My Idea for a "new" GM.

[Elwood 2000]

In my opinion, GM needs to totally re-vamp their automobile line up for North America.

 

Here are my thoughts. Keep the name brands if you want, but distinguish them and don't make clones with different badges.

 

Trucks and Large SUV's: I think keeping a Chevrolet AND GMC nameplate is a good idea. Keep them basicaly the same, but with different styling. It opens opportunities for more sales. Keep the GMC looking a bit "richer", and keep the Chevrolet as the workhorse of the group.

 

Smaller Trucks & SUV's: Same principal as todays, but really research who is using these things and cater to them. Make them very efficient and a small diesel is in order. Plenty of power and great milage from every engine! Make them asthetically pleasing to all age groups and make the enty level models VERY affordable. A retired guy and a high school student should both be comfortable and happy in an "S-10" pickup, as well as anyone in between.

 

1500's & 2500LD's Keep IFS and if IRS will work on 1500's great! Offer many engine choices, get a "baby-duramax" in the line up and make an SS truck with some serious balls! Offer quality leather in upscale trucks as well, Yes,they are trucks, but we deserve quality materials for the price we pay. Most 1500's don't work that hard.

 

2500HD and 3500's: Give us a SFA on the 4x4 models riding on coils! Give us a solid rear, full floater with leaf springs. Keep the powertrain the same, it is great! Make work trucks work trucks, but many want luxury too. Make it ALL available. Get serious about the "working class" trucks. These things need to be able to be used and abused 7 days a week earning money for the company, contractor or farmer who buys them.

 

Make the Z71 a REAL off road package, not the joke and sticker it is today and definately, do NOT make a 2wd Z71. The off road package should include locking front and rear axle, skid plates, body side protection (not the plastic on Subs. and 'Hoes), specific wheels with oversized tires (Not "P" rated tires) and nice options like brush guards and winches. Have enhanced suspension on all Z71's to give increased height and articulation for people who take these trucks off road to the job site. Make it available on every 4x4 truck made!!!

 

Cars:

 

Pontiac: These are your exciting cars. Give them a compact, a midsize and very sporty car (Trans Am??). Make the styling great, exciting, but practical cars. Good quality, cheap to operate and fun to drive. The sporty car is your Mustang eater. Stand out styling, raw V8 performance and a lot less than the cost of a Vette. Don't give this to Chevrolet or Buick, don't water this car down. This car will keep on the heels of a vette, but not surpass it. Keep it simple and make a rag top an option. It needs to look fast and spark emotion. Todays GTO does this for only a few. Everyone on the street needs to drool and jump into "high blood pressure" mode when one drives by. It needs to be an "unmistakeable" car when even a glimps is caught.

 

Chevrolet: The "fleet" car. One midsize, one compact, period. An Impala and a Cavalier, but of good quality and good styling. Not too bland, but not too flashy. A good "plain and simple" family sedan with good amenties, but not too much "bling". Quality abounds and the Chevrolet car should be a HUGE value for the dollar.

 

Buick: One car. The LeSabre was one of the best selling "old persons car" and the baby boomers are getting older. Give them an affordable, quality car with conservative styling, good milage and trouble free, simplicity. It has to ride like a Carnival Cruise Ship and handle like one too!

 

Vans: One van, period. If you want a larger van, it will be a full size Chevy or GMC, based on the trucks. If you want a minivan, it there will be just one choice! Make it a good one!

 

Caddy:

 

Ultimate in Luxury: The Premo SUV, the Premo full size car (and I mean FULL SIZE), the Premo mid size and Premo compact and if you can re-skin a Vette and charge $10k more, so be it! (Actually, I like Caddy the way it is today, so leave it alone). Caddy should get the best of the best in "bling" and new technology and people should pay for it. They should make a ton of money on each Caddy sold. Make the nameplate "pristine" again.

 

Corvette: Keep on Keepin' on. Use the Chevrolet nameplate, but this should be the leading edge performance car that it is today. Bring on the "Blue Devil" and make the Italians and Germans suck American exhaust pipe on the straightaways AND thru the turns!

 

Hummer: Obviously the H1 should stay, but give it a juiced up Duramax and Allison. H2: make the Duramax and 8.1 with Allison trannies available. Better quality materials inside. It looks like a "parts bin special" on the inside, not at all distinctive like the outside. Give it a Hummer guage package, not an SS guage package. Unique buttons and switches and get rid of the "turret" style air vents. H3: Ditto for the H2, but give it a baby diesel and 5.3 engine options.

 

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DO NOT share parts!! The Buick should not have mirrors, wheels, radios, HVAC systems and switches from all the other brands and vice-versa. I know it is cheaper to do, but it waters down the flavor. Share chasis and powertrains, but that is it! Other than that, the only thing shared should be the Onstar Button! Quality materals thruout. No more squeeks, rattles and loose plastic peices right after the warranty expires. Speaking of warranties, how about a 5/50 Bumper to Bumper??

 

Don't throw the "SS" badge around like cheap cologne. "SS" should mean business. Super Horse Power, Super suspension, Super styling and give the option of bare bones, light weight "4 tires and a motor" to ultra-luxo with a bad attitude.

 

No Rondevous, Aztecs or anything of the like. Nothing real trendy and especially ugly. By the time you see someone elses trendy idea, design and build your own, it is past. Act like YOU are the trend setter and have some ideas of your own. Attitude is everything. Act like the King of the Hill instead of looking over your shoulder to try to keep up with someone else. Set the tone. Understand the market and listen to your customers!!!!!

 

QUIT wasting money on things like HHR's, SSR's and whatever other brainfarts they can come up with that will cost zillions and return squat! Instead invest in more flex-fuel technologies, hybrid technologies, hydrogen technologies and for crying out loud, get some baby diesels in these cars and trucks. People want them, so utilize Isuzu and crank them out!

 

Make the Chevrolet compact a small utility car, the Pontiac compact a sporty car for young buyers and the Caddy compact in the class of the BMW 3 series. Do NOT rebadge the same car to save a few bucks. Make them their own.

 

For ALL cars, don't have anything that should compete with another line within GM. The only thing close would be the Pontiac and Chevrolet compact and the truck SUV line and that should a simple stlying choice.

 

From now on, they should have "GM" dealerships with Caddy in selected dealerships.

 

What do you think GM should look like in the future?? These are just some of my ideas. I am probly lost in left field, but it sounds simple to me. Offer what people want and be competitive with other manufactures, not your own name plates!

[az'03Silverado]

Very good views and suggestions! The only thing I can add would be to tell GM to invest some dang money on quality and durability. I'm not really talking about the drivetrain or chassis or bodies or anything like that. What I'm refering to is the trim and interior and inside mechanicals. For instance, the cheap loop-wire power window regulators that my parents have replaced 8 of in their Buick Regal. Or the plastic trim pieces that the lock tabs break off of if they're popped off to run wires behind them or something. I've just noticed that the interiors have gotten a little cheap over the last few years. And those interior parts are really expensive to replace.

[Elwood 2000]

I agree, they need to really improve the quality of the interior parts. Put the fabric back on the doors of the full size trucks. Make the switches and switch surrounds of good quality, not cheap plastic that will rattle, squeek or crack when it gets below 15 degrees outside.

 

They can do it, they just need to.

[chris_kucia]

I think the SSR could have been a great seller for GM.

 

However, as usual, its priced into the stratosphere. Red tag price is $42k - you've got to be kidding.

 

At that price, its too expensive to actually use it as a truck, so they've effectively cut themselves out of that market. Its way too expensive for anyone out of HS or college to afford - no youth market. Who do they expect to buy this thing?

 

I suppose the price isn't all that bad for a retractable hardtop, but was there a huge demand for a retractable hardtop truck?

 

Why not build a fixed-top version and price it in the $20s (i.e. Mustang territory)? Then they'd have something.

 

 

Same deal with the GTO. You can't get it without power everything, and they charge a premium for the stick shift. A fully loaded Mustang hardtop is cheaper than any GTO you can buy. Sure, the GTO is faster, but for the additional cost, you could make the Mustang competitive and you don't have to eat the entire cost in one bite.

 

 

Its like the Allante. That was supposed to be priced in the mid-30's back in the 80's. Some bigwig at GM decided that it needed to be priced up with the Benzes so it came out in the $50's. So instead of selling boatloads of them, they couldn't give them away and in the long-term, GM ended up screwing everyone who forked out the big bucks in the first place by making it an orphan.

 

 

 

Regarding GM overall, IMHO, they need to totally rethink their dealer network. I'd prefer they jettison the whole lot and start from scratch with corporate-owned purchase centers and corporate-owned maintenance/parts depots. Most people these days do not need a dealer to purchase a vehicle, and definitely don't need the hassle and high markups. If they had to, GM could just set up a parallel network to start. Heck, if I could go to a central GM purchase center, even if there were only one per state, I'd do it if I could get factory-direct pricing. Even with parts and service - if I had to drive an hour or two to go to competent factory-trained techs, I might consider using that.

 

The way it is now, I'd rather buy used, and do the work myself. IMHO, its not worth the hassle or the premium to buy new and have to go through the dealer network.

[97chevy350]

Hey Elwood,

I totally agree with you. GM has had their head up their you know what for years now, and it is only getting worse. The vehicles they are getting rid of and the junk they are replacing them with is rediculous. I am in engineering school and my plan when I get out is to work in nascar, but the more I think about it, maybe I need to get a job with GM, work my way up the ladder, and turn the whole operation around and I am not kidding. If I was in charge, trucks would be trucks, cars would be fast, and camaros and trans ams would be back to stay. SSR's and H3's would be a distant memory. And like you said, the SS badge would be taken VERY seriously. Seeing an SS badge on a 4 banger makes me sick when it belongs on a high powered big block like my dads 66 SS 396 chevelle. Trucks are getting too luxurious, its a d**n truck, not a mercedes. I think power windows and locks, CD player and that is it. You need navigation, ever heard of a map? And I dont know how you guys feel about it, but onstar, number one not in a truck, and I just dont like the idea of someone thousands of miles away knowing exactly where I am and being able to unlock my doors or know how fast I am driving. And oh yeah, EVERYTHING will be made in the good ole US of A. No partnerships with ANYONE, GM would be GM, all american, no nonsense. I could go on for hours but Im gonna stop here. And o yeah, its been three years now and I still cannot accept the front ends on the trucks.

[Scyry]

Same deal with the GTO.  You can't get it without power everything, and they charge a premium for the stick shift.  A fully loaded Mustang hardtop is cheaper than any GTO you can buy.  Sure, the GTO is faster, but for the additional cost, you could make the Mustang competitive and you don't have to eat the entire cost in one bite.

 

The GTO as it is now could not be anything but what it is. UAW and Holden's production limit would not of allowed more to be made or a diverse offering of options. Good or bad that is the way it is. It is Lutz's stop gap to try and keep an option available until a new Camaro, Trans Am, Chevelle, GTO or whatever it may be called appears. Sadly this leads the GTO to be compared to the Mustang when it is simliar but not in the same class. It is a mid size coupe, it is a lot larger than a Camaro was, the back seat is more comfortable than my extended cab Silverado was, minus the getting back there part. To say you can get the same out of a Mustang performance wise with the difference in price is true, but the GTO interior will still put the Mustang to shame. It does not squeak, rattle, and road noise is near the level of BMW's and Caddies I have road in. Hell the thing has leather dash boards and sweade, leather door panels. The GTO is inbetween the current Caddies and F-bodies in performance, quality and comfort.

 

I love the car, but it is not what everyone wants to make it out to be. I think this is why it missed the mark, people want a new Camaro when the GTO provides something different. Go sit in and test drive a GTO; GM needs to take notes from Holden on build quality. I think it is where GM needs to good with materials and build quality to regain its market dominance.

[chris_kucia]

Same deal with the GTO.  You can't get it without power everything, and they charge a premium for the stick shift.  A fully loaded Mustang hardtop is cheaper than any GTO you can buy.  Sure, the GTO is faster, but for the additional cost, you could make the Mustang competitive and you don't have to eat the entire cost in one bite.

 

The GTO as it is now could not be anything but what it is. UAW and Holden's production limit would not of allowed more to be made or a diverse offering of options. Good or bad that is the way it is. It is Lutz's stop gap to try and keep an option available until a new Camaro, Trans Am, Chevelle, GTO or whatever it may be called appears. Sadly this leads the GTO to be compared to the Mustang when it is simliar but not in the same class. It is a mid size coupe, it is a lot larger than a Camaro was, the back seat is more comfortable than my extended cab Silverado was, minus the getting back there part. To say you can get the same out of a Mustang performance wise with the difference in price is true, but the GTO interior will still put the Mustang to shame. It does not squeak, rattle, and road noise is near the level of BMW's and Caddies I have road in. Hell the thing has leather dash boards and sweade, leather door panels. The GTO is inbetween the current Caddies and F-bodies in performance, quality and comfort.

 

I love the car, but it is not what everyone wants to make it out to be. I think this is why it missed the mark, people want a new Camaro when the GTO provides something different. Go sit in and test drive a GTO; GM needs to take notes from Holden on build quality. I think it is where GM needs to good with materials and build quality to regain its market dominance.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

I agree that the GTO is a pretty decent car for the money, but I don't think they're going to sell many. As it is, every Pontiac dealer in my area has several of them sitting on the lot, and its been that way for the better part of a year.

 

Now that the Charger is out, I don't think it bodes well for the GTO, unless GM does something to infuse some life into it. The low end charger is priced in Mustang territory, and the high-end charger is in GTO territory, with some pretty impressive performance. On the high end, being a sedan, the Charger is a lot more practical than the GTO. I don't know if there's a Charger coupe in the works, but if there is, I don't see any reason why someone would buy a GTO other than the availability of a stick.

 

GM had a year lead on the Mustang and a multi-year lead on the Charger. If they couldn't sell GTO's then, they certainly aren't going to be able to do it now.

[I-H8-4Ds]

I don't like how the Pontiacs seem to look like some kind of insect.

[PaulieK]

The GTO Styling is well to be kind BLAND! It is definatly not a head turner. The new Charger has great syling, If I was GM I would try to hire some of the body designers away from Dodge. The Mustang has a retro look, the Charger has a retro look, why not the GTO? I think a GTO with some styling throwbacks to the 1968-1970 body styles would sell like no bodies business.

[Elwood 2000]

While the GTO is different than the Charger and Mustang, where is the "fan-fair" about the car. They told NO ONE!! Most don't even know it exists. I am not saying that it is not a good car and the styling does need jazzed up just a bit, but it has been treated like the bastard child of the group, put on the back shelf and if they sell some, fine, if not, fine. Totally the WRONG approach!

 

 

Tony, I like what you have to say, but people are buying leathered up trucks with sunroofs, naviagion systems and power armpit deodorizers very quickly, of all brands. In my opinion, make EVERY option available on EVERY truck. Don't put silly restrictions on things. The folks on the assembly line are getting paid enough, they should know that truck 4 for today is plain jane, truck 5 is leather with a TV and truck 6 has power windows, cloth interior and a standard radio without an Indian Guide.

[Scyry]

GM did hire away a designer from Chrysler. The head designer that brought us all the wonderfully horrid looking vehicles over the past few years was the designer of the PT Cruiser. I haven't been a fan of the retro looks myself, but 90% of the country is. I just hope we don't end up with something like early 80's retro with tail fins from the 50's. That is how out of touch I have felt GM has been with styling lately. I am just saying the build quality and the materials used in the GTO is what we should be seeing in fullsize trucks and SUV. We pay luxury vehicle prices for them, so they should be of similar quailty.

 

I do agree the GTO is blander looking for 2004 to 2006, but it was originally designed in 1996 by Holden. Back at that time it would be in line with most cars of its type. The Mustang has enjoyed being on every other TV commercial, middle of the superbowl and ads everywhere. The GTO has been seen in...? I know I am trying to defend, yes I am biased as I love mine, but I like that it isn't one of the 50 Mustangs I saw on the way to work today. BTW the comparable performance Charger, SRT-8, is $38,000 to $42,000; the GTO is $32,000 to $34,000. And the manual tranny is cheaper than the auto because of the gas guzzler tax on the auto.

[drumset5994]

I agree with you on the GTO part...it just looks like another Grand Am.

 

Look at the mustang...now at least that has pure remnants of the original...

 

 

Then the Dodge Charger...sure it doesnt look EXACTLY like the original, but it has a distinct image about it that makes you look at it for the first time and say "woah...THAT's the new charger?"

 

 

 

Then you have the GTO...the car that makes you look, then look again, then say "what the hell is wrong with that Grand Am?

 

[drumset5994]

Also, it is my dream to own a Dark Metallic Blue 1969 Pontiac GTO...with "The Judge" classic sticker on the side...

 

I'd probably be so afraid of it getting dinged, i'd keep it in my garage till i'm sporting a drool cup.

[rudder73]

They should offer Lowering packages for the truck line-up.

 

Shut down the GMC truck line as it is taking money away from the Chevy design team. OR make the GMC truck a lot different not just a few cosmetic changes between the lines.

 

I disagree on the lift kits as they will lower the MPG of any truck and make it harder for GM to make up the difference.

 

Get rid of the plastic skid plates - use real steel and also supply axle trusses and differential trusses with each and every Z 71 package. An inside roll cage would also be nice. Or design the cab so that a roll cage could be a dealer installed part.

 

As for the cars? Get rid of them We need more trucks, not roller skates.

[SS Crew]

  Trucks are getting too luxurious, its a d**n truck, not a mercedes.  I think power windows and locks, CD player and that is it.  You need navigation, ever heard of a map?  And I dont know how you guys feel about it, but onstar, number one not in a truck, and I just dont like the idea of someone thousands of miles away knowing exactly where I am and being able to unlock my doors or know how fast I am driving.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

You know, back in the 50's, 60's, and 70's you could tow your 5000 lb boat with a your family sedan, you can't do that anymore. I've got a 3/4 ton truck with leather and all the goodies thay could cram on it. I love it, plus you can't tow with a Mercedes.

 

I do construction work for a living and need a truck. I also have a 22' foot boat that I tow across 200+ miles of desert and I am glad I have OnStar. I can't afford to have a tow vehicle just sit at the house until I want to go to the river. Sometimes I sit in traffic for hours in lovely downtown Los Angeles and I want to be comfortable.

 

Obviously you don't have a vehicle with a navigation system in it do you? Well, my wife has a Japanese Luxury sedan and the only way we could get it is with a navi system. I figured for $1800 bucks I could buy alot of maps, but once you have it, there's no going back. We were in Vegas looking for a PF Chang's restaurant after the SEMA show, we didn't have a phone book or a map of the Las Vegas area, so I just punched in PF Chang's on the screen...Did you know that there are 5 in Vegas? We selected the one on the outskirts of town as it would be less crowded and the navi showed (and told) us how to get there. It also has the phone number of the establishment if you want to call to make reservations.

 

There's nothing wrong with a luxurious truck, and people like them. Look at all the Escalades and Yukon Denalis they sell.