Autoblog

Badge-engineering at its finest? Rolls-Royce Phantom spotted in Manhattan with GM hybrid emblems

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Etc., Rolls-Royce, Luxury

Rolls-Royce Phantom 'Hybrid' - click above for high-res image gallery

If there is any car that seems to be well suited to either hybridization or outright electrification, the Rolls-Royce Phantom would seem to be logical candidate. Many of them are used transporting the wealthy around the world's great cities like Paris, London and Manhattan in trips that are not necessarily that long. It's also not unheard for a manufacturer to provide vehicles to customers for field testing, just as BMW is doing right now with the electric Mini E. However, aside from the highly publicized Mini E project, these sorts of initiatives are typically done on the down-low.

So when we heard that someone had spotted an extended-wheelbase Phantom prowling the streets of New York with an extra badge on each of its fenders, we were naturally a bit suspect. The car that was photographed wears hybrid badges of the same type used on all of General Motors' gas-electric vehicles. The driver claims that car was loaned to a VIP client for evaluation by Rolls-Royce. Remember, friends, that Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW - a company that has a partnership with GM, Daimler and Chrysler to develop a two-mode hybrid system. It is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that BMW might want to evaluate or even build a two-mode hybrid Phantom. However, it is almost inconceivable that any such vehicle would be clad in GM badges.

Adding further cold water to this story is the report earlier this week that BMW and Daimler are looking at dissolving the two-mode partnership and going in a different direction with their hybrid efforts. Our guess is that the owner of this particular Roller simply had a guilty environmental conscience (or a sense of humor) but couldn't bring himself to be seen in anything as pedestrian as a Toyota Prius. We're still waiting for a comment from Rolls-Royce.

Update: Rolls-Royce spokesman Wayne Kung confirmed our suspicions that this is not a Rolls prototype. The company does not currently have any prototypes running in the New York area.

Gallery: Rolls-Royce Phantom Hybrid?

[Source: Man on the Move; images used with permission]

Badge-engineering at its finest? Rolls-Royce Phantom spotted in Manhattan with GM hybrid emblems originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sigh. Pontiac G3 may be headed for U.S.

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Budget, Green, Pontiac, Canada, Rumormill

Looks like badge engineering is alive and well at General Motors. After decades of the practice damaging its brands, GM may sell the Pontiac G3 in the U.S. The G3 is nothing more than a rebadged version of what we know as the Chevy Aveo that's sold in Canada as the Wave. It's rebadged and sold elsewhere in the world under various brands, but we don't see those here in the U.S. The new subcompact would supposedly bolster the offerings at combined Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers by adding a new fuel-efficient vehicle to the mix. Oddly enough, however, the G3 only achieves marginally better fuel economy than the already-available Pontiac Vibe, itself a slightly redesigned version of the Toyota Matrix, thanks to its diminutive four-banger and old-school four speed automatic tranny. Curiously enough, you can already EPA numbers for the G3 sedan and hatchback at the government's fuel economy website, which could be further support for the notion that it will be sold in the U.S. soon, or may indicate that it's sold in a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Sigh. Pontiac G3 may be headed for U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford's head of design says 'no' to blatant badge engineering

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury

We recently told you about Ford's not-so-earth-shattering announcement that shared platforms are the key to future success. Judging by your comments, this should have been the assumption rather than the proclamation. But a couple of you pointed out what could be the tragic flaw in this plan - badge engineering gone bad. Well, Peter Horbury, design chief for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, has stepped up to assure us this won't be a problem if he has anything to say about it. And being in his position, he has a lot to say about it.

Although the marketing department seems to be capable of differentiating the various platform mates within the FoMoCo family, buyers aren't always as capable of discerning the differences. "The next step is to be independent in the areas you can see, touch and feel," said Horbury at a recent press event. Horbury added that the '08 Lincoln MKS sedan will be the best example of this separation. Although built on the same platform as the Ford Five Hundred the MKS exterior shares "not a single piece" with the Ford. "To be honest, the more differentiation we can create, the more we can build a stronger brand for Lincoln, which stands on its own," Horbury said. "It also helps to make the Fords look like something else, like something special."

Sounds good, and the results on the Zephyr/MKZ have been pretty favorable, but we'll have to wait and see. Lincoln seems to be focusing on styling touches from its glorious design past, but will it ring true with buyers?

[Source: Automotive News, sub req]

Ford's head of design says 'no' to blatant badge engineering originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Nov 2006 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM plans to axe $1 billion out of mid-size car budget

Erin Mays — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 07:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, Saab, Earnings/Financials

General Motors says it will eliminate $1 billion from its spending on mid-size cars by sharing more parts, designs and factories to get 'er done. If this involves a little process called "badge engineering," we urge GM to beware of the inevitable onslaught of negative comments following this post.

Ahem. The platform used for the Chevrolet Malibu, for example, will be shared with Saab convertibles among the plants in North America, Europe and elsewhere. The idea is part of a larger plan to get the General, which lost buku bucks last year (try $10.6 billion), back to profitability as competitors such as Toyota Motor Company suck market share away from them. GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner plans to reduce annualized spending by a total of $9 billion by the end of this year.

[Source: Bloomberg]

GM plans to axe $1 billion out of mid-size car budget originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Aug 2006 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is a four-door Pontiac G5 in the works for the U.S.?

Chris Paukert — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Etc., GM, Pontiac

We at Autoblog love our eagle-eyed readers. From pointing out any spelling/grammar gaffes in our posts, to sending in cameraphone spyshots unsolicited, our site wouldn't be as good a product as it is without your help. But sometimes, your attention to detail and command of minutia can even ~~scare~~ surprise a jaded bunch like us.

So it is with tipster Neal M, who clearly ~~has way too much free time~~ lives and breathes cars as much as we do. How else to explain the fact that he's pointed out a possible snafu and/or future product teaser in General Motors' new Pontiac G5 microsite on the basis of an extra couple of switches?

Scan the photo above. See anything unusual? Neither did we, at least upon first glance. But as Neal M correctly points out, there's a set of rear window toggles- odd, considering the G5 is only slated to be available as a coupe when it arrives this August.

So what gives? Did GM's people just Photoshop a Pontiac badge on a Chevrolet Cobalt sedan's interior photograph? Or (more likely), did they just use a stock shot of the Canadian-market G5 Pursuit, where the re-schnozzed Cobalt can be had in two or four door configuration? Either way, should anything be divined from this apparent slip-up?

Okay... so it's probably nothing. But we're suckers for a good conspiracy theory.

Click on the photo above for a higher-resolution image, or check out the company's site to see for yourself by following the link below.

[Source: Pontiac]

(Tip-top, Neal M!)

Is a four-door Pontiac G5 in the works for the U.S.? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac G3 proves badge engineering alive in Mexico

John Neff — Wed, 03 May 2006 17:56:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Budget, Chevrolet, Pontiac

Though General Motors has promised to end the exercise of badge engineering in the U.S., our kin over at Autoblog Spanish have found proof the practice is alive and well in Mexico. Meet the Pontiac G3, what is essentially the 2007 Chevy Aveo that will be sold in the U.S. later this year. The Aveo is itself a clone of the Daewoo Gentra.

Don't get us wrong, we're not knocking the General for selling a version of the Aveo/Gentra in Mexico under the guise of Pontiac. Just as long as Pontiac dealers in the U.S. don't start demanding another small car in addition to the Cobalt-based G5 sold in Canada they're already clamoring for.

[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Pontiac G3 proves badge engineering alive in Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 May 2006 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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