This just in: GM has no idea how to make eco friendly cars!

[otispunkmeyer]

Source

In all seriousness, this is a bit of a bummer. I still don't understand why no one can build a sub $20k small engined, peppy, rwd car. I.E. A modern AE86 or BMW 4 cylinder 3 series.

i see nothing wrong there

its seems to me that its not that they dont know how, they do, its just they dont know how to do it and still be profitable. making cars lighter requires either using less of your chosen material (often not too good if you need structural integrity) or using lighter materials such as composites and alloys..which are more expensive.

making an engine sip fuel is no easy task either.

and then, try to imagine doing all that work, whilst the goal posts are continually moved about by the loons in charge.

[thedguy]

It is hard to make a car lighter, especially when you refuse to to make a small car that people would actually want, rather than justify based on price.

GM knows how to make an engine drink little fuel, look at the Corvette. It's a damn sports car with a 6 or 7 liter v8 that can pull 26+mpg with the cruise control on, and this is ACTUAL numbers, not EPA B.S. numbers.
I find it hard to believe that it would be hard to build a sub 1500kg, since that seems to be "light" by today's standards, RWD car the size of a Focus, Cobalt, or Civic. Especially if they just put a couple of version of the Ecotec engine in it. They kept the solstice/sky under 1350kg and still kept it cheap.

GM just lacks any initiative to do it. Perhaps they should consider bringing over some of their Diesel engines as well. The only thing holding them back from doing it, is a lack of a current platform to do it with... oh wait, they do have one, it's the Kappa platform the Solstice/Sky are based on. They even built a concept of a perfectly good car based on said platform, the 2004 Chevy Nomad concept. They just need
to expand production capacity, which they've avoided to do only to keep demand up
on the sky/solstice, a long with resell value's and profits (not that it's a bad thing).



If this car weighed in at under 3300lbs, with an optional 2.4 Liter 175hp Ecotec, connected to a Solstice trans, and optional limited slip diff, I'd be all over it. In fact, it would be right in the same Power to weight ratio range as the limited edition BMW 320SI. And I know they could push that out the door for about $18k and still pull a profit.

[jetsetter]

Zeta Not Really "On Hold"; FWD "Impala" may Stay?
4/13/07
www.GMinsidenews.com

Direct quotes cut & edited for brevity/clarity:

"It's time to cut off freak-out/panic mode about Zeta. In no way shape or form is GM pathetically scrambling or in any way confused. Beyond short term emergency measures, anything bad that could happen is limited to around 6-8 years into the future (3-4 years development plus 4-6 years of a model lifespan).

The Pontiac G8 comes out January 2008 (production starts in October 2007), the next Zeta Cadillac DTS and the Buick Lucerne replacement models will come out January 2010. The Chevy Camaro comes out January 2009, and the RWD Chevy Sedan is still slated to come out in the Fall of 2009.

GM has spent so much money and resources on Oshawa that the Train is running full speed ahead and nothing is going to stop it.

There is a group not every GM fan is aware of called the GM Product Committee (this was set up back in the mid 90's, they make all of the decisions when it comes to product at GM, and yes beancounters do sit on the Committee). Since GM has gone Global the committee has gained even more power within GM. The commitee reviews product decisions and sometimes changes their decisions. GM's Board of directors is the only part of GM that can overrule a decision made by the product commitee.

The Committee sees the sales of the current FWD Impala and wants to keep the formula and name on a FWD platform (even with the 2008 Malibu becoming the volume car of Chevrolet) ,and may decide to call the upcoming RWD sedan something else. This is nothing new, it has been talked about ever since the Chevy Zeta based RWD sedan got the green light.

Since Oshawa will be a flex assembly plant it can make both RWD as well as FWD cars, making a FWD Chevy Impala on a streched Espilon II in early 2010 in Oshawa would be easy.

The Chevy RWD sedan could be called Belair, Caprice, Chevelle or even Monte Carlo. But right now the plan is still for the Zeta-based RWD Chevrolet sedan (which will come in the fall of 2009) to be called "Impala".

GM was considering giving Pontiac more cars off of Zeta but now it might get no larger than the G8. If Pontiac was to get any large coupe it might have to be made in Australia alongside one of the Commodore's many variants for export.

Bob Lutz is basically airing out some of the issues people at the Product Committee are mulling over and how best to protect GM's interests into the future.

The bottom line is Zeta is not on hold at GM!"

Also safe is the Pontiac G8, Jim Hopson, manager of Pontiac Communications, told Inside Line. "There's no hold on the G8," said Hopson. "G8 production starts in October and the first units will be available after the first of the year."

[UMass]

Ah, more BS. GM, Ford, and Xhrylser can built build eco friendly cars but there is not enough profit in these types of cars to justify their production.

Toyota loses money on the Prius but is gaining market share.
Toyota top 3 profit making auto. companies allows this to occur.

Everyone complains about domestic's executives compensation amounts but forgets or ignorant of the fact their goal is to reduce costs and maxiumize profit. This is how they are judged by their board not building high quality cars that the public wants.

[Wizegui]

I would love to see a 3 Series sized Zeta competitor.....Without the stupid Pontiac grille.

[Cobol74]

Everyone complains about domestic's executives compensation amounts but forgets or ignorant of the fact their goal is to reduce costs and maxiumize profit. This is how they are judged by their board not building high quality cars that the public wants.

Er anyone remember Rover, excutives should not only worry about next year but years to come - its called a strategy, Rover had the one outlined above RIP. ...

[NecroJoe]

I would love to see a 3 Series sized Zeta competitor.....Without the stupid Pontiac grille.

You're just mad because the Pontiac grille looks so much like the BMW grille. :-p

[zenkidori]

Just build me a few sport compacts in RWD and I'll be happy. take a focus hatch, make it look less stupid, turn the engine the right way and make the right wheels spin and you have a winner.