formula79

With Pontiac gone, GM has no mid sized coupes outside Camaro. Because of that I really think there is a nice for a nice/borderline agressive styled Chevy coupe off Epsilon. Something that come standard FTW, looks sporty, has decent power, and can fit more in the back than the Camaro. To give the car a little shine, pop in the Regal GS's AWD/Turbo powertrain for an SS model. Because of Chevy's volume, it makes the most sense to make this car a Chevy and not a Buick. I think such a car would complement the Camaro vs. Compete with it because of having less power, FWD, and so forth. It is something expressive for people who don't want to make the kind of compromises you do living with a Camaro. It also would cost almost nothing to make.

What to call it? I personally like Chevelle, but the purists will have a stroke. Maybe Nova?

Sixer-Bird

I think a Cruze coupe would make mor sense. It's pretty big for a "compact", and could draw in some midsize coupe buyers w/o stepping on Camaro's toes.

91_z28_4me

Sorry Brandon, but no they don't. Coupes don't sell in large numbers, they are highly styling based and age quickly. Also the market is fickle. I would wager that if you took the Altima coupe and Accord coupe (the only 2 midsize FWD coupes I can think of) and added them together the number would be less than 20k/yr. That seems like an awfully big investment for that few of sales.

GM is recovering but they aren't out of the woods yet, every dollar spent right now needs to get the maximum return and a coupe just isn't the best way to do that at the moment. Perhaps instead a highly styled VW CC type redesign for the Malibu should be in order.

Also as Sixer-Bird stated a compact coupe makes more sense. These cars are purchased by younger buyers who are more likely to be OK with the trade offs needed to buy a coupe.

Don't let your personal preference cloud you judgment.

Z28x

I think even better than a Cruze or Malibu coupe would be a coupe built on Delta from the ground up as a coupe for Chevy. I'm thinking something like the Integra, 1999 Mercury Cougar, Ford Probe, and early 90's Z24.

shadydavy 95 TA

You are correct sir. I don't see a Malibu coupe cutting into any two door Accord or Altima sales. And what they did steal wouldn't amount to much. A coupe Cruze with a hot four cylinder makes more sense to me.

Aaron91RS

A Malibu coupe ugh no thanks.
A Malibu will never be sporty so why would I want the inconvenience of having to crawl through the front seats.
If my impala didn't have 4 doors I'd sell it. I realize a grocery getter will never be fast, never be sporty so why make the thing worse at the one thing it actually does do. Haul people and junk from point A to point B.

For the cruze no one has shown a decent engine will fit so that's out until they do.

An Evo/Sti competitor might be nice and that would certainly justify the AWD, but GM has shown they don't care about that department since it obviously is only a short lasting 20 year fad starting when the DSM came out in 1990.
The sky which looked like it was Chevy through and through other then the badge got killed so forget that idea. It's twin solstice which looked Buick died with it, and the cobalt of course is dead to because the srt4 market is gone.
It's pretty clear GM will never go down this road in any seriousness.

JeremyNYR

Not that the G6 is a shining example, but they offered a 2-door version on the same platform as Malibu and I don't see too many of them on the road. I think the next closest thing to a malibu coupe would be the last Monte Carlo that was built. They were nice looking cars, but I don't know how well they sold. I have to agree that a 2-door Cruze would be a much better seller than a 2-door Malibu.

Plague

I have to agree with the others saying there wouldn't be enough volume for it. Cars are becoming more practical every day. Coupes really aren't practical. I agree that a younger crowd might want a coupe, and a Cruze coupe would make more sense.

Z28x

Could the same have been said for the Accord or Altima. Those coupes both look pretty good. I think the all new 2012 Malibu would look good as a coupe. Only question is , does it step on the V6 Camaros toes? Malibu would offer a I4, I guess that be the big difference.

I think what we all agree on is that GM needs a coupe under the Camaro.



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Z284ever

I wouldn't be surprised if this car came here as a Buick...

JeremyNYR

You're a fellow new yorker, so you deal with snow in the winter also. Maybe where there's no snow there will be overlap, but in the northeast and other places where snow is a concern, a front wheel drive coupe and rear wheel drive are totally different ballgames. If I were looking for one car to drive year-round, I couldn't consider a Camaro but I could absolutely consider a fwd coupe that had decent trunk space.

It must be a great world where a Camaro can be a year-round daily driver, but I've never lived in that world.

SharpShooter_SS

That would make the most sense since it (the pictured car) is a coupe version of the Insignia which is aka our Buick Regal. That coupe sold here as a Buick companion to the Regal makes a whole lot more sense than restyling it to be a Chev. Why bother going down that road, the conversion parts to make it a Buick are already in place.

It's a nice looking coupe IMO, bring it on over.....

Aaron91RS

The AWD buick is certainly the answer to the awd Taurus.
However both are stupid expensive and nothing someone whose on a malibu/cruze budget would even be able to consider.

Looks like the fields still open.

Z28x

Defiantly, FWD with a bigger back seat would appeal to a lot of people around here. The only reasons I ever hear for people not wanting a Camaro or Mustang are RWD and the back seat is too small. For every person that wants a car because it is RWD there are probably 4 that don't want it because of that. I had a Grand Prix coupe, it was a great car in the snow.

That is one reason I wish they would put 245's all around on the Camaro RS, then they could use all seasons.

jg95z28

Actually I think Chevy needs a Cruze hatchback (3-door) more than anything else.