F) to be an LS killer would have to be near $100k. A LS600h is $120,000 and there is supposedly a V12 hybrid version coming that makes 500+ hp. Cadillac's flagship should have an interior as good as or better than the S-class, 197 inch long in regular length, 203 inch long for the long wheelbase version. Aluminum frame and all with 8-speed auto and these engines: 2.9 liter turbo diesel V6 + hybrid (key for both CAFE and NY, L.A., London, etc) 4.5 liter turbo diesel V8 + hybrid 4.2-4.6 liter twin turbo (or supercharged) DOHC V8 + 2-mode hybrid (has to be all new, not based on Northstar) 5.8 liter turbo diesel V12 +hybrid I would be fine with them using a light hybrid system with the diesels since the diesels would already see a big mpg gain over the gas versions. The light hybrid system may help keep weight down, so it could be the better way to go when paired with the diesel engine.

There isn't much "special" about that car. The wheels look cheap and tacky, I love the super bright chrome next to the gray plastic under the front and rear bumpers and plastic slats where fog lights normally are. The Impala HVAC controls and shifter from the 2000 Deville are sweet too. The single exhaust and port holes hint at the massive power lurking under the hood. This car looks like it was made in 1998, not 2008.

I think they should call it the CTS Maxx.

The C-pillar is huge, the back looks like the 9-3 wagon.

This is a major problem, I agree. GM designs a lot of cars knowing it will take a rebate to sell it. This is why I think they should go all out on the ULS and make it the best sedan on the planet. Lexus plans to sell 1 million vehicles by 2011, and they may be able to do it because Toyota has $8 billion a year to spend on R&D and they can easily give $3 billion of that to Lexus. GM has 6.5 billion to spend, if they give $3 billion to Cadillac, only 3.5 billion is left for Saturn/Opel/Vauxhaul, Chevy, Pontiac/Holden. Buick, GMC, Saab, Hummer all combined. GM has to pick which battles to fight, they can't compete in every segment, but I would rather see them spread their cars over more segments, like building ultra luxury cars, a minivan, etc, rather than 4 Lambdas, 5 $20-28k front drive sedans, 6 GMT900s, etc. Since this is about fuel efficient Pontiacs, they should sell more Vibes, it gets good mileage. They can sell them to Avis and Enterprise like crazy, maybe bring down that resale on them.

Or you can kill off the Pontiac or Buick brands that are dying anyway and there is all sorts of room to sell Impalas at $26-35k. Factor in inflation also, every car has gone up in price, by 2011 $30k for an Impala won't be that much, the Avalon and 300C run near $40,000 now. A Buick sedan priced the same as a Cadillac sedan won't work, Buick is not a luxury brand. Cadillc does have to move up market though, they are really close to being Lincoln or Acura in their current form. The D-series car at 50-70k won't compete with the 7-series or S-class. That is what an E-class costs. They have to engineer the hell out of the DTS and put in leather, carpet, wood and aluminum in the interior, all that costs money. The VW Phaeton (though a flop) was engineered with 10 parameters, one of which, was that the car had to be able to go 180 mph, in 122 degree heat while maintaining and interior temperature of 71.6 degrees. The name DTS won't work, that is what 74 year olds buy, I'll call it ULS (not fond of that name either) for now. The ULS should have 4 seats that move a minimum of 14 ways, heated, cooled and message in all 4. The top speed of the V8 (or V12) model should be over 200 mph (yes faster than a Z06), the door hinges should be able to support 400 pounds of weight, the base car should get over 25 mpg in the city or 25 mpg avg, 65 or less dBA interior sound at 70 mph. Rust warranty should be 14 year/unlimited miles, bumper to bumper warranty of 7 years/100k miles. The S-class has 35 years of engineering behind it, Cadillac needs to start catching up. The ULS needs to aim higher than anything GM has ever built. Lexus is rumored to be doing a 500+ hp V12 engine for the LS, could be a hybrid V12 also.

The compact entry level luxury cars aren't that bad in mileage, an Acura TL beats a Malibu V6, the MKZ is about the same, maybe 1 mpg better, the Audi A4 2.0 gets about 23-24 mpg, that is almost as good as the Cobalt. I think the problem GM has, is their luxury cars are all big, and they don't have small, premium cars like the Mini Cooper, Volvo C30, A4, IS20, etc. Personally, I wouldn't consider any of those cars, but for people that live in NY, or LA and are always in the city, not on highways or climbing hills, the power to economy ratio of those cars fits their needs. The BTS better not be $29,000, Camrys cost that much. Cadillac needs to aim higher. At some point they need to compete with the 5-series and E-Class. Cadillac needs a mid level car, a $37,000 car interior won't match up the the $53,000 E350. Even if Zeta is the best platform GM has ever made (which I am not convinced of yet), will people pay $90-100,000 for a car built on it. Maybe if they can do Sigma II in steel for the CTS at $45k, they can do an aluminum version for a CLS-style STS that is $55-70k, and price the big car at $$85,000+.

I agree here, they need a Zeta Impala that is better than the Genesis, better than any Buick or Pontiac. I would love to see aluminum Cadillacs, but it is expensive, and GM struggles with building expensive sedans, and they probably don't think they can sell a $50-60,000 CTS. I have been going on for years about how Cadillac needs to go upmarket. The CTS should be on an aluminum frame, weigh 3600 pounds, 8-speed automatic and 305 hp V6 in the base model, if it costs $50,000 so be it. An E-class is $52,000 base price and they sell just fine.

Luxury cars are no where near as bad as GMT900s or even the Lambdas in gas mileage. Even a gas hog like the 550i gets the same mileage as an Enclave or Acadia AWD, and the 535i and CTS get the same mileage as the Malibu and better than a G8 V6. Although your point about congestion in cities is very valid, and there should be fuel efficient luxury cars for those that idle in cities a lot and never get on a highway. Mercedes has a 30 mpg S-class hybrid coming and a diesel hybrid S-class that gets mileage of a Prius coming, Lexus will have a hybrid over every vehicle they make in a few years. Jim Taylor said that Cadillac would wait to see how successful Mercedes is with diesels before they try it, that is a huge mistake. The mild hybrid system is good for about 2 mpg, maybe 3. That would make a V6 G8 getting 20/27 mpg, not 30/45. Since the 2.2 Ecotec is rated at 22/31 in the Cobalt and less in the HHR, I think 24/36 out of a GM V6 is not going to happen. I would like to see a smaller DI V6 in the 3.0-3.2 liter range with 240-250 hp and better mileage than the 3.6 , because the 3.6 is thirsty for some reason and 245 hp is fine for most front drive cars. Weight reduction is key, GM has lots of heavy cars.

Wow, this sounds like I wrote it, haha. Pontiacs and Buicks depreciate fast, actually Cadillacs do also compared to BMW or Lexus. They all make for good used car buys, but not new car buys. The G8 coupe would probably get near the low end price of a G37, and Infiniti is a lot more prestigious than Pontiac. Plus there is CAFE to consider, since GM builds Hummers, Silverados and Yukons, they'll need lots of 4-banger cars to offset that when the day that cars and trucks are combined comes.

I actually think Pontiac should become fleet central, the Vibe, G6, G5 are priced the same or less than the Chevy counterparts, at least then the fleet sales would be from one brand, not multiple brands like it is now. Then only one brand has poor resale value. I thought when the UAW contract was ironed out it said the G6 was getting an update for 2012-2013. I think this car has 4 more years in it's current form, so I can't see it being anymore than a rental car as times goes on. It is already uncompetitive.

It doesn't offer any benefit, but it is cheap to build, and Pontiac and Buick are both rely on incentives and low prices to move cars, so they need cheap engines like the 3500 and 3800. Same reason the 3400 is in the Equinox and Torrent, it s a cheap engine and it is built in China and is even cheaper. The G6 is priced below the Malibu, it isn't a sports sedan, it is an economy/rental sedan.

Ok, my mistake, the 1987 3800 only had 170 hp, the 2008 Lucerne's 197 hp is a quantum leap forward, although it is 8 hp behind the 1994 LeSabre/Park Avenue. And the Northstar was revamped to run on regular gas in 2000, so that is impressive, no horsepower or fuel economy gains in 15 years though. But isn't like other automakers have gone from 190 hp V6s to 300 h V6s or 250 hp V8s to 400+ hp V8s over that same time period.

I agree, GM renames cars and models too much, same with base, LS, LT at chevy and then base is LS and there is LT1, LT2, LT3, etc. I think they change car names a lot because cars like the Grand Prix get dated and fleeted out so the reputation is trashed and they have to give a car a new name, vs Accord/Camry which have been around forever and people are familiar with it. Buick is cheap, that is why they have the 3800, and most of their customers drive slow and don't know the difference anyway. The Northstar powered Lucerne is slower than a V6 Malibu or Camry and the 6-speed doesn't fit on their ancient chassis. The Lucerne won't be competitive until it has a new chassis, new styling, new engine, new interior, new transmission, new marketing and new customer base. Once they take care of that, Buick is on the comeback trail.

Maybe GM could buy Duesenberg and try to bring them back. They had awesome cars. Since GM paid off all the Olds dealers, maybe one way to reduce the sales channel and dealer problem is kill 3-4 brands and bring back Olds but sell the license fee at a premium price to offset the dealer payoffs to dump dead weight like Saab, Hummer, Buick, and so-so Saturn.

I would suspect minimal changes in the sedans, they haven't upgraded the engine/transmission since 1987, why start now.