http://www.thecarconnection.com/inde...&sid=178&n=158

1. We've all seen the first pic before, but the view of the front end is the eye opener. If this is GM's "new" Zeta platform, why does this "new" car have the long overhangs of the old GM-2800? Judging by the proportions of this car, its hard to tell whether you're even looking at a RWD product.

2. If GM will be importing a rebadged Holden as a Buick for the 2008 model year, does that mean that production of the American produced Zeta-platform cars has been set back even further? 2009? 2010?

3. If this is Holden's upcoming VE, are we looking at the SWB replacement for the Commodore, or the LWB replacement for the Statesman? Judging by the Buick name that's being associated with this mule, I'd guess that its the
Statesman-replacement. Judging by the timescale of the sighting (the Commodore VE should be entering this phase of testing right now) and past history (new Statesman models normally follow new Commodores by several years), I'd guess that its the next Commodore. Which one is it?

4. Is there enough flexibility in the Zeta-platform for the Pontiac G8 to have completely different fundimental proportions than a Holden VE/Buick "Lausaane?" Is every Zeta model going to be stuck with the same long overhangs?

5. In the end, is GM rejecting the trend towards short overhangs OR is GM just working with remnants of 1990's vintage GM-2800 architecture?

 

Isn't that the point? It's a cammoed car.

From the pictures, if there really are no eye-fooling body add-ons (ala C4 bodies on the all-new C5 platform in the mid-90's), the front overhang seems reasonable (true, not as short as a 300 but not everything has to be.) That Mustang/Lincoln LS long rear overhang would concern me a lot more.

 

 

I wouldnt mind a longer rear overhang. I think it can seriously help the lines of a car, pushing it away from the overwhelming sameness that is prevalent in cars today. On the flip side, short front overhangs are hot, and are something GM should be looking for in RWD products.

 

I didn't know that overhangs were a tell tail sign of the drive wheels of a car or the quality of it's engineering. Camaro and more specificly Firebird had large overhangs. Did these look like FWD cars?

To me, longer rear overhang isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything it means more trunk space, a good thing for a larger sedan. Stylisticly, I don't think it's bad. We're certainly not talking HUGE overhangs here. I think they fit the car.

 

actually, long front overhangs ARE characteristic of FWD cars. if you notice the transmission and diffirential in transverse applications is _behind_ the engine which is usually all the way up front. that means the wheels end up being pushed back toward the cab while the nose of the car gets longer. The F-cars grew their noses to comply with crash regs. because the general didn't spend the resources to properly design a modern chasis that would handle the regs.

the point for me of the whole overhang situation is not all stylistic. it suggests the robustness of the chasis we're talking about. short front overhang, longer rear overhang contributes to proper handling. how do you think BMWs get that classic 50/50 weight distr while FWD cars have awful distributions usually 65f/35r? Front engined cars are typically nose heavy because the engine is there and it weighs a lot (duh). moving the front wheels all the way out allows some of the engine's mass to be carried "inboard". moving the rear wheels _in_ allows them to carry more (but less dense) mass "outboard" (think of ballancing a plank on a fulcrum).

THAT is the reason why those configs are preferred. the fact that they are stylistically appealing is just a bonus to me.

P.S. the opposite is true of rear engined and mid engined cars. Porsches, Ford GT, Enzo Ferrari...

 

I'd guess, that in addition to the trans-axle. I spent some time comparing this Buick to a Lincoln LS and yes...I see the difference in front overhang. It looks closer to a Holden Caprice.

 

The over hangs look fine to me

Rear over hang looks shorter than the Mustang in relation to the over all size of the car. Front looks no bigger than a Mercedes S-class

 

Long rear overhang = big trunk. Remember, this is upper level Buick. It will be attracting Buick's most affluent buyers. Buyers who golf and want to fit more than one golf bag in the trunk.

 

It's just a shell with Buick badging meant to throw the general public off which it has successfully done.

 

Sure hope so Josh, because otherwise.....that is one ugly car.