If you don't have the answers, you're better off avoiding the questions. You may now return to the fetal postion.

 

Encouraging as far as generating excitement.

As far as sales, SVT has traditionally kept their production levels on the slightly low side. For example, if they think they can sell 12,000 of something, they'll make just 11,000.

GTO has no trouble whatsoever selling 18,000 per year at $30-32,000. There's still no rebates or incentives on them, but they have been moving on target or better since last September.

Actually, GM realised that bringing out a new RWD car model at the time of year 2/3s of the country is in winter is more than a bit of a gamble, plus it makes the car the odd man out at introduction time.

I suppose GM could just as easily bring the car out a month later and call it a 2007.


GTO's predictions were very realistic. XLR's wasn't.... by a long shot.

On the flip I believe GM went the opposite direction on the Solstice. ONLY 20,000 cars annually? At $20,000? While the $45,000 Corvette runs 25-30K cars annually? I'm wondering if the guys that predict the sales of some of these cars pluck their numbers out of thin air.

 

I couldn't agree more with this. I have a feeling those things are gonna be flying off the lots. I just PRAY that dealers don't gouge the hell out of their customers in a GTO fashion.

 

The XLR was originaly going to be 3,000 per year. it is now selling 30% above that. (atleast that was the original number I heard)

SSR dispite people calling it a flop has also sold right in the middle of its 10K-14K estimated production.

Isn't Solstice production limited by the hydroformed body panels? From what I heard it was going to be hard to make over 30,000 of them a year.

 

When talking about new car sales, wouldn't it seem apropriate to count the number of new cars sold?

Seems kinda elementary to me. But to each his/her own.

 

Between the return of the Shelby nameplate, the underlying strength of the basic 2005 Mustang and the past success of SVT product launches, I'd say that GT 500 is a "slam dunk."

It's a pity that GM didn't use the same strategy with the GTO.

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353033

ULTIMTEORANGESS claims that dealers are getting $2,000 per 2005 GTO in some sort of backdoor dealer cash that he refers to as "coupons."

I've said all along that the 2005 GTO isn't moving without incentives.




Personally, I didn't have a problem with GM introducing the GTO at the end of the winter. However, I do believe that a spring launch is needlessly compromised if you're needlessly sadling a car with last year's model year.




Looking back on both model introductions, I don't think either projection was realistic. GM should have sold alotted Pontiac dealers 6,000 GTOs for the 2004 model year. If, they'd played their cards right, every 2004 GTO could have been pre-sold before the magazine reviews were published.

The Cadillac XLR should have been sold primarily by customer order. Who want to buy a $76,000 roadster that's been a "lot queen" for the last 6-months? On the other hand, you'd be surprised by the percentage of Mercedes SL buyers who are willing to wait 6-months for a factory order.


I'd agree that the Solstice's 20K/year production forecast is pesimistic - if you don't take into account the internal competition from the Saturn Sky.