hyperv6

Why do you use the same models with a different engine? XF NA XF SC? A4 NA S4 SC? Focus and Focus ST. We are talking about a different cars and different sizes and different weights in the ATS and CTS should they get different options to make the two models less alike? You are already taking a car built on the same platform and trying to convince it is different what better way than to offer a performance model with a different engine. How do you get some one to buy the heavier and more expensive CTSV you offer a V8. The key to marketing is to offer appealing but different packages to different models. Since Cadillac has nothing as for its own engine it take some extra effort to set their models apart. I also wish you would be more factual on the turbo engines. Yes there is some lag but it is pretty much a non factor anymore. It is nothing like the GN days, Also you seldom speak of the flat torque curve that even the LT1 is still not as wide or flat. Finally GM also can sell tune kits to bump up power easily with any of these engines. There was a report the other day they are at work with new kits for the 2.0 cars that will push them over 300 HP and torque already on the Solstice kit was 340 FT LBS so it will be interesting to where they will set the new kits. I expect the 3.6 TT will see a similar kit. GM made a lot of money on the first 2.0 kit. Also hold back the V8 for the ATS till later and add it as a special edition as the car ages to keep the car appealing longer as vs. just adding a flat paint job as they are doing today. .

Just asking: wouldn't putting the LT1 in the ATS engine bay (which I assume is smaller than the Corvette's) create some restriction issues for both intake and exhaust? The engine will have no issue with intake or exhaust. Remember the car was designed also to be a Camaro and CTS with V8. But I do not expect the ATS to get the V8 due to marketing. If they put the V8 in the ATS it would cut into the CTS market. Since there is no real Cadillac engine they have to use particular engines in models to set them apart and drive different buyers.

I find it interesting to see that Holden is now advertising their line as a made here deal with rebadged Chevys but also they even show the SS as a top line car sold in America. American cars are very popular in Australia but are very expensive. I know we are selling more Chevy parts down under than ever and are looking at expanding business there even more. http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/07/first-holden-vf-commodore-ad-plays-up-ties-to-chevy-ss/ There is a plan in place for both companies. It will be interesting to see where al they take this. I see Holden having a positive effect on Chevy and the smaller Chevy cars saving Holden from the Asian invasion.

Here is some insight of the Big Picture, here is one of the stories that were posted on the future of the VF replacement. I feel what we do not know on what is coming has had a great affect on what we have now. http://www.topgear.com/au/car-news/vf-commodore-not-the-last

The reality of it is we have some people disappointed that the car is not be all things to all performance people. They seam to forget that this is a car adapted from Holden that is still a Holden first and that they are not going to make wholesale changes to it for the 10K+ units it will sell. Add to the fact that they are already working on a replacement I suspect the changes many are upset they did not get will come then. I am sure GM would have loved to done more here too but the development cost involved to change everything would have drive cost to the point it would never have come here at all. To be honest I was disappointed that the VF is not much than a VE refresh and did not go any where near where I expected it to go. But once I heard the rest of the story then I was more willing to take what it is now and see where they go in a couple years. This car is not a profit center and GM is not going to dump a ton of money for a short term vehicle. You have to look at all the factors as building a car like this under these circumstances you can not just do it all with what they have to work with and the time it will be on this platform. I see a the new car getting the LT1, less weight and a even better suspension. If they can move production here and share parts with another GM line like a Camaro etc. it would help in development cost and profits. Too many forget that the goal is to make a good car but also make a profit. when converting a car someone else built for a different market sold in low volumes will always have compromises. The G8 and GTO also were the kings of compromise along with the SS. All good cars but not in a position that you could justify a massive investment to make it all it could be. Now if GM were planning on selling 50k-100k units here then they could afford the investment.

I am sure It is something in the Holden already that if removed would not make the car faster, would not make the car cheaper and it offers another item to the standard item list to help make the higher price look like a better value. So to make a case of that keeping this item in the car does not make it a sports sedan is a little silly. The reality of the parking system to me is it is a waste of time for any car as if you can not part then you should not be driving. But the way I look at it if it adds sales then God Bless it.

Guys you need to look big picture again. You need to look to the future to better understand the present. #1 This car is a 2-3 year deal to start with on the VF. Holden said they are already well on the way with a replacement car. Most speculate it is a Alpha based car. #2 No matter if some want to believe it or not the exchange rate between us and down under is a BI$%ch right now. It hurts us on this end greatly. I deal with Australians every day as they are buying as much as they can from the states. #3 I feel this car was approved and Mark wanted it in to lock a place in the line up as things unfold. If he waits two to three years things could change and he may not get a larger RWD Chevy approved. #4 If speculation is correct we could be seeing the next gen built here along with the Camaro, CTS and ATS on the Alpha line. #5 If built here we could see expansions of the lines to include a cheaper V6 and even a Ute. Now the only thing we do know for sure is the VF will have a very short life and they have a planned replacement but there is a lot to consider and much to understand that could and will happen. As for now you have a damn good car here with enough HP scare some grown Honda driving men. It has a interior the G8 only could dream of. Also you can B$$#ch all you want about the automatic but 85% of the buyers or more would have chosen it anyways. The bottom line is I see in the future a lighter LT1 V8 car with a manual option being built in MI. We may see an expanded line up too. I truly think Mark saw a chance to approve this car with all in GM with the need in NASCAR. It was a need that needed filled and this put this car on the Map. Now once approved he can nurse it along with the older engine and heavier platform from outside the states till the new car arrives. In this business you take your opportunities when they present themselves as for a year or two from now the plan may not have had a chance. Just be grateful for what you got as you could have had nothing. As for the Avalanche I would love to see them do something similar with the new Colorado. It needs a open cab design much more than the full size trucks needed. The crew cab Colorado is a waste of little usable space unless you leave it all hanging out. Add the open cab to a Colorado based truck and make it so you can really haul things. Also the Colorado based truck would be much more affordable. My buddies loaded LTZ is a really nice truck but for what he paid for it I would think twice.

Who says the TTv6 will only have 420 hp. It is so easy to add boost to today's engines with a simple flash and map sensores.

The G8 models in this area have only gone up do to strong demand and so few of them. I have had several low mileage models here well over $20K and they sold easily. The higher mile models have been just under $20K. keep in mind I could have bought a GT in the last year for $23K out the door, maybe I should have? GM made it clear this was going to be over $40K as that is where most similar models are. I expected a little higher but I also expected the new engine or a Supercharged engine. I see complaints but I really do not know what many were expecting. The car is a 2 year car and will be replaced. At that point we are assuming a Alpha bases SS but if they move production here we may see expansion to the V6 and other variations, The exchange rate is a killer here and the MPG is not any help to GM's issues they already have meeting them. I just have a feeling this car will be in a couple years built on the same line as the Cadillac's and Camaro where it will help on price a little and will be on a new lighter platform to better deal with the MPG using a LT1. Ruess has been working to bring this car back and his window opened so he took it. Now that it is here he will buy time till the car better suited price wise to our market arrives.

Today many cars have large trunk areas but just try to get something like a tall square box into them. Not gonna happen. I could carry a 6 foot ladder in my GTP but I can tell you how many times I had to unbox items in the parking lot if they were over 2.5 feet tall. People today as much into usability and utility as they are anything else. It may be because over half the new buyers are women? Either way the small CUV has hit a mark to many as they are cheaper to buy and run than a Tahoe and much easier to drive for many. Someone just complained they did not get the grid on their back up camera. God forbid they not use the mirrors and sense of space that has gotten us by for 100 years. I see the Malibu and Nox being very important into the future. The Nox and Terrain are one of the few GM vehicles that has increased sales each year since into and were selling good to start with. It proves it you hit the sweet spot with what people want they will come. The Malibu is good but just not on that sweet spot with the public.

The CUV has become more a car as it has supplanted the wagon and Minivan.. Most have little Off Road ability. Most are bases on car platforms and have more usable space. They are the direct result of people missing larger cars and not wanting to pay for the 14 MPG or price of the full size SUV. . Trunks may be large but try to get a big square box in one. Back seat room is not as important as it once was since the market has shifted since there are alternatives. Just saying.

My Terrain has enough rear room to seat Shaq comfortably with room to spare.

We have covered this ground here already in the past. GM needed new cars and platforms but they needed new cars worse. We got the cars on older platforms. Now that GM has done the quick fix for the models they are now working on new platforms and we will see GM resize their line up from there. Also now that we are getting the more expensive Cadillac's it will make more room for Buick. Next up is the new Cruze and Verano on the new resized platform. After that I expect we will see a new platform for the Regal and Malibu at some point hence no great redo for the Malibu here. In the end I expect to see a smaller Cruze, a Malibu that is similar in size but better packages and the Impala to remain on the highly refined platform it is on for a while. The SS will move to the Alpha in 2-3 years and will be a 4 door Camaro for all intents. It will share drive line and suspensions but will sport a sedan body and be its own model. GM worked on models with what money they had left and shelved them till the government money came in. This is why models like the Malibu are out dated but they are better than just rehashing the 08 model. GM needed to buy time and money to get things done as they can not revamp all the lines at once. Chrysler did not have enough money to even pay attention. They Revamped the Sebring as a 200 with a better interior and some minor tweaks but it is still an old Sebring that impresses few. Chrysler really has no real player in this segment so GM could be a lot worse off. There is nothing here that can not be fix with the things GM already has in motion. The real thing is to keep the cash flow up with models like the trucks, Cruze and Nox. This will pay for the new products and models we have yet to see and in many cases hear about. I think sometimes we tend to forget GM has a lot more going on than we hear about anymore after years of programs announced 5 years before their release. There is a heck of a lot more going on than most people realize and will be surprised as time goes on. The GM turn around was no less than a 10 year deal at best if everything goes right. Economy and revamping issues like the Bu may slow things a bit but things should all fall together in time.

Price is part of it but all MFG's are doing all they can to get people to accept down sized vehicles no matter if it is a sedan or SUV. To meet MFG standards they need the majority of people in smaller cars and try to still offer a few big ones at a higher price.

GM made it clear that the Impala will only sell half of what they did but with a much higher exchange price. This will make each unit more profitable. There are times where lower volume and higher price works better than high volume and little profit. I think the E brake issue is simple. Most people like them in the console and with much of the feed back they have gotten they may have gotten enough to make the move. Also GM is looking to capture import owners and most imports have them there. Add to this that it may be cheaper than an electric one too so they can move cost down with some other changes. The mid price market does not have a lot of demand for electric E brakes. In fact I know a few people like the mechanical as they know it will always work no matter what. It is a back up brake you know.

The Malibu is the mid size car not the Impala. The market has shifted what once was Mid Size is now full size like the Impala. The SS is just a novelty RWD car anymore. The Malibu will never be cheap but if they can under cut the others prices and not lose any quality that is what will work. Hyundai and Kia are doing it now but they show the lack of refinement in areas and other issues that come up in required long term maintenance like timing belts vs. chains etc.

The hints were mostly speculation by the public so I am not too surprised. I expected more till I saw some of the prototypes in Camo and you could not see it all but you could tell it was not a Impala nose. I really do not have an issue on the tail lights other the large area of red. Some bezels around them in black or some other color would help off set the large area of cheap looking red plastic. The only car in this segment that looks any better is the Ford. The rest while not hideous are nothing I wish had a GM plate on it. Toyota is plain, Honda boring, Nissan generic, The Kia and Hyundai to me are ugly and in many ways very cheap feeling. Slam the rear door of a Optima and listen to it ting unless they have finally addressed it but they are stull ugly. This was a quick fix for a car that will not be like this in 4 years. The key is for GM to hold on. I expect they will offer packages that will make this car a great value to move product. That is the reason people buy the Kia/Hyundai twins as they are cheap and offer a lot for the money.

Well they could not do the mini me face on the BU from the Impala. The car is much more narrow and I do not think it would have translated as well. Keep in mind I am a Impala fan so if I think they could have done it. Nuff said. The back seat may not look like a lot of room but every little bit helps. Better packaging was an issue on this car. Since the Chapter 11 GM has been doing some better packaging. Keep in mind this car was done long ago and till they change platforms they have hard point limits. I expect this car to be replace in the not too distant future as this segment is too important to leave hanging or getting stale if you can afford to compete. The added torque is as much for more MPG. In my tune where GM added more torque GM found more MPG with the DI Turbo engines. Getting the car up to speed faster and getting off the gas gave them added MPG. The Di does not put out fuel coasting in gear per the GM Engineer from the performance division that did the Turbo Tune kits for GM. I expected to see it pop up in production cars at some point for the added MPG. I saw 1-2 MPG added with a gain of 65 FT LBS. They may have been limited with their Premium Recommended status. Note I saw where GM is working on tune kits for the 2.0. I fully expect them to show up for the Bu, Regal and ATS. Two Maps and a flash and you can easily add over 300 HP and at least in the case of the Solstice 5 speed they gave it 340 FT LBS. Other things like no lift shift and Launch control can be added with the flash. The nose is much better than it was as it has taken the tall hood and made flow much better into the rest of the car. It was not radical surgery but it should be enough to help re launch this car with the better engines and suspensions as they should have done the first time. Notice no mention of the Eco or at least I have not seen anything state yet. This is not a home run but it will work till the next car is ready. GM is not going to lead this segment but they will not be left behind either. It is a good car just in a segment with some very good cars. Once the Cruze and Camaro are done I expect this segment to be revisited. I expect the Regal GS to get rerated or if they keep it down the AWD may be to blame. I suspect it may not be the same one on the Opel OPC since it did not jack the price much. I have a feeling they may have put in a more cost effective system as the OPC has a very expensive AWD system. If anything the AWD will launch the car better as the Bu will not be able to put it down so well unless they add launch control. The front wheels with that much torque unload so easy and the weigh transfers to the rear wheel. I have had the SS spin it's tires at over 50 MPH when I have kicked it down. The first time it scared me as I saw a light on the dash and the engine felt like it cut out. I saw the light and the message of the loss of traction in the DIC. I note too I had crummy OR Pilots that had traction issues. My new Goodyears hook up much better but I have picked up a little more torque steer. It is a trade off I will gladly take. GM just now needs to market the hell out of this car. I hope someone makes a tuner that will by pass this start stop crap. I am not a big fan of it. It may be because I am older but I just have not had any great love for the ones I have driven over the years.

I think that is a good idea as it has worked in the past. While the old limited edition trim packages were pretty cheesy by todays standards I think some nice limited editions could be done today much like Chevy is doing with the Camaro. In place of the old style designers like in the past use people like Foose and other present day independent designers to come up with packages that would appeal to the 50 and under crowd. Use limited time paints. Special wheels and even toss in some special options. [Options that have a chance of getting past corporate approval.] Even some special body modifications could be done easily. At the right price point they could even do some tuner HSV limited editions over the V that would command a HSV like price over the standard model. One thought would be even a light weight performance package with many light weight materials with even the new coming V engine. A Superleggera model like many of the Euro performance makers have done over the years. Lighter weight adds more performance than what an engine alone can do. It is still a very respected tradition with many makers over there. Lots more aluminum and carbon fiber, special seats etc. Make it so it would be attractive even at the higher price. The key is to make these models worth the extra cost and limit them so they will be special to be seen. I also would like to see on the LTS a deal where you can special order colors and interiors like Ferrari and other makers are now doing. Have a Cadillac custom house for those who want a one of a kind. They did it long ago and appeal to many in Hollywood and in business.

Well I don't think this one will rust. The chrome in many cases with the general public is seen as something that is perceived more upscale since most base models are mono chrome. At least in America. It is amazing what a few plastic chrome strips will do to the opinion of many buyers. Lutz details this in his book and if you note he has left a lot of chrome trim in most places he has been lately. I am ok with the chrome on the wheel but the large plastic center just looks cheap. For what it is worth the Benz wheel has looked cheap for many years in many of their models. I would have been ok if they just used the Malibu or Nox wheel with some contrasting colors and a smaller center. The outer rim looks fine.

Oh brother, we listen to enough of your piss and moan parties to have earned one of our own now and then. LOL!

Right? It is time to move on as till they go into to production he will never prove his point. My only point is there are many more issued to building a car than too many here think are in play. Agree with them or not the many concerns petty or not can prevent many things from being optional. I never said it was right or wrong just the way it is. Just look at all the safety things added to many cars even with no law requiring them anymore. Some are done for image many are to head of regulations that would add it and maybe more.

tintlaws.com 50 states 50 laws not counting the local laws that can vary from city to city. It does not matter if the car is OE or aftermarket tint it can put you at risk of being pulled over and ticketed if it does not meet the regulation. Generally most will meet the MFG tint levels as they are no where as dark as they could be and you can still see who and how many people are in the car. You get GM to install this and the detectors and I will say I am wrong. Good Luck!

You get a MFG to agree to this to the degree as you list this and I will say you are right. Is that fair? The fact is to all your arguments you only factor in part of what is involved. You always leave out the reality of public demands or interest and real life marketing. Sorry but you are generally diametrically apposed to what the entire industry is doing and I have a hunch they are taking in all the factors not just what is convenient. There is a hell of a lot of things that companies could do but the truth is MFG have many factors that prevent them from doing them more than just doing a cool idea or posting a bunch of numbers that many have no idea what they mean. If you would do your homework you would easily learn that #1 laws are different around the country and from city to city. Some have no laws and others have a well in forced laws on the books. #2 if you continued your home work you would find that most MFG only will do a specific level of tint industry wide. In other words no limo tint from the factory. Generally most MFG will leave the tint enough that it is dark but with a light or sun light you can make out a silhouette. Law enforcement appreciates this and most MFG will do this as being a good corporate citizen. #3 most laws are enacted to permit the factory tints and have no issue with it but those tints that are darker are subject to testing and can have the law enforce on them. For what it is worth I am not a global warming guy so at least we agree on one thing. Send these ideas to a GM marketing guy and really see what his opinion of the probability of any of these ideas having a real chance outside the seats. I have the feeling you may be arguing with him too.

Regardless of you want to dress this the tint has limited chance of consideration with GM. As for the detector it has zero chance based alone on their image as a responsible company. People are not held accountable but large corporations are. Like I said neat idea but not realistic. You can be sure that many in side many automakers have looked at this and considered it long ago but have you seen it implemented? Detectors are far from a new idea. You need to come up with a new and better idea if you want it to be realistic. This time look at it from all sides not just one.