Here Is The Next Musclecar

[Rogue]

Yup.  The Evil Conglomerate is just eager to please everyone.  The Pontiac G8 goes on sale.  Already seen the ads in the moto-mags.

http://www.pontiac.com/g8/index.jsp

[ksann]

Looks hot, but will it be a rattle bucket in three years?



ken

[shah269]

Looks hot, but will it be a rattle bucket in three days?



ken

sorry mate couldn't help it!
My 02 VW Jetta has 55k miles on it. Quiet as a mouse!

[Rogue]

Looks hot, but will it be a rattle bucket in three years?
ken

Very good point Ken.  GM is definitely notorious for that.

Having owned a 2001 Saturn L300 with well over 56k miles on it, I would say they have improved tremendously.  Only now do I notice a slight rattle near the glovebox, although I suspect it's something loose inside there.

In the 1980's-90's, GM interiors were the worst rattle traps in the industry.  With the exception of our VW, which not only rattled, but fell apart inside and out.  Sorry Shah.  VW still occupies the bottom of the reliability list, rattle or no rattle.

[greench440]

How can a musclecar have 4 doors?  This is hotter:

[swimmer]

lets see, A 6 liter engine when gas is over $3/gallon and climbing and when all sensible people are trying (should be) to reduce their consumption.  Way to go GM.  Morons.  I hope if flops.

[greench440]

lets see, A 6 liter engine when gas is over $3/gallon and climbing and when all sensible people are trying (should be) to reduce their consumption.  Way to go GM.  Morons.  I hope if flops.

Gotta agree with you there.  This is why the American auto makers are doomed in the long run.  They can't compete in the world market and the home market dynamics are changing faster than Detroit can keep up with.

[Rogue]

I guess this is why Chrysler can't sell enough 300's with Hemi's in them huh?

People, how about being a little positive.  If you're not into cars, STFU and go to another thread!  

[Rogue]

How can a musclecar have 4 doors?  This is hotter:

Agree!  But that's not for sale yet so it doesn't count.  It only counts against this:



Besides, you can't bring up the 4-door thing then post Chargers when Chrysler has been selling these like hot cakes!



Especially since they coverted this......



To this....

[greench440]

I'm totally into cars.  My comments are not those of someone who thinks cars are evil, but someone tired of looking at detriot and not seeing anything remotely interesting.  Having been burned in the 80s, 90s and 00s by crappy GM and Ford products, these companies have work to do to get me back in the showroom.  I also had an American built Toyota Tacoma that was a POS and has sworn me off any car built in North America, regardless of brand.  Our Japanese built Toyota Celica has been a rock for going on 12 years and 140k miles.

Look at the tanking sales numbers for GM's new GMT900 trucks which hit the market at just the wrong time. The company put all their eggs into the big truck/SUV market that has been killed by $3+ gas.  Ford is in even worse shape.  These companies had zero competitive small cars to pull out of their back pocket to respond to the market.  Chrysler has been bought out by a bunch of non car guys from a capital management hedge fund and is about to get stripped and flipped.

Where is Ford, Chrysler and GM's answer to the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, etc?   These are cars that other makers are already building in other parts of the world and can quickly bring to the US when the market shifted on gas prices.  Hint the answer is not the Korean made Aveo.

The new Malibu is a step in the right direction, let's hope it's not too little too late.

Try these car blogs if you haven't already discovered them:

jalopnik.com
thetruthaboutcars.com

[greench440]

Who is posting Chargers?  That pic is clearly a 2 door Challenger.

It was criminal when Chrysler brought the Charger out with four doors.  

[baldheadeddork]

I guess this is why Chrysler can't sell enough 300's with Hemi's in them huh?

Besides, you can't bring up the 4-door thing then post Chargers when Chrysler has been selling these like hot cakes!

The 300 is selling so well that Chrysler is having to put a $2500 rebate on them - including the hemi-powered 300C.

BTW - that rebate is the biggest currently offered in the entire Chrysler line...

There's the same deal on the Charger R/T, too. V-6 Chargers only get a $1500 rebate.

As a rule you don't hang big rebates on cars that are selling like hot cakes...

[chornbe]

GM can suck it. They're complete ass now. Their pooch is screwed. Their clown is de-wigged. Whatever metaphor you throw at them, GM can still suck it. Hard and long and even with teeth. I don't care.

$.02

/rant about GM who can suck it.
 

[katzke]

I grew up with japanese and german cars. If you didn't have to be a watchmaker to work on one, I'd own a german car, by choice... Japanese by and far have been catching up in build quality, but still make cars that feel like sewing machines versus when put next to a real sports car engine.

American carmakers? Pah. Give me a freakin' break. I've had to drive a Pontiac Grand Prix and a Chevy Malibu ... same frame, btw, same mushy handling and steering, same horrible interior ergonomics, same gutless "v6" ... I had to fill up the wiper fluid on the Grand Prix, and I was shocked to see a V6 under there. I thought it was a four banger with really shitty mileage.

American carmakers are JUST starting to catch up with what people want in an *exterior* ... they have yet to figure it out under the hood and on the interior.

Give me an american car that's lightweight without feeling fragile, with a solid engine that really puts power down, a sports suspension, and that gets 40+mpg ... and I'd *think* about buying one used after they'd been on the market for a few years.

[Galo]

This is why the American auto makers are doomed in the long run.  They can't compete in the world market and the home market dynamics are changing faster than Detroit can keep up with.

Funny you say that, when the basic platform for this car was not created in the US....
 

Not that that would make me buy it or not, it's just not one of my priorities right now...

[Galo]

Give me an american car that's lightweight without feeling fragile, with a solid engine that really puts power down, a sports suspension, and that gets 40+mpg ... and I'd *think* about buying one used after they'd been on the market for a few years.

And what non-American car has this combination?

[Mike-H]

All front wheel drive cars are "DITCH PIGS" & therefore not worthy of the title muscle/ performance/ or sports car....& we are talking front wheel not all wheel or rear wheel.....so declared by the car gods ....

[swimmer]

I guess this is why Chrysler can't sell enough 300's with Hemi's in them huh?

People, how about being a little positive.  If you're not into cars, STFU and go to another thread!  

How about I would like GM to succeed and start kicking ass.  They come out with a car like this because its easy to design rather than something that has some potential to sell in large volumes - like something that competes with cars like the Camry or Civic that sell in the 100,000's.  A car like this G8 will probably get some good press, by people who don't have to fill the tank with their own money, because its fast etc... and a few hundred red necks will buy it and then in two years it won't be worth shit.  The success  of GM will not be had by committing design dollars to cars like this.  Does Honda or Toyota have a car like this?  Nope, and the last time I checked neither company was loosing money.  Should GM copy Toyota or Honda exactly?  No, but its pretty obvious that they are doing something right and GM should get a clue.  GM should be planning for what kind of cars people will want to buy when gas is over $5/gallon and not these low volume niche markets.  Yeah, a Corolla is not exactly as glamorous as the G8 but I'd rather be selling a car in the millions of units rather than the thousands.

[Rogue]

Look at the tanking sales numbers for GM's new GMT900 trucks which hit the market at just the wrong time. The company put all their eggs into the big truck/SUV market that has been killed by $3+ gas.  Ford is in even worse shape.  These companies had zero competitive small cars to pull out of their back pocket to respond to the market.  Chrysler has been bought out by a bunch of non car guys from a capital management hedge fund and is about to get stripped and flipped.
Where is Ford, Chrysler and GM's answer to the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, etc?  

Thanks for the links.

In case you haven't looked, GM has gone back to profitability beginning 2007 and is making a strong finanical comeback.  The GMT900 truck sales is pretty strong considering they haven't even been out a whole 12 months!  BTW, the largest market in the US is light trucks.  Ford sold over 900k light trucks in 2006.  Should GM ignore this market?  Of course not!  They did the right thing by coming up with the GMT900 light trucks.  

In any case, I have said this before, the car market in N.A. lies in Light Trucks and Mid-size sedans.  It is NOT in compact cars!  The Fit, Yaris, and others....these things are just a way to lower ones CAFE average.  You will not see America lining up for these things!  They will continue to buy the mid-size cars and light trucks.  This is why GM is attacking this segment with the new Malibu.  

You gotta look beyond what YOU think is the best car for America and instead look at what people are REALLY buying.  Just because many people here think it's cool to drive around in Prius or Scion, doesn't mean it is THE right car for everyone.  For that same reason, the muscle cars are NOT the right car for everyone either.  But if you are the type that likes them, the cars above are really cool. Let's not over analyze the car market and just discuss the cool cars above.  If you don't think it's cool then move on or start a discussion on whatever else you think is cool.

[Rogue]

IGive me an american car that's lightweight without feeling fragile, with a solid engine that really puts power down, a sports suspension, and that gets 40+mpg ... and I'd *think* about buying one used after they'd been on the market for a few years.

 

Then go to Auto Trader and buy a used Mini.  Musclecars are not for you.  Move on.