Seems like a long time to run a half-empty plant. Are they going to pull up the Cadillac or something?

 

I would argue with that if it made sense.

How is releasing car as soon as possible going to add to the cost of a program designed to release a group of cars as soon as possible?

 

So, I made a typo. It happens when I'm watching hockey and typing. What I am saying is, if Impala is delayed...why shouldn't Camaro be delayed?

Camaro can't be delayed at this point.

So, we are left with a plant that produces that rear-wheel-drive Camaro for a full year before a new product? Adds cost.

Hope that clears things up.

 

So you would suggest that instead of producing Camaro, taking advantage of the buzz and traffic it creates, and snatching back a small bit of market share, while admittedly paying the workers at Oshawa to do nothing...

They should push it back too, keep producing the less the current products with less than stellar sales numbers, keep flooding the market with vehicles they have to discount to all hell, keep lowering their resale value and market image while paying the workers at Oshawa to do something?

 

I already said that I have no link. My own proof is what I was told in a meeting and through an announcement. I understand if you need to see to believe but I wouldn't waste peoples time if it was not definate. I am sure you will see the proof in a few days.

 

wouldn't they just keep building the Impala and LaCrosse/Allure alongside the Camaro? They're not shutting all of Oshawa 1 & 2 down to put the Zeta line in, are they?

IMO moving the Impala to RWD is not a critical move. With G8, Camaro and Cadillac RWD, that gives the RWD buyer reasonable choices from the General.

 

Solstice/Sky and Corvette

 

Oshawa 1 is being retooled for Zeta in December. #2 is not closing immediately as Allure will be built until it goes to Epsilon and the W Impala will continue until 2011 as fleet with production being reduced each year. I don't know if they will move those to the flex line once it is up and running as I don't know how truely flexible the line will be.

 

Well that sucks. Hope the program doesn't get killed off.

 

Reckon what a half million Camaros being sold from 2003 through 2008 would have done for the financial scope of gm?

 

Well...the RWD Impala will be hard press to sell at the volume that the current FWD Impala does, or make the same money per unit. While RWD is cool...none of the large RWD sedans on the market can touch the current Impala. That being said, I wonder if GM might be rolling back the Zeta Impala's intentions to complement the FWD Impala, rather than replace it. I hate delaying cool product as much as the next person...but replacing a car with one that sells less units, and makes less money per car makes no sense.

I do hope the FWD Impala gets an update soon. It has only been on the market what...2 years and looks frumpy and old already. Sure it is bought by people who could care less...but you could gain sales with a better design.

Another vehicle I want to see updated is the Trailblazer. It still sells pretty decently and could be competive with a new interior, and front and rear clips. Instead GM is letting it rot away?

 

Pure speculation -- a year gives GM time to lighten the car up a bit. It also gives them time to see what happens with CAFE. At this moment, GM doesn't know what type of cars it will have to sell in 2013, for example. I can understand why they might want to wait before committing.

 

I agree with Branden in that GM is perhaps wondering why they need to reinvent the wheel. The Impala is doing pretty well on a FWD platform - and an outdated one at that. Perhaps they just need to lift their game a little.

On the other hand, I see a bit of Josh's point. I always thought Camaro's business plan relied upon the higher volume Impala. Now GM cancels the big program but they know they'd have a mutiny on their hands if they did the same to Camaro. Perhaps that's why Lutz said it was "too late" to stop the Camaro.

I'm pretty sure GM is dead wrong. The Camaro in itself should do very well if they play their cards right. Fuel economy should be a non-issue. The V6 Camaro got over 30 mph highway in 2003. They just need to make sure they make the car attractive to everyone.

 

Who ever said that Zeta was intended to replace FWD? The FWD Impala is alive and well under the Malibu name.

http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives....html#comments

January 23, 2006
And Furthermore ...
By Jack Keebler
GM Director--Advanced Concepts Group

"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."

 

I don't understand this either. Chevy's lineup is going from 3 differently sized, and well selling family cars (Cobalt, Malibu, Impala), and replace them with 2 differently sized selling family cars (Cobalt, Malibu) plus one relatively low volume car that's about the same size as one of the others (RWD Impala). Seems like they're planning to sell fewer cars. I can't for the life of me imagine why they'd want to walk away from 250,000 Impalas per year.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time GM takes a couple great selling cars and replaces them with one that sells much less volume. Replacing LeSabre and Park Avenue with Lucernce was stupidity on many fronts (and look how well Buick is doing now!). And if they go ahead and replace DTS and STS with a single replacement they're going to lose another whack of sales. I understand the need to reduce model proliferation, but why do they always choose to get rid of each brand's highest volume seller?

Some of us thought it looked old and frumpy from day one . I still think the previous-gen Impala was a better looking car, but thankfully the market doesn't notice.