Zeta News 2.0: New VF Commodore and Chevrolet SS

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:( Awww crap. How long will it take for a plant to open here?
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Well, they're already on it. The current Oshwa plant that builds the W-Body cars (Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, Impala, LaCrosse) is being converted over to the Zeta line for later production of the Camaro and the Impala, along with the oft-rumored Buick and possibly Cadillac Zeta cars. Given that all of Oshwa will eventually be used to build Zeta vehicles for the North American market (the LaCrosse will be going to Lake Orion or Kansas City), most of the cars we'll see here in the US will be made in Canada.

The Ute is still up in the air, as the Oshwa plant will have the capacity to make them. Same can be said for the updated Pontiac G8, which may include a wagon.

...Like always, GM doesn't like to talk about it too much. The guys at GMI who work at Oshwa haven't said much about it other than the changes are already underway to get the cars here soon...
 
You'll excuse me if I come off half-cocked (I'm drunk if you must know) but my thoughts are if GM lets the Aussie dollar value "prevent" them from bringing out some quality vehicles for their lineup then they need to get their acts together. GM's slowly starting to get me back into their camp...however, if they use an easy excuse to not better and more importantly broaden their lineup then they need to go back to the drawing boards. GM (North America) needs to realize that GM (Australia) has done all the reasearch + development + manufacturing for them. Just like Ford (North America) has Ford (Europe) & Ford (Australia) doing it for them.

Bleh, sounds like I'm rambling. Those are just my thoughts...

Discuss?
 
No, you are for the most part correct, and their solution was to move most of the North American production to North America (Canada). That, IMO, makes the most sense. From now on, all of their products will be co-developed between the various companies that sit beneath the GM umbrella, for the most part lead by Holden and Opel/Vauxhall under most circumstances. Cadillac and Saab will still work on a pretty vast amount of development as well, particularly Cadillac (I hear Sigma II will be beneath a new Opel large sedan).

We'll see what happens. As the dollar weakens and balances out with other world-market currencies, my guess is that more vehicles will return to the US for final assembly. That by no means calls for the prevention of Holden or Opel, for example, to co-develop some of our new vehicles.
 
MOAR! I WAN MOAR!

Autoblog
Though it's been spotted bombing the boulevards of Australia, the Chevy Camaro mule seen in these pictures has not been caught testing in the U.S. until now. Insiders have confirmed this Middle Eastern-market Chevy Lumina SS mule with severely truncated rear doors is indeed a mule for the production Chevy Camaro that will hopefully go on sale as a 2009 model. Chris Doane shooting for Brenda Priddy snapped the pics and tells us that in addition to the shortened rear doors, the wheelbase is obviously shorter compared to a normal VE sedan from Holden and the roofline is also lower to the ground. Priddy adds that while we don't know what engine is in the mule, expect the production car to have your choice of GM's 3.6L direct-inject V6, a "regular" V8 and top-shelf motor based on the LS8 engine putting out close to 500 HP. A convertible should follow a year after the coupe arrives, just like the Camaro Convertible Concept showed up 365 days after the coupe concept.
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Hooray! I can't wait! We're only a bit away from seeing the "real" Camaro in Detroit, furthermore, my Dad having his in our driveway...

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MORE ON UTE-GATE!

Autoblog
A few weeks ago we wrote about an email exchange between "Maximum" Bob Lutz and a GM Inside News forum member by the name of MonaroSS. In the exchange, Lutz claimed he and his colleagues were behind a move to bring the Australian-built Holden Ute to the U.S., but that "it won't be a Cheverolet." Never one to leave a quote like that hanging, Mike Levine from PickupTruck.com cornered "Maximum" Bob in California and asked if he could expound upon the status of a Stateside Ute, to which Lutz replied, "Odds are it will happen," and "We'd love to do it." Sounds promising.

In reference to his line that a Ute sold in the U.S. would not be badged a Chevrolet, Mr. Lutz added, "The Chevy product portfolio is too full to add this to it. We'd do it as either a Pontiac or GMC." Most have assumed a U.S.-spec Ute would be badged a Pontiac since from the A-pillar forward it would be identical to the forthcoming Pontiac G8 sedan, but Bob thinks a revival of the GMC Caballero might be cool, too.
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I still vote for the Caballero, but I still think its absolutely idiotic that we probably won't get it as a Chevy. The Pontiac version may be okay, but I still don't like the idea of a pickup in the Pontiac lineup...
 
It's either a GMC or a Chevy. Or else no-one would buy it.

Good to see a Camaro mule running around though. :D
 
Would there be any viability in selling it as a Holden Ute in the US, but being sold in Pontiac and Chevy dealers? Kinda like what we do with the H3 here.
 
JCE3000GT
Umm, I think releasing the Ute within a year or two would be a brilliant thing. Its something new and different--and it looks somewhat like a pickup truck--which means it will sell in America ten-fold.
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But Americans aren't really used to anything like this unless it's the El Camino. Now, GM could bring it here as a new El Camino, but then you'd get folks wondering why it looks like a Pontiac. It just doesn't seem like a good idea.

The idea of these stuck around during the El Camino and Ranchero days. There's probably a good reason why no company has ever decided to keep the idea alive in the US.

Casio
Would there be any viability in selling it as a Holden Ute in the US, but being sold in Pontiac and Chevy dealers? Kinda like what we do with the H3 here.
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No. Holden isn't exactly a household name in the US, and it'd need more than a Ute to get Americans interested. Problem is, GM's already brining other Holdens here under GM and Chevrolet.
 
For the most part, to elaborate on what McLaren said, Holden just doesn't have legs outside of the hardcore car enthusiast market. That isn't saying exactly that they couldn't sell under the name, but more or less that Joe Rocket in Park Town, Iowa is less likely to identify a Holden as something he would want over say a Chevrolet or Pontiac, that he has know his entire life.

But, its an idea that I don't disagree with...
 
I only wondered because if it's going to have to invent some name to be used as a Pontiac, then might as well leave it as it is. A Ponitac Utetenator is as familar to Joe Rocket as the Holden Ute is.

Unless of course, it's the new El Camino, which would make sense, so it probably won't happen.
 
Casio
I only wondered because if it's going to have to invent some name to be used as a Pontiac, then might as well leave it as it is. A Ponitac Utetenator is as familar to Joe Rocket as the Holden Ute is.
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But in this case though, he's still going to go with the Pontiac because he's always known about them. Call it blind ignorance, but he just won't want the Holden 99% of the time because it's a Holden.
 
Frankly, all I want is to see the Monaro return, I think the VE Commodore would make a mad coupe. (much like the big improvement the Omega Monaro made over the Omega sedan)



Oh and please drop some weight!
 
Reading the E-Mails and other interviews with Bob Lutz on GMI, it sounds more and more likely that the Ute will come here as a Pontiac instead of a GMC. My guess is that the import levels would be very small, fewer than 10,000 units if I recall correctly. No word on the name, but given that Pontiac has never had anything like this before, they're going to have to get creative. I don't think the number system works with this one (G5, G6, G8, etc), but they could call it some kind of spin-off on the G8 name. Or they could call it "Ute" like they probably should anyway.

...As for the Monaro, its coming. Soon-ish. I believe we are waiting for the "official" debut of the VE Estate, and then the Monaro comes afterwards. My guess is that the Monaro will be ready for production by this time next year (maybe sooner?), and may end up having more in common with the Camaro than previously thought... However, I may be mistaken. The GM folks want a GTO at Pontiac, particularly with the whole push to make Pontiac completely RWD and pretty much in-line with Holden, so my guess is that its coming soon.

Either way, as the last of the new VE models roll-out, the brand-new Alpha cars should start rolling around soon as well.

Although Zeta is my favorite platform at GM right now, Alpha will likely take that away...
 
I'd be royally pissed if I was the guy who last year brought the 'Last ever Monaro' for $188,000.

I think the appeal of the Monaro is over, unless they give it more power or something special people will realize it's just a 2-door Commodore that probably will cost more. Bring back the Torana to compete with the 1-Series before the Monaro I say.
 
I really don't get how that's the camaro mule in the shell of a Lumina. :indiff: I'll never understand this.
 
The shortened wheelbase is a testbed for the Camaro chassis. Its pretty much using everything from underneath the G8/Commodore/Lumina, engines, transmissions, axles, etc. Only difference is the overall size. Thing is, the Monaro will likely be larger than the Camaro, as stated earlier, a two-door Commodore.

My guess is that the updated GTO (Monaro) will go for the same $30K range when it debuts in the US with the 430 BHP LS3 and the six-speed manual. That is, being completely certain that Holden is building a Monaro to begin with...
 
This thread is the most uplifting thing I have seen in ages. All these sweet cars coming to America.... and there American! Oh, boy what a time for me to get my licence!
 
Yeah, its gonna be a pretty sweet used car market for us wont it? :D
 
I just saw one of those Left-Hand Drive Pontiac G8s today, exactly the same as the blue one a few pages back, but in red, looking pretty sexy. I was going to flip around and chase it but I was already running late. But I think I know where it might live...
 
Awesome! I know that they have been building the early-delivery models, as I believe we're supposed to be expecting the first "true" production models here within the next month or two (probably around Thanksgiving). Personally, I just want to sit in one more than anything right now. Of course drive the wheels off of it as well...
 
-> Forget the Camaro, I like this 'mule' already!

camaromule12803bl1.jpg


^ It looks so different, and I like it! :drool:
 
I don't think this has been posted here, forgive me if it has.

cgiautmotive
Based on a leaked presentation slide in the last week, CGIAutomotive has a high quality rendition of the wagon that will debut in Australia and New Zealand by March ‘08 and in Pontiac G8 forms by ‘09. It features a sportwagon-style roofline, akin to that of the Chrysler 300C, as well as unique tailgate and bumper mouldings. New lights will feature in several styles, including a dark, SS version seen in the image. It appears the wagon will sit on the standard VE length and overhang, raising some concern for the Commodore’s infamous role as the workhorse of sales representatives in need of considerable cargo space. Style seems to have won out.
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ve-ss-wagon2.jpg
 
^ Now thats a GM work of art. I just saw the new CTS, and this wagon blows its doors off.
 
Thanks for the info Casio! Up until now no one has ever said anything "solid" about Pontiac getting the "G8X" (thats what I'm calling it...). A kick-ass full-size wagon with a big V8 and a stick for less than $35K?

Yes please!
 
Now that is one sexy beast. Has to be the second best looking estate on the market currently behind the new Audi.
 
YSSMAN
We'll see what happens. As the dollar weakens and balances out with other world-market currencies, my guess is that more vehicles will return to the US for final assembly.
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I also thought I'd add that the dollar at the moment might cause a real problem for GM. The dollar at the moment is still rising, partly because of the interest rate cuts of the US. With 1 Aussie Dollar worth almost 89 US cents. I find it hard to see how GM can sell a $50,000+AUD Holden SS for under $25,000 in the states.

Although one advantage of the dollar is that GTP Premium is really cheap, I might just get on board...
 
Well, my guess is that the wagon with the V8 would go for more than $30K, but a V6 model should start in the mid-$20K range.
 
-> So far about the wagon, is when will it arrive here in the US? Because its all about the sedan, bah! :indiff:
 
Nothing was ever passed down officially/unofficially about Pontiac getting a Wagon version of the G8 on GMI, so its hard to say. My guess is that at the absolute earliest, it would probably be late-summer 2008...
 


Build Your Own G8
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You can now build your own G8 over at PONTIAC.com, just click on "G8" and it will open up a new window. Unfortunately there isn't any pricing yet, but it at the very least shows us what the final version looks like.

And BTW: The new wheels are awesome...
 
I don't know. The rear just doesn't match the mean looks of the front, and even then, the front just doesn't impress me as much as the first photoshop picture did.
 
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