Camaro tops GM's rwd list

Rick Kranz
Automotive News / January 16, 2006 - 6:00 am



DETROIT - For General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz, the Chevrolet Camaro concept car tops the list of possible vehicles in the automaker's lineup of mid-priced to premium-priced, rear-drive cars for North America.

GM will select vehicles for the program within six months. Production will begin in 2008 or 2009.

Speaking of the Camaro he drove onstage last week at the Detroit auto show, Lutz said, "I know where it fits in the overall enthusiasm ranking. If it was a question of what would you like to do, I would obviously do this one first."

But, he added, "We can't always follow our enthusiasm. We have to do what's right for the business."

GM will weigh the Camaro, as well as the next-generation Chevrolet Impala and a Buick sedan in the rwd car program. The Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn brands are under consideration for rear-drive models.

"We have a big plan for rear-wheel drive," says Gene Stefanyshyn, vehicle line executive for what GM now calls its global rwd architecture. GM previously called the architecture Zeta.

GM needs to fill the rwd gap between its small, sporty rwd cars, such as the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, and rwd luxury vehicles such as the Cadillac CTS, STS and SRX.

The company delayed plans for mid-sized rwd vehicles last year. Meanwhile, competitors have scored strong sales of rwd cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chrysler 300.

GM is confident that the Camaro will appeal to baby boomers who remember the original. But will it appeal to younger buyers?

Lutz enthusiastically supports the Camaro concept that he unveiled Jan. 9 during the Detroit auto show.

If produced, the Camaro would feature a standard V-6 engine and one or two V-8s, Lutz says. It would be priced competitively with the Mustang.

Take 2

GM revived its rwd plans late last summer after halting efforts to develop North American vehicles on Zeta last winter. Last winter, GM

executives said that the initial plan for the Zeta vehicles was not workable but pledged to develop a new strategy.

Possible Zeta vehicles included the Buick Velite concept, Pontiac GTO and Impala. (See box, right)

Stefanyshyn would not reveal the entire lineup under consideration but said the next-generation Impala "is a possibility."

GM's styling studio has prepared both rear- and front-drive versions of the next Impala, according to an industry source who did not want to be identified.

The engineering of the new group of vehicles will be handled by GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia, which built the Holden Monaro that is the basis for the current Pontiac GTO.

The architecture will debut in the second half of this year on a redesigned Holden model. GM also is considering a rwd model for China.

Stefanyshyn was named vehicle line executive for the Zeta architecture a year ago. After the program stalled, he canceled plans to move to Australia. Now that the program has been revived, he will relocate to Australia in February and restart the

vehicle development program for North America.

Long wheelbases

GM vehicles on the global rwd architecture will have long wheel-bases and short overhangs. All-wheel drive will be available. The Camaro and Velite, a convertible concept introduced at the 2004 New York auto show, demonstrate the possibilities for the architecture.

Stefanyshyn says the global rwd architecture can be used for a wide range of vehicles. Vehicles will be

assembled in Australia and North America.

But Opel no longer is considering such a car, says Hans Demant, managing director of Adam Opel AG.

Says Demant: "It is just too big" for Europe.



RWD candidates

GM may build these rwd cars.
Buick Velite convertible
Buick flagship sedan
Pontiac Grand Prix
Redesigned Pontiac GTO
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Impala
Source: Supplier sources

 

Would be nice!!

 

Interesting read...

 

Here's how I see it....

Impala------> For sure.
Camaro-----> For sure.
G8----------> Probably
GTO--------> Could be.
Velite-------> Not so sure
Buick sedan-> Yes, but might be imported.

 

Impala should go slightly bigger and rwd. The Malibu and Impala basically fill the same spot right now. Not enough distinction in my opinion.

 

Agreed. I see the GTO as a for sure too though.

 

I'm not quite there yet Chris. In fact right now, I'd call it less than 50/50. But things could change quickly.

 

Interesting. I have been so wrapped up in everything Camaro for the last two months, I haven't put any attention towards anything else so you probably have a much better idea than I do. Got any links for any information you have gathered?

 

Don't really have any links....but Pontiac is trying to put some kind of business case together for a new GTO. And a Camaro clone is NOT going to cut it...not by a longshot.

At the analyst preview last year, Pontiac showed off a rendering of a GTO quad coupe.

 

I hope they don't do something stupid w/ that car. It fills a need a pontiac for a two door, rwd performance car to compete w/ the m3's.

 

Well, being that the Camaro is based off a platform that could see duty as a 4 door in many other forms, I think there is room to make a vastly different RWD coupe.

If they can get the design and the price right, it will pick up steam.

35k is not a good price for a muscle car.

Seeing as the Camaro should come in around 20 base the GTO should be at the very most 30. I see that as too much, but below and you are in camaro territory. Maybe the Camaro will get the entry level V8 putting it mid 20s, and GTO will get the 400 hp LS2 around 29, and the higher powered Camaros will be low 30s?

I dunno, all speculation

 

A Camaro clone might not cut it, but how about a 5 seater coupe to compete with the Challenger? Large, roomy, upscale.. I'm sure it could sell quite a bit.

 

Could be.

But what if Caddy does a Sigma coupe, with a starting price in the GTO range. See, it gets complicated.

 

good read Charlie.

one thing that stuck out to me:

what engine options do you think Lutz has in mind.

what i mean is, if they go with a V6 and two V8s, are we talking along the lines of 5.3 style engine to fill the gap between the V6 and top model V8?

 

Pontiac is probably wondering, if they do a RWD sedan like G8, is there even a need for a GTO? Or, does the business case for GTO become much stronger if it is really nothing more than a G8 coupe, and shares most of its sheetmetal?