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Automotive News & Views What if you were in charge of GM?
874 messages, Last post on Oct 28, 2009 at 10:20 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Camaro: Leave it as planned; this would be Joe Six Pack’s sporty ride. Corvette: To remove it further from the Camaro, switch to a mid engine set up. Also drop the “Chevrolet” designation and sell as a standalone product. Volt: This is a great piece of tech, GM most now work hard to make this EREV affordable to the majority of middle class car shoppers. Trucks: Leave as is. GM trucks have the highest overall rating by CR. Automobile, R&T etc… SUV’s Eliminate all Truck-Based SUV’s except the Suburban and offer it in two lengths and wheelbases similar to what Ford does with the current expedition. The Transverse is what about 95% of mid to fullsize SUV buyers really need. The ‘Burb is only better for towing and hauling really heavy loads. Pontiac: Pontiac needs to be reborn as a more sporty division, with different products than Chevrolet. Hence everything in the current line-up except the G8 needs to be fully replaced and here is the mix: Solstice: Keep this roadster and continue to refine it further. Furthermore the Kappa platform on which it is based can be used to underpin other Pontiac projects. G5: ($18,500-$24,000) Replace the current Cobalt clone with a compact rear wheel drive 2+2 and rear wheel drive 4-door. Also offer a model with a removable top. The base engine should be a 170HP version of the 2.4L and the up-level engine should be a 260HP turbo version of same. The up-level version will replace the Cobalt SS. The cars should have a taunt Euro feel and aggressive styling. In concept these would be a BMW 1 series for much less. “Kappa” crossover ($23,000-$25,000): Replace the Toyota Matrix cloned Vibe with a compact crossover based on the Kappa Chassis, offer both G5 engines and optional all wheel drive G8: ($27,000-$32,000) Beef the V6 up to 300HP and keep the current V8. Also add a low volume 2 door to the line up. In the following year, phase in a hardtop convertible to replace the defunct G6. Buick: Would serve as GM’s near luxury brand, similar to the Acura TL, Lexus ES 350 and Mercedes C Class. Lacrosse: ($26,000-$32,000) Move to the Epsilon platform (Malibu) and offer a standard 3.6 with 275HP a six speed auto and standard leather, power everything, etc Offer a 3.5L Diesel as an alternative engine choice for those seeking better gas mileage. Tune the suspension soft in the standard trim and offer a slightly firmer GS version as well. Rivera: ($27,500-33,000) a low volume 2 door based on the Lacrosse with distinct styling and all the same engine options. Lucerne: Front Drive + V8 = Second Rate performer-Kill this outdated thing. Park Avenue ($31,000-$38,000) a full size 4 Door that replaces the Lucerne. This would be a rear wheel drive car (Holden Chassis) with a base 3.6DI engine with 290HP. The up-level model would have a 4.6L V8 with 330HP. Both tuned for a softer ride than the G8. As an alternative engine offer a 3.5L V6 Diesel as a higher gas mileage alternative. Enclave: Leave as is but offer a 3.5L V6 Turbo-Diesel as an engine alternative to the standard V-6. Cadillac: This is the flagship division. This is the top end in performance and luxury. BLS: ($28,000-$35,000) this would be the base Caddy, taking over for the original CTS and would be built on a shortened Sigma Chassis. It would act as a 1 series competitor with rear wheel drive and a 300HP 3.6V6 as the standard engine. Offer both 6 speed manual and automatic transmissions. Tune it with a taunt suspension and equip it similar to the 3.5TL. CTS: ($35,000-$45,000) this would be a rear wheel drive 5 series/M45/E Class competitor. The base engine would be 3.6L liter V6 tuned to 305HP With an Optional 3.5L V6 Diesel as a higher gas mileage model. The top engine would be a turbo version putting out 350HP. All wheel drive would also be an option. Offer both coupe and sedan variants. SRX: ($40,000-$47000) this crossover would be based on the CTS above and offer the same engine choices. DTS: see Buick Lucerne, kill this underperformer. SLS: (super luxury sedan) ($50,000-$65,000), this would be the true rear wheel drive. flagship luxury sedan for Cadillac and GM and replaces the DTS. The standard engine would be a 5.0L Northstar V-8 with an out put of 400Hp and an 8 speed automatic, to match the specs of the S-Class and LS460. This car would be loaded to the nines with everything. Both a short wheelbase and longer wheelbase executive models would be offered. CTSV-update to the new larger CTS body, but keep the current ultra high performance engine and suspension. Escalade, Escalade EXT: Cadillac needs to get out of the truck business. Well that is my product mix which weeds out the mediocre cars GM currently has and replaces them with cars that exceed the competitors’ offerings at every level. Furthermore my plan also keeps overlap and redundant models to a minimum while satisfying a broad range of consumers. Reducing brands means a smaller GM with less employees, but it will insure GM survives as a more flexible and competitive entity which most importantly is profitable. It is my hope that GM survives and has the best cars on the market in every single class. It would do my heart good to see GM cars come out the winner in almost every comparison test in every magazine, and to be able to read across a spread sheet and see the GM car the best in cornering, slalom, acceleration, and gas mileage against every car in its segment and to have the best 5 year reliability to boot. With few brands to mess with it will be easier for GM engineers and designers to achieve this. There are other issues that GM should address. Such as being the first to field an affordable Hydrogen car and supporting infrastructure. The Volt is a good start, but gas-hybrids and extended range electrics are stepping stones to the real solution of fuel cell cars. |
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Replying to: georgecavalier (Nov 02, 2008 6:44 am) I'd be looking for a new job. 
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Replying to: mattandi (Dec 12, 2008 10:53 am) I would have a 6 martini lunch and then come back and work on the re-structuring plan. 
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Replying to: TIMGT5 (Dec 10, 2008 1:50 am) |
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Replying to: magnette (Jan 03, 2009 9:57 am) Keep in mind that 30mpg is not that big of a deal anymore. The base model of every mid size (read full size in Europe) car sold here gets that much or better. I agree that the demand for gas guzzlers has dropped significantly and that is a good thing, At the same time to say that every sub 30mpg vehicle will vanish is a sweeping generalization that is inaccurate. Name one 30mpg plus car that can seat 7 and tow 8000 lbs? Didn't think so. A car company that is as large as GM needs vehicles that address every need. Besides if you had read my post carefully you would notice that my line-up overall is more fuel efficeint than the one they currently have. I am convinced that we have reached the point of maxium efficiency with the ICE. That even the best scenario-a common rail DI diesel backed with an electric motor might be able to achieve 65-75mpg in a compact car (I am not counting the Chevy Volt, because in reality the Volt is basically an electric car). The problem is one of weight and cost. You can in theory make full size vehicles a lot lighter while still maintaining safety, but the costs of replacing standard steel and aluminum body work with F1 type carbon fiber construction would be enormous and would make such vehicles well beyond the reach of an average person.
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Replying to: TIMGT5 (Jan 04, 2009 2:26 am) What I meant by my comment was that the Astra is already developed, already paid for and it isn't likely to be dropped over here if GM survives, so it is effectively a free model over there - all they have to do is stick it on a boat. I thought it was actually selling better there than some of it's competitors - given GM doesn't have much else in that segment. And it isn't sub 30 mpg here - the claimed combined (urban/extra-urban) figures for the Astra here are 42.8 (1.6 petrol);36.7 (1.8); 56.5 (1.7CDTi). (that's UK gallons)
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Replying to: magnette (Jan 04, 2009 11:23 am) |
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I've seen only one Astra on the street since its introduction.
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Replying to: magnette (Jan 04, 2009 11:23 am) As for why Americans prefer bigger cars, well there is some pyschology you have have to understand. Conduct the following experiment. Walk up someone you do not know from your side of the pond and observe how close he or she lets you come before moving away from you. Then do the same to an American stranger. You find on average the American will more likely move away from you sooner. The reason for this is that Americans have a very strong sense of personal space and space ownership. This is why a higher percentage of Americans live in detached houses, own their own cars and have more suburban development. There will always be a number of Americans who will not be comfortable in a car that forces you into close proximity with the other occupants. The trick is going to be to make bigger cars more fuel efficient. The forth coming Ford Fusion hybrid, again a "large" car by your standards is supposed to get 40mpg. I understand where you are coming from, but I am not sure the Astra is GM's miracle compact. The Honda Civic gets better MPG and has more power and a bigger interior. If GM fields a car it must be the undisputed winner in almost every comparisson test, R&T, CR, Car and Driver etc. to win buyers back. |
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 04, 2009 1:53 pm) If they can't sell the Astra competitively in the US against VW's Golf, with your huge network of dealers, but they can in Europe, maybe the question is whether GM's management could find its a** with a map - or perhaps they were too busy polishing the corporate jet... |
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