Lets speculate about Pontiacs 2006 and later line-up.

$15,000- $20,000 (G4)- FWD 4cyl sedan and coupe/hatchback

$20,000- $25,000 (GTP4)-AWD 4cyl. supercharged sedan and coupe/hatchback

$25,000- $30,000 (G6)- FWD v6 sedan, coupe, and convertible

$30,000- $35,000 (GTP6)- AWD v6 supercharged sedan, coupe, and convertible

$35,000-$40,000 (G8) V8 Sedan (GPT8) High performance V8 sedan/sport tuned (Fwd, AWD, and hopefully RWD only)

$35,000-$45,000 (GT0)- RWD V8 Halo car sports coupe and convertible (Next gen version will most likely be made in the US and it might even look like a larger V8 version of the Solstice)

The Solstice could fit in the $20,000-$25,000 slot being a 4 cyl, RWD convertible as long as its cheaper then convertible version of the Grand Prix replacement (G6) that might have a retractible hardtop.

Note: I would assume the slow selling Vibe will get the axe and the next version of the Vibe would most likely be sold as a Saturn.

 

I doubt the GTO would look like a solstice as the GTO is being built of the new VE platform.. Also I think Holden has the contract for three years so it will built in OZ till then.

With your G8....why would you put a V8 in a FWD car???

 

Ask Pontiac...they're the ones who are going to put a small V8 in their FWD Bonneville next year....

 

It seems so odd (still) to think of Pontiac with no Firebird.

I still feel very strongly that a well designed, modern, quality built Firebird has an integral place at Pontiac.... few cars offer more "Fuel For The Soul" than Firebird.

 

Since this is a speculation thread, I'll speculate that the Solstice is the replacement for the Firebird, especially the coupe.

It's short (versus "small"), but is as wide and as tall as the F-bird was. Instead of a big V8, which is going to GTO and Bonneville's replacement, it has a high performance blown 4 that should make it at least as quick as the LT1 birds were.

I'm guessing it will fill the same niche.

GTO and Bonneville will become different versions of the same car (2 door & 4 door). GTO will become a version of the 2 door, which will have a different name which will be shared with the 4 door RWD sports sedan.

Sunfire (currently sold as a coupe only here in the US) will be retired when the new Cavalier comes out, replaced in it's position by a base Solstice Ecotec.

Grand Prix will continue as (FWD) is till very late in the decade, when it too will become RWD. Meanwhile, the Grand Am replacement will be a big part of Pontiac's lineup by volume, simply because there will be so many versions of it (FWD, AWD, Saturn Ion-like 4 door coupe, proper 4 door sedan, convertible hardtop, V6, Supercharged V6) with the widest price range of all Pontiac's models.

Every car in Pontiac's line up will be in a traditional sense, a "halo" car. Every car will have a ***** out performance version. Blown 4 for the Solstice, Blown 6 for the Grand Am replacement, LS6 for the GTO, and either the 5.3, 6.0 V8 (the 5.7's days are almost over) or a blown V6 for Bonneville's sedan replacement.

It will definately be the "Excitement" division.

 

Why not?

 

guionM, you contradict yourself. I wholeheartedly agreed with you all along that 2 seat sports cars and 2+2 coupes did NOT compete for the same buyers (on the grand scale) or share a very specific market. So wassup?

 

I know it looks like a contradiction (2 seat vs 4 seat being different markets).

What I think is going on (I'm only speculating now) is that GM will be consolidating the next F-body to boost volume and save marketing costs the way Ford did with Mustang & Capri after the 1986 model year. I suspect if the F-body comes back, GM won't spring for the cost to make 2 different versions of them. I think there will be a couple of versions of the GTO replacement coupe, but I'm guessing that will be sold in greater volume.

So, instead of Pontiac having a version of the Camaro as a "halo" car, or sports car, it's going towards a different market, by shifting from a version of Camaro, to a new, low priced, RWD sports car which will no doubt bring in hoards of youth that can't make the cover charge of an SS Camaro priced F-body. Add in the expected after market parts for the Ecotec engine, and you have a modern day hot-rodder's (or "tuner" in today's terms) dream.

That's how I think it's replacing the Bird. Not as a $30K musclecar that not many youth and budget enthusiasts can afford, but a $20-25K quick car that can be hopped up and be extremely popular.

I'm guessing that's why GM is sweating bullets to bring the car in at a cheap price, or won't do it at all.

 

Wait...I thought you were deadset on the Fbody not coming back? I remember you saying that when the Camaro comes back, it will get its own chassis, do you think that the chassis could possibley be an fbody?

 

I never said I was dead set against the F-body comming back, and I never said it was getting it's own chassis.

This is what you probally remember:
http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...5th+gen+Camaro

IMHO, I think the Solstice chassis would be the best chance for an F-body. It's lightweight, it's wide, it's low, it's RWD, and it's low cost. If it is still going to be made as a 4 seater, simply reskinning the structure & designing an interior (along with the right drivetrain) and it could be a Camaro.

Without Solstice, Camaro would have to have it's own structure engineered. It could use Sigma or the VE-cars floorpan & suspension components, but the remainder of the inner structure would have to be engineered and tested for compliance with US regs. Far more expensive to do then simply piggybacking off of a vehicle already headed for production (and likely budgeted for already).

 

I think since the Grand Am replacement (G6) is going upscale in 2005 the Grand Prix and Bonneville will be merged into one single sedan (G8) with a standard V8 and the performance version will have a different V8 (from the next-gen GTO) with more HP , bigger wheels, bigger brakes, sport tuned suspension and etc and they will call that variation the GTP8.

I suggest that everyone should go sit in a new 2004 Grand Pix GTP which gives a real good hint of things to come. The new 04 Grand Prix GTP is better in everyway then the 03 model. The only thing I dont like about the 04 Grand Prix is the odd tail end that has weird lumps in the trunk that are designed to go with the new tail lights , but other then that its a nice ride.

 

Torque Steer.

 

When I went to the Pontiac meeting in Chicago, they said that they are tranforming from the "Excitement" division to the "Performance" division. With all this talk, I'd say this is the truth. It's about time. Now all we have to do is remember what ol' JZD (John DeLorean) taught us, big motors in little cars equals big fun.

 

Its been a long tme since I have been excited about Pontiacs and it appears that Pontiac might finally have a complete performance lineup for all budgets.

 

Does anyone know if the actual production model of the new Grand-Am replacement (G6) will be shown at the 2004 NAIAS in Janauary?

When will the Sunfire replacement (G4) supposed to be unveiled in either proto or production form?