Filed under: Concept Cars, Trends
GM restarting RWD platform development
After dropping the ball last year when it put its
development plans for the mid-size RWD Zeta architecture on hold, only to see strong sales of the Ford Mustang and
DaimlerChrysler's LX-platform RWD cars, GM has restarted development under the new banner of a "global RWD
architecture."The architecture-formerly-known-as-Zeta is being considered for the new Camaro, a redesigned Chevrolet Impala, a Buick sedan, a Buick convertible based on the Velite concept (shown at right), a new Pontiac GTO, and the Pontiac Grand Prix.
As originally planned for the Zeta platform, the new architecture will be engineered by GM's Holden subsidiary. The first production version of the new architecture will debut in Australia later this year.
The most controversial issue facing GM execs will be choosing the first U.S.-market car to be built on the new platform. According to Automotive News, the choice will be made by mid-2006, for production in 2008 or 2009.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JZeke 7:23PM (1/16/2006)
arrrgh these guys are SLOW. But lucky for them there a plenty of people content to wait, I'll just never be one of them.
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Tom 8:33PM (1/16/2006)
It's always interesting to watch GM respond to what Ford is doing.
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Dan V 8:35PM (1/16/2006)
Took them long enough. Those GM execs really have to buy a clue.
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lol_internet 8:35PM (1/16/2006)
GM is like the slowest company. Late on fuel economy late on RWD
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RWD fan 8:46PM (1/16/2006)
YAY! FWD bites.
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Justin 9:02PM (1/16/2006)
GM is run by lemmings. By the time the GM RWD product hits the road, the rest of the market will have moved on to something else.
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James Huston 9:18PM (1/16/2006)
I'd vote for a RWD Grand Prix, preferably with a 97-03 body style, more curves and less angle, and Impala. The inexpensive RWD sedan market is rather small.
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dude 11:07PM (1/16/2006)
"After dropping the ball last year..." Um, excuse me, but don't you have to first hold the ball before you can drop it? GM hasn't even touched a ball in 20 years.
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dude 11:08PM (1/16/2006)
"After dropping the ball last year..." Um, excuse me, but don't you have to first hold the ball before you can drop it? GM hasn't even touched a ball in 20 years.
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pedantic 11:26PM (1/16/2006)
Well, now we know why it'll take forever for the Camero to come out. It takes GM execs 6 months to decide what car to make first? Shouldn't it be easy? Make the Camero FAST! Then look at the sales/profit numbers for the Impala, GTO, Grand Prix. Which ever is worse, or below expectations... KILL the thing. Make a new car with a new name to replace it.
GM still has far too many cars in the same segment.
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Corey W. 12:43AM (1/17/2006)
Gawd..... Why is GM sooooooo slow!! Nobody wants to hear about something becoming available in 2008/2009, they should have never killed the platform, it might be one of the few things that will save them.
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Car-la 2:01AM (1/17/2006)
Yep, very smart them at GM. First they get rid of their rwd platform, just to find out 2 years later that they need one. I've thought all-along that it was
a. wrong to use fwd cars only
b. wrong to let the Camaro pass.
Finally, the guys at GM have noticed, as well. What always makes me wonder is that, though Bob Lutz is always touted "the car guy", GM never really makes it to the top handling-wise. Except for the Vette and GTO, and maybe the Solstice (although reviews of this one outside of the US were quite bad) there's not much in the line-up to brighten a car-enthusiast's day.
Nissan had its revival because they started producing cars for "drivers". Maybe GM should finally do the same. I just wonder why Nissan made the change in 1 1/2 years (Infiniti G35), whereas GM needs 3 years.
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Justin 1:47PM (1/17/2006)
GM's carbuilding timetable reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer demolishes the dog's house, and then walks away speaking of a far-off target date. GM is the Homer Simpson of the auto industry.
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Jason Boston 11:54PM (1/17/2006)
What is all the whining about? Do you all need reading
glasses? Aren't we car lovers on Autoblog? Even a HINT of GM building that beautiful Buick convertible should have been cause for resounding "Hurrahs!" "BADDASSSED" "WOWWZAHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEE" or whatever you exclaim in pure car lust. That Buick is one of the most beautiful autos ever prototyped. I want you all to go back to building models, racing hotwheels, and remembering what it means to love cars. JEEESHHH!
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Corey W. 3:08AM (1/19/2006)
Dude, it's not the point whether we love cars or not, do you see when they would be available...2009?? Sorry to say, I'm not waiting 3-4 years!! Hell, by then who knows what other concepts would have already gone production. Both the Camaro and Buick are beautiful, but GM needs to MOVE, stop developing concepts just to say you did, develop something that will lead to production. The latest production should start for these two cars is Fall 2007.
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Matthew C. Keegan 1:40PM (3/07/2006)
Woohoo! RWD cars rule! Good to see more competition from American muscle wherever it is built:
http://thearticlewriter.com/autowriter/2006-chevy-impala-ss-more-vroom/
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