CaribooLou

iTrader: (1)

"Coinciding with the release of General Motors' Viability Plan, the automaker has disbanded its High Performance Vehicle Operations team, the crew responsible for the line V-series Cadillacs, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and the V8 version of the Colorado. According to Vince Muniga, a spokesman for the General, "All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold. The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs." Muniga went on to say that there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming plans, but once (if?) GM is in a better financial position, the team could be reinstated."

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/18/b...le-operations/

Ravenous T\A

iTrader: (12)

what no SS Camaro then? Or SS anything?

TriShield

No, it just means there won't be any future performance variants after the current models run their course.

TriShield

There went the last reason for me and many others to continue to purchase GM products.

Yes, GM has lagged in many areas but affordable, fun and exciting performance has never been one of them. It’s always been one of GM’s strong suits and something they are good at. So what sense really does it make to disband the PVO team? Especially when SVT just released a refreshed Mustang GT500 and potent F150 Raptor?

Disbanding PVO isn’t going to make a big difference on GM’s bottom line. The move is more political than anything else.

PVO added some shine to GM’s mostly mediocre product portfolio. They took terrible cars like the Cobalt and turned them into something respectable and desirable. They took good cars like the CTS and made it into the machine it deserves to be.

This is just another example of GM not recognizing one good thing about their company and flushing more of their brand equity down the toilet.

With or without PVO GM is done anyway. It’s just a matter of time before the facade crumbles.

95zpro

Poor leadership at the helm; am I the only one that sees this. A company gets their lead from the top and when you have poor leadership any company will eventually deteriorate!

camar0corey

iTrader: (22)

Wow. I don't like almost any vehicles coming out now by any manufacture foreign or domestic anyway, seems like every vehicle has some new trick or something, completely removing any semblance of needing driver skill. **** new vehicles.

OK so trying to look green or some bullshit, I'm just hoping I don't live to see the day where they drive themselves and they tell us too ******* bad.

Teal94Z

Does that mean no GM stage kit for the cobalt ss?

Sarge_13

iTrader: (1)

That means NO Cobalt SS period, apparently.
And I'm sure that performance orientated cars like the Camaro and Corvette will still be produced

Teal94Z

this is a sad day for gm indeed

kevink89

it is political just to keep all those global warmin nuts to shut up i find this news very depressing do u guys tink if gm gos under will it completely shut down or will there still be ppl makin chevy and pontiacs and wat not in the factorys just not under the "gm" corporation. like will they break off into smaller companys or just shut down alltogether

beerwhiskeyjoe

Look at who's signing the checks for the govt. cheese. All they have to do is play the part until they get back on their feet, if they get back on their feet, and everything will be better than before this all happened.

Sinner

There'll still be a Cobalt SS, it just means no Cruze SS, or any next gen performance variants until GM makes money.

If you cruise over to GMI there's a thread about how GM has a Camaro Z28 ready to go, paid for, tested ect but they don't think they can release it in this climate because the general public will cry foul. GM has no choice in closing the performance dept, the average Joe already doesn't like the idea of the bridge loans, to them spending money on performance cars doesn't make sense.

It's not all bad, GM can still farm out those projects to Saleen ect like they did with the 4th Gens and SLP.

The World of Wheels is in town this weekend sponsored by GM, that struck me as odd, you'd think that would have gotten the axe before a lot of other programs.

Sarge_13

iTrader: (1)

Huh?
I'm more sad about the V lineup than anything here.

wabmorgan

Sinner

The cars are still gonna be produced, they're built on the same lines as the regular versions not in some mystical super factory.

All that is happening is the engineers responsible for designing/testing SS/V cars are being reassigned until GM can be more profitable. Therefore no new models, Ie no Cruze SS, no Malibu SS, no Cadillac Alpha platformed V car.

All existing products will continue until those products run their course.

English is a tough language but come on people.

WSsick

iTrader: (13)

HELLO?! DID EVERYONE MISS THIS?


didnt they just say they were slimming the GM lineup to Chevy, Cadillac, buick & GMC? Pontiac was supposed to have the axe can they please make up their minds?

On topic, I agree, PVO is a small portion of GM & should still be kept around. get this shitty leadership out now! they dont know what to do these days with anything.

shoemike

iTrader: (25)

The way this company has been run,
I`m surprised it has not gone under years ago.
It`s time to realize that you can not: go in the hole billions,
borrow billions, and reduce output then expect to
suddenly turn around and make a profit.
This company will never overcome the debt they have,
and then compete with all the other auto makers out there.

Eventually they will make cars to order.

CrabhartLS1

So it seems to me GM has just given me more reasons why not to buy a new GM vehicle.

ElkyRacer

iTrader: (5)

Didnt Ford 'axe' the SVT program a few years ago? Still quite a few HiPo cars coming out of there stable, even without SVT.

TriShield

It's 1973 all over again.