Since Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers are in the process of consolidating their showrooms, many were likely hoping for a halo product that could draw customers into the showroom. Hey, wouldn't a version of the upcoming Chevy Camaro badged as a Pontiac Trans Am revival do the trick? Maybe, but at the NADA conference this week, GM told these dealers that a Pontiac Trans Am is not going to happen. Blame the new, more stringent federal fuel economy regulations for killing off this cool idea. In fact, the new regs also mean that the automaker will be scaling back on transforming Pontiac into a rear-wheel-drive performance division. Though GM assured dealers that Pontiac will remain a car-only brand, the assurance that a debacle like the Aztec won't happen a second time is little comfort to those who were hoping Pontiac would once again be the brand that builds excitement. And who says performance has to be totally sacrificed for fuel economy? New powertrains are being developed that make the most of the internal combustion engine's efficiency, and a twin-turbo, direct-inject four-cylinder can make gobs of power while being much more efficient than an equally powerful V6 or even V8.
GM did inform Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers that they would be getting 12 new or special-edition vehicles over the next 20 months. A special-edition GMC Sierra pickup called Pro Grade was mentioned, for instance. Still, the quashing of any hope for a new Trans Am means that the number of vehicles slated to share the Camaro's rear-wheel-drive Zeta platform in the U.S. is dwindling. Only the Pontiac G8 and G8 ST car-based truck are confirmed, with Zeta-based rear-wheel-drive sedans for Buick and Chevy still up in the air. This means that without the ability to spread out costs across a number of new vehicles, the price of producing these vehicles will likely be high and passed on to the performance-minded consumer.
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd, Photo: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Menice @ Feb 12th 2008 11:03AM
too bad, i like this beter then the camaro.
ah the Bandit Edition... or was it the Burt Bird.
Koko @ Feb 12th 2008 11:04AM
What a bummer, as that concept drawing is way more appealing than the Camaro that's going to into production right now.
psarhjinian @ Feb 12th 2008 11:06AM
Pontiac gets the Solstice, Chevy gets the Camaro. Seems fair.
Dealer whinging is part of why GM has the product overlap problem it does. It's good to see them stand up to their dealers a little. It'd be better, though, if Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealers could just order a Camaro.
I maintain that the whole situation would be healther if there were "GM Dealers" (who could buy any combination of Pontiac, Chevy or Buick), Saturn/Saab dealers and optional franchises for the Corvette, Cadillac and Hummer available to both groups. That would cut down on product overlap and allow dealers to fight it out with each other on an even footing.
It'd certainly mean dealer attrition would go up as redundant shops close down, but that's got to happen anyways: GM doesn't have the marketshare to maintain they network it currently has.
rschaefer @ Feb 12th 2008 11:09AM
they should let Buick use the platform and put a sick, but gas sipping small displacement turbo 6 in it. I know, it's a wild idea. never been done, I'd imagine. A true first for GM. I mean, really, it's not like there was ever a market for a car like that. And have Buick sell it? that would be just nuts. I mean really.
mk @ Feb 12th 2008 11:09AM
I guess GM doesn't want to recover THAT badly.
Telling people you DON'T want to give them good products is a good way to tell them that you DON'T WANT CUSTOMERS.
And blaming it on the government, is simultaneously right, AND wrong. The Government is FAR too over-reaching, and is inhibiting the free market from providing products that people want to buy.
But it is also sour-grapes behavior from GM about the regulations that makes it less impressive, and makes me less inclined to buy products from whiners.
Build the damn products that people want, and MAKE IT WORK. What the hell do you people get paid to do??? (GM Management)
A Twin-turbo V6 firebird is not that much to ask, and if it weren't TWO DAMN TONS, it might actually get good fuel economy at cruise, while not under boost.
And Congress, get the ______ out of the way. OF EVERYTHING. No wonder you have all-time-historic-lows of approval. I most CERTAINLY don't approve of much of anything the Congress is and isn't doing.
duders @ Feb 12th 2008 12:25PM
Riots in the streets man that's all you can do to change things now. When gas hits $4 a gallon, regardless of who's fault it is, things are going to start burning down.
VP @ Feb 12th 2008 11:10AM
No need for a transam right now. As somebody already said they get the Solstice & Chevy gets the camaro. Instead it's better to focus more on the mass sellers like the G6.
Purifoy @ Feb 12th 2008 11:16AM
Say what? No Trans-Am for the Pontiac division? Why, that's just un-American!
Nick @ Feb 12th 2008 11:17AM
Pontiac can still be a performance division. You can get 260-300 HP out of Twin Turbo 4 bangers these days. If they keep their cars somewhat small, (A little bigger than the Solstice) they could probably still go RWD and get good MPGs.
Benfolio @ Feb 12th 2008 11:18AM
Well, there goes the Smokey and the Bandit movie remake.
Probably a good thing.
That is, unless, they decide to bring it back and use.... oh, I don't know, a Mustang?
John @ Feb 12th 2008 11:19AM
This bullsh*t line about fuel economy regs killing the new RWD models is getting old.
True, maybe RWD models are less efficient than FWD (all things being the same as they are now), but there's no reason they can't engineer the RWD models to be MORE efficient than they are now.
Put some effort into it. Taking the easy way out put the American automakers where they are now; GM's on the rebound, don't mess it up.
Louis Duran @ Feb 12th 2008 11:19AM
Awww... man. CAFE is killing us! We're being oppressed! No Trans Am? That's much worse than losing privacy rights....
Just thought I would preempt the Trans Am fan boys.
:-)
why not the LS2LS7? @ Feb 12th 2008 11:24AM
Twin-turbo 4-cylinder? What, do we have BMW engineers on here?
Putting two turbos on an inline engine doesn't usually make sense, and GM doesn't do so. Even if you just want better spooling at low throttle openings, a dual-entry/twin-scroll/variable geometry turbo will do the job as well for less money and complexity than two turbos do.
Nick @ Feb 12th 2008 11:24AM
Grand National was awesome...
Nick @ Feb 12th 2008 11:26AM
I was replying to Rschnefers comment...
MajorGeek @ Feb 12th 2008 11:29AM
Pontiac, Chevy, GMC, Hummer, Saturn, Cadillac, Buick makes it all too confusing. Can't think of any automakers overseas who have their auto companies split into 7 or more divisions offhand. At least 4 of those divisions are useless. Truck division, luxury division and car division. That is all they need. Time is wasted having dealers compete for sales over often sub-par cars. Saturn was a great concept that went to crap, I know this first hand. Make vehicles that can compete, kill half your wasted dealerships off and stop the confusion and rebadging of the same car 2 -3 times.
DKB_SATX @ Feb 12th 2008 1:56PM
Not that they're the most shining example of a perfect company, but Volkswagen AG has: VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.
tanooki2003 @ Feb 12th 2008 11:31AM
Typical of Bob Klutz Nutz blaming CAFE for not making cool cars. I don't blame CAFE at all. I think it's more laziness on GM's staff. Other companies can make cool cars without using fuel sucking V8's, why can't you GM?
I guess you really don't want customers. Well i certainly feel more right for continuing my hatred towards GM since 94.
Jason @ Feb 12th 2008 11:31AM
Pontiac is a "car only" brand? Their new slogan is "Pontiac is CAR"... which not only sounds ridiculous, but the Torrent isn't a car.
Brennan @ Feb 12th 2008 11:39AM
YES!
...and GM, no more whining! Quit the blame game... its the government... its the unions... blah blah blah Get your *stuff* together, and INNOVATE! Quit being behind!