...But it doesn't look like a 196x GTO.........



Coupe 60 is badass.

 

GM should just leave the name Commodore SS.

The name has no real historical significance here and it's a lot better for marketing than just SS.

SS isn't a name it's a trim level....

 

 

Motor Trend concept FAIL. That front end looks horrible. It reminds me of an 80's Sunbird with its lights exposed.

 

Motor Trend didn't create these. They just released them after the Coupe 60 was revealed.

Pontiac's Secret Coupe - Auto News - Motor Trend

 

This is from 2005:
2008 Pontiac GTO - Spied - Motor Trend

 

If they would have simply changed the Holden badge for a Pontiac Arrow and called it whatever they wanted, the Coupe 60 would have been a car I would have absolutely been interested in. It looks great as it is. The "GTO heritage" cues that random people added make it look a whole lot worse.

 

Just my opinion (and I could be wrong), but I think when the final decision would have been made, the actual GTO would have had the G8 nose (keep in mind there are usually multiple ideas on things like grill design on vehicles in development).

I don't think the old GM would have sprang for an entirely different front end (including headlights) on a coupe that would have likely sold no more than about 15K vehicles annually (Cobras were selling 10-12K and the last GTOs settled into about 13-14K annual sales). Again, JMO.

 

New spy pics:
Spied: 2014 Chevrolet SS Caught On A Super Short Test Run - Rumor Central

 

VF Commodore to debut in US
...at Daytona 500

Does this mean we'll see the race car or the production vehicle?

 

Probably both, why would the reveal the race car without the standard car?

 

The Chevrolet Super Sport sedan will debut at an auto show (the article says Detroit, but I still suspect Chicago... whose show is in February with the Daytona 500).

The Holden Commodore version will debut at Daytona along with the NASCAR version of the SS.

Few items to add.

* First he Chevrolet Super Sport will compete with the Charger SRT8, so it's more G8 GXP than a G8 GT... and will be priced accordingly.
* The Super Sport is slated to have a manual transmission available.
* Finally the reason it's going to be sold only as a premium (and pricey) sports sedan is because the US dollar has fallen so much against the Aussie dollar that it's the only version they can still make money on.

If it seems that GM's RWD program the past decade has seemed... chaotic (putting it mildly) the reasons in a nutshell are that GM planned to use Holden as the supplier of volume RWD cars since the late 90s, and things keep happening to throw it off track.

1. GM's labor strike of 1998 was the final straw that killed chances of getting the V-car here.
2. GM ran out of money, which killed North America's Zeta.
3. The US dollar has generally been in a freefall since 2003 while the Aussie dollar has gotten stronger which tends to kill import plans.

All the while these things are happening, GM is attempting to plan out it's main line of cars for 5 to 10 years in advance.

Long range plans to replace the B cars with Aussie made Vs fails due in part to labor (GM was trying to shut down factories in NA at the time). That plan is settled by making Holden developed Zetas here, but that plan falls when GM runs out of money. Then GM plans to bring just Buicks and Pontiacs then just Pontiacs, but goes bankrupt. Then GM decides to bring over the Caprice for everyone (even Lutz felt it was a done deal) but public perception of using taxpayer money to make a big car trims it back to just police cars. Meanwhile, GM had to act on replacing the ancient Impala, so instead of waiting for the dust to settle they did one off of Cadillac's Espilon.

If you're outside looking in, it seems that GM's large RWD program is the Keystone Cops of automotive planning. Truth is that GM's been hit on all sides the past 15 years on this. The Alpha platform should stabilize this a great deal for volume RWD cars.

Zeta will still be used for large and low production vehicles. Alpha will be used for mainly mid sized and small RWD.

If you're wondering about Sigma, while it IS a capable platform, it's expensive, it's not space efficient (compare interior and trunk space to Chrysler's LX cars or even a Zeta based Pontiac G8), and it's actually a heavy platform (ironic when you consider all those who slammed Zeta but ignore Sigma's weight). GM is phasing out Sigma over the next redesign cycles and should be completely gone by mid decade.

 

I still think the 1st gen CTS/narrow Sigma could have taken the place of the all new Alpha chassis. Also it would have been cheaper and could have been on the streets quicker.

 

With the new "upscale" Impala coming, and the VF Commodore based SS sedan coming, I guess that kills the chances of a civilian VF Caprice.

I wonder if Buick is now interested in the LWB version of the VF since they no longer have a "full-sized" sedan, even though they are adversiting the LaCrosse and a "full-size" sedan. Anyways now with the Lucerne gone will Buick step up? I think the Park Avenue (if Buick calls it that here) would fit nicely in Buick's new line up and it would give them something to compete with the Chrysler 300.

 

Nope. If it were that easy, they would have done it.
Things to consider:

1. The Sigma is expensive.
2. Sigma isn't lightweight for it's size
3. Sigma isn't space efficient.

Holden was given use of the Sigma to create their new full size RWD vehicles, but after looking into it they rejected it and did their own car for all those reasons.

And other projects took a pass on Sigma.

The CTS was already the smallest Cadillac when it came out, and the platform isn't effecient for doing something much smaller.
The Sigma was judged too expensive to even be cost effective for Camaro
At least 1 Buick that was supposed to come off Sigma was cancelled due to cost.

Even though GM gave Cadillac exclusive use of the platform for the 1st few years, after that any division could have used it.

Alpha, on the other hand was designed to be a small car, was engineered with the ability to take cost out (ie: less expensive front suspension parts and setup), and is also somewhat modular much like Zeta, so changes are realatively cheap to do.