Zeta News 2.0: New VF Commodore and Chevrolet SS

[YSSMAN]

There is talk that the LaCrosse will be replaced with a RWD American version of the Statesman/Caprice, probably to be called Invicta, but nothing really solid on the maybe/maybe not ideals of the car have been worked out.

...But yeah, we will probably never see a GS, GN, or GNX ever again...

 

[JCE]

The Ute coming to America? Finally, its about time. Such an awsome vehicle. Now if Ford would revive the Ranchero.

P.S. Oh, the Ute would be on my list of vehicles to buy in 4-5 years if it does indeed live up to my expectations.

 

[Tornado]

Hooray! They are finally getting it right at GM! Now if they can sell us the Ute with some basic stuff, we can get rid of the Colorado... That, and the idea of a 400+ BHP El Camino SS makes me pee just a little...

There is no way the Ute can replace the Colorado, as it isn't a "real" truck. It wouldn't be accepted as such, either.
Sad to say it, but I don't think the Ute will have a market over here to sell in any meaningful numbers.

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

Yeah, Subaru tried the Ute idea with the Baja, and that pretty much tanked. Good concept, though, just not very popular in the US, it seems.

 

[Vonie]

General Motors has revealed the 2008 Pontiac G8 sports sedan. Based on the Commodore from GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia, the G8 will serve as a replacement to the aging Grand Prix.

The base model features a 261 horsepower 3.6-liter V6 with 250 pound-feet of torque. A more powerful G8 GT delivers 362 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque thanks to a 6.0-liter V8.

The basic G8 features a five-speed automatic with manual mode, while the GT version is offered with either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

Curb weight for the V6 model is 3,885 lbs, while the GT weighs just five pounds shy of 4,000. 18-inch wheels come standard, while 19-inch alloys can be ordered with the GT model.

The sedan rides on GM's new Zeta rear-wheel-drive platform, which underpins the 2009 Camaro and the next-generation Impala, in addition to several other planned vehicles.

G8 deliveries are expected to begin in August — a relatively short lead time made possible by some very effective badge engineering.

Good, very good.

 

[YSSMAN]

...You forgot the official pictures...

Wow. Thats all I can say. Very impressive GT there in the photos. I love the exterior, I love the interior, and the models sound great. I'd love to hear more about pricing, but it sounds as though we'll have to wait until late August or September to get the pricing finalized.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> So GM is on the right track now, why they didn't think of this 10-20 years ago?

-> Now even Ford USA is following the same suit importing Euro-Ford's to the stateside.

-> I can see it now:

Opel/Vauxhall Astra = Saturn Astra DONE

Holden Commodore SS = Pontiac G8 GT DONE

Opel Astra OPC/Vauxhall Astra VX-R = Saturn Astra Red Line PENDING

Holden (Commodore) Ute SS = Chevrolet El Camino SS PENDING

Holden ({Commodore} Ute) Crewman SS = Chevrolet El Camino Crew-Cab SS PENDING

Holden Caprice/Statesman = Buick "Next Gen Sedan" PENDING

^ It doesn't hurt to dream a bit.

(:

 

[Jay]

A more powerful G8 GT delivers 362 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque thanks to a 6.0-liter V8.

The basic G8 features a five-speed automatic with manual mode, while the GT version is offered with either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.
[/quote]

So the GT model will be a rebadged SS-V then, I was wondering if HSV versions would become available.

the GT weighs just five pounds shy of 4,000.

Ah not so good, but expected.

G8 deliveries are expected to begin in August — a relatively short lead time made possible by some very effective badge engineering.

Haha atleast they told it how it is, and not hide it.

-> So GM is on the right track now, why they didn't think of this 10-20 years ago?

-> Now even Ford USA is following the same suit importing Euro-Ford's to the stateside.

-> I can see it now:

Holden (Commodore) Ute SS = Chevrolet El Camino SS PENDING

Holden ({Commodore} Ute) Crewman SS = Chevrolet El Camino Crew-Cab SS PENDING

^ It doesn't hurt to dream a bit.

(:

Lucky for you guys that won't be the El Camino you will get, they upcoming Zeta version will be the one. (if it happens)

 

[TopHat]

I disagree with all of you saying that the El Camino would tank. The Baja is a totally different car all together, it was basically a FF Platform with AWD, a four cylinder engine and a stubby, ugly bed. The El Camino is FR, with a much longer bed, and an available V-8. So if it worked before, why wouldn't it now?

 

[JCE]

...You forgot the official pictures...

My god that car is just f*king sexy. GM suceeded here, the Pontiac grille doesn't ruin the car at all. Can I have mine in yellow please?

 

[Tornado]

The Baja is a totally different car all together, it was basically a FF Platform with AWD, a four cylinder engine and a stubby, ugly bed.

And the El Camino had AWD when? And that 4 cylinder engine made it faster than quite the majority of every El Camino ever made. And last I checked, the Chevrolet Avalanche, Explorer Sport Trac and Honda Ridgeline were very succesful, despite being saddled with short, stubby beds.

The El Camino is FR, with a much longer bed, and an available V-8.

(I'm ready for the backlash)

So if it worked before, why wouldn't it now?

Except when it worked (before the 80's), there wasn't this truck segment:

When compact trucks began coming out, the El Camino died. Unless the compact truck segment goes up in smoke within now and the time it will take to sell this Neo-El Camino, the same result will happen.

 

[JCE]

This:

And these:

Are a trillion lightyears better than this POS:

 

[Tornado]

Yet all 3 are singularly useless when compared to this:

which killed off the entire segment.
And your missing my point. Monte Carlo stated criteria as to why the Baja was bad. I stated that the SSR fit his critieria to the letter, yet was still far worse than the Baja. I never said the SSR was good, but rather that Monte Carlo's criteria for why the Baja failed was flawed; and also that Monte Carlo's criteria didn't make the car a success in either SSR form or in G-Body form, as there was a far more practical and better selling alternative model able to be purchased at the time.

 

[JCE]

My dad had 2 of those S-10's and one of the S-15 GMC versions of that truck and they were the best trucks he'd ever owned. He got over 220k miles out of each one of them. Infact his gold S-15 had 290k miles before he traded it in for an S-10. No doubt they are great vehicles, but that being said the El Camino and Ranchero were long gone by the time the S-10/S-15 took the market by storm. The Ranchero left in 1979 (last generation was hideous) and the El Camino left in 1987 (last generation was hideous also). In 1982 (?) the S-10/S-15 came out (before Dodge and Ford's small truck) and took a few years to catch on. The El Camino was indeed killed off because of the S-10/S-15. The Ranchero was killed off mainly because the Torino (which the Ranchero used for it's platform) was killed off and because of the lack of sales due to the gas and emissions crap.

I love talking about old cars.

 

[harrytuttle]

Yeah, Subaru tried the Ute idea with the Baja, and that pretty much tanked. Good concept, though, just not very popular in the US, it seems.

I agree that the car-truck thing isn't going to do well, but I definitely see the El Camino selling well the first (and possibly second) year, much in the way the revived Thunderbird did, and for exactly the same reasons. And it will fade away...for exactly the same reasons: nostalgia, and the short-lived "cool factor".

As for the G8: at first, when I saw the low-resolution photos, I thought the front & rear lights were killing it, but the official photos proved otherwise. That thing's fantastic. So much more than what I expected, inside & out. Too bad Pontiac already released (and canned...for now) the GTO. This definitely could have been it. It has all the upperclass aggressiveness the 2004 GTO needed.

Nice job, GM. 👍

 

[Jay]

Holden has announced that the Adelaide Holden manufacturing plant (Where the Zeta cars are built, and in my city) is now bringing back a third shift due to the demand of export cars.

 

[a6m5]

-> So GM is on the right track now, why they didn't think of this 10-20 years ago?

Auto market has changed so much in last few years. While big V-8 and rear wheel drive sounds great today, I don't think it would have worked, 10, 20 years ago.

Also, IMO, what you are witnessing from GM is not something they made happen overnight. They worked hard(and smart too, I suppose) to put this together, and I think they should be commended for that. 👍

 

[Jay]

While big V-8 and rear wheel drive sounds great today, I don't think it would have worked, 10, 20 years ago.

Always worked here.

Come to think of it Holden has non stop V8 RWD offerings for 40 years now (in its main sedan line up).

 

[m7ammed]

you guys do know that this car has been here in the middleast for a couple of months now , its named "Chevy Lumina SS" which is the V8 360 version , and its LHD .

http://www.chevroletarabia.com/content_data/LAAM/ME/en/GBPME/001/G1/1L/1L_home.html?cntryCd=SA

we also have the caprice

http://www.chevroletarabia.com/cont...BPME/001/G1/1C/1CSSE_overview.html?cntryCd=SA

 

[Jay]

you guys do know that this car has been here in the middleast for a couple of months now , its named "Chevy Lumina SS" which is the V8 360 version , and its LHD .

http://www.chevroletarabia.com/content_data/LAAM/ME/en/GBPME/001/G1/1L/1L_home.html?cntryCd=SA

we also have the caprice

http://www.chevroletarabia.com/cont...BPME/001/G1/1C/1CSSE_overview.html?cntryCd=SA

Yeah I knew, I see them from time to time on trucks (car carriers) being trucked to the port for export shipping. I think I posted those links at GTP once before.

BTW what do the people of the middle east think of them?

 

[m7ammed]

BTW what do the people of the middle east think of them?

they sell well here I think you , the new one I havn't seen allot as its still new in the market . My cousin is getting GMC Yukon Denali on Satuerday .

But for me from what US makers have , I like the C6 , Z06 . I'm more of a German car lover

 

[YSSMAN]

Holden has announced that the Adelaide Holden manufacturing plant (Where the Zeta cars are built, and in my city) is now bringing back a third shift due to the demand of export cars.

Thats awesome. Its only a matter of time before we are getting them in America, and I can't wait to see the car on Saturday...

 

[YSSMAN]

Oooh! New Pictures available! So we've already seen the front and sides, so how about a few of the details?

Pretty, pretty L76... I'm going to LOVE this engine...!

This one kinda reminds me of the new Altima, but just a tiny, tiny bit...

One thing to note here is that according to C/D, the steering wheel won't look exactly like that, and neither will the dash. Delete the tan leather on both, and you can get a pretty good idea of what it will look like stock.

 

[Jay]

Holden has been showing video footage of a orange G8 on the TV today (during news breaks).

 

[YSSMAN]

They must be proud that their car is coming to America with great fanfare. The press about the car has been pretty overwhelmingly positive thus-far.

 

[Jay]

They must be proud that their car is coming to America with great fanfare. The press about the car has been pretty overwhelmingly positive thus-far.

I saw the car again, It was actually red, just looked orange in the lighting.

Anyway, yeah quite proud indeed I think.

 

[a6m5]

Three spoke steering wheel would be nice, actually. I like the dash.

 

[harrytuttle]

Oooh! New Pictures available! So we've already seen the front and sides, so how about a few of the details?

http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/5520/52008pontiacg8yt0.jpg
Pretty, pretty L76... I'm going to LOVE this engine...!

I always prefer my engines without plastic hats, but I don't think you can argue too much against any 6.0L V8. How closely related is it to the LS6?

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/492/62008pontiacg8rq7.jpg
This one kinda reminds me of the new Altima, but just a tiny, tiny bit...

From some angles I can see that as looking a bit fat, even though this particular shot looks good. Much better than anything else Pontiac has.

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/8294/32008pontiacg8un4.jpg
One thing to note here is that according to C/D, the steering wheel won't look exactly like that, and neither will the dash. Delete the tan leather on both, and you can get a pretty good idea of what it will look like stock.

It's too bad it won't look exactly like that. It's actually a neatly expressive use of leather: good contrast, good placement, and the color really sets off the rest of the details (even though they're probably plastic). I hope that interior at least becomes an option on the GT.

Overall, more good news for Pontiac.

 

[YSSMAN]

I always prefer my engines without plastic hats, but I don't think you can argue too much against any 6.0L V8. How closely related is it to the LS6?

Well, they are both based on the small-block design, but thats where the similarities end. The L76 is largely based on the LS2 design, but in fact shares more with the L92 V8 from the Cadillac Escalade than anything else. The L76 is already available in the Silverado and the Suburban, and the G8 will be the first car in North America to receive the engine.

...This will effectively end the run for the short-lived LS4, as it would appear that most of the V8 duties in new models will be split between the L76 and the LS2. Chances are then that the Camaro Z/28 will get the L76, and the SS with the LS2. Interesting how GM has worked this out.

Our version will make more power than the Aussie model (our 362 to their 348), and will have displacement on demand, meaning that it can run on four cylinders when all eight aren't needed. I'm not sure if it will have variable-valve-timing, as the pickup truck version does, and I'm not sure if it will be E85-capable either.

Does that answer the question?

 

[skip0110]

Here is a review of the Middle Eastern Chevy Lumina SS. I haven't seen any magazine reviews of the Commodore, so reading this review of it's twin was pretty informative.

Basically, I got the idea that a lot of the sportscar hype surrounding the G8 is not reflected in the actual car. It's a good highway cruiser, but has a stable chassis despite lots of roll.

The interior was criticized for having poor materials quality, especially considering the price.

It did 0-62 in 6.3 sec with the traction control on, and did it in 6.1 sec with it off. I would have expected faster.




I have to say it looks damn good with the equatorial super-tint.