Windy-57

Thank you Believe it or not, this discussion has been had within GM. I don't think it will actually happen either, but it already has elements of being separate from the Chevy brand; when was the last time a Vette wore a bowtie?

Yeah, I think this was all part of the idea that GM would spawn a brand around Corvette. You could have a Kappa as an entry model, a front-engine rear-drive model like the one that exists, and mid-engine that would share with a Caddy CIEN type vehicle. However, I think this idea has been tanked. You never know when it will be alive again, but I wouldn't expect it to happen until GM is solidly on their feet and they feel that they are competing at the level they need to be in other areas.

Good to hear they are moving this way. And not for the obvious reasons, fuel economy and image. Someone already said it but fuel economy isn't really a huge concern in the luxury game and the positive image of driving a hybrid is starting to wane. But I like this because it's real tough to be a true luxury competitor if you're not seen as a technological leader and it's real tough to be seen as a technological leader these days if you don't have any hybrids.

There have been rumblings for a long time now about GM making a new brand called Corvette. All the models would take after the original in that they would rival the best performance cars in the world, but have a more down-to-earth price tag. So in that light, a mid-engine "halo" Vette to sit next to the current would make a lot of sense. But don't take this seriously, it's only rumblings and wishing and there is no reason to expect this to actually happen.

This assumes that there's a 1 for 1 trade off. Remember, GM and the rest of the Big 3 used to shove new models down the throats of rental fleets to help keep inventories from going crazy and to inflate sales numbers. They would do so with rediculous bargains; at the time they didn't care because they owned the rental companies and were making money on that end and the units counted toward sales totals. Then they realized that doing that killed resale value and have been backing off ever since. So, I would assume that as GM reduces their fleet units, there will simply be fewer fleet transactions...or another way, there will be a chunk of those sales that nobody picks up.

I like the idea of being more product focused, but I don't think they should drop him from Buick altogether. Lexus was all over the U.S. Open this year...and for a reason. If Buick is going after Lexus, they need to have a strong presence in golf. I do think they can do that while centering on the product, but Tiger can still do a lot of good for Buick...especially if they get some more new products. BTW, what relevance does Tiger have to OnStar??

Wow, very interesting idea. I don't know about this case in specific, but the idea of a stripped down model that would appeal to the aftermarket junkie...very interesting.

I heard they were interested in Land Rover too. It would be interesting to see the synergies they could come up with for LR and Jeep. But, then again, they could ruin them by sharing too much. Jaguar would be a good addition too given Chrysler doesn't currently have anything that competes in Jaguar's markets, but they may run into the same trouble as DCX did and not be able to find any meaningful tieups. I can't see Jaguars sharing a lot of platforms or components with Chryslers or Dodges.

I like the "Rethink American" idea but I also liked, "Like Always, Like Never Before." I think Saturn has the product to back up these strategies and the Aura will size up well to the Camry and Accord. Ford's, "Have you driven a Ford lately?" campaign was similar, but they couldn't back it up.

A couple of things to consider: 1. GM replaced a bunch of workers with their buyouts last year. The timing of that would coincide such that the first few models being produced by the new workers would be bought just before Power's surveys went into field. On the other hand, Ford had plenty of 2007s built before their buyouts were done. 2. In terms of quality trends, new vehciles (ones that were redesigned or received an MCE) usually score lower than those that have been around a while. After producing the same model for a couple of years, the plants usually have the little kinks knocked out. And, these little kinks make a big difference when you consider how closely the quality scores are. Point is that GM has churned out a lot of new models over the past year and is more apt to not score as well because of that. Still, I'd rather have a bunch of new models in the showrooms and a slightly lower IQS than have it be the other way around. So, given these factors, I would expect GM to score much better next year...at least they better.

Still 500+ though, right? That would do well in comparison to any competitor.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_ne...cadillac_cts_v/ According to Motor Trend, the next CTS-V will have a detuned version of the upcoming Corvette Blue Devil engine that will put out about 600 hp. Don't know how reliable this is, but if it's true, I'm starting to save my pennies. As pointed out, this will beat the pants off of any direct competitor and will even whip some a segment up. What I like most about this (other than the 600-hp part) is that GM used their "internal synergies" to do this at a lower cost. Which, also makes me think that other cars to get versions of this engine are the STS-V and XLR-V. After that, who knows? Maybe the engine will be used for the Vette and Caddy exclusively, maybe it will find its way into some Pontiacs further down the road when a new top-of-the-line engine is in the works? Doesn't matter cause this is good news any way you slice it.

Do you mean they're actually doing them? I had thought that was mostly speculation and GM hadn't done any real work on those yet. Interesting side thought, what if an El Camino and wagon were the same model only different bodystyles...imagine a Magnum with a bed.

Great point about the Corvette and its mileage. However, the Vette is definitely the exception to the rule. I truly believe that there is a threshold for how high gas prices will rise and how many people will substitute out of large vehicles. For a while now I've thought it's much worse to own a 2-seat roadster that gets 15 mpg as opposed to a Tahoe that gets about the same. At some point, people will start abandoning sporty cars for that fact. I'll even go further as to say that I believe there is a level that gas prices can hit that will actually cause people to return to large vehicles and alter their behaviors instead (car pool). Think about it, one popular method of saving on gas costs and lowering emmissions is to take public transit. And the last time I checked, buses aren't too fuel efficient, they just carry a lot of people. In that right, how many people can you fit in a Suburban? Taking 7 people to work with you and sharing gas costs will save you a lot more money than buying a Prius will.

Well put. Lately, GM has gotten pretty good at generating buzz without giving away the farm.

This is the type of stuff GM was talking about when they mentioned leveraging internal synergies. If they don't waste money on bunch of different midsize FWD architectures globally, they can afford one FWD and one RWD. Good to see that not only the idea is there, but it is starting to make its way into practice. As for Saturn, I'm trying to figure that out myself. I'm sure it has something to do with competing with Euro/Asian competitors, but what? And sorry, but the HHR should stay put where it is, I would guess this structure would be too expensive for such a car. In terms of Chevy application, what would be interesting would be to see a Cobalt on the next Delta and a Cobalt SS on Alpha. One model line, 2 platforms...sort of like the Sebring sedan and coupe of old.

I personally like Velite. I think it says what you want and is a fresh start rather than going back to a name that's was used while the brand was being ruined. That said, if GM is really going global with naming, I'd expect Riviera since they used that name for the concept shown in China, and China will have a lot of influence over this brand going forward. So if this is true, I'd imagine this would replace the Chinese Park Ave. in America much like there will be a completely different program G8 to replace the Holden rebadge? A convertible version like that would be pretty different from the Velite concept. So, what does this put the NA Zeta count at now, 8? Buick (2) - Park Ave (is this Lucerne rplt.?), Velite Pontiac (2) - G8, GTO Chevy (2) - Impala, Camaro Cadillac (2) - DTS rplt., $100K sedan What do I have wrong/am I missing?

I'm pretty sure Lambda is one of the structures they are adapting the dual-stage to fit on, correct?

By and large, they are not cost effective. Saying mileage may vary is a gross understatement. I know the argument goes "If you drive it correctly...", but that's just it, the average driver won't, they'll drive the way they always have. Also, another big thing that people seem to be overlooking is while 100mpg sounds great, that's based on a plug-in system. How much is it going to increase your utility bills when you start plugging in your car every night. Still, I agree with your direction Oldsmoboi, these are the early steps of innovation toward a greater good. I truly believe that someday, no matter what system (hydrogen, ethanol or petroleum) triumphs, all cars will have some form of a hybrid system. The only question left is how far the efficiency of these systems can be stretched and how quickly costs can be lowered.

Just squink when looking at an Outlook...sorry, that was low. Despite the inevitable similarities to the Outlook and Acadia, I think this vehicle will kick some major arse. The Lambdas are already well received and they will have a couple of years to work out the kinks plus add some MCE enhancements. Look out Pilot. On the other hand, Traverse...really? What is with naming in the auto industry? What about that name speaks to what the Chevy brand is about? What about that name speaks to what the vehicle is about? Could do so much better.

Tough to play with the Big Boys... This is a real shot to Toyota's long-term hopes in this market. It's tough enough to get buyers out of their Silverados and F-150s to try a Tundra for the first time; a bad experience will resonate for a long time. Note to GM: This is good news, but don't think it's OK to relax now...step on their throats.

OK, I know I'm a bit behind the times here and this has already been discussed, but I like this too. It's a bit "bangled", but that should help separate it from the Malibu and compete with more of an import crowd. Also, the rear-seat room looks pretty ample.

Yeah, it'll still be here. You might also want to take a gander at an HHR although, if you felt the Caliber was too small... Not to sway you away from GM, but what about a Patriot?

How, if at all, would this affect GM's ability to meet future fuel economy standards?

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/18/cerberu...sler-financial/ I know it had been mentioned plenty that Cerberus would now own both Chrysler and a controlling stake in GMAC, but what's interesting is thinking about this in context of Chrysler Credit and GMAC tieups. I don't know what kind of synergies could be found (I'm not that well versed on the financial sector) but these companies are already cash cows. If they did find synergies and made a tieup, that alone could go a long way toward justifying their investment in Chrysler.