Zeta News: Holden Pres Says Camaro Prototypes Due By X-Mas

[YSSMAN]

I'm crossing my fingers that GM decides to build a diesel-powered Impala, as it should increse interest and sales of the model signifigantly. Diesel sales in the US were up 80% in 2005, and I'm expecting to see a shift within the American automakers to build these cars...

BTW: I wonder if that new hybrid-automatic transmission will do the same thing with a diesel as it would with a gas engine... Hmmm, interesting...

 

[Jim Prower]

YEEEEEEEHAAAAWWWWWW!

Finallky! someone at GM is AWAKE!

Now we need Ford to Import the Falcon.

 

[Onikaze]

The Hybrid ECVT transmission shouldn't care what engine it is hooked too.

Really surprises me that the Topic only got like three replies, it's one of the most exciting bits of automotive news I've seen in years.

 

[Jim Prower]

I don't see where you got three replies out of FOUR PAGES.

 

[Onikaze]

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=80353

That's what I was talking about.

Less assumption prz.

 

[Joey D]

Ehhh GM RWD cars won't sell as good as everyone thinks they will. People still don't care what drivetrain their cars are and all this is going to do is kick up the cost on a "cheap" car like the Impala. Also I've seen a Holden Ute cruising around the streets of the Detroit area which gives me the impression they are testing.

In fact, this was taken on I-696 near Detroit by my buddy Doug. It had M plates on it.

 

[Onikaze]

With the Retro rush going on nowadays, and people getting more and more sick of these god damn emasculated failures at badge engineering (cough*fwdV-8impalaSS*cough) maybe we are seeing a RWD revival due.

Not to mention that ECVT hybrid works best in RWD cars at the moment, and an Impala getting 30 mpg, with a V-8 roar, and the right tires smoking could be just the image GM needs to burn back into American minds.

Competing with the Japanese in the FWD V-6 category will NEVER be a good idea, so lets do what we do right for a change.

 

[Joey D]

Meh I'm not a fan of RWD sedans with big V8's in them when gas prices just keep climbing. Plus living in Michigan I wouldn't want a high powered RWD just for the sake of our weather. Trying to do a Michigan left in the snow with a RWD truck sucks, but with a FWD car it's not nearly as bad.

 

[GT4_Rule]

Meh I'm not a fan of RWD sedans with big V8's in them when gas prices just keep climbing. Plus living in Michigan I wouldn't want a high powered RWD just for the sake of our weather. Trying to do a Michigan left in the snow with a RWD truck sucks, but with a FWD car it's not nearly as bad.

Lets hope GM offers 4WD on those sedans

 

[Joey D]

An AWD sedan from GM would be awesome...now there is something they should be thinking about.

 

[Onikaze]

A Rwd Sedan with the option to make it AWD that is.

We don't need more FWD turned AWD crap.

Rwd in the winter, well, I won't go there, that does remind me to see if mythbusters have a website though.

I live in Memphis, barring the fact that RWD is only worse than FWD in the hands of a **** driver, we have crap for winters anyways.

Also, does the idea of one of those Hybrid transmissions with a DOD V-8 not appeal to anyone else?

Stick that combination in a Camaro and call me sold.

 

[YSSMAN]

Ehhh GM RWD cars won't sell as good as everyone thinks they will. People still don't care what drivetrain their cars are and all this is going to do is kick up the cost on a "cheap" car like the Impala. Also I've seen a Holden Ute cruising around the streets of the Detroit area which gives me the impression they are testing.

In fact, this was taken on I-696 near Detroit by my buddy Doug. It had M plates on it.

Umm, freaking sweet! Its about bloody time GM thinks about a return of the El Camino! I did some research a while ago for another thread and came up with data that actually proves that the Ute is more capable than the Colorado/Canyon, and presumeably gets better gas mileage by days end. Lets hope the folks at GM are putting on their thinking caps and decide to do what is right...

I want to see RWD proliferate throughout the GM lineup, it is going to be better for all of us. Better performance is going to be the big perk, and presuming the car will be equiped with most of the safety goodies available these days, it should go fine in the snow.

...Remember, we drove on the road with RWD for more than 60 years before the big change to FWD happened, I think we will all be just fine if we change back.

Ohh, and I wouldnt count AWD out of the question either. I belive they offer AWD-versions of the Commodore and Monaro in AUS, and I presume the new chassis will be able to do a similar thing...

 

[Wolfe]

...Remember, we drove on the road with RWD for more than 60 years before the big change to FWD happened, I think we will all be just fine if we change back.

Everyone always seems to forget that -- they're too busy wussing out when white stuff starts falling from the sky. "Oh no, I have to turn the steering wheel left and right a little bit now and then to continue going straight, that takes too much effort!"

What makes it even worse was that many of those old RWD vehicles of yesteryear were big, heavy, sloppy, and torquey....well, it was that way in america, at least.

 

[Jay]

Ohh, and I wouldnt count AWD out of the question either. I belive they offer AWD-versions of the Commodore and Monaro in AUS, and I presume the new chassis will be able to do a similar thing...

Thats right, I hope the upcoming Zeta Commodores with have AWD options aswell but I'm not confident they will. The main reason current Omega Commodores became AWD was to sell against the (at the time new) Ford Territory.

 

[YSSMAN]

I don't think I would completely write it off. Its going to depend on what Australia wants, and what North America wants for it to happen across the board. I think GM could probably sell a few judging by the sales of the AWD Ford Fivehundred and AWD Chrysler 300, esp. here in the northern states that recieve decent ammounts of snow every winter.

Chances are, the Zeta cars in the US are going to follow a very nieche setup like that of Holden's right now, with different variants produced in lower numbers to suit the tastes of different people. AWD options would probably be limited to the "High-Feature" 3.6L V6 models, as well as the low-level V8 models presumeably equipped with the LS4 or 5300 (depends on what GM chooses to use in the cars).

I think we are going to be looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of six different model variations of the Impala, probably the flagship Zeta car in the US (besides the Camaro coupe).

- Base 3.9L OHV VVT V6: 240HP (RWD only)
- LS 3.6L DOHC VVT V6: 255HP (optional AWD)
- LT 5.3L OHV V8 (LS4 or 5300): 300-325HP (optional AWD)
- LT Hybrid 2.4L I4: <250HP, possible Hybrid V6 option with new transmission
- SS 6.0L OHV V8: 400HP

 

[Onikaze]

Don't forget a Hybrid DOD V-8 with the new ECVT transmission.

If they don't take this opportunity to capitalize on this chance to have a last great V-8 huzzah by sending it out with 30+ mpg, I will write Chevy off as a loss.

 

[Tornado]

...Remember, we drove on the road with RWD for more than 60 years before the big change to FWD happened, I think we will all be just fine if we change back.

Also, sales of AWD cars in Canada (particularly SUVs) is about 1/4 to 1/3 of the sale numbers of AWD cars here comapred to RWD and FWD cars, and they have far more snow than most Americans can dream about.

 

[Wolfe]

Also, sales of AWD cars in Canada (particularly SUVs) is about 1/4 to 1/3 of the sale numbers of AWD cars here comapred to RWD and FWD cars, and they have far more snow than most Americans can dream about.

That's a bit confusing...let me get this straight -- if, theoretically, 30% of the cars/SUVs bought in america were AWD, that means that 10% or less of the cars/SUVs bought in Canada would be AWD?

 

[Jim Prower]

That's a bit confusing...let me get this straight -- if, theoretically, 30% of the cars/SUVs bought in america were AWD, that means that 10% or less of the cars/SUVs bought in Canada would be AWD?

Must mean Canadians are better drivers. XP

I think one of the reasons we're seeing so many more RWD cars nowadays is that enthusiasts are a huge driving force in the market. ofr example, An auto Magazine in made up largely of car enthusiasts, and they'll choose the car they like best to win their endorsement. Not that there aren't good FWD cars out there, but today's RWD cars are a bit more lively than their FWD brethren.

another thing. These aren't your grandma's '76 Ford LTDs, or your pop's '78 Monte Carlo. The RWD cars of the '70s (the ones that deserve the bad rap RWD cars have) were horrid, gas-guzzling tanks, that didn't handle well on their proto-Radial tires, body-on-frame construction and over-cushy suspensions.

Today's RWD cars are connected to the road. They're a bit lighter, and handle what heft they have with grace. They're unibodies. They have sticky, low-profile tires. Best of all, they are up to modern emmissions standards without miles of vacum hose and low compression.

and there's also that "Stability control" switch.

 

[YSSMAN]

...If anything, the resurgence of RWD is owed mostly to BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and the large advancements in tire technology, combined with the advancements in car safety through traction control, etc.

I'm all for it, makes my cars more fun to drive and generally cheaper to buy.

 

[Wolfe]

I think one of the reasons we're seeing so many more RWD cars nowadays is that enthusiasts are a huge driving force in the market. ofr example, An auto Magazine in made up largely of car enthusiasts, and they'll choose the car they like best to win their endorsement. Not that there aren't good FWD cars out there, but today's RWD cars are a bit more lively than their FWD brethren.

You bring up a good point. People are starting to care about performance again, even if they don't really use it or shouldn't be allowed to try to...

...If anything, the resurgence of RWD is owed mostly to BMW and Mercedes-Benz...

How can you help bring RWD back if you simply never switched from RWD in the first place?

 

[Joey D]

People are starting to care about the mpg rating on their cars, well the average person. You'll always have the people who want the fast cars.

I still don't think swtiching over is going to do much good.

 

[GT4_Rule]

You bring up a good point. People are starting to care about performance again, even if they don't really use it or shouldn't be allowed to try to....

Now all we need is Germany-style law and autobahns in US and Canada

 

[Joey D]

Have you ever been to Michigan? Seriously our roads are treated like that, on a trip the other day I was cruising at 95 and people were passing me.

 

[GT4_Rule]

Have you ever been to Michigan? Seriously our roads are treated like that, on a trip the other day I was cruising at 95 and people were passing me.

If thats the case........

I ENVY YOU

When I was going on a 300km road trip last weekend, I saw a undercover cop in Grand Am GTP catching a speeding sedan.

 

[Joey D]

The only way you get pulled over in Michigan is if you are weaving through traffic, we seriously neglect all traffic laws for whatever reason.

 

[GT4_Rule]

The only way you get pulled over in Michigan is if you are weaving through traffic, we seriously neglect all traffic laws for whatever reason.

Thats it, Im going to move to Michigan when I retire

 

[Wolfe]

Blazin ain't kidding -- Michigan interstates are pretty crazy.

 

[YSSMAN]

Usually the further east you are in Michigan, the worse it gets. I-96 is a mess usually, I've been at a steady pace even around Grand Rapids at 85MPH and I'm still getting blown away even by folks in Kias and full-size vans.

Wolfe: What I meant about the resurgence of RWD by way of BMW and Mercedes is that they proved that the formula can work in all-weather situations, and that people will still buy them even if "FWD is better."

 

[YSSMAN]

...Looks like Ford is going to play the Aussie card along side General Motors...

Ford today announced that its development team in Australia is working on new Falcon and Territory models that will form the basis for several potential large rear-wheel drive vehicles. &#8220;While we have no concrete export plans to announce at this time, our new strategic direction as a company will involve us actively targeting additional opportunities for our outstanding domestically manufactured vehicles,&#8221; a Ford official said. Ford is rumored to be working on a new line of rear-wheel-drive vehicles, including a retro-styled sedan to compete with GM&#8217;s planned RWD Impala. Recently, it was reported that GM&#8217;s Australian subsidiary, Holden, would be developing that platform for the next-generation Camaro, GTO, Impala, Monte Carlo, and others.

Yay! Falcon V8 vs Impala V8, sweet....