Took the words right out of my mouth. The only one I like there is the 4 door.

 

...the reason it was a good design when the Solara came out, was because it was a fresh design, not a rehash of another design 3 years later.

G6 = Zzzzzzzzzzz

 

Say what you all will...but this car will sell like wildfire....

Look what the Grand Am did for so many years

 

Yeah, but the Solara doesnt have a kick-a$$ hard top vert.

 

Looks like a Toyota with a grafted-on Pontiac front end to me.

 

I'll try to say this as short as possible...

The G6 is a design that Toyota rolled out years ago. It was a fresh design, years ago. The obvious reason we are all reading and saying that it looks like the Solara is because, once more, the Solara came out...years ago.

The G6's design is old already. Not to mention, it is a very boring and uninspiring design. What says "excitement" about the G6's design? The interior is horrid. I've said that from the G6's debut at NAIAS. The materials feel hard from the dash, to the shifter. The sad thing is, I'm not the only one that feels this way about the G6's styling both exterior and interior.

The whole thing should have never been approved for production.

/end rant.

 

The current Solara was a rehash of the Lexus SC430.

 

Here's one...

What do these cars all have in common?

Honda Accord
Nissan Altima
Toyota Camry

Answer...

They are all quite boring..and they also sell better than the current Grand Am.

Honda stole Mercedes tailights for it Accord Coupe and everyone calls it upscale...GM steals Lexus's taillights...and the reaction is much more negative.

When I look at the tail lights I see more 350Z and Solstice than anything.

On top of that, the Solara has only been out a year...not years.

As for the interior..i have seen it and thought it was great. Much better looking than say a Camry. Also, is your negative opinion based on your percieved quality, or the actual build quality of the interior? Styling and materials are very subjective. I personally don't mind a hard dash...hell it's not a pillow or anything...but put an ugly steering wheel in there..and I want nothing to do with it. I am sure the average guy doesn't sit in a dealership with his wife and go "Hey hun...feel this pillowy soft dash!". But if he goes to turn a ****..and it falls off (something the grand Am is famous for)..you are gonna have a hard time selling the car.


In closing..keep in mind the current Grand Am with a powertrain that was underpowered from the day it was introduced, and a ugly tupperwear interior (why is the ip shaped like kermit the frog's head?) has managed to sell 200,000 units + a year with hardly any updates. I know they have heavy rebates...but don't think GM hasn't built some rebate room in the G6.

That being said...the G6 will do just fine...

 

The mundane Malibu is also doing just fine. Sales are up 53% from a year ago (121,341 for 2004--Oct. MT). I think it's safe to say GM has sold a few more cars than the majority of enthusiasts who dismiss anything that doesn't look like a sports car as a bad business decision.

 

But the other side of that story is that a year ago, you had a single Malibu on the market. Today, you have that same Malibu (sold as the "Classic"), but also the new Malibu sedan, and the Malibu Maxx, and GM is counting all of them as Malibus for sales purposes.

I know I may sound a little negative here, but even if last year's Malibu is selling only 1/3 of what it did last year (giving the benefit of doubt because it's likely selling more), it would still seem that it's taking 2 new cars with heavy incentives to do the same or slightly better than what 1 old one did last year with less heavy incentives.

 

not according to the release from GM. They count Malibu's and Classics seperately.
http://www.media.gm.com/

 

I had a link to a report that says that the Malibu plant had to start a 3rd shift to meet demand...and not the Classic, but the new Malibu.

 

The "Classic" is one car, and the Malibu is another. I don't think the sales are combined. The Malibu is doing quite well, and IIRC the rebates only got really heavy as they try to eek out the last of the '04s from dealer lots.

As for the G6, have any of you seen them in person? I've only seen the coupe and conv. in heavy camo, but I've sat in several sedans, and spent a few hours last week driving a six-speed 3.9L car. I ought to make a thread about it.

That car moves. I'm telling you guys, cars in general are getting so solid and refined it is crazy. With the 3.9L, I sure didn't find myself wishing for the 3800 s/c. The 3.9 is smooth and powerful, and the ride/handling/braking on the G6 were just dandy for a midsize sedan.

Anyway, wait until you see these cars up close before passing judgment.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and taillights do not the entire car make. The Solara as a whole is much softer/more buttery in its body panels. The G6 will look a bit more aggressive, I'm confident (the sedan sure does).

 

Who cares if it resembles a solara or some other vehicle. It isn't a solara and it looks way better than its competition. I'm guessing this car will sell awesome.

 

You should. I'd like to hear about it.