2000Firehawk

iTrader: (248)

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...802120311/1203


Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will get 12 new or special-edition vehicles over the next 20 months — but they won't get a Pontiac Trans Am.
Pontiac had lobbied for a sibling vehicle to the Chevrolet Camaro, which is scheduled to arrive in February 2009.
General Motors' plan to make Pontiac a rear-wheel-drive performance car division is likely to be scaled back because of fuel economy regulations, GM leaders told dealers at the make meeting.
One dealer said the business case for the Trans Am didn't compute.
"It was an economic situation," said Lynn Thompson, owner of Thompson Motor Sales in Springfield, Mo. "It would cost $200 million to bring out the vehicle."
Pontiac will remain a car-only brand for the foreseeable future, dealers were told. But because of new legislation requiring vehicles to reach a fleet average of 35 mpg by 2020, Pontiac might not end up as GM's performance division, dealers said they were told.
"The plan is being tweaked because of the gas situation," Thompson said. "I hope they don't give up on performance because they don't have to. You can use four-cylinder engines to achieve incredible power."
B-P-G will give dealers six new or special-edition vehicles — such as the special-edition GMC Sierra pickup, called Pro Grade — this year. They will get another six next year, dealers who attended the meeting told Automotive News.
Executives also told dealers GM will build nearly 55,000 Buick Enclave crossovers this year. Dealers said Jim Bunnell, head of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, told them GM increased Enclave production by 41 percent from the initial production plan. A dealer said Bunnell told them Buick built 6,400 Enclaves in January, and then added, "But it's still not enough."

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

Damn...I was hoping they'd at least bring back the Aztek.

3.8SFITURBO

iTrader: (10)

lol now thats one UGLY vehicle. It's a shame the T/A didn't make the cut but you know how the "modern" GM does things

TriShield

The Firebird was never a part of GM's Zeta plan, it shouldn't surprise anyone.

What sense would it have made to have a Firebird twin to the new Camaro? All it would do is cannabalize sales from it, just like Pontiac already does to Chevrolet.

GM's problem is it competes with itself. Numerous rebadged cars, numerous rebadged trucks, numerous rebadges crossovers and two little rebadged roadsters for Saturn and Pontiac.

This more than anything is sinking GM.

2002_Z28_Six_Speed

iTrader: (19)

I would have to concur. If there was less rebadging each vehicle would have more followers which leads to more bandwagoning due to the larger amount of people raving about that particular vehicle!

Rebadging provides variety in style and price but costs GM money in production numbers and tooling.

DrkPhynx

Ok, that's crap, and I would hope that deep down you (not specific, "you" in general, meaning all who tow that line) know it.

The only thing that made the Solstice possible was that it was going to have a stateside sibling. Nobody says anything about the Sky undercutting the Solstice. And in fact, they do go after different demographics (the Solstice is more race focused and the Sky more plush, although people with good taste wanting a plush roadster could always option the Solstice out to rival anything they could get from Saturn, and with a better interior to boot). Not only that, there are people, yes, even here on this forum, who would own a Sky, but would NEVER own a Solstice. So much for the self-competing non-sense. It's simply going after more of the overall market place.

And that's all it EVER has been. It's ALWAYS worked that way. Cutlass Supreme/Regal/Monte Carlo, Chevelle/GTO, Firebird/camaro, Solstice/Sky, FWD Cutlass Supreme/Grand Prix, ALL GMC trucks, etc, etc, etc.

Works everywhere else, but the chevy (and Buick) guys don't seem to think so here for some reason.

Further, given that the cost (the REAL cost, not the billions and billions that people here pull out of thin air all the time) is so reduced with regard to getting a complete different model out, all it CAN do is increase sales. If someone buys a Sky or a Solstice, GM still sells another Kappa. You can't go wrong. And it's not like it would cost any marketing since the F-Body was never marketed in any appreciable way.

And finally, there was always a plan for a Pontiac Zeta. LONG before a camaro was ever envisioned. People assume a "GTO" would make sense, but not a Firebird. I love the claim that a Firebird would be too expensive and self competing but a "GTO" would be just fine. Well, if it could be made different enough in the case of the "GTO" to make sense, problem solved, just make THAT car look like a Firebird and call it Firebird instead of "GTO". No more money is spent, and no more "competition" is brought about amongst internal models.

And as for the OP, that is a bunch of crap too, the Torrent only EVER existed to placate the dealers who couldn't accept that the Performance Division should be cars only. Now they claim that the dealers aren't being listened to all of a sudden. That makes no sense at all.

All it does is highlight Bob Putz's schizophrenia and strong dislike for Pontiac.

Truly makes me wanna

WECIV

Is this news?

W

JS

iTrader: (4)

As much as I love the TA I am glad they gave it a rest...If GM doesnt sell 100K worth of Camaro's there in big trouble so it make sense to nix the TA..I have only owned 1 Camaro and that was 71 Z/28 but never liked the 4th Gen Camaro's as much as the T/A's...

Me,I hope they do somekind of 2 Door Coupe with a LS3 and AWD and RWD with independant sups. like the GTO....It would be a nice car and built like a brick too if the Aussie's got envolved...

Will see what they offer in the near future but if the 35MPG stuff comes into play I would think the days of 6.0 GM 2 doors might be a thing of the past...

I can see TT V-6's in performance GM's comming real soon

OctaneZ28

iTrader: (6)

Hi, we're Automotive News. We report 2006's news.

The Manalishi

iTrader: (3)

Yes it is. OLD news.

Dan

iTrader: (1)

I don't care if the Trans Am doesn't come back..Just build something similar & call it something else...I look at it as maybe our cars appreciating in value in a few years. I guess I can say I have the last Anniversary Trans Am, Don't tell me the CETA is an Anniversary Car, It isn't

loyolacub68

iTrader: (16)

Lol, thought this was old news too. Saw the date on the article 2/11/08

WECIV

"I don't care if the Trans Am doesn't come back..Just build something similar & call it something else..."

They are doing that and it is coming out as a 2010 model...it is called the Camaro...you are going to love it...

W

Dan

iTrader: (1)

But I think it's ugly

JS

iTrader: (4)

The Ceta isnt a Anniversary car and no one sez it is,its a Collectors Edition..
I happen to like them as much as the 30th

emj2006

iTrader: (5)

Yeah, I hope that someone out there makes a firebird conversion kit for the new camaros. Since the new camaros reflect back on the 67-69 camaros, the firebird conversion kit should also reflect on the 67-69 firebirds NOT the 2nd gen with the hood bird or anything. I could see somebody making an aftermarket front fascia that is based on the first gen firebird for the new Camaros. If they do make one, I'll buy that new Camaro and make it a Firebird right away!! lol.

Hydramatic

Do you remember how boring and GTO/Bonneville-ish the 1st gen Firebird was? I think the 2nd gen was WAY better looking....more sinister and sporty looking, you know.

emj2006

iTrader: (5)

Yeah I agree, but it would make sense to make it look like the first gen since the camaro is looking like the first gen. But anyways.. I almost guarantee somebody out there is going to customize their Camaro to make it a Firebird..lol.