Alpha or 'Global Small Rear-Wheel Drive'?
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Alpha or 'Global Small Rear-Wheel Drive'?
My Lutz is being helpful again 
Taken from the goauto news letter.
Taken from the goauto news letter.
Small wonders
Holden in the frame for
more global work as Lutz
confirms small RWD ‘study’
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS in NEW YORK
GM HOLDEN’S rear-wheel drive expertise could be broadened to include a new range of small cars for General Motors’ brands.
GM’s global product development vicechairman Bob Lutz told GoAuto at the New York International Auto Show last week that the company was looking closely at a compact rear-wheel drive architecture that would underpin a range of new models.
“We are studying a smaller rear-wheel drive architecture – someplace between BMW 1 and BMW 3,” he told GoAuto. “But we’ve made no decision on that yet.”
According to Mr Lutz, it was also too early to speculate on who would be in charge of developing such a vehicle – if it were given the green light – although he did not rule out Australia being a candidate.
“Since we haven’t made a decision to do the architecture it would be conjecture to try to fi gure out who would do it – if we did it at all,” he said.
One thing for certain is that the current VE/Zeta rear-wheel drive architecture cannot lend itself to a small-car application as economically as Mr Lutz would like.
“It never works when you take a large architecture and try to make it smaller because it always winds up being too costly and too heavy,” Mr Lutz said. “There is some inherent cost and weight that you can’t take out when you do the shrinking process. It would be a clean sheet of paper fresh car.”
A small rear-wheel drive platform could underscore a whole series of General Motors’ vehicles worldwide, from a Lexus IS250 rival from Cadillac, to a three- and five-door hatchback Saab that would combat the Audi A3 and Volvo C30.
The architecture could also serve as a basis for the much-rumoured Holden Torana midsized sedan.
Mr Lutz did hint that the concept was advanced enough within General Motors to have its own identity. “We call it Global Small Rear-Wheel Drive – although one of our executive calls it ‘Global Small-Wheel Drive’ … but don’t let the designers hear that!” he said
Holden in the frame for
more global work as Lutz
confirms small RWD ‘study’
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS in NEW YORK
GM HOLDEN’S rear-wheel drive expertise could be broadened to include a new range of small cars for General Motors’ brands.
GM’s global product development vicechairman Bob Lutz told GoAuto at the New York International Auto Show last week that the company was looking closely at a compact rear-wheel drive architecture that would underpin a range of new models.
“We are studying a smaller rear-wheel drive architecture – someplace between BMW 1 and BMW 3,” he told GoAuto. “But we’ve made no decision on that yet.”
According to Mr Lutz, it was also too early to speculate on who would be in charge of developing such a vehicle – if it were given the green light – although he did not rule out Australia being a candidate.
“Since we haven’t made a decision to do the architecture it would be conjecture to try to fi gure out who would do it – if we did it at all,” he said.
One thing for certain is that the current VE/Zeta rear-wheel drive architecture cannot lend itself to a small-car application as economically as Mr Lutz would like.
“It never works when you take a large architecture and try to make it smaller because it always winds up being too costly and too heavy,” Mr Lutz said. “There is some inherent cost and weight that you can’t take out when you do the shrinking process. It would be a clean sheet of paper fresh car.”
A small rear-wheel drive platform could underscore a whole series of General Motors’ vehicles worldwide, from a Lexus IS250 rival from Cadillac, to a three- and five-door hatchback Saab that would combat the Audi A3 and Volvo C30.
The architecture could also serve as a basis for the much-rumoured Holden Torana midsized sedan.
Mr Lutz did hint that the concept was advanced enough within General Motors to have its own identity. “We call it Global Small Rear-Wheel Drive – although one of our executive calls it ‘Global Small-Wheel Drive’ … but don’t let the designers hear that!” he said
Last edited by crYnOid; Apr 10, 2007 at 06:26 AM.
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From: Pewee Valley, KY
It has always been Global Small RWD. Alpha is just internet chatter that is easier to say. Just like Zeta isn't Zeta anymore it is Global Large RWD. Also Epsilon II isn't called that it is Global Midsize FWD.
Edit: Before someone else posts this I want the credit!
Edit: Before someone else posts this I want the credit!
Last edited by 91_z28_4me; Apr 10, 2007 at 06:31 AM.
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I believe one of the design considerations was the flexibility to build not just sedans and coupes, but also roadsters, hatches, and wagons from this architecture (don't know if that's still the case). Anything due from this new platform wouldn't be here until 2010 or 2011, when we should see next-gen replacements for the Solstice/Sky/et. al. Moving everything to this new platform would be cost-beneficial in allowing platform and assembly-plant consolidation/flexibility, which is what GM is all about these days...
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From: Mack and Bewick
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Not exactly.
The small RWD architecture would be more along the lines of, say, the current Malibu in size, not quite a Cobalts. Those would continue to be FWD.
The thing that's going to slam dunk the business case is Europe. There's a strong case NOT to make it here in the US because the vehicles it would be used on with any real volume would be better served on the Espilon structure. But Europe offers the volume that would make the program worthwhile.
We'd get cars based off of this. Pontiac's G6 replacement, a Firebird successor, and maybe even a pair of Saturns and (reaching perhaps too far into the future and being too imaginative) maybe even the 6th gen Camaro.
But the real volume (and profits) would be from sales in Europe.
The small RWD architecture would be more along the lines of, say, the current Malibu in size, not quite a Cobalts. Those would continue to be FWD.
The thing that's going to slam dunk the business case is Europe. There's a strong case NOT to make it here in the US because the vehicles it would be used on with any real volume would be better served on the Espilon structure. But Europe offers the volume that would make the program worthwhile.
We'd get cars based off of this. Pontiac's G6 replacement, a Firebird successor, and maybe even a pair of Saturns and (reaching perhaps too far into the future and being too imaginative) maybe even the 6th gen Camaro.
But the real volume (and profits) would be from sales in Europe.
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Posts: 3,011
From: Exton, Pennsylvania
We'd get cars based off of this. Pontiac's G6 replacement, a Firebird successor, and maybe even a pair of Saturns and (reaching perhaps too far into the future and being too imaginative) maybe even the 6th gen Camaro.
But the real volume (and profits) would be from sales in Europe.
But the real volume (and profits) would be from sales in Europe.
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Posts: 4,306
From: Jersey Shore
Here is an idea, what if this Alpha is flexable like Zeta, but uses lighter and smaller parts, therefor making them lighter but stronger so that they can gain some gas milage points? Might not be able to make a big Impala sedan, but other RWD cars no bigger then a Commodore?
I would assume that if this Alpha replaced G6, that it would have to be produced localy. Would be hard for Holden or Opel produce another 100-150k cars extra for American consuption, not to mention the cost to ship them over and what that would do to effect the price of the car. Could this be something that could take up all the rest of that capacity at Willmington?
I would assume that if this Alpha replaced G6, that it would have to be produced localy. Would be hard for Holden or Opel produce another 100-150k cars extra for American consuption, not to mention the cost to ship them over and what that would do to effect the price of the car. Could this be something that could take up all the rest of that capacity at Willmington?