GM disbands Hi-performance Vehicle Group
02-19-2009, 10:29 AM
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GM disbands Hi-performance Vehicle Group
http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...NEWS/902189973
The group that made the SS version of their regular line up like Cobalt HHR Dakota truck etc has been disbanded and the engineers distributed about the company on other projects. Im sure the Cobalt SS guys are thinking "Our cars just became collectors items" Where as Im thinking "bye bye
you stupid little car with your wing that flaps at highspeed"
The group that made the SS version of their regular line up like Cobalt HHR Dakota truck etc has been disbanded and the engineers distributed about the company on other projects. Im sure the Cobalt SS guys are thinking "Our cars just became collectors items" Where as Im thinking "bye bye
you stupid little car with your wing that flaps at highspeed"
GM disbands unit that creates high-performance vehicles
By JAMIE LAREAU, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
GM's High Performance Vehicle Operations, which created vehicles such as the Chevrolet HHR SS, has been disbanded.
General Motors, focusing on mainstream products in a battle to survive, has scrapped a unit that produced high-performance vehicles.
GM on Wednesday disbanded High Performance Vehicle Operations, which is based at the company's suburban Detroit technical center, and redeployed its engineers, spokesman Vince Muniga said.
"All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold," Muniga said. "The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs."
The unit created low-volume vehicles for GM's divisions designed to appeal to enthusiasts and bolster the company's image. Products included V-series Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and a V-8 version of the Colorado.
Muniga said there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming cars.
The move is in the spirit of GM's viability plan delivered to the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday. In the plan, GM said its future-product focus is on fuel- efficient cars and crossovers. It also pledged to increase its current offering of six hybrids to 14 by 2012 and to 26 by 2014. GM also boosted its request for federal aid by as much as $16.6 billion.
The High Performance Vehicle Operations unit could be reinstated once GM regains its financial health, GM's Muniga said.
"These guys are pretty good at what they do," Muniga said, "They are moving into different areas to work on core products."
By JAMIE LAREAU, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
GM's High Performance Vehicle Operations, which created vehicles such as the Chevrolet HHR SS, has been disbanded.
General Motors, focusing on mainstream products in a battle to survive, has scrapped a unit that produced high-performance vehicles.
GM on Wednesday disbanded High Performance Vehicle Operations, which is based at the company's suburban Detroit technical center, and redeployed its engineers, spokesman Vince Muniga said.
"All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold," Muniga said. "The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs."
The unit created low-volume vehicles for GM's divisions designed to appeal to enthusiasts and bolster the company's image. Products included V-series Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and a V-8 version of the Colorado.
Muniga said there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming cars.
The move is in the spirit of GM's viability plan delivered to the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday. In the plan, GM said its future-product focus is on fuel- efficient cars and crossovers. It also pledged to increase its current offering of six hybrids to 14 by 2012 and to 26 by 2014. GM also boosted its request for federal aid by as much as $16.6 billion.
The High Performance Vehicle Operations unit could be reinstated once GM regains its financial health, GM's Muniga said.
"These guys are pretty good at what they do," Muniga said, "They are moving into different areas to work on core products."
02-19-2009, 10:57 AM
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http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...NEWS/902189973
The group that made the SS version of their regular line up like Cobalt HHR Dakota truck etc has been disbanded and the engineers distributed about the company on other projects. Im sure the Cobalt SS guys are thinking "Our cars just became collectors items" Where as Im thinking "bye bye you stupid little car with your wing that flaps at highspeed"
The group that made the SS version of their regular line up like Cobalt HHR Dakota truck etc has been disbanded and the engineers distributed about the company on other projects. Im sure the Cobalt SS guys are thinking "Our cars just became collectors items" Where as Im thinking "bye bye
you stupid little car with your wing that flaps at highspeed"
02-19-2009, 11:24 AM
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I can't beleieve that after all the R&D that went into the Camaro that they would scrap the SS. Though it may just be a one year run.
02-19-2009, 04:55 PM
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It's a Cavalier
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=142386
02-19-2009, 05:51 PM
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i dont believe that the move to more fuel efficient cars is not the way to go.
they need to stop trying to be like Honda and Toyota, and be like themselves. Cheaply made cars that go like crazy.
they need to stop trying to be like Honda and Toyota, and be like themselves. Cheaply made cars that go like crazy.
02-19-2009, 05:58 PM
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I will forever miss my 8!
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02-19-2009, 05:59 PM
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well if you ask me i think gm was finally getting it right after begin out of the high performance game for so long. but if they think that the hybrids will get them where they need to be to survive. do what they must..
02-19-2009, 06:07 PM
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stevenOOOe i see what you're saying, but i dont think you see what im saying.
GM has been a dominate company for many years now, i dont think a little bump in the road needs something as drastic as a whole company redesign.
i belive the lack of truck sales is what has really got them in the whole, not a lack of car sales.
GM has been a dominate company for many years now, i dont think a little bump in the road needs something as drastic as a whole company redesign.
i belive the lack of truck sales is what has really got them in the whole, not a lack of car sales.
02-19-2009, 06:08 PM
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oh well gm sued the supplier for camaro parts back awhile ago. the supplier is in bankruptcy and sueing gm for not paying them for tooling and parts gm said it would
heres reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...52787620090213
original suit filed by gm
http://www.freep.com/article/2008122...812270305/1014
heres reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...52787620090213
original suit filed by gm
http://www.freep.com/article/2008122...812270305/1014
02-19-2009, 06:17 PM
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stevenOOOe i see what you're saying, but i dont think you see what im saying.
GM has been a dominate company for many years now, i dont think a little bump in the road needs something as drastic as a whole company redesign.
i belive the lack of truck sales is what has really got them in the whole, not a lack of car sales.
GM has been a dominate company for many years now, i dont think a little bump in the road needs something as drastic as a whole company redesign.
i belive the lack of truck sales is what has really got them in the whole, not a lack of car sales.
http://www.carandsuv.co.nz/news/8900...for-all-models
Ford plans 4-Cylinders for all models
Ford has made a public commitment to industry-leading fuel economy, and the most important component of the new plan comes in a small but efficient package. Product Development chief Derek Kuzak told an American motoring publication that the Blue Oval will sport a four-cylinder option in every car and crossover by 2013.
Ford is going to lean heavily on its forthcoming Ecoboost engines to accomplish this feat, as turbocharged four-cylinder engines can provide V6 punch without the same thirst for fuel. With far stricter CO2 and fuel economy mandates on the way globally, Ford may need all the Ecoboost engines it can make.
Ford foresees the need for 750,000 Ecoboost engines per year by 2013, and two thirds of that total will be four-pots. V8 engines will be relegated to large pickups, SUVs and the Ford Mustang, but Kuzak says the company is even looking at turbocharged four-cylinder engines for the full-size F-150 pickup. If Ford can produce enough power from an Ecoboost engine to power an F-150, you can only imagine what it would do in a Mustang.
Ford is going to lean heavily on its forthcoming Ecoboost engines to accomplish this feat, as turbocharged four-cylinder engines can provide V6 punch without the same thirst for fuel. With far stricter CO2 and fuel economy mandates on the way globally, Ford may need all the Ecoboost engines it can make.
Ford foresees the need for 750,000 Ecoboost engines per year by 2013, and two thirds of that total will be four-pots. V8 engines will be relegated to large pickups, SUVs and the Ford Mustang, but Kuzak says the company is even looking at turbocharged four-cylinder engines for the full-size F-150 pickup. If Ford can produce enough power from an Ecoboost engine to power an F-150, you can only imagine what it would do in a Mustang.
02-19-2009, 06:34 PM
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4-cylinders do not belong in a mustang. i hate the ford mustang, but that is just unamerican. i dont even think a V-6 belongs in a mustang. it's a V-8 or nothing. same for camaros, which i like.
it would be like if they offered a 4-cylinder in an rx8, it would be just downright wrong.
it would be like if they offered a 4-cylinder in an rx8, it would be just downright wrong.
02-19-2009, 06:38 PM
#18
4-cylinders do not belong in a mustang. i hate the ford mustang, but that is just unamerican. i dont even think a V-6 belongs in a mustang. it's a V-8 or nothing. same for camaros, which i like.
it would be like if they offered a 4-cylinder in an rx8, it would be just downright wrong.
it would be like if they offered a 4-cylinder in an rx8, it would be just downright wrong.
02-19-2009, 08:03 PM
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^all you've done is proven a point. obviously this is something that didn't stick around because it wasn't a very good idea.
edit: you almost killed the thread with that one (hence the name thread killer)
edit: you almost killed the thread with that one (hence the name thread killer)
Last edited by TheBurkeMan; 02-19-2009 at 08:15 PM.
02-19-2009, 08:22 PM
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As much as I used to hate Ford, I think they actually are really trying to completely turn things around here lately and could be in a much better position than GM at this point - Mustangs/Camaros aside.
I agree but does the V6 'Stang still out sell the V8 version by a large margin? Like 70% are V6 from what I've seen. From what I understand it's the money maker. I can see Ford easily making a modern 4-banger that would completely blow away the crap V6 that's currently in the base Mustang right now in all aspects but still agree - a muscle car should have muscle. Fords needs to focus its performance development on sporty small cars like the Ford's the Europeans get and still offer a good V8 Mustang for the one's into that sort of thing. Problem is I think so many Mustangs are sold because it's a Mustang regardless of what's under the hood but that fact there is a V8 one probably helps carry those sales.
4-cylinders do not belong in a mustang. i hate the ford mustang, but that is just unamerican. i dont even think a V-6 belongs in a mustang. it's a V-8 or nothing. same for camaros, which i like.
it would be like if they offered a 4-cylinder in an rx8, it would be just downright wrong.
it would be like if they offered a 4-cylinder in an rx8, it would be just downright wrong.
Last edited by JRichter; 02-19-2009 at 08:24 PM.
02-19-2009, 08:36 PM
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It's a Cavalier
02-19-2009, 08:41 PM
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Good. Now that can take the most talented people at the company and have them make their regular cars not suck.
Sure it's too bad they won't produce enthusiast vehicles for a while. But if they're going to use my tax dollars to bail them out, I'd prefer that they first fix the problem of losing billions every year from churning out such garbage that they have to give $10k in rebates before any customers are remotely interested.
Sure it's too bad they won't produce enthusiast vehicles for a while. But if they're going to use my tax dollars to bail them out, I'd prefer that they first fix the problem of losing billions every year from churning out such garbage that they have to give $10k in rebates before any customers are remotely interested.
02-19-2009, 08:46 PM
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02-19-2009, 08:47 PM
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