guionM

1. Zeta will be made in Australia by Holden. Other GM divisions due to get Zeta will likely have it manufactured by Holden & it will be exported. Yes, that includes us here in North America. No, it probally doesn't include the GTO.

2. There's likely NOT going to be a just 1 RWD chassis, but at least 2 chassis here in North America that will fill in for what was planned for the Zeta.

3. Zeta was cancelled for much the same reasons the Sigma-Camaro didn't happen, but GM is is a far better position (and mindset) to subsitute with a more cost efficient chassis... or a couple of them.


I could go into more details about what's come my way about all this, but I'd have to kill you.

Feel better.

BTW: I left a cryptic a couple of weeks ago about which plant GM was investing money in that would assemble the "Zeta" cars. Now that it's in print, I'll post it:

*DISCLAIMER: I've taken great care NOT to spill anything I was told, and not to be "cryptic". Instead, I relied on the same method I used on last year's Camaro story, using press and GM's own words. However, it does accurately tell the story.

NikiVee

Yup, puts it all in perspective now doesn't it.

CaminoLS6

Thanks for that.

I feel like it's 2 month's ago all over again. The good and the bad.

SS RRR

Won't believe anything until I see it.

BTW guionM I would only assume since you own a few SC's you visit the SC boards? Have you done anything to them? Do you by chance know XR7Dave?

Chris 96 WS6

Good work Guy.

guionM

SCCOA.

My 1st '89 5 speed had a smaller pulley, headers, chip, & a supercharger spacer.

Current '89 I fully restored, and gave it the questionable 18" rims that I inherited off my latest SC when I bought it.

The '93 (the only automatic SC I've had) I replaced the "bling-bling" rims with stock wheels, and my mom's using it in Arizona.

Don't know anyone off the sites.

Better to e-mail me before we accidently hijack this thread.

dfmoeller

Thanks much for the info Guy. It has the ring of truth, although I'm still at a loss to comprehend how it makes sense to design/qualify/produce Zeta in Australia, for the rest of the world, but not here (or only here in an imported, reduced capacity).

I really grieve for GM. They are lost. People forget that the truck/SUV market is overwhelmingly made up of the former RWD sedan market (those that didn't migrate to German RWD sedans), and I don't think GM is going to have anything to offer this group. As gas prices rise (maybe even if they don't) I think this group will migrate back; they only adopted the trucks because the RWD car had essentially vanished! From your explanation, there really seems no push to create a portfolio of RWD cars/crossovers for these people. The Beta, or whatever it's name is these days, Camaro chassis, if that is the plan, will probably be too small for mainstream passenger vehicles, and the Sigma is peculiar looking with its high cowl, on anything smaller than the STS. So, if there is yet another platform, someone speak up. I don't see how there really can be though, it would duplicate the Holden Zeta, which doesn't make any sense.

I had held out hope that GM had finally seen the light and would actually market an American RWD vehicle family. I guess that was too much to hope for. But the FWD nightmare continues!

BigBlueCruiser

I don't see why anyone should feel better.

I don't see anything resembling a Camaro or whatever coming out of that MESS before 2010.

Affordable V8 RWD performance from GM? Get yer GTO by end of '06 cuz that's it for a LONG WHILE.

IntimidatorSS

Thanks guionM, This kinda confirms my own speculation on what will happen and your cryptic answers have led me to believe this...............

It cost GM too much money too much trouble to make Zeta competitive and be broad enough to accomidate many RWD vehicles in the North American Continent.

So now I'm thinking Kappa, Sigma, and a mystery platform either developed from Kappa and Zeta or something totally different will be used for GM's RWD applications in North America which from looking at it it's for the better...............

Z284ever

I agree.

But even if Zeta were still viable for NA, I don't believe that we would have seen one much sooner than that anyway.

The difference is....now we have a chance for a better Camaro.

In the end...the "cheaper" Zeta...would have ended up costing as much, or more, than the better performing Sigma.

IntimidatorSS

I think that GM will have at least one RWD vehicle out by 08, before anyone says its impossible..............The new RWD platforms I have always thought to have been very flexable and could be modified easily for different applications.

I still have "faith" and I believe that when the new GM regime comes in and more things start to come out I say that things will either progress quicker or have been set to get set in very quickly.

Also I don't think GM will let the Large RWD sedan and Preformance coupe market have fun with Ford and DCX for 5 more years when they have 2 platforms for a basis done already if Kappa and Sigma are 2 of them.....also if Kappa and Sigma are as flexable as they say It probally wouldn't take 4 years to put a hybrid platform together for a Camaro type car........But this is just my $.02

SS RRR

He's on that site. I tried to PM you but your box was full.... I'll e-mail you when I get a chance.

SSbaby

That's interesting. I wonder if GM did their own math or used Holden's financial papers to determine the cost of the Zeta program before they realised that Sigma is the better alternative.

Why do we Aussies always get (comparitively) less technology on our vehicles compared to our American and Japanese friends?

Z284ever

The trigger hasn't been pulled on Sigma yet....primarily, IMO, for political reasons.

But we do have quotes like this:

Josh452

It won't be Sigma. No way. No how.