hyperv6

Not sure what you have to do but the hard top is available to the SCCA guys in the track option you can buy.

The HHR has a future where they PT is in a box styling wise. The PT has to look like a 39 Ford to be a PT. JUst look at the up grades to it's styling and it realy has little wiggle room. The HHR looks like a generic Chevy old panel van. There is room to let this grow. GM can let the HHR go to a scaled down 50's look or 60's look. Once the Alpha comes the HHR could even go RWD and become a Future Nomad. The PT has I feel has shown all it's cars and really has no where to go other than maintain what they already have till it dies.

Caddy is in the process of revamping their line up. While good they will make them better as the the CTS has shown. It is just not the right time for a $150,000-200,000 Caddy right now as that develoment money can go a long way in the otrher lines on cars they will make more money on. There is the fun thing to do and the right thing to do and not building a 16 cylinder sedan is it. Now no onw sid the styling would be tossed and that it could be set on a new DTS with a V8 that sells for $50K. I wouls much rather see a shorter hood and the same styling on a car that thousands could buy vs a car where only a few hundred could buy. Lets face it Maybach is not setting the world on fire.

When running a corperation and doing product planning you do like you gamble with you head not your heart. [This is coming from a long suffering Browns fan]. The cars he listed were all great but GM has bigger priorities. Caddy still needs to get their hous in order yet and a 16 cylinder car while Toyota is pushing hybrids just really looks bad since GM is still not getting the press on one of theirs and they seam to not get a free pass on the SUV like toyota. A new vialble VOlt would have a greater impact on GM as a company and I fully agree with Bob. As for the Bel Air it was toad ugly from the start. I think the other cars they have done since hw has come has shown why it was not built. What would you rather have a Camaro or the Bel Air. As for the Velite. It is great and good but I was a a Buick dealer and though how bad they need a new car line up and replace the two older cars they have. Buick will move and sell more 4 door sedans than any convertable or coupe. Now once they have new product in place that has revived Buicks base then revisit the Velite. I think from What Bob has said we should all be glad that they look to have thier priorities in order. Life at a big car comapny is not about just building cool fast cars only it is about bringing affordable profiatable cars to market so they can do the cool fun cars. GM lived on Malibu's, Impala's and the like. Just look at Toyota as they are very profitable and they really do not build anything very cool. They can ands will address the cool cars again but they have been building car that sell in volume and make money like the Camry. I know what Bob said is not the popular thing but that is part of being in charge.

I apologize it was not in Autoweek but the McLellan book and it was the C5 that was on the Bubble. I read a lot and got this crossed up but either way the Corvette was hurting in the 90's. Page 242 adresses the fact that Chevy was in short on money for the Vette. the 97 was to have been a 93 but was put off if and when money could be secured to bring it to market. Quote " We were on a financial bubble, and it could go either way. So capital allocation became our biggest hurdle." Tom Wallace, who headed Chevy R&D, fully understood what was going on and did his best to protect our R&D budget from his many competing programs. It was to the credit of people all over the the corperation that, even thought they did not know what we wer tying to do in detail. they had enough faith in us and wanted the Corvette to succeed, so they supported us". Note on this part he directed most of this on money to develope a new car and untill they go the money they held things together and kept working till they could get capital even if they were unsure it would ever come due to GM condition. It was not so much GM would kill the car vs starve it to death. The bottom line is the volume cars come first as that is their bread ans butter. This above quote was during a time GM based available capital onand cash flow expectations of 2-3 years in advance and they were lossing billions at the time. The bottom line was Chevy wanted the car but GM had little money to pay for it. Dave and his staff with alittle help from his friend keep it going but it could have gone the other way very fast. On the Caddy Quote "it make sense for GM and it protects the Corvette's very existence to put more product into the Bolling Green Assemnbly plant. I frankly, don't understand whey GM doesn't use Bolling Green for all it's low volume specialty production models, including the EV-1 and Hybrids" " also the existance of GM's fullsize truck also protect the Corvette. With out these trucks, the small V8 and 4 speed automatic transmissions would become much more expensive-if they remained available at all". [Note this book was written 2002. Also a story was related the Vette was so starved for capital in 1976 that they had to use the plastic rally steering wheel from a Vega to get the car built. Page 75. He related sales had dropped and GM said they has to become profiatble. They did respond by raising the price and tried to make more per car. Any way if you read the book "Inside the Corvette" you will learn many times and the many ways the Corvette cheated an early death. It is amazing this car has made it. If not for the Icon status any lesser car would not be here today. Some of the mistake like the Z51 in 1984 and why it rode so bad is amazing these guys missed the tuning. The only reason this car is here is due to the many who have protected it over the years. He does look into the future and many things he has in the book either have or about to come true like his talk of a supercharged V8. He also addresses the shrinking sports car market and also says many people wonder why it is. He feels the sport sedans have come in ans stiffer compition of other sports cars have hurt. He said that the icon status has helped the Vette as other very good sports cars have come and gone over the last few years due to poor sales after a year or two. After reading what he has I feel a mid engine is a good idea but the wrong thing to do as a production model. It is everything the Vette buyer are not wanting. I fear it would go the way of the ZR 1 and sales will sink each year after the first. I will be interested how the Blue devil will do in its time. How well the BD does may determine what happen for a mid engine as will Caddys plans. I would love to see Pontiac get it but Pontiac right now need everyting but a expensive mid engine car right now. Any way read this book as it will teach you much that you did not know as it covers all the roses and warts from the 60-around 2000. Once your done you will be amazed this car is here today. Also read Zora, it is also a great book and he was a amazing guy. His fights with Mitchell were great. It is the Vette survived the two of them after the fights to see who would get their way. As for the Vette being low volume. and Cheap is a matter of perspective. For what it does and how much it cost it is a cheap ulturnitive vs most of the cars it competes with. For a collage kid it is expensive. But on the other hand a friend of mine still in collage has a Viper i has lowe milage and used but he owns it and is not what I term wealthy. But he was good at saving his money and got his dream car. If his dream was a Ferarri other than a 308 He would still be driving his Mustang. The idea is the Viper was more than most used Vettes. I should maybe say affordable vs Cheap to be more correct on this.

First off read Dave Mclellans book Inside the Corvette. He points out the peril the Vette has face over the years and at each change since the 70's and up. I suspect he would know since he was incharge. Second the C6 was approved but it was never a sure thing till they got the final approval. Things were on hold for a while per the Autoweek interview around the time the car was intro'd. If I recall correctly it was a interview with Tom Wallace. Also note at the time GM was in a world of hurt for money and everything was on the table at that point so things were really looked at when they went to do the final approval to go ahead. You can call it BS if you want but I saw it in print and it was from a GM spokesman not some beat writer. It make no differance if you believe it or not as I have nothing to gain or lose here. I know what I read and will stand by that it was stated! Whoa it is not plant space but number of cars built and the fact they can spread the cost over two division. You have to think in terms of developent cost and cost per unit per plant. Space has nothing to do with anything. Caddy absdorbed a lot of the cost of the C6 when they built their car. It also provided a stronger frame as they needed it for the hard top roof, the Chevy engineers pointed that out. It is easier to justify two car lines and two development cost out of one plant vs one. If that statment was not true would there have been a need for all the kappa variations? Low volume car at a cheap price need to find volume in some way and more than one version helps a lot. To bad the Caddy has not done better but the great sales of the C6 has offset that. But the bottom line is the Vette boys were not real thrilled in the fact they had to share their car at first but I think they have learded to deal with it and find it has let them do thing they would not have been able to do other wise. I agree the Vette get no free pass but profits dip as production dips as each C model gets older there have been some years gone by it did not make much money. Today things are better but it is far from a Profit center. It is like the Goodyear blimp, it is a image and icon and will be around as long as it does not drain the company in a hurtful way. But the company will always come first if there is problems. As for the brand deal it was considered in Europe since Chevy really had no presents there but they did know the Corvette. Now Chevy is there [Korean but there in name] so it is no longer a factor. As for the Kappa Vette it I never saw more than a V6 concept that really never went anywhere though some tried to convince us it did. Please if You have not read Dave McLellans book do it as you will really learn how thing have been a fight since the start of the car and how many bad things and stupid things have happend but the car survived. He held no punches and tell it like it was. It is one of the best Vette history boks made.

Lets put this into focus... With each new C platform a choice has to be made and this agument always comes up. When it does come up it always reverts to a nice idea but it is not what the Corvette is about and what the majority of the buyers want. Add this to the fact the Vette program is under review each time to see if they are even going to build the car in the first place. It has run the risk for cancelation more times than people really know. The C6 even came up for review and only go the go ahead since they were able to factor in the Caddy two seater to cover some of the cost. You don't really think that Chevy and the Corvette team really wanted to share their car and plant do you unless forced to do so to save the car? The Vette gets a free pass to a certain extent but there are limits since it is not a profit center. Things are good right now as Chevy is in a better position today than in the past but it can always change. Unless Caddy gets a mid engine approved I just don't see the Vette ever getting one. At this point Caddy can't even get the go ahead yet on the high end sedan they want and really need. No I am not going to say this is on the table or will ever happen but Corvette is a brand that could even be sold if needed. It could live on as a private owned company like the Avanti. Again I know Chevy is not planning this but it is an option that could always be put on the table in hard times.

Before I would get on the LS7 wagon I would take heed of what Scott Settlemire [Fbodfather said] Cost coupled with new future engines will be a big factor He gave us a big clue on the Camaro. I trust the many who holds the keys to the two prototypes as the man that really knows what is coming.

As for bad memories there are a lot more than you may recall. Not everyone is willing to forgive the shortcomings in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Those lost sales are not going to be easy to bring back as they were to lose. There is so much compitition now vs the past. As for a few long past models there are quite a few not too long or past. Hmmm Aztec, Phoenix, 70's Ventura, 74 GTO, Montana, Sunfire, J2000, Early W bodies, G body Lemans/Bonnevilles, 87 2+2, Korean Lemans, Turbo Grand Ams, Turbo TA, 4 Cylinder Firebirds, etc. While most were not bad cars most did not inspire quality and increases in sales or popularity of Pontiac. There was little growth and few return buyers as there were just better cars available else where. Except for the V8 F bodies, later Bonnevilles, Later Grand Prixs, and the V6 Grand Ams Pontiac has not really had many cars that captured the public. They did get a glimmer out of the Fiero but even that went down in flames. Literally in the press. Some people you can not change their minds and they will never buy a GM car let alone a Pontiac but many can captures and if you don't believe that Pontiac had better shut down now. The best example of a turn around of late is Hyundia. They went from near Yugo like cars to a high demand growing company. They did it with great styling, better performance, Great prices, and a good warranty. If trhey can turn it around Pontiac can too. I know GM operates differently today but there are people who can get things done. The first on the list Is Lutz. The problem is with the many problems GM is working out they have bigger fish to fry than Pontiac right now. They will get to them and things will improve but GM needs to address Chevy and other higher volume and profitable lines. If Given the funding and time Lutz and the other will turn Pontiac just as they have Saturn. Who would have predicted Saturn ever having a second chance at life and a better chance to grow? I am as big of a Pontac fan as you will ever see. I have two Pontiacs and one GMC as I sit here now. I have owned driven or been around almost every kind of Pontiac built since 1960. I also know some have taken on ledgend status but many have been forgotten and all the better they were. We have almost lost Pontiac before and if not for just a little better sales in the 80-90 they could have easily been Oldsmobile. It is time for the company to be reinvented and stepped away from Chevy as they one were.

Yes Pontiac needs to worry about product. As for Global brands they better restablish themselves as a American brand first and worry about the world later. To be honest Holden and some of Opel are going to be Pontiac's extention to the global market with the new way GM is doing things. The lines between divisions will become closer and fade away as time passes. . The bottom line is if GM can not increase sales here why would someone buy one anywhere else?

The standard C7 will be front engine and we go through this every time there is a change in the platform. There are two groups with one for the mid engine and one front. The mid engine guy always lose out. As for the future I would not rule out a limited car as mentions to be shared with Caddy as a low volume mid engine car but is still remote. The odds are not good but there is a slight opening in the door. The part that may help it is the Blue Devil and taking it to the next level in the future. But it is a long shot and a lot of other things and factors would need to come together. It is not a priority for GM and will remain so till their house is in better order. The things that all weigh in on this is the Vette is a affordable 8 Cylinder two seater front engine car to the purist anything else is not a Corvette. Just the same for the 911 owners as it is a rear engine slopping back coupe and anything else will never be a 911 to their owners.

More than likley some version of this will be your G8 GXP.

Here is my favorite print ad. If this movie hits as big as I suspect it will this will be GM's best marketing move in years. I missed the Transformers growing up only by a few years. But I never realized their impact on so many in the 35 and under crowd as it is staggering. Even kids down to 6 years old now know what the Camaro is and every time he sees a yellow car he asks if it is a new Camaro. With the way this is set Transformers 2, 3, 4 can't be far behind and GM can ride the wave of a movie that may have a impact though not as large but similar to Star Wars or ET. The only negitive is if I buy a Camaro my kid will want me to forgo the red I want for Bumble Bee Yellow.

Now that is what I am talking about. Offer this as the up sell and offer a good perdormance version as the standard. No V6 or base model.

Funny I thought about some sport wagons or better yet call em Shooting brakes and offer them in 3 doors for a little Euro flair. Don't get me wrong on the names I love alot of the old names and hold no grudges. But I have to think about the non buying Pontiac crowd and what their preception of the old names is. There memories are not the same as ours and they out number us too boot. If Pontiac is to convince the non buying Pontiac buyers to comeback for a try they need to break clean and be willing to show they are serious about being a new company with new products that do not hold to the past 30 years. If your going bet you bet with your brain and not your heart if you want to win. The reason I am convinced of this is from what I have read on the non GM sites. About half the people are willing to give Pontiac a fair shake but many still don't believe the turn around it real as in we had turn arounds in the 80's and 90's that were never complete. In the last 30 years Pontiac has has some good cars a few great cars and too many that we don't need to remember. The problem is many still do remember them and hold them against Pontiac. The turn around with Bunkie and Delorean started with sportier models and new names. If it worked in the late 50's and 60's why can't it work again? Back then Pontiac was not a bad car just a car that people no longer identified with as they used too. Bunkie started by taking risks and they paid off. I think history can repeat itself. It is time to stop taking the easy way out and live off old memories as some of those memories for the non Pontiac enthusiast were not always pleasant. It is just my take and we will just have to differ on this. By the way after Pontiac get turned around I would not be against an old name or two coming back but only after they turn the corner and their future is no longer up in the air. We need to save the company before we get nostalgic. An no G number cars what so ever.

Well here is my take for what it's worth. Solstice on Kappa or Alpha drivitive A trendy small RWD Mini like coupe similar in design to the Nomad with true Pontiac looks. Base it on the Alpha G5/6 RWD replacment on the new Alpha Coupe, Hatch and Sedan G8 RWD on the Zeta in a sedan A RWD coupe on the Zeta in hard top and convertible A trendy small RWD Mini like coupe similar in design to the Nomad with true Pontiac looks. Base it on the Alpha All models will be sporty but still offer upgraded performance models like BMW. No base model stripper fleet cars to be offered. All number names will be dropped but GM needs to make a major impact by with new real names and stop living in the past. We may have fond memories of a old Le Mans or a Bonneville but many non Pontiac Fans still have nightmares and very clear memories of Korean built Le Mans and G body 1984 Bonnevilles, not everyone remembers a 1965 GTO. We need to understand not everyone loves what Pontiac has done in the last 30 years and we need to let them know things have changed with the new models as the old name make many uninformed buyers (most are) think things are still the same. Also the reality is we will not have as many models to offer as in the past. The large car will be covered with Buick as will Crossovers and Luxury models. GMC will also cover the Crossovers and small SUV market. It is important to think of Pontiac as only 1/3 or a regular division and enjoy the chance to concentrait on what they do best "Performance". They no longer have to be all things to every one and not longer have to be a fancy Chevy. Pontiac can be like BMW and concentrait on the same kind of line up the lower end BMW offers but at a Price point more can afford.

From what I have heard yes. It is similar to what is found in the trucks at present but tuned for a perfomance car. The bottom line is GM did not just dump a big engine in the car and let it go at that. GM is tring to show case new technology and make this car perform and few other cars have ever performed. The Chevy like price for this car will seen as a true bargin world wide even at starting at six figures. Just wait till much of this technology filters down into the Cadillacs, Pontiacs, etc.

There is a G8 GXP coming so lets let that drop the worry as there is not going to be a GTO G8 Sedan. Will be lucky just to get a Zeta long wheel base coupe no mater what the name. I expect what ever Holden gets we will get one with some Body mods this time since it may be built in Canada by the time it reaches market. My concern is the G8 GXP and new Zeta coupe will most likley carry many of the same bits for the suspension and engine. How many sales will a G8 GXP steal from the Zeta coupe? I am not a sedan fan but that is what sells today and if given the choice would it hurt coupe sales in a way that may make a Pontiac Zeta coupe short lived? I see that it is on Pontiac to make this car different not only from other GM divisions but also offer things not available on a high end G8 Sedan. Give this car a cool factor that would make someone in a M5 look at you as you drive by. Add the things the Camaro won't have like a two stage exhaust like the Z06 and 2008 Vette, a magnetic Delphi coil overs, more aluminum and kevlar to make this car lighter, Brembo brakes, etc. Since your going to charge more than a Camaro you need to offer more standard cool items in other words make this a lower priced CTSv coupe. Also refrain from the yearly cheap cheesey paint and sticker packages like FOrd does to stimulate sales. Offer real hardware up grades or changes and not some cheap Judge sticker package with Orbit Orange paint. If you want to be taken seriously by the money people you have to do better than the Stickers and wings. We need this car to be cool enough affluent people would want a poster on the office wall like a 911 or M5. In other woeds make it sinful to the Vatican because of envy. As much as many want retro here, we need this car to wow them at the A+W stand on Woodward but more so on Wall Street and Newport Beach. The Z06 has done just that now it is time for Pontiac to do the same. The new Zeta coupe need to be Pontiac Z06 home run. This image will help the entire line. The Vette is the best 2 seater, the CTSv is the best performance Sedan and let Pontiac have the best Performance Coupe.

That would be shocking if Lordstown got the line to build. [sorry it was just to hard not to say it!] Thanks for the heads up as I got a flyer on this event and it had nothing about the Volt being there.

I have watced in the last few years Goodyear Tire go through the same thing with OE tire sales. The OE tire market is a low or now profit market that only delivers volume. Goodyear used to be on many American cars with OE spec tires that go their name out there but were never as good as many of their other non oe tire offerings. It may be a matter of pride to have your name out there but it does not make money the way GM or Goodyear has done it. If GM follows the same root I would expect to see some GM placment in some fleet sales but only the ones that are high profile and are worth the effort. Goodyear has taken this route and still supply tires for some high profile cars and trucks like the Corvette and the Kappas. Another good example of GM's problem here is the Lucerne I rented last week. It was a nice car but a base model. I know the loaded car is a different animal but how many in the general public understand that? while the Buick was a good car it did not make me want to run to the dealer to buy one. A CSX model may make one think differently but that is not what you get in these rentals and the general buying public are too stupied to understand that. When many import buyers drive an american car it is most imes a rental and almost never anything more than a base car. Also company fleets are cars that just get beat to death and most people drive them as a benifit and never as a car of their dreams. Just note how many cops daily drivers are Impala's or Crown Vic's. I have a local Chief here in a Benz. You always hate to lose a sale but if it cost you money to go to work everyday would you still go? So GM is wise to cut low or no profit sales and do it as soon as possible. The world could use a few less base model stripper Grand Prix's and Lucernes. While the Goodyear move is a similar move it really has made a differance in the bottom line to the better and I think we will see the same with GM. In todays world it is not how big you are or how much you sell but it is how profitable you are. The press always leaves this out in thier reports on Toyota catching GM. It is not so much GM getting out sold but Toyota's profit per month that is key. I want to see GM #1 in profits not Sales.

You and I and most others on a GM enthusiast web sites understand and love the new GTO. The problem is we need more than just us to love and appreciate the car. Sad to say the press has not done much to help the new GTO and the public as a whole never really got it. I like to think we were the smart ones but that is not going to help sell it to those who just did not get it. Even here look at how many want a reincarnation of the 68 or 66 GTO. If the GTO had not been away so long I don't think it would have been a big deal as it would have evolved over the years but it went away in 74 and returned in 04 it was just too much for many to handle as many were still living in the past. It is sad as many who have never driven the new car prejudged [no pun intended] and wrote it off as a Cavalier look alike. I myself love the look of the GTO and even recently looked at a new 06 that is a great buy [in Red!!!]. Only complaint on the car is the fake scoops. If they are on the hood make em work some how. I am pretty much on your side on but I am looking to sell this car to those who passed on the 04-06. We need to find a way to sell this to those who did not buy in 04-06. What will change their outlook on the car? Something clicked in California as I saw so many there last week but I still see so few here in the mid west where it is true Pontiac territory. We need to find that thing to make it click in all 50 states and it is more than a name or just what the 04-06 offered. It is not so much the car has a bad rep but the fact it just never had that got to have thing going for it at least in many parts of the country. It was just a car for the true Pontiac enthusiast and just never attracted the open market enthusiast that GM needs to capture. Something had to be missing if I can still find a good number of new 06 cars a great prices at dealers yet with the new 08's ready to roll out soon. It may not be good for resale value but it make a great new car buy. Well I am sure Pontiac has learned from what has gone on and they will find a way to get everyones attention. The biggest problem was older styled car at a time when the new Mustang hype hit as they dealers way over priced the car. Those three things did little to help. Bob had a good idea but it just came at a bad time.

Whoa hold on! I never said to use G number. Instead of relying on old names to bring new magic I just feel it is time to bring in a new real name to make some new magic with no preconcieved stereo type good or bad. You place a burden on any new car when you bring back a great name from the past. Just ask Dale Earnhardt Jr He is a good driver but has had a heck of a time trying to prove he is more than just his fathers son. A great name is as much a curse as a blessing Let's face it if John Delorean and Bunkie had not brought us some new names in the 60's we would be arguing they should be naming the new car a Sliver Streak, Laurentiana or Star Chief. If they had not had the balls to bring a new type of cars and new names in the 60's we would have never had a GTO, GP or Trans Am. What new ledgends are we going to miss if we saddle Pontiac with the mandate to only live off the past. Could this be part of the reason few young people demand cars other than Pontiac since in their eyes it was there grandfathers car and never turely theirs. All I am saying it is time to make some new history vs trying to live off the old history. It is time for many of us to let Pontiac reach and be the car company it can be and not hinder it with too much of the past. It is time for the A and W crowd to realize the 50's are over and they really did build cars after 1970. Learn from your history and appreciate it as much of it was very good. But the key is never try to relive it. High school may haver been fun but your never going to bring it back just as it was. I may not be a fan of the old names on a new car but I no way will endorse any of the G number names.

The GTO or what ever it ends up being needs to be modern adult performance coupe. It is a given it is going to be more expensive and bigger. The car needs to address a non retro crowd that can afford to spend more than a Camaro but still can't afford that M5. If GM can deliver on performance and a quality build and interior it may not surplant a M5 in the pecking order but it will sell to the many who pine for a M5 that just can't afford it. Lets face it there are more people who want and can't afford a BMW than those who have them. So let get GM to give them something to be proud of. And if you can't afford the new Pontiac just drive down to the Chevy dealer and put your money down on a Camaro. In the end I just would forgo any of the old names as too many expect to live in the past but want GM to move foward. There is too much of a pre concieved idea of a car with a old name and it is not the same for all. I can point out 5 or six ideas people will give you when you say GTO. If you say GTO you can hear back Tri Power Ram Air IV Judge 455 HO Ventura with a 350 None of which fit any one year or any one style as I have pointed out GTO means a lot of thing to many people and few will ever agree on the same thing no matter what Pontiac does. GM needs to remember the past but live in the future.

The GTO 4 door is a G8 GXP.

This story is either been written as long time ago or this guy is beind times. He is wrong on the names just as the engines he has listed not correct even if it was a Camaro clone. Either name Pontiac has baggage and preconceived notions. Also if you givem em the bird everyone will want a Trans Am and I never expect to see that name again, Pontiac is looking to make a car that is not a Camaro clone and the worst thing is to name it after a car that was based on a Camaro for near 40 years. I would be fine if they just used a new name and not used the GTO or Firebird names. They just need to make a car that is not a Camaro clone. Coupe sales are tough enough when you don't compete againt your self. I love the TA and have for years but Chevy alreadyt has a Camaro so the Pontiac needs to offer something different at a different price. It needs to reach out to those who want more than a Mustang or a Camaro to be viable.