If 20,000-30,000 Holdens can make up for the Grand Prix $25K+ GT/GTP/GXP retail volume, then the Impala (classic) can pick up the slack for fleet sales.

 

Here's some insight to the current "THINKING", so take it however you want.



First, Pontiac isn't going to be a high volume, Chevrolet competing, rental car supply depot brand anymore. Anyone using sales figures here to justify Pontiac keeping any current line is operating from the wrong perspective. GM is looking at keeping the Pontiac name alive with minimal investment while keeping the "excitement division" idea. Pontiac's days as a high volume brand are over.

Second, vehicle names that have agreements with certain plants aren't going to be made elsewhere. As everyone in the industry likes to say, "Never say never", but "unlikely" and "very unlikely" are words freely used in it's place.



GM HAS decided there is a market for big stylish coupes. A profitable one. So did Chrysler. For some reason, Ford doesn't seem to be intrested. bottom line on the surveys is that coupe buyers tend to be better off and tend load their cars with options or like their cars loaded. That goes for personalization models like Scion or Mustangs, or already loaded vehicles like GTO & Cobra. Find a way to make loaded coupes cheaply, and you have a pretty sizable profit margin per vehicle.

Don't read too much into the Monte Carlo's production end by thinking there won't be a large Chevrolet coupe in the future.

Cobalt will be the cheap coupe. Camaro will be the mid-level coupe. There is a position for a upper level Chevrolet performance GT, that may or maynot be called Monte Carlo, Chevelle, or just plain old "SS".... a Chevy GTO, if you may.

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS was solidly a retail seller.

 

Hmmm, Commodore as a GP replacement is a very good idea as far as I'm concerned and I'm all for it - limited size market or not - especially since GMNA doesn't seem to have anything comparable to fill the void ready yet. I do kinda like the GP though - especially in GTP or now GXP trim - would be better if it was RWD though.... so bringing over Commodores to fill that role would be something I wouldn't argue with.

But, hold on now, the last time I got even a little bit excited about a similar prospect was with the Monaro importation as a GTO. Ultimately those of us in Canada who would have gladly jumped on that boat got left behind, because when the smoke cleared, differing bumper standards meant those cars were US bound only - and very much illegal to import/sell in Canada, so we got left out in the cold. So this time around I'll be a wee bit more cautious in my expectations.

Does anyone herein know for sure if the VE cars as they stand right now have improved bumper standards built in (ie. 5 mph bumpers as opposed to 2.5)? It would be a shame to miss out yet again on what appears to be a very desirable (my opinion), attractive, well assembled and executed product.

An SS-V (or whatever it's ultimatley called in NA) in phantom black would be quite nice, I'll take mine with a 6-speed manual please ....

 

74% of GP sales are to fleet? Wow...that is so, so pathetic. And to think of all the '97-'03 GPs that GM sold, that were such a big hit...I remember selling out of GPs every year from '00-'03...my old dealer STILL has '06 GPs on the lot that I ordered last summer!!!

 

I'm thinking that Pontiac and Holden may have a similar relationship to that of Saturn and Opel.

 

.....and you'd be right.

 

i've asked that question a few times with no anwser.

 

Really that's the shame of the whole thing. Not to knock Holden or anything, they've been putting out some really good product (which we should have access to...). Our own brands have really been outshone here in comparison, except for maybe Cadillac, but for Pontiac to be reduced to a serving as a boutique, peddling another divisions wares under its own badge really underscores where they've come.

GMNA were once the masters of designing and building full (and mid)-size RWD cars - no one did it better. To have wandered into the woods as far as they have is inexcusable.


Hey, 97z28/m6, maybe one of our Australian mates who regularly visit this site can shed some light here on the bumper thingy - maybe even if the cars are even intended to be available to those of us who live above the 49th parallel.

 

I don't know...

If you told me the Commodore(gp), Torana, and "new" Monaro(GTO) were going to be Pontiacs, I would probably be pretty happy. And I would not hesitate to say, these cars are better than anything Pontiac currently has in their respective categories.

 

it would be nice to know if i should save money or continue to dream.

 

Don't know...I know I can buy it

 

Wow, 74%...that puts a new twist on my ideas.
I dont know about a Commodore based G8. Would it be V6 and V8 model, or V8 only? Will the V8 model get upgraded for American shores like the Monaro did for GTO, or will we see a 360hp "L98" between the fenders?
Would Caddy like the idea of a 30-35k V8 sports sedan possibly out-doing the CTS?
I always thoght, due to some volume, that a low 30-40k unit production of the Caprice could be sent over here for Buick, and canning both the LaCrosse and Luceren in current form anyway. Much higher price point and higher content for the Buick would make for higher margin.
A Commodore SS as G8 would make for a cool deal, as long as the front end gets an agressive nose, as well as the rest of the division. I would think that there would be about 40-50k units a year, split between V6 and V8 sales. Both mated to the 6spd auto, and optional equipment from cloth seats to heated leather, DVD Nav, etc.

 

That's not really what I was getting at. I very much agree that they are more desirable than any of the "mainstream, high volume production" vehicles in the Pontiac stable right now. I too would be very, very happy, assuming I can get one. My point was that it is a shame that Pontiac would merely be selling rebadged Holden vehicles instead of producing them in the first place, which in the division's heyday, they would have - built them, that is. That was all.

So be it, no use cryin' over what could or should have been, bring em on over here......

 

AnthonyHSV we so hate you because of that.....

It would be very nice to know if this is going to be another "all new GTO" part II, or if we will actually be able to buy it as well, this time around.

Oh well, if things go south, so to speak on this one, there's always that other new car, what's that they're gonna call it(?).... oh yeah, that... Camaro.... coming year after next

 

that's ok.....he drives on the wrong side of the road anyways.