I still think it looks damn good.

I was in a Saturn dealer like 2 hours ago putting my deposit down on the car on the bottom right of that picture , and I was given this pamphlet with these pictures...

 

Sounds perfectly reasonable. If you are going to show a concept or preproduction model, you'd probally show the top model, not the regular version. I believe the Camaro concept would be visually the top model, and the regular Camaro would far less dramatic.

Isn't a big deal to me either. It does look 90% like the concept, and as we've seen in recent years, modern car designs tend to look far better in person than in pictures.

I'm going to wait till people see it at the New York Show before making any opinions.

 

Well, Ill be there Weds morning.

 

Well, all I've got to say is that the Aura had damned well be SPECTACULAR!
Why? Because the future Pontiac product portfolio has been eviscerated to pay for Saturn programs like this.

 

Yeah.

 

THat sky redline front ent looks awesome are those rims 19"s?

 

Damn straight. IIRC isn't Pontiac still GM's third largest brand with respect to sales (behind Chevy and GMC - though, well, technically Pontiac and GMC are one division). And Pontiac's got very little new product in AGES. The minor Bonnie refresh in 2000, the rebadged Toyota Vibe, the rebadged Holden Monaro, the less-than-spectacular new Grand Prix, the G6 (must be GM's biggest investment in Pontiac), the Solstice (and Sky, and Opel), the rebadged Equinox, and now the rebadged Cobalt/G4/G5/Pursuit/whatever.

Pontiac: a lesson in brand mis-management...

Meanwhile, Saturn dealers all around the country are going under due to poor sales. The new products have taken too long to get here or aren't selling (i.e. the Rebate, I mean, Relay). Back in September of '04 my wife was interested in a VUE (we ended up with a problematic Envoy) but we couldn't find one that wasn't loaded up with pinstripes and leather-seat-insert packages and optional wheels and other dealer-profit margin junk. The Saturn dealership near me has their windows tinted so dark, you can never tell if they're open... and I never see anyone walking around their lot. Half of their back lot is vehicle storage from the neighboring (same owner) Chevy/Hyundai dealer... most of the vehicles in the front of their lot are used cars... very sad. The local Olds-GMC dealer was more vibrant last year before they finally capitulated and closed, selling their GMC franchise to the sleazy Caddy dealer (who can't help but have blingy wheels and faux-ragtops on many of their vehicles)...

 

Look at the Aura front clip , then the Vectra OPC Charlie posted . It looks like a BASE version of the same Opel OPC . That same shapes are in both bumpers . I bet the Redline will be identical to the OPC

 

More on TCC....

 

Bad spot of the XM, but other than that I like it. First thing I'd do is buy a nice 18" set of those rims that were on the concept.

 

I like it. Looks classy and pretty good to me. I think it would sell well to its target audience.

 

The answer is yes. Those that say no must be looking at something else.

 

More production vs. concept pics...







As others have said, I'm sure the Red Line version will look closer to the concept (larger fender flares, more aggressive front end). The interior looks nice.

 

Anyone else digging that the BASE 3.5L is up to 225 hp now? Not too bad when the base Accord and Camry are still using ~160-170 hp fours. Even with the 4T45 auto (actually one of the better autos in the biz), it should move nicely. I was surprised that the 2.4L Ecotec was not the base engine, but it sounds like it effectively will be, in the Green Line model, using the BAS/mild hybrid setup that gets pretty impressive economy ratings in the Vue Green Line.

I also love how they are getting bold and offering that saddle colored leather that was in the concept. You rarely see colors like that unless you go into the super expensive luxo cars (big Audis, BMWs, etc.). Really makes that interior look sharp, imo.

I'm already over the slightly toned down grille/fascia vs. the concept, BUT I would like to see a wheel option with less spokes (like a good 5 spoke wheel). And, of course, a manual option would be nice. I think even the 225 hp 3.5L would be pretty nifty with a manual. Oh well...

 

The base 3.5L engine puts out more torque than Hondas top of the line V6