hyperv6

Pontiac had several versions of one model in the days of old. Untill GM fixes Chevy and other problems Pontiac can chill with one model. As it is they are not making a killing with the prices they are selling for. So to sell cars just for the sake of market share is not going to work if they stop sending them to Avis. MY GP resales is trashed due to fleet sales. Even my Loaded GTP is killed due to the many rental GT's. Untill GM can afford to fix the many Pontiac models I would rather see them get set aside till the funds are their to bring them back. It is not the G names that killed Pontiac but the cars they are offering. GM just does not have the money to fix all these models and Chevy at the same time. Chevy is the profit center so it get the money. I am sure Lutz would like to fix Pontiac as much as we do as it is the division that suit his personality. If you don't have the money you just don't have the money. And to bring back Pontiac to the point they will get a good return on that money they need a lot more than GM can give right now. Too many here are too close to Pontiac and just don't see them in the same light as the general public does. It ain't good outside the enthusiast circles. I take a good beating from the non Poncho fans for my like of Pontiac and I can say they are all wrong. The G name issue never even comes up as most of the cars they like are all number models from various brands.

Looks like the SAAB prototype running around. A 9-5 I think?I I hate the present NOX but I like this one!

Comes down to simple economics. Buick is the best selling car in the worlds largest growing market and Chevy is GM's largest selling brand and is now being sold world wide as the models are now becoming world models. Pontiac on the other hand is sold in Canada. Unless you want to count Holdens down under is is a limited brand that is not established anywhere else. As for remaking the brand it will only add cost. GM could afford to be creative in 1956 when they removed the chrome. But to day GM can not afford to spend money on a brand that is no sure thing to return with out a lot of help and funds. We have to look at GM today as a global company and not a American company. Market share is nothing if you selling G8's with little to no marketing for $23.995. Profit is what is more important not market share. If your not making a profit why bother making cars? GM can only afford to market only so many cars and what get left off sits on dealer lots. It is a competitive market and you need to push product. GM casn rely on people with good memories of the 60's anymore as they are dying off. THey need to reach non traditional buyers as conquest sales are the way out of this mess. GM needed to cut models and Pontiac is the least important on the world stage. Now keeping one model may be to prevent them from paying out to the dealers if they were to close Pontiac. It may be to keep the name alive to where they can return it at a later date. There is a lot we don't know yet. As in what we don't know. Too many assume we will keep the G8 as the one model? We might but it also could just as easy be the Vibe as it is not made by GM and would be very cheap to keep and would meet the new CAFE rules. It also is new and is selling well. To me it is not a Pontiac but it is the cheapest thing to keep and one day could be spun into a Mini Cooper like car on a Delta 2 or something like that. Lets see how GM does. We may not be happy with all that is going on now but as long as the name is alive it can return. The bottom line economically something had to give and Pontiac on a world market was the weakest link.

Which ONE? Something we may have to consider is the one Pontiac I would at least hope is the G8. If not a newer model to replace it. But also is GM going the cheap way out to keep one Pontiac to not have to pay the dealers at this time. One Pontiac that is very cheap to produce and the only one to show a increase in sales? The one Pontiac that I count even less a Pontiac than a Rebadged Aveo. The Vibe? The Vibe is a very cheap car for GM to offer since they really do so little to produce it. I hate to see it but if Pontiac is cut down just for the money the Vibe may be the only one that could live to prevent pay outs and keep the name going till a later time. GM could eaily let someone else do the work of building a Pontiac for them. Rebranding is worse than rebadging.

Which ONE? Something we may have to consider is the one Pontiac I would at least hope is the G8. If not a newer model to replace it. But also is GM going the cheap way out to keep one Pontiac to not have to pay the dealers at this time. One Pontiac that is very cheap to produce and the only one to show a increase in sales? The one Pontiac that I count even less a Pontiac than a Rebadged Aveo. The Vibe? The Vibe is a very cheap car for GM to offer since they really do so little to produce it. I hate to see it but if Pontiac is cut down just for the money the Vibe may be the only one that could live to prevent pay outs and keep the name going till a later time. GM could eaily let someone else do the work of building a Pontiac for them. Rebranding is worse than rebadging.

The way we have to do it where I work to get performance parts from GM we have to order them though a dealer we have an arrangement with. As for Ford Motor sports and Direct Connection we are a direct vendor. We have even considered buying a small GM dealer to just be able to buy direct. Yes we sell that many parts. GM will not sell direct to us never has. About all GM parts web sites have a Dealer connection somwhere.

The truth is Ford just got their 20 billion dollar loan 2 years ago because they were in worse shape after Bill Ford got done playing. They put their plants up for collateral.

Most people look at my HHR SS and they like it but they have no clue of the Turbo let alone how much power. When I tell them they say WHAT! I did not know they offered that. I also have the 18 inch tires off for winter and just some steel wheels with retro dog dish caps on and it is fun to open it up on some import guys who don't know. I never thought I would own a HHR let alone a 4 cylinder car and so far I have had a blast. The first time I drove one I was sold as it is one of the best sorted suspesions GM has done even based on a old Delta. I am looking into the Stage kit. I have seen a could just installed and if they prove to be as good as I expect I will follow and have one put on. This on a Solstice would have to be a blast!!

Did you expect anything less? The big issue is GM needs to get to 2011 and to do that it needs to sell cars. In a time where Toyota will show a loss the odds og GM getting car slaes back soon are not good. Time to start making the needed cuts and stick to it. Time to use the economy excuse as the reason to do many of the things needed to have been done 20 years ago. This is not a time for GM to be conservitive as they always are. It is time to make the needed painful moves.

Did you send them a check to help pay to make your dreams come true? There might be a market for Pontiac but GM can hardly afford to market Chevy properly let alone a wide range of models. Lutz pointed this out in how the Malibu was marketed with $200 million dollars and the Aura with near nothing. The Malibu sold at 3 to 1 to the Aura. GM is to the point they can sell a lot of models half a$$ or they can sell less models more focused tot he public and try to win people back form Toyota and Honda. The question is how many models can GM afford to market properly? I will not be happy to see Pontiac go but if they can not build and market car properly due to the lack of money it does no one any good. Lets face it the G8 is a mystery to many in the market place. They don't know how good it is nor how affordable it is. The G8 is the kind of car that should not be sitting on dealer lots prior to the the down turn but they were. I hope things work out but I know it is business and sometimes they have to do what needs to be done popular or not.

Im worried it is getting late and No Camino? Can someone call him to see if he is ok? This one may have been enough for him to blow a gasket bigger than a Quad 4.

My guess is they will sell what ever Holden offers in a RWD to either.... Wait till they can afford more product and keep the name alive. Or two to starve the line and dealers till they leave or drop so GM does not have to buy them out. Either way it is not good for Pontiac. FYI I am sorry to say I am not suprised.

Talked to a friend who spoke to Scott Settlemire and he said first car just went down the line. Sorry but I did not speak to him directly or get any more details.

Well we are now looking at the President going to the "Troubled Asset Relief Fund".

I am not in favor of scrapping cars but I don't see this as a dire thing as it used to be. First off they are not dealing with cars in good condtion for the most part. Second your not going to have to give up your restored collector car. Third Most junk yards do not have many collector cars just sitting around anymore. If the car is rare or special they either hang onto it or it never even makes it into the yard before someone buys it. Junk yard people are not stupid when it comes to making money. Generally the cars this play are rusted out Honda Civic, smoking Caravans and cars most of us will never save or restore. Even cars like many 4th Gen F bodies are not worth restoring as they cost more to fix than they are worth and so many have been taken care of and preserved that it will be just as easy in the future to buy one in good condition. In the past many scrap yards hung onto to car for many years and many contained used up muscle cars as no one save them as collector cars back in the day. Today things are different and many stay on the roads or pampered in garages for years as collector cars from the day they left the dealer. SEMA will keep an eye on this and if they ever get more progressive they will be stopped as the politicians will not want to lose the votes. I used to love roaming junk yards in search of treasre but anymore all I find is scap as they have been picked clean. I have found in the past a 348 tri power 4 speed 1960 Impala, 57 Skyliner, 57 Seville, and at one place at least 15 Firedome Hemi cars with engines still in place. Sadly all are gone as are those junk yards too. I even found a Superbird at one. There are so many good cars I have found over the years but anymore I find nothing but junk at most today noting of value now or in the future. Everthing is late model that are picked clean as soon as they come in and most of the collector cars are either gone or they know what they have and will not sell or will sell at a great price. I know we will hear the story of the Nova SS that went to a crusher somewhere but for the most part it will be a rare thing if it happens. I still don't like the idea of killing cars but anymore most of the scap cars just are not worth keeping or fixing up anymore. Let alone many junk yard are willing to keep car just sitting anymore. They want to rotate inventory and get new cars in that will they can strip and make a profit. I make my living in the perfromance aftermarket. I find few of my customers are getting cars or parts out of junk yards anymore. What few that do are street rod guys with late model drive trains that are pulled as soon as they come in.

I see if the MFG get the bail out we will be forced into cars like the Volt like it or not. Either high fuel prices or forced Gov regs/ taxes will be the only way these cars will remain strong. Americans will not just buy them at their own free will. Also the price will drop as more are sold. It is a simple catch 22 till the car and technology is in greater numbers. Remember when the Texas Insterments Electronic Slide Rules came out and they were $500.00. Now you can buy one for $10 that is even more capable.

No matter what GM does and how honest they are it will get twisted around by some in the press. The Toyota Star will have it as Every time GM screws up a Kitten dies.

God forbid they bring in anyone who really has a inter working knowledge of the industry and Washington. Lee Iacocca know Washington and Detroit. He has paid off Goverment loans. He has an idea on good and bad product and Managment. Let him come in and give a balanced effort here.

Ford supports a couple Roush trucks. Chevy pretty much supports KHI racing and just a little to what other Chevys there are. Dodge really pulled out last year and has supported Bobby Hamilton racing but with very little support. It is not going to help if they pull out but for most teams they have pretty much on their own anyway. The bigger issue is Camper World is the series sponsor. How long do you really think they will stay with Camper sales as they are.

Non news as the big three have pulled most of the money already and Dodge already spent the least.

This is not a bad move. Before you get any credibility you have to acknowledge your problems and past failures. Then you are given a chance to prove you have corrected your problems and errors. Kind of the show me status and prove ypur worth to consumer. If you move ahead as if nothing happened people will still question that you have learned nothing. GM needs to prove they are going to do buisness in a new way and fix the slow moving conservitive ways they have been acting. They now need to direct and confront their errored ways and make sure people take note. Let them see how your building cars and don't just meet their expectations but exceed them. GM has a lot to learn from Hyundia and turning around a company. Great prices on very good cars is the key. Value at a lower price is what scares Toyota and Honda.

One also needs to give credit to Rick in that he admitted years ago he was not a product guy and brought in Bob Lutz and trusted him. Bob has not hit them all out of the park but he has done pretty well converting lame product into very good models that have improved with each upgrade. It takes a big CEO to admit a weakness and bring such a strong personality in to take over for his weakness. This shows he was putting company first. Ricks weakness has been like most GM leaders and that is to make radical changes or adjustments to the company. He was very conservitive many times he needed to make a little bolder change. GM tried to keep selling cars to the same people while the imports worked hard at winning new buyers and non traditional import buyers to their product. GM like many on this web site tried to hard to live in the past. But again Armchair CEO is a easy game years after the fact.

I have seen it asked on many a GM web site as to what warranty will they have and if dealers are still bewing fair and taking care of present warranties. It is sad when people with GM products are questioning what their own status is on their present car. If they were to go buy today with that unanswered would they go to a GM dealer to buy? IF they filled Chap 11 just imagine the fall out. Look how the press is already telling you to take care with gift cards and if you get one to use it ASAP.

Spot on with all points here. The Loans Ford took looked like the end and they would not save them now look to be a winning move. Ford made the loans because they had to not because they knew the market was going to drop. The biggest thing Rick has donw wrong is not make some changes faster. But that is a GM trade mark as they never make many radical moves over the years. The biggest problem has bee CEO's that just don't rock the boat. There has just been too much inaction at times some big calls needed to be made in the past. Rick ended up with a mess and a system that could not deal with it. GM is bigger than any one person and that needs to change if they want an effective leader. Being a CEO is tough when your trying to make changes with one arm tied and a lot of bad luck in timing. Read the story on Page 92 of Fortune magazine Dec 8 issue. It has a good story of GM and the CEO's since 1960. Rick has done as well as he could with the system he was given. How many of the past GM CEO's would have brought in a product guy like Lutz when they did not know product? That is a sign od wisdom many before him never showed.

We expect confused from you.