New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,176
From: Chicagoland IL
New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
From GM fastlane:
By Jack Keebler
GM Director--Advanced Concepts Group
First, I'm very grateful for all of the perspectives offered on front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive. GM has been traditionally (and perhaps rightly) accused of ignoring customer input. Too often without that perspective, we've offered buyers well-reasoned -- but perfectly passionless products.
Second, as I suspected, the widely divergent thoughts posted indicate that there's a healthy market for various driveline layouts. Given the company's eight North American divisions, some identified with specific driveline types, there would appear to be a need for great-driving front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive cars and trucks.
Specifically though, I promise to work on the creation of a line of small, agile, rear-wheel-drive cars. And quite frankly, I can't imagine a front-drive version of Camaro.
GM Director--Advanced Concepts Group
First, I'm very grateful for all of the perspectives offered on front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive. GM has been traditionally (and perhaps rightly) accused of ignoring customer input. Too often without that perspective, we've offered buyers well-reasoned -- but perfectly passionless products.
Second, as I suspected, the widely divergent thoughts posted indicate that there's a healthy market for various driveline layouts. Given the company's eight North American divisions, some identified with specific driveline types, there would appear to be a need for great-driving front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive cars and trucks.
Specifically though, I promise to work on the creation of a line of small, agile, rear-wheel-drive cars. And quite frankly, I can't imagine a front-drive version of Camaro.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
Seems Lutz's initial dream of an army of configuable "Kappa" cars from a few years back is now likely going to happen on versions of Zeta. Quite possible in a plant set up to produce a variety of "building block" cars on a single assembly line. 
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,600
From: Pewee Valley, KY
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
I am thinking CZ6 floorpan with Kappa Front and rear suspensions. I4 and V6 drivetrains. Anyone else think this sounds pretty cool?
Hmm... thegriffon was saying he thought we should voice our opinion on a RWD G6 with the GTO being a 2 door version. Maybe he was hinting at something.
Hmm... thegriffon was saying he thought we should voice our opinion on a RWD G6 with the GTO being a 2 door version. Maybe he was hinting at something.
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Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,873
From: South Jersey
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
What do they mean by "small and lightweight?" ...'cause they reference Camaro, which is anything but small and lightweight.
The Solstice is small, but at 2,800lbs (hundreds more than a miata) it isn't exactly lightweight either...
...but yeah, I could go for small and light if they really meant it...
The Solstice is small, but at 2,800lbs (hundreds more than a miata) it isn't exactly lightweight either...
...but yeah, I could go for small and light if they really meant it...
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 295
From: Osan S Korea
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
Uhh give me a few of RWD coupes and sedans with V8s and V6s! That what we need right about now! *cough* *cough* Camaro, Impala, G6, Grand Prix. Possibly an AWD Cobalt SS. That would be bad a$$!
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,043
From: Shelbyville, IN
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
Originally Posted by WERM
What do they mean by "small and lightweight?" ...'cause they reference Camaro, which is anything but small and lightweight.
The Solstice is small, but at 2,800lbs (hundreds more than a miata) it isn't exactly lightweight either...
...but yeah, I could go for small and light if they really meant it...
The Solstice is small, but at 2,800lbs (hundreds more than a miata) it isn't exactly lightweight either...
...but yeah, I could go for small and light if they really meant it...
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 388
From: Racine, WI
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
Originally Posted by Chrome383Z
But anything less then 2,500lbs is just about impossible with all the animities and crash standards anymore... (People just won't go for Manual Windows... lol)
I like the idea of small, agile, rwd..as long as mid-engine is part of the mix.
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Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Dollars, Taxes
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
Originally Posted by gtjeff
The new Lotus Elise sold in the US is around 2000 lbs, due to its aluminum chassis. The price tag is around 40k.
I like the idea of small, agile, rwd..as long as mid-engine is part of the mix.
I like the idea of small, agile, rwd..as long as mid-engine is part of the mix.
if a fat guy sat on one, he wouldn't notice it until Taco Bell rears its ugly head............
Whatsyer point?
It's funny. I was daydreaming the other day in traffic (happens a lot).... I happened to be behind 3 different status-mobiles, errrm... Beeeemers. One was a run of the mill sedan, one was an M3 'vert and the other was a coupe. I found myself wondering what GM's "3 series" was. Oooof, haven't got one.
What a novel concept (whooda ever thunkit). Multiple body styles and powertrain choices from a common platform - coupe, sedan, convertable, wagon, rwd, awd, 2 or 3 engine choices EACH available with a stick in all bodies (that sounds kinda funny).......... (can they even do Kappa in awd?) I don't think an M3 type car would be appropriate here, but a RWD manual transmission sport sedan priced for the common fellar - yeah, that'd be purrrty cool.
My wife might even let me dream about having one....for a little while......maybe
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From: five-one-oh/nine-oh-nine
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
I don't know if you guys even realize how much of a milestone this is for GM. The fact that they're admitting they haven't heard customer input is half-amazing in itself. The fact that they're actually willing to listen and entertain our ideas (instead of giving us excuses) is fully amazing.
It's a sign that things at GM are a-changine friends. They're putting product first. FINALLY!!!
It's a sign that things at GM are a-changine friends. They're putting product first. FINALLY!!!
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 664
From: Hanford, CA, USA
Re: New line of small,agile,RWD cars?!?!?!?!?!?
Thats one hell of a novel idea.... Kappa seems to be extremely versatile and I could see a large capacity kappa plant pumping out all kinds of wonderful vehicles.