Pontiac renaissance! It's coming!
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 757
Holden America would of course be sweet - V8's and RWD muscle.
A real youth push would also be very exciting, and make some sense too. Pontia, if I recall, still draws GM's youngest demographic. They already have a great start with the Solstice, and economical barnstormer. If they added to that a sport-compact with some real teeth, and perhaps a fire-breathing (Altima SE-R destroying) G6 GXP to top out the range, they would have a brand that attracts the young import devotees. Dodge proved with the SRT that dangling lots of performance for a seriously cheap price can overcome a lot of young America's distaste for domestic cars.
I also don't think these two visions are mutually exclusive. I don't see anything wrong with a performance brand that starts right at $20,000 with a legitimate sport-compact, and then tops out with a V8 RWD sedan and coupe at the high-20's low 30's. Real performance and attitude for a nice price - doesn't sound to far from Pontiac's true image to me.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 681
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
For those of you with no pre-concieved notions of what Pontiac "should" be...a product renaissance will be coming to Pontiac soon. A transformation, no less remarkable than what happened during Bunkie Knudsen's time, in the late 50's.
Forget all the rumors you've been hearing for the past year or two - this will be a NEW Pontiac. I for one am excited.
Forget all the rumors you've been hearing for the past year or two - this will be a NEW Pontiac. I for one am excited.
Pontiac is far from dead. Those of you who have been following some of the posts I've been making, Bob Lutz's little hints (again, ignore the fellows who try and say the head of Global GM Product Development doesn't know what's going on.... even though it's his shop and he's the guy who sends things upstairs
) and some of the other things you've been hearing. You probally already know what's comming down the pipe.
Last edited by guionM; Nov 10, 2006 at 04:15 AM.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,176
From: Chicagoland IL
Well Charlie, I see you caught up to where I was back in February.
I think you now see why I was pretty vocal and (I know this looking back) a little too harsh when certain other formerly inside people were feeding you info that Pontiac was being left to wither in the wind.
I think you now see why I was pretty vocal and (I know this looking back) a little too harsh when certain other formerly inside people were feeding you info that Pontiac was being left to wither in the wind.
And if you're referring to the former Program Manager for GP GXP, GMX282 GTO and GMX285 G8, he wasn't feeding me anything - I just read his posts like everyone else. Why you have this problem with him, I have no idea.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,801
From: South Bend , IN
Squash the Holden of the USA ideas . Outside the VE cars , Holden is mostly rebadged Opels . Your gonna beable to buy a couple of those Holdens at your Saturn dealership real soon 
I am a pontiac fanboy and it would nice to see a multi-sided line up of involving performance vehicles .
I am a pontiac fanboy and it would nice to see a multi-sided line up of involving performance vehicles .
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,176
From: Chicagoland IL
Why would I be excited to see Pontiac neutered? I'm excited that now Pontiac will live.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
Woah bro, you're making some big assumptions there. Stop now, before you dig a bigger hole for yourself.
And if you're referring to the former Program Manager for GP GXP, GMX282 GTO and GMX285 G8, he wasn't feeding me anything - I just read his posts like everyone else. Why you have this problem with him, I have no idea.
And if you're referring to the former Program Manager for GP GXP, GMX282 GTO and GMX285 G8, he wasn't feeding me anything - I just read his posts like everyone else. Why you have this problem with him, I have no idea.
The prosecution changes it's statement (as edited above).
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
Squash the Holden of the USA ideas . Outside the VE cars , Holden is mostly rebadged Opels . Your gonna beable to buy a couple of those Holdens at your Saturn dealership real soon
I am a pontiac fanboy and it would nice to see a multi-sided line up of involving performance vehicles .
I am a pontiac fanboy and it would nice to see a multi-sided line up of involving performance vehicles .
Opel is going to Saturn here, and this small rear driver that Pontiac's trying to get going here will be going to Holden.
Pontiac isn't going to be a full line brand, so it doesn't need the wide support of Opel and Daewoo that Holden does.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,176
From: Chicagoland IL
Yup. The Commodore deal might happen, although I have to say that's not a 100% done deal yet. But if it comes, consider it a stopgap until Pontiac goes into a whole new direction.
For all of you guys preaching that Pontiac should be more like a BMW (on a buget), it might be time to put your money where your mouth is.
For all of you guys preaching that Pontiac should be more like a BMW (on a buget), it might be time to put your money where your mouth is.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,376
From: Sarasota FL
C'mon Charlie...can we at least have a HINT?
More muscle? When you say put your money where your mouth is, is it safe to say THAT is where we're going. Just wink...I won't tell anyone. I'll even clean out my PMs, should you be so inclined...
More muscle? When you say put your money where your mouth is, is it safe to say THAT is where we're going. Just wink...I won't tell anyone.
I'll even clean out my PMs, should you be so inclined...
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,176
From: Chicagoland IL
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.
