I feel like I'm experiencing a weird phenomenon lately. Since I was a little kid, who could barely see above a fender, let alone reach an accelerator pedal, I've been surrounded by and worshipped GM products. In the '80s, when I was a little kid, I was wowed by F bodies...G bodies (specifically my uncle's TPI '86 MC SS and another uncle's '85 GN)...Fieros...Corvettes (I still remember when I was about 5, and my father explained to me that a Corvette was made by Chevy! My little mind, even then, was aware enough that I could not comprehend how the same company that made my dad's brown '81 Chevette we were in could make such a beautiful car!)...and those big, beautiful RWD Caddies floating around all over downtown.

In the '90s, despite ever-declining market share, it seemed like even more cool things were coming. Turbo and DOHC 3.4 W bodies, 180hp 2.3 liter Grand Ams and Berettas, Z24s buzzing all over town, 4th gen F bodies, C5s took the breath away of my entire high school, s/c 3800 Bonnevilles, Grand Prixs, Regals, aggressive (but not completely overdone...yet) '92-'98 Grand Am SEs and GTs...hell, even the renaissance of Oldsmobile with the Aurora, Intrigue and Alero caught my eye. And to this day, I still think the '95-'98 Riviera is one of the most beautiful cars Buick ever produced.

Then we come to this decade, and despite even better product in many ways (can anyone say Aura? Solstice? Malibu? Trucks? Cadillac's entire line??), the excitement has completely waned to a trickle. The soul seems to be gone, despite ever-better product. It seems like GM has completely lost the attention and desire of the general public. Need proof??

1) Compare a dimunitive little Astra to ANY subcompact GM has made in 30 years...and how many they made before, yet this car wasn't even winked at.

2) The wide acclaim the '97-'03 Grand Prix received, compared to the complete dis-interest the '04-'08 received, and now the G8.

3) The fact that in the mid-'90s, you couldn't spit without seeing a Z24 around the corner...yet I can't even remember the last Cobalt SS I saw.

4) Pontiac went from "We Build Excitement" to "We Build Rental Cars"

5) My high school parking lot when I graduated in '98 was full of 3rd gens, S10 Blazers, '73-'87 full size pickups, Grand Ams and Berettas. Today its full of Civics, Accords, and Corollas.


I guess the point of this thread is just a realization that so many people have completely forgotten about even considering a GM for a purchase, no matter how well the product is now made, will anyone care? Is the passion for the product there? I even find myself questioning how much I care anymore. Oldsmobile and Pontiac were my 2 favorite divisions when I was growing up...both are obviously dead. I felt (and still feel) Saturn has the best overall line within GM...its dead.

Meanwhile, I can't afford a Cadillac, GM refuses to build a 2 door coupe other than the upcoming CTS Coupe and Camaro (and I still can't deal with the dash of the Camaro), and I have no interest in buying a truck. If I had been of ownership age in 1990, I could have easily seen myself buying a third gen...an H.O. Quad 4 N body (Beretta GTZ, Grand Am LE or SE)...Turbo Grand Prix...a Z24 or Turbo Sunbird. In 2000, I would've given a body part for an SS Camaro, or bought a GTP Coupe, or Alero GLS Coupe, or even an Intrigue. I did buy a Grand Am GT Coupe brand new just 2 years later.

But today, other than a G8, there is nothing. There is no Malibu 2 door...the Cobalt is old, ready to be replaced by the Cruze, and there's no sign of a sport Cruze coupe...the G6 coupe is DOA, and funky looking anyway...there is no Buick I want, no Cadillac I can afford, and no way to replace the 5th gen dashboard.


I wonder, how many others are like me? Those that have lost their desire for GM's products, despite the fact so many are, without question, superior to the offerings of years ago?

An interesting issue, I face. Now that I'm of age to buy my second, new GM product....I don't even want one

 

I think about this a lot, and the only way that I cam arrive to a solution is after separating the facts from the emotions. That solution is that we were different people then with different perspectives on the world. The automotive industry was also different then. The two factors changed and evolved and became what they are, like it or not. I don't.

 

There really is a lot less, in terms of quantity, to get excited about anymore though. When I was in high school in the 80's, GM gave you Camaro, Firebird, Grand National, Monte Carlo SS, Regal T-Type turbo, Cutlass 442, Fiero, Corvette. Today, you get Camaro, Cobalt SS, and not much else if you want to keep it under 40 grand, G8 I guess. And oh yeah, Solstice and Sky, but those are so rinky dink, they can barely be used as everyday transportation.

What I see as the difference from back then is that all those 80's cars were 2 door, and for the most part V8 or F/I V6 cars, all RWD, and all affordable save for the Corvette. Today, your 1 choice under that critieria is Camaro, and even that just now came out after being gone for 7 years. Most of GM's performance lineup in the 2000's has been compromised in my mind by either being a 4cyl, FWD, 4 door, or being truck based. GTO was nice, but compromised by packaging and styling, and I know Corvette has been around the whole time, but it may not be a realistic option for most folks, either by its limited seating, or price.

Also I think Jason Delta hit on an accurate point in that you ARE getting older and your tastes are changing. A hot Cadillac is not something I ever would have considered in HS. I like them alot now, but not enough to spend 60-70 g's on one.

 

Been that way for me since 2002.

 

I have no less passion for GM cars than I ever did. Actually I have more.

When I was young I was not all wound up by all of the GM cars, actually just a few models were anything I would want to own.

I still have personal preferences and thus some GM cars are what I would personally buy. By virtue of what I do for a living, my appreciation for vehicles from GM has grown. IOW, there may be a car or truck I wouldn't buy because of my personal taste from GM, but I can see the value that another person with different priorities would be wise to consider.

I well remember the low quality and low opinion many imports had when I was younger.

People's attitudes are hard to change, but they can be changed. I have seen it.

I see many folks who have had GM off their consideration list be open enough to come to a car show and check out something new, such as the Malibu or Traverse. They leave transfomed in their attitude. The leave and buy.

This is part of why auto shows are vital in presenting product in a low pressure atmosphere.

 

I'm beginning to have less and less passion for all American cars now that I read GM is going to be importing cars from China and how Chrysler is taking American tax money and closing plants (putting American workers out of work) in the US in favor of foreign ones.

I'm sure GM will be doing the same thing with their plants.

 

I'm sorry, but I was never excited about Z24s, plasticky Pontiacs, or the big retirement boats that were Cadillacs. And I certainly never worshipped GM. I was a GM guy, but I don't worship companies. Hell, my current company pays me pretty well and I have no loyalty to them either. I could be in here 80 hours a week and sacrifice my physical well being, but the bottom line is the bottom line and they'll sh*tcan me the second they need to.

With the products that GM has been putting out over the last 25 years I had to find the silver lining in them in order to defend it. Eg, the engine in the F-bodies, the MPG of the Cavaliers, the SC in the GP, etc. I was nieve and did defend the company, but I can honestly say that was simply because my dad was a GM guy, so I became one. But now that I can think for myself, I find myself not having to defend the cars so much anymore, and as I mentioned, I don't have any loyalty to GM. GM was a poorly run company whose products were poor competition to the offerings of the overseas ones. The sooner some of you guys can accept that, the sooner the pity party will stop.

 

Ditto.

I remember one import in my high school parking lot ('73-'77) and that was a tiny Honda Civic. And, boy, did that guy get ragged on.

 

GM hit a low point in the early 2000's that have yet to recover from even though product may have.

2009/10 is the best year ever from a performance stand point

•We have a first ever 600HP car the ZR1
•We have 2 500HP+ cars the Z06 and CTS-V
•400HP+ Corvettes, Camaro, G8 (basically Grand Prix), Escalades, Silverados, Sierras.
•303HP V8 Impala, 304HP base Camaro, 304HP CTS, 362HP G8 GT
• Turbo RWD Solstice and Sky
• 260HP Cobalt SS and HHR SS
• Malibus that can do the 1/4mi. mid 14s'

This the best time ever for performance at GM yet I do feel we lost momentum with the death of the Camaro and Z24.

 

I've never been a "GM" guy and have never made the leap from supporting a "Pontiac" or a "Cadillac" to supporting "GM".

I like most of the current Cadillac line. I do and always have loved Corvettes and Firebirds. I'm considering a new Camaro but after having owned a couple of vehicles that have both performance and a quality interior I simply refuse to put up with the interiors I've seen in either the current 'Vett or the Camaro even if I have to pay more to get what I want.

I've especially never been a "Chevy" guy except for the Corvette...Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Cadillac were always my car brands of choice (I've owed all three brands at one timeor another). Of course, there used to be more difference between those makes than just body panels and trim.

When it comes down to it, it's never been about "GM" for me; it's been about individual cars.

So when it comes to "passion" for GM I'd have to say no but that's not really a change for me.

 

Very thought provoking Jason.

Oldsmobile was a hard hit for me. My dad was always an Olds man, and my first car was an Oldsmobile. I still carry a flame for the brand.

Pontiac too, but sadly, I had already written Pontiac off. Those charged with running it had demonstrated a failure to thrive.

You know, when I was a kid, I simply thought EVERY Chevy was the best looking car in it's segment. EVERYTHING! Chevy workvans looked badass to me. Chevy dumptrucks looked good. Vegas looked very sharp. When ADAM-12 went to Chevy police cars - I noticed that too. (I sort of have the same feeling when I see a Malibu today).
And Chevy had so much neat stuff to chose from, and I don't just mean the obvious Camaro and Corvette either. I mean, you could buy a two door Malibu with a V8 and a stick for pretty cheap, (or a Monza or Nova for that matter) or a very cool Cosworth Vega. Later, neat packages like the MC SS, Z24, X-11, and Beretta GTZ were available.

Speaking of Camaro, I'm glad this one is back, but I'm still waiting for "MY" Camaro to come one day. In fact, I'm illogically optimistic about Chevy's future. Maybe a new, restructured GM, with a different chain of command, will bring us the excitement and focus we want. When's that Cosworth Cruze coming?

 

For me it's not just GM. There are very few new vehicles from any manufacturer that excite me right now, and those I'd consider, are priced such that I would have to think long and hard about making the purchase.

Fortunately, there are still enough used vehicles that interest me out there.

 

I am a little less passionate about cars in general, I guess, but I still love 'em. As for GM, I've become less GM-specifically loyal, but more fiercely Big Three loyal.

In my youth, I was a GM-only guy, and to hell with Ford and Chrysler. Now, I am far from that. I mean, I still prefer GM in many ways (small block line > *.*), but I am all about the American auto industry as a whole recovering.

 

Wow.

 

The further away you get from your high school years, the rosier your memories of those years becomes. When I think honestly about the cars from my high school years, the extent of the rose colored glasses effect becomes clear. Have you ever driven a Fiero? The only decent one was the final year GT when a real suspension was finally slipped under it. Prior to that, the car was complete crap...and the 2.8 V6 was always crap. The 305 equipped 86 Monte Carlo SS looked great, but didn't even break 200 HP. Iron Duke 4 Cyl third gens were everywhere. And these were the cars I choose to remember. Citations, Chevettes, Hyundai Excels and Yugo GVs polluted dealerships and roadways alike. The most interesting cars were 225 HP Mustangs, 240 HP IROCS and GTAs, and 250 HP Corvettes. A 304 HP Camaro would have been a dream. A 304 HP V-6 Camaro would have been unthinkable.

Up until last week, I was convinced that the dash design, and the font on the guages, was enough to make me dislike the 5th Gen. My brother has hated the 5th gen since he saw the 2006 concept. He said no way could it replace the 4th gen in his view.

Last Saturday, the local dealer had an unveiling and had 2 V6 cars on the lot. A red base car, and a silver Leather interior car. The silver car was designated for test drives by all in attendance. I was amazed by how the base red V6 car made the black Z06 and red ZR1 parked next to it completely disappear from view when the cover came off. I love the car, interior and all. I would prefer a real nav system as opposed to that turn by turn subscription deal, but all in all I was amazed at how well it all works. My brother was gushing over it. He said it looks much more modern than the C6. The test drive really sealed the deal. I want one. I will wait for the convertible though. Make mine a yellow 2SS, black stripe, M6, convertible please.