Wednesday 22nd February 2006

GM chops bland Pontiac GTO

Car-maker blames federal safety rules

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Bland: 2004 Pontiac GTO

The General is to discontinue making the Pontiac GTO, the car which helped define American muscle in the 1960s. The 360bhp car was sold until 1973 when the fuel crisis killed it.

After a thirty-year hiatus, GM started making it again in 2003 but has decided that federal safety rules make too expensive to redesign and continue manufacturing.

Not that too many car nuts are likely to be terribly upset. Although an icon, the new 400bhp version didn't really look the part and, at $32,000 retail -- a lot in cheap car land USA -- and it wasn't selling that well. Although GM talked it up, it only sold 11,590 GTOs last year. In a land where GM and Ford between them made nearly six million motors, it's not volume. It's also not even all that American, which also matters. Only the drive-train is fitted in the US, the rest is shipped from GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia.

GM has told its dealers that it would build some 10,000 to 12,000 more GTOs until the end of May. According to the Detroit Free Press, "Pontiac is exploring options for adding another high-performance, rear-wheel-drive vehicle to its portfolio but no decisions have been made about a replacement."

More bad news

The GTO chop follows more bad news from the General, which has moved to cut a shift at a truck-making assembly plant in Ohio, cutting 1,150 jobs, and closed yet another car-making plant in Oklahoma, with the loss of 2,400 jobs.

[johnnystorm]

Isn't this generation of Monaro(which the GTO is based on) being phased out anyway, hence the reason for it no longer going on sale in the UK?

[r988]

johnnystorm said:

Isn't this generation of Monaro(which the GTO is based on) being phased out anyway, hence the reason for it no longer going on sale in the UK?

Yup, they aren't making another one, not for the time being anyway.

[hendry]

This seems a bit of a non-story then: "GM chops car that isn't being made any longer anyway".

You have to laugh at GM's commitment to the sports car market (Corvette excepted) - the only two cars (VX220 and Monaro) that anyone with a micron of adrenalin would buy with a Vauxhall badge on both canned after just a couple of years. Instead, we may be able to get a left hand drive version of the Opel GT/Solstace thing, which, by all accounts, was hastily knocked together and is a pile of pants.

Soon Motability will be the only reason to buy a Vauxhall.

[peter450]

they dont sell thats why they were canned the vx220 was a sales disaster, i dont know what the projections were on the monaro but it struck me as a badge image booster model rather than a serious sales propostion, now jobs done and we can all look forward to vxr versions of repmobiles

[Tebbs]

Whether it was a sales disaster or not surely isnt entirely relevent with the vx220. It has done an awful lot of good to the brand in my opinion, and started the whole VXR thing. I know people who wouldnt have considered vauxhalls before that would now as they are considered more sporty by the general public and not just for pensioners anymore. Besides, the VX220T is a cracking motor

[hendry]

Agree on all said about the VX220 being a halo model rather than something Vauxhall/Opel were ever going to make money out of. After all, how many Elise's do Lotus sell? In the grand scheme of things not that many. So how much of a moneyspinner did they really think it would be if they stuck a boxy body on an already niche model and then put Vauxhall badges on it?

Despite all the VXR stuff their heart isn't in it and that is plain for all to see. The last credible sporting Vauxhall was the Prince Henry.

[mattiselvis]

Lotus Carlton? Not that they made any money out of it, but there used to be a little bit of a soul left in GM.

I do wonder how long they can go on producing the tat they do and survive in the face of the Germans and Japanese.

[Twin Turbo]

The reaction to the new Camaro concept was extremely positive, so GM would be foolish not to put it into production in the next year or two. This is scheduled to use a version of GMs Zeta platform (also to underpin the Holden Commordore/Monaro replacement).

If GM want maximum usage from this platform, they could spin a new GTO off this platform too, although my guess is they'll see how the Camaro fares.

www.supercars.net/Pics?viewPic=y&source=car&id=3358&p=2006_chevrolet_camaro_concept-2.jpg&y=2006&m=Chevrolet&o=Camaro%20Concept

[drunknfuctup]

Twin Turbo said:

The reaction to the new Camaro concept was extremely positive, so GM would be foolish not to put it into production in the next year or two. This is scheduled to use a version of GMs Zeta platform (also to underpin the Holden Commordore/Monaro replacement). If GM want maximum usage from this platform, they could spin a new GTO off this platform too, although my guess is they'll see how the Camaro fares. www.supercars.net/Pics?viewPic=y&source=car&id=3358&p=2006_chevrolet_camaro_concept-2.jpg&y=2006&m=Chevrolet&o=Camaro%20Concept

IMHO from seeing the Camaro concept at the Chicago Auto Show last week I get the distinct impression that the concept is just a styling exercise (I wasn't impressed) and not anywhere close to what it will be if/when it eventually makes it into production. There were no details available about the cars specs in concept form, I doubt it was even a runner.......

Edit: Upon further investigation it is a runner, but a pastiche of a classic none-the-less.





>> Edited by drunknfuctup on Wednesday 22 February 15:44

[Fire99]

drunknfuctup said:

Twin Turbo said: The reaction to the new Camaro concept was extremely positive, so GM would be foolish not to put it into production in the next year or two. This is scheduled to use a version of GMs Zeta platform (also to underpin the Holden Commordore/Monaro replacement). If GM want maximum usage from this platform, they could spin a new GTO off this platform too, although my guess is they'll see how the Camaro fares. www.supercars.net/Pics?viewPic=y&source=car&id=3358&p=2006_chevrolet_camaro_concept-2.jpg&y=2006&m=Chevrolet&o=Camaro%20Concept IMHO from seeing the Camaro concept at the Chicago Auto Show last week I get the distinct impression that the concept is just a styling exercise (I wasn't impressed) and not anywhere close to what it will be if/when it eventually makes it into production. There were no details available about the cars specs in concept form, I doubt it was even a runner....... Edit: Upon further investigation it is a runner, but a pastiche of a classic none-the-less. >> Edited by drunknfuctup on Wednesday 22 February 15:44

I think the new Camaro at the Chicago Auto Show looked great!

[BossCerbera]

hendry said:

Soon Motability will be the only reason to buy a Vauxhall.

[andy_b]

non story really as GM announced that Monaro production (where the GTO is also built) in Oz would stop this year anyway

[drunknfuctup]

Fire99 said:

drunknfuctup said: Twin Turbo said: The reaction to the new Camaro concept was extremely positive, so GM would be foolish not to put it into production in the next year or two. This is scheduled to use a version of GMs Zeta platform (also to underpin the Holden Commordore/Monaro replacement). If GM want maximum usage from this platform, they could spin a new GTO off this platform too, although my guess is they'll see how the Camaro fares. www.supercars.net/Pics?viewPic=y&source=car&id=3358&p=2006_chevrolet_camaro_concept-2.jpg&y=2006&m=Chevrolet&o=Camaro%20Concept IMHO from seeing the Camaro concept at the Chicago Auto Show last week I get the distinct impression that the concept is just a styling exercise (I wasn't impressed) and not anywhere close to what it will be if/when it eventually makes it into production. There were no details available about the cars specs in concept form, I doubt it was even a runner....... Edit: Upon further investigation it is a runner, but a pastiche of a classic none-the-less. >> Edited by drunknfuctup on Wednesday 22 February 15:44 I think the new Camaro at the Chicago Auto Show looked great!

If GM gave this concept the greenlight today it probably wouldn't hit the streets till 2009. Seems like they are playing a losing game of catchup.

Just my $.02. I am not a fan of retromobiles in general.......

Rob

[Twin Turbo]

Well, back in the 60's GM took a couple of year to cotton on to the Mustang's success, so I guess this is just history repeating itself.

[peter450]

Tebbs said:

Whether it was a sales disaster or not surely isnt entirely relevent with the vx220. It has done an awful lot of good to the brand in my opinion, and started the whole VXR thing. I know people who wouldnt have considered vauxhalls before that would now as they are considered more sporty by the general public and not just for pensioners anymore. Besides, the VX220T is a cracking motor

has it really? most people who bought them are true enthiasts, they bought the car on its own merrits, because theres no image to the badge lets be honest, so anyone choosing one over a lotus was doing so because of the product and the product alone (or should i say the engine, as 200hp made the car seriously quick for the cash, and a lot cheaper then the 190 bhp elise) so by that fact chances are they are car people in which case they know its really a lotus that gets sold with a vauxhall badge on it, harldy a testament to sporting intent of vauxhall engineering excellence rebadge someone elses car? the carlton was a great machine but most people see it as a lotus aswell seing as they more or less stuck all the good bits on.
personally i think vauxhall are doing ok at the mo most of there cars look quite good what i'm not convinced by is this sporting vxr thing, they seem to think that by sticking a vauxhall badge on an elise and importing a Aussie muscle car that they can then stick a bit of power and vxr badges on any old thing and people will look at the cars in the same light as a ford cosworths or rs's.

its half hearted if vauxall were serious they'd make vxr vauxhalls serious performance machines that stand out, instead we have vxr badges on a people carrier? and the only two cars in the vxr range that were actually stand out type cars were not really vauxhalls and are no longer being built

>> Edited by peter450 on Wednesday 22 February 23:08

[qube_TA]

I know that the car has been canned with a new all American version in the pipeline instead but the thing that confuses me the most is how anyone could all the Holden/VXR Monaro/ Pontiac GTO a bland dull car?! I mean just look at it, they're awesome, even Clarkson raves about them, said it was the best car under £100K one bit.

Only seen a few on the roads but they're deffo a head turner.

[markoso]

Have a look at the articles on GM's future on this website....

www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorials.php

[tim milne]

I've got a 2004 GTO, and it's turned out to be a very good buy for precisely the reasons GM's chopping it. Though Ford are selling every Mustang they can make, nobody seems to want the GTO, probably because it lacks the obvious styling of the retro pony car. However, I really like the car and it's a design that really grows on you - with sleek lines and very elegant proportions (Monaro owners will no doubt agree). But the best bit is that you hardly ever see another one (unlike the Mustang).

It must be a no-brainer for GM to chop it though. Given that the car was already in production in Australia, it must of cost them nothing to graft a Pontiac nose on the front (the Monaro is much nicer BTW), so GM has nothing invested in it.

[FestivAli]

Put it this way if GM put the Camaro into production Pontiac can always make a Trans Am like they have in past and Pontiac enthuisiasts who don't fancy other GM brands (massive demographic, I'm told ) won't care. And neither will I at the Monaro/GTO's demise, given that the new platform will probably be a huge improvement and the fact that Denny Mooney, Holdens Boss (who's a yank, by the by) has told journalists he's very interested at bringing in the Camaro, and that if it is it should sell for around $52000AUD, well short of the $60-odd thousand the more boring looking Monaro does.

Bright motoring future lads, 'least until all the petrol runs out.

Ali.

[brian chim]

I work for Vauxhalls in the Ellesmere Port plant where we build the new Astra. It isnt a well kept secret that GM are in a bit of bother but Fords are apparently in a worse state than GM. As for Vauxhalls they are a very profitable company. In Europe its Opel which is letting Vauxhalls down. The ar&e has fallen out of the Europeen market aswell as the American.

Also we have been getting threatened with plant closure for the last 10 years that i have worked for them getting worse as time goes by. What can you do when there is a factory in Poland that can build the same car as you for 450 euros ( yes that is right 450 euros per car ), when we are building them for 1,150 euros.

Being interested in cars since i left school 10 years ago i have always asked the questions why dont they just do something silly for a change like what Renault did with the clio. Put a V6 in the boot. Its no doubt that vauxhalls build better cars than Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, etc. Looking at the Astra now we are slowly catching up to the Germans with build quality and the Japs with reliability.

You would think with the German touring cars running a V8 in the old Astra they would consider putting them in the astra as a production car. Imagine that!

Last point is that the problem they have with designing cars is they can get the basic car design right because if you look at the new Astra it is a very nice car but they just havnt got the right idea on modifying the car for the more sporty model. LOTUS carlton. LOTUS VX220. HOLDEN Monaro. Its just a shame that the people who do all the decision making in thier offices dont just go mad for a change instead of phoning another company to do it for them.

Thanks for taking your time to read this.

Brian Chim.

P.s my TVR Chimaera is for sale if you are interested. I dont drive Vauxhalls because i stare at them all day. Thought i should get that in before someone else did.