[McCall]

GM pulls plug on '08 line of cars - Product czar Bob Lutz wants to
speed new trucks, SUVs to market faster.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0.../A01-123402.htm

If the Zeta program is dead, that means the new Camaro/GTO is pretty much dead. Boy those guys at GM are idiots....

McCall

[ESPCamaro]

Boy those guys at GM are idiots....

McCall

What's dumb about concentrating on truck and SUV production when fuel prices are the highest this countries ever seen.

Sounds like perfectly logical thinking.

[axoid]

On fastlane.gmblogs.com Bob posted a follow up to today's the news.

Zeta Not the End of RWD Performance
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman

Some news broke today about a reshuffling of our product plan, and I just want to clear one thing up before people get carried away.

Yes, we have canceled our plans to build rear-wheel-drive vehicles off the Zeta architecture. But that does not mean we've canceled plans to build rear-drive vehicles altogether.

We did not cancel the Zeta plans to save money, or to divert funds elsewhere that would've been used for product development.

We are simply reallocating resources (human and financial) to pull some other programs ahead and get other vehicles to market sooner. The press speculates this means we're doing it to get our next-generation large SUVs and pickups out sooner. You could see how one might reasonably come to such a conclusion.

Rest assured, we remain committed to developing RWD, premium, high-performance, affordable vehicles, perhaps even a few with a trace of nostalgia baked in.

[rushman]

perhaps even a few with a trace of nostalgia baked in.

That makes me feel a little better..... unless by nostalgia he means push the 2008 el camino.... I mean SSR

[TOO Z MAXX]

"with a little bit of nostalga baked in" Sounds like they are just dangling that carrot out there to keep us interested.

[Absolut Speed]

What's dumb about concentrating on truck and SUV production when fuel prices are the highest this countries ever seen.

Sounds like perfectly logical thinking.

My thoughts exactly. The only way GM should concern itself with trucks and SUV's is if they are building them around alternative fuels.

Insight, Echo, Prius, Civic hybrid, Accord Hybrid, Escape Hybrid = not GM. The Silverado hybrid is a joke. The VUE was delayed. $2.15 in the Midwest per gallon today. That's not changing and apparently, neither is GM.

[rmackintosh]

  Boy those guys at GM are idiots....

McCall

What's dumb about concentrating on truck and SUV production when fuel prices are the highest this countries ever seen.

Sounds like perfectly logical thinking.

....that really pisses me off.....if there is a good idea...you CAN BET GM will go the OPPOSITE direction...

GM = G&%D#$M MORONS....

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[Teutonic Speedra...]

Why can't GM start making cars we want? They need to stop making cars that they think people will want but really don't.

[trackbird]

Damn, we may be FMRRAX.com soon (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif) (F-body Mustang Road Race Auto-X) because GM is quickly running out of places for us to go (or places for us to "hold out" for) if we want a new toy, unless you are buying a Corvette.

[slowTA]

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/bs.gif) :stupid: (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rant.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/drink.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif)

[sgarnett]

On fastlane.gmblogs.com Bob posted a follow up to today's the news.

Zeta Not the End of RWD Performance
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
...
We did not cancel the Zeta plans to save money, or to divert funds elsewhere that would've been used for product development.

We are simply reallocating resources (human and financial) to pull some other programs ahead and get other vehicles to market sooner.
...

We didn't divert funds, we just reallocated resources. Hmmm (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Somehow, when I read premium, affordable, high performance, and nostalgia in the same sentence I have trouble reconciling them.

Somehow, I read that as somewhere between an SSR, the new (well, not so new now) T-Bird, and a forced-induction PT Cruiser.

Somehow, I read affordable premium as $40K, not low $20Ks like a minimalist Z28.

Somehow, I read nostalgic performance as a detuned, iron block, 5.3.

Somehow, I read nostalgia baked in as half-baked.

[trackbird]

We didn't divert funds, we just reallocated resources. Hmmm:rolleyes:

Somehow, when I read premium, affordable, high performance, and nostalgia in the same sentence I have trouble reconciling them.

Somehow, I read that as somewhere between an SSR, the new (well, not so new now) T-Bird, and a forced-induction PT Cruiser.

Somehow, I read affordable premium as $40K, not low $20Ks like a minimalist Z28.

Somehow, I read nostalgic performance as a detuned, iron block, 5.3.

Somehow, I read nostalgia baked in as half-baked.

Somehow....I think you're probably right.

[tom97ss]

Nostalgia = Underpowered Cars of the mid to late 70's with lots of stripes and scoops
(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif)

[trackbird]

Nostalgia = Underpowered Cars of the mid to late 70's with lots of stripes and scoops
(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif)

Except for underpowered (for a few of them, 4th gen f-bodies and the new GTO's), it sounds like the Pontiac lineup for the last 20 years has already been giving that to us.

[AllZWay]

  Boy those guys at GM are idiots....

McCall

Sounds like perfectly logical thinking.

....that really pisses me off.....if there is a good idea...you CAN BET GM will go the OPPOSITE direction...

GM = G&%D#$M MORONS....

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

That sure seems to be GM's plan. Let's not build anything but trucks at a time when gas prices are going to slow down truck sales.

I do think GM is being ran by complete idiots.

[y5e06]

ah, just face it. We'll all have to become Ford owners... with a collection of [soon to be] classic chevys in the garage.
(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[2000Z-71]

Why do I have a feeling the nostalgia will be a really bad imitation of a '69 Camaro, rolling on a modified Trailblazer frame with the standard 5.3 truck motor priced at 45K?

This is what really pisses me off at GM, they have the potential to build some great performance cars and they choose not to.

How 'bout a no frills stripper budget priced Corvette?

There is the Holden platform available for RWD, it could be built here. Do some restyling for the American market and it would probably sell.

The Caprice/Impala is still being built for oversees markets. Checked on the prices for used Impala SS's lately? There is a market here for them.

Is there any reason there is not a new version of the Syclone? The parts are there it's just a matter of assembling them. Take a basic Canyon, steal the all wheel drive from the Trailblazer, drop in LS-2 from a Corvette, done.

Or how 'bout a new version of the 454 SS pickup. Take basic Silverado 2wd standard cab shortbed, drop in 8.1, sell for 30k or less, done.

[trackbird]

Or how 'bout a new version of the 454 SS pickup. Take basic Silverado 2wd standard cab shortbed, drop in 8.1, sell for 30k or less, done.

Maybe they could make this one fast...... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rant.gif)

[robz71lm7]

Why do I have a feeling the nostalgia will be a really bad imitation of a '69 Camaro, rolling on a modified Trailblazer frame with the standard 5.3 truck motor priced at 45K?

This is what really pisses me off at GM, they have the potential to build some great performance cars and they choose not to.

How 'bout a no frills stripper budget priced Corvette?

There is the Holden platform available for RWD, it could be built here. Do some restyling for the American market and it would probably sell.

The Caprice/Impala is still being built for oversees markets. Checked on the prices for used Impala SS's lately? There is a market here for them.

Is there any reason there is not a new version of the Syclone? The parts are there it's just a matter of assembling them. Take a basic Canyon, steal the all wheel drive from the Trailblazer, drop in LS-2 from a Corvette, done.

Or how 'bout a new version of the 454 SS pickup. Take basic Silverado 2wd standard cab shortbed, drop in 8.1, sell for 30k or less, done.

Exactly. They had a nice simple gold silverado SS concept around '99 or '00 with a 6L that ran 13's and used off the shelf parts. Would've been a nice sub 30K truck at the time, instead we got a heavy slow awd truck that isn't good for anything.

The new corvettes are way too expensive as well.

The only thing I like from GM anymore is their trucks-I'm sure that will change soon.

Maybe I'm getting old (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) there just aren't any new cars I like.

[bobbylee]

I've bought my last GM product...That's what I said in '79 too before I bought an F-body. It'll be a long, long time though, if ever. GM does not make anything I am interested in, except a 'Vette, and I doubt I'd ever buy one. I have enough toys and projects to last me forever as it is.