Northstar

I editted your post since it was already posted here.

I'm not too impressed with the LaCrosse but I haven't driven one either. However, at the Chicago ASIM that we went to, the first thing my dad said when he was driving the LaCrosse (CXS) was "this is a grandma's car".

Yuck. The '69 Camaro looks horrible in that color.

What's the point of the Lambda-based Rendezvous replacement then?

I think the base Vette will get the normally aspirated 6.2L as the base engine to replace the LS2, NOS.

It's based on the Lambda platform, same as the upcoming Saturn Outlook and Buick Rendezvous replacement. It's suppoed to have both V6 and V8 engines, and should have the 6-speed transmission. Lambda is FWD or AWD and will also underpin the next minivans. That's about all we know at this time I think, but AH-HA and other insiders probably know more.

What's wrong with a sedan version of the GTO carrying the Grand Prix or G8 name?

I don't know, but I'd imagine the LS2 sticks around in other performance models, unless it will just be totally replaced by the LS2.

I don't think the LS7 will go into the Camaro, but it seems like the LS3 would be a good bet to go into a Camaro. The LS7 costs like $12k I believe, so it would be rather expensive to put in a Camaro, and as CaddyXLR-V, there is limited capacity. I think the 6.2L may be getting supercharged rather than the LS7 because the LS7's cylinder walls are so thin.

Could you post the article too?

I doubt they would wait until New York. Isn't that in late March or April? I think the Escalade will be out by then.

Interesting, it looks smaller in these pics than the others; I'd say it's about the size of the SRX actually. I hope there is still room for a decent third row seat. Are there any more from this location? It looks like the person could have walked right up and taken a good shot of the interior if they wanted to.

No, the G6 convert is still a go, GM sent Autonews a letter saying that they were wrong and it was still on schedule for early '06 release.

I think it's probably the Gamma platform. He said it's a new family of cars, and the ION is already on Delta, so it wouldn't be a new family of cars. The Aveo is already a hatch and notchback and there is probably some MAV in Europe that could use Gamma. So I'm guessing it's Gamma.

Looks good Toxic, nice job.

The GM emblems are only going on what reflects the "new" GM. Anything more than a couple years old except for the CTS I think won't have it until they are redesigned.

I'm not sure if at made this clear before, but the deadline is 12:01 AM EST on Sunday, August 28th. Meaning Saturday night is basically the deadline.

I'm not sure if at made this clear before, but the deadline is 12:01 AM EST on Sunday, September 18th. Meaning Saturday night is basically the deadline.

Link GM will be showing 4 concept cars along with 8 world premieres at the show. I'm not sure what exactly is debuting, but we did hear a while back that there would be a Chevy concept that shows off the future styling direction for Chevy. Apparantly the new Aveo is making it's European debut, and the Astra TwinTop will be there as well. I'm still not sure what else is debuting though.

Link (See 1st and 2nd post) It sounds as though the Corvette will be getting a 6.2L V8 "LS3" with ~450HP in '08 and that the Z06 will be getting a supercharged version dubbed LS9 with over 600HP. It seems weird to me that they would drop the LS7 already as it must have been pretty expensive to develop, so maybe the Z06 keeps the LS7 and the "Blue Devil" gets the "LS9".

JASON STEIN | Automotive News Posted Date: 8/22/05 http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=103024 General Motors has promised to run product development globally in the past. This time it's actually happening. After several false starts, GM is assigning global programs to different vehicle development centers around the world. The automaker now has globalized engineering, design, information systems and manufacturing, with global operating and capital budgets. For instance, engineering work on the next generation of vehicles on the mid-sized, front-wheel-drive Epsilon architecture -- including the Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 -- now is led by GM's German unit in Ruesselsheim. The goal is that vehicles on Epsilon 2 built around the world will share dimensions, components and manufacturing processes. If necessary, they could be built in the same plant. Epsilon 2 is scheduled to debut in the 2009 model year. The automaker has tried this before. GM executives touted the company's initial Epsilon architecture, and the fwd, small-car Delta architecture, as global platforms. But GM failed to deliver. Adam Opel AG rejected Delta for its Astra small car. And each region that used Epsilon modified it, adding cost and making the vehicles just different enough that parts and production systems weren't interchangeable. "Today's Epsilon is not interbuildable," GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz admitted this year. "We call them all Epsilon, but Saabs can't be built in a German Epsilon plant. "German Epsilons can't be built in a Saab plant. Malibu and G6 couldn't be built in Europe. (Opel) Vectra couldn't be built in the United States." To remedy the problem, GM has taken considerable autonomy away from regional presidents. In March, GM created the Automotive Product Board to keep an eye on the process. For better or worse, the board is meant to ensure that the variations of the past no longer can occur. To take advantage of economies in purchasing, vehicles built on global architectures will have identical parts and connecting points under the skin, GM promises. Plug-and-play is the goal. GM uses the term "architecture" to signify a set of common components, performance characteristics, a common manufacturing process, a range of dimensions and connecting points for key component systems. Problems with G6 One car -- the G6 -- prompted the new push for truly global design. GM engineers in North America wanted to create a convertible version of the G6. But they couldn't use the Saab 9-3 convertible as the basis for the G6, even though both are based on Epsilon. Saab engineers had changed the points that attach the vehicle to the assembly line, GM Chairman Rick Wagoner said at the Geneva auto show in March. The product board will "clean up those kinds of things," Wagoner said. To coordinate its transformation, GM appointed Jon Lauckner to the newly created post of vice president of global program management on May 1. Lauckner was a global vehicle line executive on the Epsilon program, coordinating development of products for Europe and North America. GM created Lauckner's position to reduce overlaps in engineering and purchasing and to cut lead times. Technically, GM's virtual reality centers in different regions, along with increasingly powerful computer connections, will enable teams to collaborate globally to design and engineer vehicles, executives say. That will allow different regions to influence product decisions. GM's four regions are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America/Africa/Middle East. Borrowing from Opel Saturn's next wave of North American products will include vehicles built on the Epsilon and Delta small-vehicle fwd architectures, but they will be engineered and styled with the help of Opel in Germany. Now Opel will develop as many as three models that could be sold under its own name in Europe and as Saturns in North America. Theta, GM's next-generation sport wagons, will expand with engineering help from GM Daewoo & Technology in South Korea. Everything is on the table. Global is finally a go. "We will be able to build a Buick Epsilon in China, a Saab Epsilon in Korea or the United States," Lutz promises. "Once we get identical parts, we have these enormous savings in worldwide parts buying."

It looks like a SUV version of the Sonata to me. Both the front end and the interior resemble the Sonata.

Interesting. So this would be in addition to the H2 SUT? I guess it would be ok, but I feel the money would be better spent on an H3T (truck) and H3 SUT.

A good read. The only negative thing I get out of it is that GM seems to be getting maybe a little over cofident in its future products and I think might lose a little focus because of it. It's good to have confidence in what you're doing, but I don't want to see GM be overly confident because they're still losing market share and still have their backs against the wall. If they were gaining share (and had been for some time) it'd be different, but I don't want to see GM think it's products are so good that they will automatically put it back in the game. GM needs to act as if its life depends upon every product that it puts out, because it does. Anyways, hopefully the products are as good as he says they are. It's unfortunate that we don't have any pictures from the event.

This Cobalt was a concept at Sema, I don't remember exactly what engine it had though.