The GM Thread-

[NHPorsche]

^^ x2

[bayside blue]

id take a challenger over the camaro too but it still was purdy

[bayside blue]

there goes saturn

So here we go again. Another GM brand, headed for the scrap heap. (If it's not sold.)

GM plans to sell Saturn this year, 2 years early
By TOM KRISHER – 13 hours ago

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Corp.'s Saturn brand will either be sold or phased out by the end of this year, nearly two years faster than previously announced, the brand's top executive said Tuesday.

Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak said the brand, once billed as a different kind of car company, most likely will be sold, given the interest of several buyers who have surfaced. She says GM will take other bids for the brand until June 1.

GM has said it wants to sell or get rid of Saturn, Hummer and Saab as it restructures, so it can once again become profitable. It's also getting rid of the Pontiac brand.

In February, the company said it would keep Saturn going through the end of the 2011 model year, which is late summer in 2011.

But because of the interested buyers and demands to restructure faster, GM decided to pull the sale deadline forward, Lajdziak said.

GM is living on $15.4 billion in federal loans and must win concessions from its unions, reduce debt and make other cost-cutting moves before a June 1 government deadline.

The company has said it will shed the brands, cut jobs and close more factories as it tries to prove to the government it is worthy of additional loan money. If it can't meet the deadline, GM will head into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Lajdziak would not say when GM expects to announce a Saturn sale, but conceded the company will be on a fast timeline to complete a deal by the end of the year.

"We remain confident given the expressions of interest we've already had," she said.

Among the bidders for Saturn is a group led by Oklahoma City private equity firm Black Oak Partners LLC. The group said in a statement that it would get vehicles from GM initially, but it expects to sell smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles from other global manufacturers using Saturn's well-regarded dealership network.

GM started Saturn in 1990 as a small-car answer to Japanese automakers and billed it as a "different kind of car company." Its new factory in Spring Hill, Tenn., had more flexible work rules than traditional GM plants and more autonomy for those who built the cars, known for their plastic body panels.

Despite a cult-like following that drew thousands to annual reunions in Spring Hill, the brand never made money for GM.

As GM focused more on high-profit pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, Saturn began to languish in the late 1990s. But in 2006, it started getting the best of GM's new models, and executives viewed it as a precursor for GM's restructuring effort.

After a good year in 2007, sales dropped 22 percent last year as the U.S. market withered.

Sales were off 59 percent for the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2008. Lajdziak said the brand fell with the rest of the slumping U.S. auto market, but Saturn was hit further due to publicity about its potential sale or demise. U.S. auto sales were down 38 percent from January through March.

Some Saturn dealers have given up their franchises since the company announced last year that it was putting the brand up for sale.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[HoonED]

i enjoy my Obama motor company car

[shizon]

I can see saturns becoming rebranded fiats.

[Boosted Euro]

Bump

[Th3Juggernaut]

not much to say, the Volt seems to be a failure so far they are well below their sales targets on it.

[Boosted Euro]

Seems like a lot of cruze's around , those doing any better?

[:Quirk:]

All I expect to see in this thread is super bad interiors and front end parts.

[Matt Musto]

Nothing like 500hp and plastic crap truck interior

[Boosted Euro]

http://www.dragzine.com/features/sema-coverage/sema-2011-copo-camaro-unveiled-new-corvette-and-camaro-concepts/

Ron Fellows Corvette

Inducted into the National Corvette Museum’s Hall of Fame this year, Ron Fellows’ distinguished racing career behind the wheel of both C5R and C6R Corvettes is celebrated in the Corvette Z06 Ron Fellows ‘Hall of Fame’ Tribute.

Vehicle highlights:

Z06 Performance Package (Z07)
Magnetic Selective Ride Control
CFZ carbon fiber package with splitter and rocker moldings
Carbon fiber raised hood Black headlamp housings and mirrors
Red brake calipers Ebony interior with red stitching
Suede-trimmed steering wheel, shift knob, parking brake handle and armrests with red stitching (from the 2012 Centennial package)
Centennial-model seats
Genuine Corvette Accessory Racing Pedal Package
Racing-style graphics that honor racing wins, National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame, Spring Mountain Driving School and Mosport.




Camaro ZL1 Carbon Concept

Much like the Carbon Edition Z06, the Carbon ZL1 takes the already-formidable Camaro ZL1 and takes it to another level of exclusivity. Exposed-weave carbon fiber and the new Ashen Gray paint (available on all 2012 Camaros) give the Carbon ZL1 a decidedly “tuner” look.

Vehicle highlights:

Chevrolet Accessories exposed-weave carbon fiber “Mohawk” hood insert
Carbon fiber rear spoiler with stainless-steel wicker bill
Carbon fiber inserts on the interior door and instrument panel
Lightweight 20×10-inch (front) and 20×11-inch (rear) wheels in satin black with machined faces
Brembo® six-piston front calipers, with two-piece front rotors, and four-piston rear calipers (Chevrolet Official Licensed Product)
Magnetic Ride Control Dual exhaust outlets with active exhaust and diffuser
Jet Black leather interior with sueded microfiber seat inserts and Torch Red stitching
ZL1 short-throw shifter with suede and carbon fiber-trimmed shift knob
Suede-trimmed flat-bottom steering wheel ZL1 pedals




1LE Concept Camaro

Aimed straight at the track, the 1LE Concept is a hybrid of the SS and ZL1 Camaros, designed for road course competency. Wearing the same tires as the ZL1, and equipped with Magnetic Ride Control, the LE1 might be a look at what a future Z/28 could be.

Vehicle highlights:

Victory Red exterior color, with flat black hood and hash mark extensions
Satin black splitter, rocker panels, rear spoiler and outside mirrors
Sport suspension featuring Magnetic Ride Control Electric power steering
Six-speed manual close-ratio transmission
Lightweight 20×10-inch (front) and 20×11-inch (rear) racing wheels (satin black) Goodyear® Eagle F1 Supercar G asymmetrical tires (from the ZL1)
Brembo® six-piston front calipers, with two-piece front rotors, and four-piston rear calipers (Chevrolet Official Licensed Product)
Dual exhaust outlets with ZL1-style active exhaust and diffuser
Shock tower brace
Chevrolet Accessories red engine cover
Black leather interior with Light Stone stitching
Graphite Silver door and instrument panel inserts
ZL1 shifter with Light Stone stitching
ZL1 flat-bottom steering wheel
Chevrolet Accessories pedal kit





COPO Camaro

And then, there was the main event… In a theatrical flourish, the crate containing GM’s answer to the Cobra Jet swung open and the COPO rolled out, every bit the turn-key drag car we had hoped for, but with some details we never would have guessed. Under the hood sits a 327 CI engine based on the LSX block topped by a 2.9L Whipple supercharger, with the provision for a LS7-based 427 naturally aspirated powerplant as well. The concept channels power through a Powerglide racing automatic, but Chevy envisions three-speed autos and a five-speed stick configuration for those looking for other transmission options. Out back, a solid 9-inch Ford-type axle replaces the production Camaro’s IRS, turning 9×30 Hoosier radial drag tires.

Per Jim Campbell, GM US vice president of Performance Vehicles and motorsports, “The COPO Camaro is a proof of concept for what a Chevrolet Stock Eliminator entry could look like.” While it’s currently just a concept, Campbell adds, “It is a clear indication that Chevrolet intends to ****logate the Camaro for sportsman drag racing.”

Vehicle Highlights:

Provisions for two engine configurations
Provisions for a Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission, a three-speed automatic or a five-speed manual
High-rise cowl-induction hood
Custom Aeromotive fuel system, with a fuel cell and integral high-pressure fuel pump Full, chrome moly roll cage
Coil-over front suspension with Strange Engineering adjustable struts
Custom rear suspension, based on NHRA requirements, with Strange Engineering shocks, Panhard bar and stabilizer bar
Strange Engineering S-9 solid rear axle with aluminum third member, 35-spline spool, 35-spline axles and 4.10 gear set
Lightweight, COPO-specific racing wheels
29×9-inch rear radial racing slicks and 4.5x28x15-inch front tires
Manual steering system
Strange Engineering lightweight racing brakes system with standard line lock.

While it’s clear that Chevy is serious about adding the COPO part number to the GMPP catalog, it’s not a sure thing. Per GMPP’s Dr. Jamie Meyer, it’s up to us to convince the corporate powers-that-be to produce this car, so head on over to the GM Performance Parts website to sign up for the newsletter, and start blowing up their Facebook page to let them know that the COPO Camaro needs to go from concept to reality!

[Sean]

Happy 100th birthday to Chevy... lol

[bayside blue]

We got a bunch of cruises here at work and they look real nice untill you sit in them and start to poke around a bit... still tons of #!#!#!#!ty plastic everywhere

[MaliBoost]

http://jalopnik.com/5873508/gm-confirms-mystery-detroit-auto-show-concept-a-chevy

This gets me excited, I hope a new chevelle.

[Th3Juggernaut]

probably be a smaller four door to compete with the new dodge dart