Attn: Fbodfather- Will GM save the Pontiac G8 for the U.S. market via rebadge?

[FenwickHockey65]

Impala's going to RWD in a few years anyways...LWB Alpha.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Impala's going to RWD in a few years anyways...LWB Alpha.

"LWB"?

I know you've got your paws in the GM Insider site...is the Alpha development officially (or "probably") back on track for 2012-2013? Last I heard it was due by the end of the decade...hopefully I'm wrong?

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

"LWB"?

I know you've got your paws in the GM Insider site...is the Alpha development officially (or "probably") back on track for 2012-2013? Last I heard it was due by the end of the decade...hopefully I'm wrong?

Long Wheelbase Alpha.

We have no idea what the hell is going on with Alpha right now...it's supposedly a stronger, lighter version of Zeta...

From what we've heard, the current W-body Impala is going to soldier on until 2013...at which point, it will go on hiatus until 2015 or 2016, then a brand-new Impala will be introduced on a LWB version of the Alpha RWD platform.

Now, another rumor that's been flying around lately is that there's plans for the VF Commodore (current G8 = VE Commodore) to be brought stateside as something...unfortunately, we haven't gotten any form of confirmation about that yet.

So when Henderson keeps saying "No" to rebadging the G8 to another division, it may mean that GM is attempting to get rid of every remaining G8. This way, there's no actual "rebadging" going on if the VE Commodore is sent to Chevy.

Really, nobody knows what's going on right now...

[FenwickHockey65]

And by the way, this info is from March...so I don't know if things have been changed by recent events...

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...latform-77264/

[Mr. Wyndham]

Very Interesting.....

[bballr4567]

I cant believe they want to keep the Wbody around until 2013. Just makes no sense at all.

[stovt001]

Originally Posted by bballr4567

I cant believe they want to keep the Wbody around until 2013. Just makes no sense at all.

Keeping an old car around so as not to "waste" precious money by producing modern cars and selling the crap for years through profitless fleet sales is how the Domestic auto industry does business. I can definitely believe that, though it kills hope for a change in attitude in Detroit. I have just about given up on GM.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by stovt001

And there is also no reason why it couldn't be a Buick. It is fairly upscale, and could be made even more so. While Buick is primarily sedate

I agree that it would fit Buick well. Buick needs it, too. Also, Buick isn't really that sedate anymore; they just can't shake the reputation. Take a look at horsepower numbers for Buicks...you can't get anything really slow from Buick right now.

The real problem here is the entire automotive community is crying out demanding the G8 be rebadged

A community crying out doesn't mean much. Money talks...and I guess it's been pretty quiet.

Originally Posted by The_Blur

The G8 market is the same as other GM car markets. Look at us. We're on a Camaro site. We're talking about ways we can wiggle a car that we all love into full lineups. If we are so desperate to keep it while so many buyers are prepared to ignore it, then we are a poor representation of the market.

Additionally, we're not buying it. We're buying the Camaro. So, even the people who like the G8 and want it on the market aren't buying it.

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Now, another rumor that's been flying around lately is that there's plans for the VF Commodore (current G8 = VE Commodore) to be brought stateside as something...unfortunately, we haven't gotten any form of confirmation about that yet.

So when Henderson keeps saying "No" to rebadging the G8 to another division, it may mean that GM is attempting to get rid of every remaining G8. This way, there's no actual "rebadging" going on if the VE Commodore is sent to Chevy.

When you put it that way, I'm not so bothered by the disappearance of the G8.

There's always so much bitching about badge-engineering; bringing a Commodore that can't be described as a badge-engineered car already on the North American market sounds like a great strategy.

Originally Posted by stovt001

Keeping an old car around so as not to "waste" precious money by producing modern cars and selling the crap for years through profitless fleet sales is how the Domestic auto industry does business.

Ford, the worst offender with that strategy (rental Taurii and government/service Crown Victorias), is the only one of the Big 3 that didn't need bailout money.

[stovt001]

Originally Posted by theholycow

A community crying out doesn't mean much. Money talks...and I guess it's been pretty quiet.

Ford, the worst offender with that strategy (rental Taurii and government/service Crown Victorias), is the only one of the Big 3 that didn't need bailout money.

I need to call you on these two points because you draw incomplete conclusions. First, you argue since Pontiac G8 sales numbers are low, no one actually likes the car enough to buy it. However, notice the brand. Pontiac. It is a significantly lower volume brand than Chevy, and is kinda polarizing. Not everyone has a Pontiac dealer near them, and Pontiac is on fewer buyer's radars. However, if you give it to the far more visible, mainstream Chevy brand, you open it up to a much larger audience. Chevy has wider appeal, more marketing dollars, more dealerships, and less polarizing history and stigma. So there is no reason to believe it will be received by buyers the same way as a Chevy the way it was as a Pontiac.

Secondly, you seem to imply that Ford keeping old designs around for years and selling them as fleet is the reason they didn't need a bailout. There is no logical way you can take that correlation and make is causation. There is one primary reason Ford did not need a bailout - it took out lines of credit before the credit crisis hit, so now it is accumulating debt to ride out the economy. Saying the key to survival was selling antiquated cars and no profit does not make the slightest bit of sense at all. And I'll have you know that Ford has either replaced or is in the process of replacing all of its old products. The wonderful Euro Focus and Fiesta will be here soon, the new Taurus is heavily updated, and the Mustang is getting modern engines. There is none of this "Well lets keep a decades old design around for another half decade".

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by stovt001

First, you argue since Pontiac G8 sales numbers are low, no one actually likes the car enough to buy it.

Name or otherwise, the car simply wasn't selling. I wasn't talking about whether people like it; that doesn't matter. What matters is whether people buy it. I don't think the Pontiac stigma (I had no idea that there is one) would turn someone off from buying a car that they want. I suppose that people could be weird that way, though.

Secondly, you seem to imply that Ford keeping old designs around for years and selling them as fleet is the reason they didn't need a bailout.

I implied no such thing. I was merely stating, in response to the implication that the practice was responsible for GM's problem, that Ford wasn't destroyed by that practice despite doing it far worse than GM.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Name or otherwise, the car simply wasn't selling. I wasn't talking about whether people like it; that doesn't matter. What matters is whether people buy it. I don't think the Pontiac stigma (I had no idea that there is one) would turn someone off from buying a car that they want. I suppose that people could be weird that way, though.



I implied no such thing. I was merely stating, in response to the implication that the practice was responsible for GM's problem, that Ford wasn't destroyed by that practice despite doing it far worse than GM.

they just had the foresight to take out a giant loan before the $#!7 hit the fan.

So with the G8 going away... could be a very nice collectors item someday

[GatorBlue371]

G8 GXP will bring alot of money someday. Anyone know how many 6-speed GXP units have been created?

[bballr4567]

Originally Posted by GatorBlue371

G8 GXP will bring alot of money someday. Anyone know how many 6-speed GXP units have been created?

They probably wont release it until the end of the model year.

[GatorBlue371]

Originally Posted by bballr4567

They probably wont release it until the end of the model year.

True. I know it isnt a large number, ive been trying to find one to test drive since they came out with no luck. Found one 3 hours away, call the dealer, drive out, and when im 10 minutes away he calls me back to tell me someone bought it and he was very sorry.