Great! just what i was thinking and hoping for looks like my dreams are coming true

 

Little pot shots here and there are not cool. I'm never vague, I just can't say all that I want to.

Sorry.

 

"Struts" refer to MacPherson struts, like the 3rd gens. If the suspension was going to be similar to the 4th gens it would be called "SLA" for "short long arm" (aka control arm) suspension.

 

Great post Guy. I still have questions though. I don't really expect answers from anyone, but I'm sure everyone on this board has pondered them from time to time. If "Camaro" was never planned to be on Zeta and the car is (let's assume) pretty far along in development - then what platform is/was it planned to sit on - if for the sake of profitability and such - a unique platform such as the F-body of the past two generations is out of the question?

The alternatives are what: Hmmm, GMNA only has so many RWD platforms, Y-body, Kappa and Sigma. Let's say the Y-body Vette/XLR chassis is out as a basis due to costs and Kappa although neat and all supposedly can't handle a V8 and still retain it's fun-to-drive dynamics. Are we back to Sigma which wasn't supposed to be shared in the first place?

If it is Sigma/Sigma-Lite that will be the basis, then this would have had to be the plan all along, no? Zeta, it's "rise" and subsequent "demise" was really no more than a smokescreen that the media has bought into, leaving everyone confused - OK maybe not everyone - but me for sure:-)

 

So... how much time (if any) was wasted when "Sigma Lite" got put on hold so that Zeta could run?

If Camaro was never to be a part of Zeta.... what was to happen to Camaro when Sigma Lite was put on hold?

 

What if Camaro was never put on hold at all. What if Sigma-lite/Camaro has been under development the entire time and like Sharp_Shooter said, Zeta was just a smokescreen.

"That tickles me in a way that if Loretta tickled me that way, I'd say 'OOOOOO, that's nice'"

 

AFAIK, for a full 12-18 months, GM had every intention of basing the Chevy coupe on Zeta.

 

The AWD system on the Cadillac STS is very, very similar to the unit Holden's using. Suspension parts of the new VE is very very similar to what the Sigma is using. To put an accurate generalization on it, the Zeta is a upated and modernized V car with Sigma suspension.

I'm a little confused on the names here. Are VE and Zeta the same thing?

 

Yes.

 

This is what I took as "gospel" as well, given that everyone was pretty much saying so.

My whole point of the "Zeta smokescreen" was that it (may or) may not have been deliberate on GM's part, but more of a "happy accident" that muddied the waters regarding "Camaro" so the veil of secrecy grows even darker.

When the promise of Zeta evaporated there were peolpe saying that Zeta ultimately wouldn't result in the Camaro that we all wanted anyway and then there was RP no less, saying that "Zeta has nothing to do with some future products. It was only a name..and way overblown.. " That, and the sport-bike analogy would lead one to think that "Camaro" was set to show up on something else if Zeta fell through. Actually I vaguely remember a thread that alluded to the "Performance Coupe" having more than one iteration under development - or was that more about styling(?) - I don't fully recall.

So I guess the only real questions are if "Camaro" is indeed still on track for the 07-08 model-year window or not; and what will underpin it.

 

Ok - I have no real issues with what you can or can't say (and I'll just take your word for it that you have plenty of insider information that you can't tell us, but that you want us to know that you have. But can't tell us. But we know that you have it). Anyway, why answer my question with another designed to make me look dumber than you? To wit:

I asked: "what RWD luxury car are you referring to?" (and it wasn't even directed towards you, though I would have appreciated a response)
You replied: "how many RWD Luxo cars are there?"

My question was rather simpe, and I'm relatively certain there was nothing super secret about the simple answer that was eventually provided. Had you have said nothing, or perhaps even (perish the thought) answered the question directly, none of this would have come up.

I'd still like to hear what "VE" is, but I'm relatively certain that I've blown any chance of that being defined. Ingorance is bliss, I smile a lot, so I suppose things are all in order.

Wanna read between the lines a bit? Here you go: one thing this post is starting to show....is just how much some folks really don't know - yet their word is taken for gospel.

BTW...you have a neat site, and I have 'clicked on it' many times. Kudos are in order.

PS....Harley's are starting to look pretty damn good.

 

-Zeta was the one and only program for the Chevy coupe, when it was a live program.

-If you think the GTO makes a good Camaro, you would have been happy with a Zeta Camaro.

-Zeta would have given us the Chevy Coupe (ie., Camaro - there was only ONE Chevy Coupe)/GTO twins.

-Zeta = VE, which is a rehash of the current V car.

-VE is real. Zeta was mostly computer math.

-'07 left the room awhile ago, even before Zeta was cancelled.

-Sigma has now become the starting point again.

-I think we'll be better off.

 

Though not in response to my rant, *I* appreciate the info. Thanks. (notice it doesn't wink)

PS....your implication that Camaro was at one point a Zeta car is in direct contradiction to what Guy said above.

 

I can't answer anything on Camaro specifically, that's up to someone else here. But I think there's a few things I can get away with.

1. Holden had sole responsibility for Zeta. Camaro wasn't part of what they were doing, but a performance coupe for Chevrolet was. If desparation took over, my guess is that it could have maybe called a Camaro, but by word of everyone who saw the car, it meant a bigger Camaro. Not longer (the 4th gen was incredibly long already), just bigger.

2. Zeta most certainly was not a smoke screen (unless you're a conspiracy theorist). As the project progressed, problems came up. Then came the go/no go decision in which it would have been approved, and we'd be reading it in the press about now. From that point, there would have been mobilization to get everything set up, and final testing done. North America decided against that in favor of a different plan. Nothing more.

3. Mark Reuss pretty much layed out the Camaro plan for everyone to see in his interview. He pretty much told everything about the car except what it looks like. He indicated the chassis, the suspension (front and rear) and all but hit everyone over the the head about what type of body it's going to have. He also indicated that the big thing now is to decide "as a company" when to hit the green button.


If Chevy's Zeta Coupe had been Camaro, it would have changed the definition of what Camaro was. It would still been a great handling, blisteringly quick and hella fast high powered V8 w/ RWD and IRS. But it would have been more of a 60s era muscle car instead of a pony car standing toe to toe with Mustang, with a roomy comfortable back seat and a pretty sizeable trunk.

Personally, I'm sort of mixed about Zeta's cancellation. The car itself would have been something else (every report on the next Zeta based GTO's styling had it looking nothing short of awesome), and I think if there was going to be only one RWD coupe made, these would have been perfect in filling every need. But at the same time, what I'm hearing about a potential Mustang competitor is also pretty exciting.

 

OK, RWD luxury cars from GM.

Holden calls it cars by alphabet body and the series. Holden currently is on the VZ. It's previous edition was VY ("V body, Y then Z series).

VE is the next Holden body. The Zeta Holden is making is going to be the new "V" body, and the "E" is where they are restarting the series.

As I mentioned, the "Greek designation" is just a name.

Just like Charlie said.