The Future of Pontiac

[prophiseer]

-gto- build it again, and bring it into canada. looked like a cool car, never saw one in person. it fit the v8 sports car thing very well

ther's been talk, and a lot of rumors, about what Pontiac nameplate will be on the zeta platform alongside the new Camaro in 2010. Biggest rumored names are the GTO, Firebird (they did actually release a design concept, black with the screaming chicken on the hood again - looked great), and Grand Am (return to the RWD car of yesteryear). Pontiac hasn't really said what they're going with, prob going to see how publicity goes first.

Personally, I'd really like to see the Corvette killing Banshee finally go into production 42 years after it's initial design. But I'm sure Chevy would throw a hissy-fit over it.

[sharkey]

the corvette is the fastest and best performing car built by gm, period. this is the reason some cars have been killed off. the buick gnx was getting to close to the corvette of that era, so instead of making the vette faster, they just killed the gnx off. i think the gto was getting to much into the vette teritory, and thats why it was axed.

[prophiseer]

Exactly why the Banshee of '64 was never built - although it would've been built off the vette chasis, it would've been 200-300 lbs lighter than the vette, a more powerful engine, and would've been about $1000 cheaper on the Dealer's lot.

I think 5 (defi was 3) prototypes were built, but GM axed the plan late into '65 (mostly because of Chevy throwing a fit), so PMD began to design their F-body; which is why PMD was 3 months behind with the Firebird, although a lot of the initial design of the Banshee made it's way into the first year 'bird.

It's a shame, really, Delorean was a great engineer and did a lot of great work for PMD (brains behind the GTO, also). The automotive world lost a lot when he died.

[dohcfiend]

argh some1 beat me to it. i also seen the zeta t/a proto. looked very nice. very reminiscent of the late 70's t/a's. i think gm collectively shot themselves in the foot with the gto. it is a great car, they just rushed too much to get it out and didn't develop the styling properly.

i will be saddened to see it go. it is(was) a real shitkicker.

[Azrael]

GM recently reregistered the Firebird and Fiero names. Whether they do anything with them or not is anyones guess. The Corvette is great and all but it needs to be taken down from it's pedastal if GM wants to become more flexible.

[prophiseer]

The Corvette is great and all but it needs to be taken down from it's pedastal if GM wants to become more flexible

I couldn't agree more!!! I still don't understand why GM's entry-level brand gets to have the super-duper performance mobile. Considering the Corvette was'nt even originaly designed as a sports/muscle car (much like the Mustang). It just makes more sense to me to have the quckest and most powerful street machine come out of the performance division, y'know?

[sharkey]

we all know that isnt gonna change. the vette has always been gm's top car, and always will be, or at least till gm dies off.

[prophiseer]

yeah, sadly . . . I had really hoped that the new GTO's would've been more competitive with Chevy's golden child, but even then the style was a bit lacking and there was still that price difference . . .

[Husky]

I would like to see GM develope a high-output forced induction inline six, and put it in the Saturn Sky. The ecotec four-poppers are nice, but let's face it, it's gonna need more than four cylinders and a small displacement like that to keep up with some of the japanese and european cars that I think they want it and the Solstice to compete with.

[TurboGt]

I would like to see GM develope a high-output forced induction inline six, and put it in the Saturn Sky. The ecotec four-poppers are nice, but let's face it, it's gonna need more than four cylinders and a small displacement like that to keep up with some of the japanese and european cars that I think they want it and the Solstice to compete with.

Displacement isnt always the answer. I want a new Sky and would perfer it stay a 4 cyl Turbo. If anything I would like them to develope a nice trans and AWD system for it insted.

[sharkey]

inline 6 turbo??? are we trying to build a gm skyline or supra??? thats not what the sky/solstice is. the imports with those motors are more considered japaneese supercars (realy more of a high performance sports car) and more in a class with a vette or viper, and the solstice isnt one of those. the solstice/sky is meant to take on the miata/mx5 and 240sx as a small rwd sports car.

heck, nissan isnt even making the inline 6 motors anymore. the new 2007 nissan gtr (replacing the skyline in japan) is a twin turbo v8.

[OldSkoolGP]

If Pontiac went all RWD, one thing it would mean is all new platforms that no other brand would be able to use, right? Wrong.

I think what would happen is Pontiac would go all RWD, they would sell like crazy the first 2-3 years, and then either the other brands will start using the RWD platforms and making their own cars, or the craze will die off and people will start to remember that American cars still pretty much suck. Pontiac would have to do more than just make RWD cars to wow me back into a showroom. I'd have to see some pretty exceptional build quality, and no more plastic fantastic interiors.

Also, if I test drive a RWD Grand Prix, and then go test drive a BMW 5 series, I better find out that the Grand Prix has leanred how to handle somewhat close to a proper European car, because that would be the whole reason for going RWD in the first place. If they're just making RWD cars for the street racer and drag racing crowd, they can kiss my ass and go to hell. I love my GP, but that's almost 15 years old and from a time when GM made better cars.

[Rhedalert]

as I've been seeing lately GM is having some major quality issues especially with small electrical components. Owning a GM more than 5 years old ends up being a major PITA.

[bszopi]

Electrical issues exist?? Lemme tell you a story...

We bought an 03 Alero a few months ago. A week after we got it, had an issue (that I will explain later), then it was fine for a month. Ever since then, it has been on and off, sometimes occuring once a week, sometimes every day. It really just depends. I came up with a very crude method to get around it, although that has failed at times as well...

So here it is... Out of the blue, go to start the car and the dash is completely dead, yet the radio, lights, etc still work. Its not a security issue, since no dash light come on at all. Won't turn over, won't make a sound. Figured out if I turn the key ON, pull a fuse in the dash, replace it, then pull a fuse under the hood, replace it, then it will start up. The fuse in the dash is the instrument control panel (makes sense... ). The fuse under the hood is for the BEM (??), and powers things like the seats, HVAC, etc... How the 2 are related I have yet to figure out. And its not something I want to take into a dealer because it has no rhyme or reason as to when it happens. And I have no urge to pay to get it towed to the dealership when it happens, because with my luck, as soon as it got there, it would work just fine. Oh, and its not in the IGN switch, because I have tried a new one with no luck.

But no, I don't believe there are electrical issues in GM cars recently...

[3100 MPFI]

Look at the CADILLAC trend. The deville is now the DTS, the Seville is now the STS.

They have the CTS, and the XLR, and the SRX. The only caddy with a name is the ESCALADE

Lincoln is doing away with names as well. The Zephyr is being renamed, and their new crossover will be simialr. They have the LS as well. Only the big car remains.