"NASCAR car" sounds redundant, but you are correct.

 

Naming everything "G*" was approved by Bob Lutz (though the idea started before he got to GM).

The idea grew out of a study done over a decade ago (by Honda I believe) that found that the names of it's Acura cars (ie: Legend, Integra, etc..) were more well known than the Acura brand that sold it. It also found that the public associated letter and number naming with luxury cars and imports here in the US.

So not only Acura, but Cadillac and Lincoln went to letter names, and Pontiac (attempting to reinvent itself as an "American BMW") went to the "G" series.... which I also think was extremely dumb, given the history and equity in the names it had.

As for the SS coupe, it was going to be the Monte Carlo's replacement, not Camaro's. And like the new SS, GM had sights on NASCAR with that car (Monte Carlo was big at NASCAR back then, and the SS coupe would have been it's replacement).

As for actually using Camaro name,they couldn't: 2007 Chevrolet Camaro - Featured Vehicles - Popular Hot Rodding Magazine

 

They should burn that study. Infiniti went the same route as well. I think common sense should prevail over one study, but I guess some of the marketing people just don't get it.

I have no idea what Lincoln, Acura, or Infiniti sell anymore because of the name changes. If that's what the marketers wanted then they succeeded. I know the brand names, but know nothing about the cars they sell...

 

Wait... what?

Are you saying the new for 2014MY Impala is going to have a two year run and then be replaced by a new RWD version on Alpha? I know people complained about the lengthy 8 year run for the Gen 9 Impala, but only 2 years for Gen 10? Seriously?

I just want a civilian version of the Caprice with cloth seats and the LFX V6. Is that asking too much?

 

I still call them Winston Cup cars. Had a friend on Sunday ask me what I was talking about then corrected me with Sprint Cup cars. I guess Stock Cars is too generic.

 

I still call 'em Winston Cup cars, too.
"Sprint Cup" sounds lame.

 

Yeah, I had forgotten about all that. Actually seems like a long time ago now.

No kidding. Right now I couldn't tell you the differences between a Lincoln MKS, MKZ, MKX, MKBlah....and Cadillac would be just as bad if the letters didn't at least sort of mean something and I didn't follow them a bit closer.

 

I miss when more cars actually had names/souls.

 

Mark, you make a really good point. I met one of Chevy's top marketers at the Product and Technology Event in 2009 ( he is still there). I mentioned how they should use iconic names like Chevelle and Belair again, received no reply. I took them to task over the alphabet soup names, all they did was alienate loyal repeat Pontiac customers. Grand Prix was around since 1962, gone thanks to Uncle Bob. Why Isn't Pontiac Up for Sale? - Businessweek

I interviewed with GM, they could use help in understanding customers better.

Calling this car SS will only confuse people. People would have been fired up if this car was called Chevelle instead. The AUS-US exchange rate is now about 1 to 1, which will result in a much higher price than the GTO. It doesn't sound like a profitable business case to me.

 

ARGH! We didn't buy the G8 GT because of this. Went to the dealer, took the wife loved the looks, couldn't stand the auto. Even the wife said no way with the auto in it. Missed out on a G8 GXP by about a hour. Had high hopes for the SS. Looks like it still isn't in the cards.

 

I know my friend, it's very frustrating. Doesn't make sense to me since the Holden SS-V will have a manual trans option in Oz.

 

^^^I reallly don't get it......its like GM didn't want to sell many of these cars in the first place.......no manual, no Canada........very short sighted planning in my opinion........

 

Could they just be testing the waters??? see how it does? before they get 100% behind it?

 

I should have said CY, not MY.

My understanding is much like the 200, the Impala is most likely to have a shorter run than we'd expect after the last 2 Impalas. But keep in mind market and money are the final determining factors, and we're still a few years out. I'd look at a replacement 2016 MY (same year as Camaro) or 2017.

It's a safe speculation that it's replacement will be marketed as a modest volume luxury-sports sedan close in size to the current Impala, but sharing much with the Cadillac/Buick versions of Alpha.

Irony alert: If you look at GM's RWD plans from last decade, and erase Pontiac from the lineup and substitute Alpha for Zeta, and there's more than a passing resemblance in product and timetable this decade.

 

Alpha must be one hugely flexible platform, because in its current manifestation it is WAY too small to be an Impala.