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Originally Posted by Capricio
I think I recall some GM promotional material saying the alpha chassis was "70% unique" compared to Cadillac implementations or some such thing. If that's the case, then what defines Alpha as still being Alpha? What has to remain consistent? Especially if it can lengthened and widened to suit any need?
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Don't think of a platform as the physical frame of the car, but more the conceptual framework of a car. It defines the basic characteristics of the car, including how much you can stretch/squish things. Its as much about sharing engineering resources as individual parts, actually the engineering might be even more important.
One way to think about platforms is that they are a series of choices that have been made. Where are the engine mounts going, what is the power/torque limit it can handle, what type of suspension geometry will it use, what are the main structural elements, what body styles can be made off it (coupe, sedan, convertible, wagon, crossover), what drive configurations can it use, where are the wires routed, wheelbase/track width, and so on. A lot of those things have a bit of range to them, but not a lot.