Axe for G8; Will the bird fly back?

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by aldaron327

I've been essentially out of the loop since I've been away from the states for over a year, but how have G8s been selling? I know that searching through dealer inventories in the St. Louis area have netted me maybe 1-3 G8 GTs in any given month. Have they not been selling? I'd be trading in my TBSS for one if I had a chance of not going upside down on the deal.

I dunno, I hardly ever see them on the streets yet there is so much positive feedback and reviews on them. They're good cars, maybe I just need to give them more time to see them more often.

If the Firebird were to ever return, it would be half of my dream come true - the other half would be that it looks awesome when it does. But I doubt it, I've come to terms with that.

[Iroczlover]

ok every company does this, they sell a product for a few years , then revamp it, either to a new platform or just new styling or just kill it all together & bring a new product to the the forfront.

In 5 yrs thats a long time, things could change by then, But seeing the firebird coming back out, I dont see it.

I see maybe another go at the GTO or maybe the GTP again.


Unless something happens between now & 5 yrs we can be stepping back in to the times of the 70s where they had started working with alt fuels, then forgetting about it when gas prices dropped low again.

[radz28]

This is pretty scary to me. This car was just released and it's already apparently been given the axe. As much as I'd love to see a Firebird, I doubt GM will be adding any more V8 RWD cars to their car lines for a while, if at all. If the political environment goes the way the poles are suggesting (actually, I don't really know who to believe and who would hurt the automotive industry, or the economy, the worst...), I think it will be very hard to make happen. Shoot, I keep repeating 'Father saying the original idea of the Z28 is going to be very difficult (suggesting to me that plan isn't going to work) it just seems they're going to go with more efficient cars. I just hope GM can sell all the Camaros they can make because it's like going to be the last affordable V8 RWD car from GM soon...

JMVHO

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

5 years from now..... we could have a miracle fuel technology present itself and radically change engine design.

too long to even start speculating.

Exactly what I was thinking...5 years ago nobody new there would be a new Camaro, let alone how it would look/perform. A conversation piece, but a LOT can happen in 5 years market-wise, and then especially with GM -- they have a knack for changing their minds rather drastically....

[headpunter]

the one thing to think about is the call for RWD platforms, and you can shoe horn a v8 into anythig really, so even if its a mostly v6 RWD platform they can fit a v8 into it.

[Iroczlover]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Exactly what I was thinking...5 years ago nobody knew there would be a new Camaro, let alone how it would look/perform. A conversation piece, but a LOT can happen in 5 years market-wise, and then especially with GM -- they have a knack for changing their minds rather drastically....

lol I Knew in my heart that there would be another camaro. lol strange converations on Back porches come to mind 4 yrs ago.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by aldaron327

I've been essentially out of the loop since I've been away from the states for over a year, but how have G8s been selling? I know that searching through dealer inventories in the St. Louis area have netted me maybe 1-3 G8 GTs in any given month. Have they not been selling? I'd be trading in my TBSS for one if I had a chance of not going upside down on the deal.

For this year, we've sold 11,308 G8s through September. For the month of September, we sold 1,651 G8s.

[TAG UR IT]

No Firebird. Unfortunately....if the demand was there...but it isn't

[societyhigh]

... I would love a new firebird.

[stovt001]

GM, if you're going to kill all the cool unique cars, just kill B-P-G. Wasting money rebadging the same cars with no real divisional theme is just wasting money. I'd rather see Pontiac dead than just a dumping ground for some of GM's more pathetic vehicles like the G3/Aveo.

[Mr. Wyndham]

I read this on Camaroz28.com...this guy knows his stuff -- and what he says is enlightening, to say the least.

Originally Posted by guionM

This story is another example of how in the journalism business, you take a nearly insignificant bit of common information and turn it into a sensationalistic story. The story is basically factual, but the theme is misleading.

Here's what the story misses.

The VE series will have a total life of about 5 years. Holden is scheduled to change over to the next series in 2011-2012. GM North America initially planned to use the G8 as a stand in till our own Zeta plant got up and running. The G8 was never intended to run past the time of the current VE, so basic premise that the G8 is being killed by GM and all the reasons being given for it are not factual..... bogus, in fact.

Second, news of the Kappa not seeing a 2nd act broke a long time ago. Bob Lutz himself said originally that the Kappa (Solstice) would only be around 3 to 4 years. Sales volume have very little to do with the Kappa. It was developed for pocket change. The resources commited to it were akin to the number of people it takes to lay out an engine compartment.

Kappa's profits overall are in fact, razor thin. It's a relatively cheap car to produce, but it's also sold at a very cheap price and the factory it's made at is using something like 20% of it's total capacity. After what happened to Ste Therese, it's logical to believe that GM was keeping the plant open for something bigger by making Kappas to keep the utilities on and pay the taxes. Also, the Kappa is so much like a Corvette, it could actually come off the Corvette assembly line. Finally, if GM wanted to continue the Kappa, the car is modern enough that it could continue for some time without change simply for the sake of change. The Solstice is also already 4 years old.


For the record, Holden's Elizibeth City plant is producing at near capacity thanks to a strong export market (including the US). The current G8 is in very little danger of being discontinued. The G8 is scheduled to have a model run of only 3-4 years, when the Oshawa version was supposed to start production (we're going into year #2). Solstice was supposed to be dead by now.


What will the future may hold (assuming GM is around to carry it out)?

Holden in Australia is working on a smaller RWD platform expected to be manufactured here or down under..
Here in the US, we're working on an Espilon 2 Impala.

Either one can end up in Pontiac showrooms.

Kappa is already living on borrowed time, but I suspect we'll see it beyond 2011 assuming both GM and Pontiac survive.

The story takes a normal life cycle and turned it into a GM is killing off Pontiac story. It may be true, but they are using the wrong evidence.

In other words....this is a sky-is-falling article. The G8 is one of GM's more successful (in the public eye) cars, and it's needed as a PBG (Pontiac-Buick-GMC) halo car to get people into dealers. They're not going to "kill it" -- they might as well say the Camaro will be canceled in 5 years...that's so far away in the auto world, who the heck knows what's going to happen?

[Georgie]

typical of the media

[Iroczlover]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

I read this on Camaroz28.com...this guy knows his stuff -- and what he says is enlightening, to say the least.


In other words....this is a sky-is-falling article. The G8 is one of GM's more successful (in the public eye) cars, and it's needed as a PBG (Pontiac-Buick-GMC) halo car to get people into dealers. They're not going to "kill it" -- they might as well say the Camaro will be canceled in 5 years...that's so far away in the auto world, who the heck knows what's going to happen?

Why are you listening to GUY? hes another Tag hes a cop lol

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Iroczlover

Why are you listening to GUY? hes another Tag hes a cop lol

Because I don't know what he does in his free time, but Guy knows his stuff!!! (most of the time ) I'll tell you what: I'd sooner listen to guy than this "G8 is dead" article!