Autoblog

First Drive: 2011 Buick Regal prototype looks to be a good sport

Chris Paukert — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Buick, GM, First Drive, Luxury

2011 Buick Regal - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's an odd bit of historical deja vu at work here. Back in the late '60s and early '70s, General Motors wanted to shift a few sporty-ish four-cylinder models from its Opel division into America, so they turned to their Buick dealers. This didn't work out exactly as planned - merchandising these odd European ducks in an outlet best known for sober doctor's cars meant that the GT, Manta and Kadett never managed to make much of a dent in North America's automotive landscape. This time out, with the Opel Insignia-derived 2011 Buick Regal, GM knows it needs massively better results.

This is a Buick the likes of which we have never seen before.

While attending an early drive event for the new Regal last week, we reminded vice-chairman Bob Lutz about the last time his company attempted to sell Opels in Buick showrooms. He laughed his trademark raspy laugh, and reminded us that Car and Driver so loathed the 1968 Kadett that their review featured it photographed in a junkyard. With characteristic candor, Lutz tells us, "It actually wasn't a very good car." Of course, Maximum Bob knows full well that GM can't afford another lost in space Kadett. Does the Regal have what it takes to mollify these "sins of the father" and put Buick on the right track? Click through to the jump to find out.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Buick Regal

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Buick Regal prototype looks to be a good sport

First Drive: 2011 Buick Regal prototype looks to be a good sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: DeLorean Motor Company considering rescuing Pontiac Solstice?

Noah Joseph — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Pontiac, Saturn, Rumormill, MISC

DeLorean Motor Company Pontiac Solstice renderings - Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors has made a science out of sharing platforms. So when the company's Kappa platform was introduced for a new rear-drive roadster to be distributed across three different motor divisions, you'd have figured the program was pretty safe, right? Unfortunately for the workers at the Wilmington Assembly Plant which manufactured the Kappa roadsters, those three divisions were Pontiac, Saturn and Opel - three units which the General has either sold or shut down. Which is a shame, because a perfectly good rear-drive roadster platform is a heck of a thing to waste.

In one of the strangest rumors we've heard recently, however, our compatriots over at Jalopnik report that the DeLorean Motor Company (yes, that DeLorean Motor Company) is considering buying the plant and the platform from GM and putting it back into production as a new DMC.

The company's current management is speculating whether their founder, who had a long history with Pontiac, would have tried to save the dying motor division, and are reportedly encouraged by the prospect of putting the Willmington workforce back to work. At this point, there's no telling how realistic the prospects are - after all, today's DMC does little more than service the old DeLoreans and word 'round Detroit was that the Kappas were notoriously costly to build and something of a money pit.

Either way, the company has reportedly acquired a Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe for closer consideration. And we're sure there's an aftermarket garage out there somewhere that could outfit the coupe with gullwing doors...and who knows, maybe even a little Mr. Fusion for flex-fuel capacity.

Gallery: DeLorean Solstice renderings

[Sources: Jalopnik and Facebook]

Continue reading Rumormill: DeLorean Motor Company considering rescuing Pontiac Solstice?

Rumormill: DeLorean Motor Company considering rescuing Pontiac Solstice? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: The Sky has a limit after all, as GM Kappa production ends

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Pontiac, Saturn

Pontiac Solstice GXP - Click above for high-res image gallery

Old saying: The flame that burns twice as bright burns only half as long. Having driven our share of Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters, we can't honestly declare them to be brightly burning flames. Oh, they have their good points, but the market's worst folding top mechanism and rampant parts-sharing to keep costs in check have taken their toll on the promising droptops. What we can say, however, is that every Kappa platform vehicle is fabulous looking. Even the badge job Opel GT and Daewoo G2X.

Which is why, however small, there's a tiny tear in our eye because of the news that General Motors is shuttering its Boxwood Road plant in Delaware. It makes sense: the bankrupt automaker has euthanized Pontiac and is looking to sell Saturn. Furthermore, sales of the cramped, near-trunkless (or very odd) roadsters didn't exactly keep GM out of the red. Speaking of color, the boys over at Saturn Fans report that the last Kappa to roll off the line was a silver Solstice roadster. We just hope that "Good GM" doesn't look at the end of the Kappa platform as proof that small, sporty, rear-wheel drive convertibles are a dead end. Regardless, reach behind the seat and grab a cold one to pour out for a dead, albeit awkward, homie.

Gallery: Review: 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP

[Source: Saturn Fans]

REPORT: The Sky has a limit after all, as GM Kappa production ends originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could live on... with different parents

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Pontiac, Saturn, Opel

Pontiac Solstice Coupe - Click above for a high-res image gallery

General Motors' acting CEO Fritz Henderson has said the Wilmington, DE plant that currently produces the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could be sold if a buyer was interested in producing the two roadsters. "If someone were to approach [us] with a proposal that made good sense for our people, we'd be open to it," Henderson told Autoweek. The move would ape Chrysler's plan for the Dodge Viper's production facilities, allowing another automaker to take control and continue building the niche model.

The Delaware plant also produces the Opel GT, a rebadged variant of the U.S. market Solstice and Sky, for GM's German arm, and it's obvious that as the General rushes to restructure before its June 1 deadline the automaker is looking to cut loose any and all extraneous operations. With Pontiac's future sealed, Saturn's all but assured and all three models returning little (if any) profits, the decision to nix the roadsters was obvious. Now it's time to see if someone is willing to take the reigns.

Gallery: 2010 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

[Source: Autoweek]

Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could live on... with different parents originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 May 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Leak: Opel Gran Turismo Coupe Concept

Dan Roth — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 00:42:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, GM

Click image for hi-res photo gallery

We can only hope this Opel coupe comes to the US as the Saturn Whoop-Ass, SAAB Sonnet, heck, we'd even let them call it the Allante II. For now, it's known as the Opel Gran Turismo Coupe concept. Whatever it gets called is fine with us. It's sure handsome, and if scuttlebutt is true, it can back up the fast profile with real performance. The coupe is rumored to have a 300 hp turbocharged V6 lurking under the cleanly-drawn sheetmetal. That motive force is distributed to all four wheels, and the underpinnings are donated from the next-generation Vectra. Of course the concept is equipped like the full-boat, optioned up model would be (and then some); so it has all the goodies like a hard-disk based infotainment system, parking assistance, and undoubtedly more. We'll get to see this car up close and personal at the Geneva show, which is so close now that we're like 8 year olds on Christmas Eve. For now, we'll have to be satisfied to gaze longingly at these leaked photos that turned up on Spanish website km77.

[Source: km77 via Motor Authority]

Gallery: Opel Gran Turismo Coupe Concept

Geneva Leak: Opel Gran Turismo Coupe Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 00:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sky's the Limit: GM intros the Opel GT for Europe

Alex Nunez — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:52:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Europe, GM

Click photo for gallery with 54 additional hi-res images

Badge-engineering is a two-way street when it comes to the relationship between Saturn and Opel. While we're eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Saturn Astra, our friends across the pond are welcoming the new Opel GT (née Saturn Sky Redline) to the party.

We had a Sky Redline in the Autoblog Garage a few weeks ago (review in the works), and as such can tell our European friends that they're in for one seriously fun (though astonishingly impractical) ride. The only major changes involve badging, the taillamps and the grille trim, and honestly, that's fine. The Sky's looks are A-OK in our book, and since it's based on a Vauxhall concept in the first place, we're confident the folks on the Continent will be happy with its appearance as well. We do feel terribly for the Brits, who, in a cruel twist, won't get a Vauxhall version.

In any case, we're BIG fans of this whole international "sharing the wealth" thing when it comes to product. Ford, please hurry. Less of this, more of this and this, OK?

(Press release after the jump.)

Gallery: 2007 Opel GT

[Source: Opel]

Continue reading Sky's the Limit: GM intros the Opel GT for Europe

Sky's the Limit: GM intros the Opel GT for Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brits won't be getting version of Opel GT

John Neff — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:04:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Europe, GM

The Vauxhaull brand is Britain's own little version of Opel, the General Motors brand sold throughout the rest of Europe. While it may seem cool the Brits don't have to buy the same Opels as the rest of the old country, there are drawbacks. One big one is the announcement recently that Vauxhaull will not be getting a version of the Opel GT, which itself is a version of the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky sold here in the States. Apparently there's not a good business case for converting the car to right-hand drive for sale in the U.K. and slapping a Vauxhaull badge on it, as is the custom with much of Opel's lineup. They must not expect the car would sell in very large numbers in the U.K., or at least in not in the numbers required to cover the cost of the conversion and promotion. But Brits should take heart that more performance is on its way in the form of a new Vauxhall Monaro, according to Auto Express. The new four-door Monaro will feature a 6.0-liter V8 producing 362 horsepower, which is more of a muscle car than the Vauxhall GT could have ever hoped to be, anyway.

[Source: Auto Express]

Brits won't be getting version of Opel GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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V6 Corvette rumors are rumored to be true!

John Neff — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:54:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Chevrolet, GM

Rumors of a V6-powered Corvette model have been floating around for years but weren't taken very seriously until Motor Trend decided to spend some ink on it a few issues ago and predict the six-cylinder model would revive the "Sting Ray" name. The model would basically be a Chevy-branded version of the Kappa roadster that GM has liberally passed out to such brands as Pontiac (Solstice), Saturn (Sky) and Opel (GT). Chevy's version would be different in that power would come from a V6 rather than an inline-four cylinder, and rumor has it that it would be badged a Corvette. Kind of sounds like a long shot, but Rick "Corvette" Conti, the #1 Corvette dealer in Ohio (w00t!), cites sources somewhere in the universe that tell him the rumors are true and coming sooner than we think. He says the "Sting Ray" name, however, will not be used on this chuckable roadster that should come with a 6-speed automatic and a price tag right below $30,000. He also hints Chevy may drop a bomb in the form of this V6 Kappa at the Detroit auto show in January.

Personally, while a V6-powered Chevy Kappa car will be driving through my dreams tonight, it will most certainly not be wearing a Corvette badge. It's bad enough that Corvette faithful have to share platforms and parts with Cadillac (economies of scale, blah, blah, blah), but the dilution of this iconic car has to stop there. Nothing good will come of calling a V6-powered Pontiac Solstice clone a Corvette. Trust us. Call it the Equinabu, Impaleo or whatever, but don't call it a Vette. And what's with pimping out the Kappa roadster concept to every brand that's still breathing. Two in the U.S. is enough, how about a Kappa coupe for Chevy instead?

[Source: Corvette Conti via Jalopnik]

V6 Corvette rumors are rumored to be true! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturn and Opel to be indistinguishable by 2014

John Neff — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, GM, Saturn

Ward's Auto is reporting that General Motors has begun a plan to completely integrate Saturn and its European Opel brand by 2014. By that time, nearly every car in the lineup of each brand will be "interchangeable," according to Carl-Peter Forster, president of GM Europe. Forster likens what will become of Saturn to Vauxhall, the retail channel for Opel in the United Kingdom.

The Saturn Aura already rides on the same Epsilon platform as the Opel Vectra, but both cars were developed separately, feature different content and are built in different locations. The next Vectra, however, will be the basis for the second-generation Aura sold in the U.S. Both the Opel Antara SUV and the Astra compact will also be coming to the States soon as the next VUE and ION replacement, respectively. The smallest Opel, the newly redesigned Corsa (shown above), could also come over as a Saturn if GM believes it needs another entry-level option alongside the Chevy Aveo in the U.S.

The only thing Saturn has to offer Opel is the Sky roadster. The Sky will be sold in Europe as the Opel GT early next year. Aside from that, Opel's European customers probably aren't interested in the upcoming 7-passenger Saturn Outlook, as the CUV is much too large for their tastes.

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Saturn and Opel to be indistinguishable by 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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