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I hope that GM eventually revives it performance division, but it will probably be some time before it even becomes a consideration. I still believe the company's survival is dependent on a product that appeals to the average consumer. Corvettes, especially the current model, are great cars, but performance vehicles will not demonstrate that GM is in tune to the wants and needs of today's mainstream purchaser. Look at a company such as Toyota, or even Honda to a certain degree. Nothing that comes close to matching the performance of GM's halo cars, but they still maintain a strong range of vehicles which appeal to the majority of consumers.
They just move to slow. After the retro Mustang, GM decides to redo the Camaro and it took FOREVER. Same with the Challenger, although faster than Chevy. By the time they hit the market, the market has shifted dramatically away from V8's.....
Challenger sales are doing well and so are the charger
As long as I get my CTS-V Coupe Im happy. They can can the shit out of it after that LOL
We'll see if that one even materializes. I know it was pushed back to 2010 already. This new sports car renaisance is losing a little bit of steam it appears.
Why do you give a shit what other people make? There are tons of underpaid people and tons of overpaid people. So fucking what.
Considering your tax dollars are now paying their salaries, you should care too. If the unions were dissolved and wages were determined by the free market, the auto workers would have far lower salaries. Luckily for them, unions are able to buy political influence to protect their existence.
We'll see if that one even materializes. I know it was pushed back to 2010 already. This new sports car renaisance is losing a little bit of steam it appears.
At least they got the CTS-V sedan out the door before closing the division. This is an American car that I want to buy, that I must buy. I was slightly hoping for an AWD version of the CTS-V, but alas, that is not likely to be.
As much as I dislike the decision, I agree with the poster above who says that GM's survival depends on making products that the average person will buy, and that even Honda now has no halo (S2000 dead after this year, NSX gone, RL effectively dead for now).
Wait, before you answer do me a favor and shut up. You don't know. Nobody does.
Oh, there are plenty of people out there, from senators to meth dealers, who think they know how to turn the once great automaker back to great, but they don't know either. I've been covering the auto industry for more than 20 years. And in that time I've seen GM try anything and everything more than once, only to see things get worse.
Cut costs? Been tried. Better product? Been tried. Fewer brands? Been tried. More interesting design? Been tried. Import more cars from overseas? Been tried. Build more trucks? Been tried. Build more cars? Been tried. Build more small cars? Been tried. More platform-sharing? Been tried. Less platform-sharing? Been tried. Think of them as brands, not cars? Been tried. Think of them as cars, not brands? Been tried. Restructure? Been tried. Restructure again? Been tried. Think more global? Been tried. World cars? Been tried. Export cars to Japan? Been tried. Vehicles with more features and higher price tags? Been tried. Vehicles with lower prices and optional everything including air-conditioning and ABS? Been tried. Cars with plastic bodies? Been tried. Muscle cars? Been tried? Rebadged Toyotas? Been tried. Short product cycles? Been tried. Long product cycles? Been tried. New nameplates? Been tried. Reviving old nameplates? Been tried. Consolidate? Been tried. Expand? Been tried? Increase fleet sales? Been tried. Decrease fleet sales? Been tried. Front-wheel-drive cars? Been tried? Rear-wheel-drive cars? Been tried. Tiger Woods? Been tried. Fewer dealers? Been tried. More Internet marketing? Been tried. Rebadge small cars from Korea? Been tried. Hummer? Been tried. Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday? Been tried. Race at Le Mans? Been tried. Sponsor baseball? Been tried. Build new factories? Been tried. Build cars in Canada? Been tried. Mexico? Been tried. Close old plants? Been tried. Improve quality? Been tried. Hire Bob Lutz? Been tried. Cater to us car enthusiasts? Been tried. Pander to the lemmings who love their Camrys? Been tried. Alternative-fuel vehicles? Been tried. Hybrids? Been tried. Electric cars? Been tried. Carlike trucks? Been tried. Halo cars? Been tried. Rebadged Holdens? Been tried. Rebadged Opels? Been tried. Let car guys run the show? Been tried. MBAs? Been tried. Alphanumeric names? Been tried. More chrome? Been tried. Less chrome? Been tried. No chrome? Been tried.
And yet, after all that, they're still on the brink of bankruptcy. Disturbing. More disturbing is the implosion of Pontiac. Once a great division of the great GM, it has for decades survived on selling overstyled and under-engineered Grand Ams and Sunfires to the trailer trash of our country's midsection. And for awhile the double-wide demographic was keeping Pontiac in the red. But I never understood how selling bad cars to the low IQ, low-income, beer-for-breakfast crowd was Pontiac's actual business plan. But it was. And bad taste marketed to the dumb was good business for quite some time.
And Saturn. Saturn was once a success story. Now it's dead. And for many of the same reasons.
How? Why? How did Pontiac get stuck with the losers, while Honda, Nissan, Toyota and BMW became the brands of the college grads and people who eat with utensils? How did it get so upside-down? Why is there a Saturn parked beside most mobile homes, while consumers with teeth and good credit are now buying Hyundais? Why do you see more Pontiacs on the TV show Cops than any other car?
I don't know the answers. Sure, the best thing about the Aztek was the styling (if you've driven one, you know what I mean), and the Ion was the worst car I've ever driven in my life, but every car company has made mistakes in the last couple of decades. Flops are part of the biz. Look at Acura. It had two terrible TLs nobody wanted before hitting it big with the third generation. And the RL has consistently missed the market. But the public gives Honda's luxury division a pass on these mistakes, while holding grudges against domestic brands for the similar offenses. Why is the first TL forgivable, but not the first G6?
I don't understand it. Does anybody? -- The Mechanic, Inside Line Contributor
bit skeptical about the durability of bulkhead when it is reversed - the interior of the car is exposed to the loading bed. essentially, youll be ramming your gear up against the rear wall of the interior.
The biggest two of Detroit Big 3 automakers, General Motors and Ford Motor, are joining in an rare collaboration to develop advanced automatic transmissions, they disclosed Monday.
The normally two bitter rivals have signed an agreement to jointly develop a new generation of transmissions that will have nine and 10 speeds, a leap from today's transmissions which usually don't have more than eight, and usually more like six.
Though working together may sound unusual, GM and Ford say latest collaboration marks the third time in the past decade that they have hooked up on transmissions. Because of their past work, they say more than 8 million six-speed transmissions are on the road.
The two companies didn't make clear why they felt they need to work together, but they could be feeling the heat from other makers that are rushing their own transmission development. Detroit's other big one, Chrysler, has announced plans for nine-speed transmissions. In fact, they have already started announcing models that will get them, like a new model, the Jeep Cherokee. The off-road model replaces the small Jeep Liberty. Chrysler is controlled by Italy's Fiat, which may be seen as posing a technology challenge to its two bigger established competitors.
In their separate announcements, Ford and GM said the new transmissions will be built for both front- and rear-wheel-drive vehicles. Adding more speeds to transmissions allows engines to optimize their operation and run at lower speeds, which saves gas. It's the same idea as on bicycles, where lightweight 10-speeds -- or more -- are considered better for more speed and conserving riders' strength that old three-speed models.
The automakers' statements said that teams for GM and Ford have already begun their initial work.
"We expect these new transmissions to raise the standard of technology, performance and quality for our customers while helping drive fuel economy improvements into both company's future product portfolios," said Jim Lanzon, GM vice president of global transmission engineering.
The research will go beyond just the engineering work to figure the best way to make a nine- or 10-speed transmission. Ford's chief transmission engineer, Craig Renneker, says the goal is to come up with common parts, which the two companies would then customize with their own software.
Honda managed to make CVT better....I think other companies should be capable of also further improving it....or may be not...since most manufacturers just buy from Aisin or Getrag or ZF......
There are always pros can cons to each. But seriously, it's about time to start improving on CVTs.....it's getting stupid to have 9 or 10 speed AT.....it gotta be reaching the point of diminishing returns pretty darn soon.
If Honda is not seeking outside help for it's 6+ forward-speed conventional tranny development, maybe it IS a good idea for Honda to get out of 6+ conventional tranny development altogether, and instead, spend the resources working purely on CVT trannies for high-output engines; thereby perhaps gaining a headstart than everyone else in the industry.
There are always pros can cons to each. But seriously, it's about time to start improving on CVTs.....it's getting stupid to have 9 or 10 speed AT.....it gotta be reaching the point of diminishing returns pretty darn soon.
I dont think CVTs are capable of as broad a range as actual gearing? (from a really high ratio to start to a really low for cruising) If the ones used in auto are any thing like snowmobiles cf clutches (basically the same thing from my understanding) i think they are limited to a specific range just like them I would rather have a properly designed 8-10 speed DSG than a cvt.
^^ Take the Honda tranny talk to the Honda thread.
No more
sorry man....hahaha...will try to get it back to GM talk....
Originally Posted by Edward'TLS
If Honda is not seeking outside help for it's 6+ forward-speed conventional tranny development, maybe it IS a good idea for Honda to get out of 6+ conventional tranny development altogether, and instead, spend the resources working purely on CVT trannies for high-output engines; thereby perhaps gaining a headstart than everyone else in the industry.
Originally Posted by fsttyms1
I dont think CVTs are capable of as broad a range as actual gearing? (from a really high ratio to start to a really low for cruising) If the ones used in auto are any thing like snowmobiles cf clutches (basically the same thing from my understanding) i think they are limited to a specific range just like them I would rather have a properly designed 8-10 speed DSG than a cvt.
For Honda, I think they already have a 7-DCT that we will see in the RLX AWD and NSX. I'm guessing anything higher than 6AT, they might just go with DCT.
As for CVTs, I don't know if there's an actual maximum value or minimum value. If there's any, I'd imagine someone will overcome it eventually. There are always new technologies and new ways of doing things.
Seriously though, what cars would need 10 gear ratios. For sub-compact car with 100hp, a CVT has a large enough range. I mean, you can't gear it too low otherwise the engine will struggle on the highway. For a powerful sports sedan like the upcoming CTS 3.6TT that has 400+hp/lbft along with a flat torque curve, is having 10 speeds going to improve performance and efficiency by a lot over a 7 speed auto? I'd imagine the mountain of torque would take care of everything. Wouldn't it be hard to keep track of which gear you are in when you are in manual mode? I know I have such issue even in GT5 in the ISF....lol..
General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] design chief Ed Welburn has revealed that future Chevrolet models will feature styling inspired by the Corvette. The link between the respective designs of the new cars and the brand’s halo vehicle will be subtle, with the new Chevys likely to borrow Corvette elements such as the taut hood and square-shaped tail-lights.
“In the past we never really took advantage of iconic vehicles like Camaro and Corvette the way we are today,” Welburn told Automotive News (subscription required). “As Malibu and Cruze and Volt come to market, you'll be able to see a subtle link between some of the form vocabulary for all of them and Corvette."
The first of the new Chevys alluded to by Welburn that we’ll be seeing is the new Volt, which makes its debut next month at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The teaser above and previous spy shots give us a taste of what to expect.
We’ve also been given a taste of the new Cruze thanks to the early arrival of the Chinese-spec car, and the first spy shots of a prototype for the new Malibu surfaced only last month, though heavy camouflage gear hid most of the design.
Ed Welburn's career at General Motors began with a letter. The 11-year-old wrote to the GM in the early 1960s with a simple question: How could he become a car designer? Fortuitously, someone wrote him back, and the rest is history.
Welburn's 44-year career at GM ends July 1. He announced his retirement Thursday and will be succeeded by Michael Simcoe, who is vice president of the automaker's international design operations.
Welburn is just the sixth design chief in GM's 108-year-history, following Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell, Irvin Rybicki, Chuck Jordan, and Wayne Cherry. Welburn, 65, was named vice president of GM North America design in 2003, which made him the first African American to lead design for an automaker. The company created a global design vice president position in 2005, and again promoted Welburn. He now oversees the 2,500 people around the world who style GM vehicles.
"GM Design is among the most respected and sought-after organizations in the industry because of Ed's leadership. He nurtured a creative, inclusive, and customer-focused culture among our designers that has strengthened our global brands," Mary Barra, GM chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Welburn began his career at GM as an intern in 1972. The next year he moved to the Buick design studio, where he worked on the Riviera and Park Avenue. He went to Oldsmobile in 1975, and his highlights included designing the Aerotech, which set two world speed records on 1987. After a stint overseas, he went to GM's advanced design center in 1998, and then moved to directing style for the company's critical body-on-frame vehicles in 2002.
He's been lauded with a wide range of awards, including a distinguished service citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2009, the Nicola Bulgari award for preserving automotive heritage (2012), and Black Engineer of the Year award (2015).
His replacement, Simcoe, will begin transitioning to the top job May 1. He's had a 33-year stint at GM and has led its international design units since 2014. He started at the company in 1983 at Holden and also oversaw its Asia Pacific region as executive director starting in 2003. He took over North American exterior design for GM in 2004. His recent achievements include leading the design team that created the Buick Avenir concept.
SAY ONE THING for Ed Welburn, General Motors' chief of design; he's a stand-up guy. Not every GM executive would defend the Pontiac Aztek. The hump-backed cross-over SUV was so ungainly looking that Welburn's boss Bob Lutz, General Motors' vice chairman, once told the press, "We'd fire the guy who green-lighted it if we could find anyone willing to admit it."
Even so, says Welburn, who headed the team that conceived it, he would rather push the envelope with vehicles like the Aztek than play it safe with cookie-cutter designs, as General Motors was once known for doing.
Welburn was said to enjoy good rapport with GM chief executive officer Rick Wagoner as well as the company's design chief, Wayne Cherry. After 2001, Welburn oversaw the trio of studios that brought out trucks and sport-utility vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade, Hummer H2, a retro hot-rod Chevy pick-up called SSR, and the top-selling Chevrolet Avalanche.
Nearly all of the models in which he had a hand at the design stage were excellent sellers for the company, but GM did take a hit for the overly plastic-cladded Pontiac Aztek. "It's controversial," he conceded, in the interview with Brooke in Automotive Industries, "and yes, it's absolutely right for the Pontiac brand. I say that with total confidence. We saw an opportunity and we went after it. Aztek's a vehicle that will take a bit of time with some people. Others may never embrace it. That's OK. We have other products for them."
02-19-2009, 04:52 PM
That was awesome.
I would rather have a properly designed 8-10 speed DSG than a cvt.
New Chevrolets Will Have Corvette-Inspired Styling
