GM Runs Scared?

fireball

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GM is discontinuing their high performance division.

Looks like they won't play at the top anymore. Too bad.

I don't like the Corvette but anyone that understands performance has to respect the car. It's an awesome car at a great price. I think the Vette will continue on but the likes of the Z06 and the ZR1 will be no more - too bad.

General Motors scraps high-performance division

Greg
 

viperpalmer

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With the original production numbers to be limited to 2000 and currently looking at the other forums only as far as 650 has been delivered (as of late decemeber/early January) with an actual production number looking more like less than a thousand (many speculate 883), I can see why. Why each dealership is making money on the cars (or at least did in the beginning) by marking up the car significantly, the actual plant looses money on each car. So much so when looking to market the car in the UK there were speculations that they would mark up the MSRP to closer to 200k according to some of the corvette forums.
Jared O'Brien
Palmer Dodge
 

CarDude

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GM is discontinuing their high performance division.

Looks like they won't play at the top anymore. Too bad.

I don't like the Corvette but anyone that understands performance has to respect the car. It's an awesome car at a great price. I think the Vette will continue on but the likes of the Z06 and the ZR1 will be no more - too bad.

General Motors scraps high-performance division

Greg

Sign of the times :rant:
 

VIPER R

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Everything goes in cycles. Back in the 60's all the companies got out of racing, then came the GTO. In the 70's it was the end of everything that advertised horse-power. In the 80's, lets just forget the 80's. The 90's back to normal. Now we get to do it all over again. It might be time to go back to the 50's and start building our own hot rods.
 

CarDude

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Everything goes in cycles. Back in the 60's all the companies got out of racing, then came the GTO. In the 70's it was the end of everything that advertised horse-power. In the 80's, lets just forget the 80's. The 90's back to normal. Now we get to do it all over again. It might be time to go back to the 50's and start building our own hot rods.

I agree but in those days the big three weren't all in danger of bankruptcy.
 

Kala

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I don't think this applies to the ZR1... or Z06 for that matter.

Seems like it is the Cobalt SS , HHR SS and the Caddy V cars that are going away.
 
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fireball

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I don't think this applies to the ZR1... or Z06 for that matter.

Seems like it is the Cobalt SS , HHR SS and the Caddy V cars that are going away.

The story specifically mentions the ZR-1....... I read it on the interenet so it must be true!
 

Kala

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Left lane is the only article that included the vette in the closing division...
The story is in a lot of newspapers mentions the other cars, but not the ZR1...

How credible is leftlane? I don't have a clue..:dunno:
 

CarDude

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Remember...it didn't say these cars were going out of production, it says they are not going to research improving them anymore. That means any and all could be axed at a time in which their sales being to slow (G8 GXP is high on the list for the axe...they just aren't selling). With the current administration in the White House, you can be assured that GM and Chrysler will feel the "long arm of the law" when it comes to their expenditures while asking for money from the Federal government. Obama just had the presidential address regarding the astronomical spending bill with a HUGE emphasis on GREEN expenditures. These performance cars look bad to the current leadship, so who cares about the Viper and ZR1's short term if the companies cease to exist.
 

ACRJUD

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***** for thoes engineers who were working on projects like the ZR1 and how have to work on pontiacs and normal chevy cars.

Without cars like the Z06 and ZR1 I doubt Dodge would have made a 600hp viper. Competition is good for both companies to push the limits.
 

Mopar426

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I guess everyone can forget about an RS or SS Camaro going into production... Makes the SRT8 Challenger a more desirable car. Competition just got killed...


Yeah but competition is a GOOD thing.......without it there is no incentive.:(
 

Warfang

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***** for thoes engineers who were working on projects like the ZR1 and how have to work on pontiacs and normal chevy cars.

Without cars like the Z06 and ZR1 I doubt Dodge would have made a 600hp viper. Competition is good for both companies to push the limits.

I believe Pontiac along with Saturn just got axed altogether.
 

Coloviper

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Better trounce on a ZR1 and ACR while you can cause they WILL be in demand sooner or later in the future. Production killed, government killed, Company killed, whatever as it does not matter. It is just another reason to jump up demand for the future since there will be less of them made.

Too bad, but it is where everything is going. People will be hoping up Smart cars because that is all that will be sold. Looking at Excursions like some 50's Lead Sled.

Be thankful you have what you have now and hold on to them.
 

FastZilla

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Dodge definitely wouldn't have needed to make the ACR as serious as they did. The Gen 4 engine with VVT is the platform to push the NA engine envelope to the 700HP mark & beyond. After that I think the Gen 5 would be a 4v motor.

All purely my own personal speculation...or wishful thinking ;)

If I read the article correctly we really need to find out the planned "production run" of the ZR1 and plan your purchase accordingly. Yes, I am admitting I'm interested in owning one. I've never been a Vette guy - add all GM cars in there as well. I have always loved the "performance" battle between the Big 3 - we the consumers have always reaped the benefits. It sincerely pains me to think and see the dissolution of "speed" factions of the Big 3. If they are in fact killing the ZR1 at the end of planned production - I too would like to have that piece of American super car brutality (compared to the sewing machine v-12s of the Ferrari's and Lambos). Ferrari's and Lambos DO NOT shake the ground like American muscle.

I hope it all comes around - we are really a country that in a large way are defined by our unique "car" culture.

Without cars like the Z06 and ZR1 I doubt Dodge would have made a 600hp viper. Competition is good for both companies to push the limits.
 

Kala

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I just read this article this morning... According to it GM needs 60B to survive... :omg:
If that's the case, all of GM might go under...
********************************************************

STOCKHOLM – General Motors Corp.'s Swedish-based subsidiary Saab filed for bankruptcy protection Friday so it can be spun off or sold by its struggling U.S. parent, officials said.
The move comes after Sweden turned down GM's request for government help for Saab.
An application to reorganize the Swedish-based unit was filed at a district court in Vanersborg, in southwestern Sweden, Saab spokeswoman Margareta Hogstrom said.
The Swedish government on Wednesday rejected a request from loss-making GM to inject money into the carmaker. GM, which is seeking help from the U.S. government to avoid bankruptcy at home, has been looking for buyers for Saab but said it needs more funding to spin off or sell the division.
"We explored and will continue to explore all available options for funding and/or selling Saab and it was determined a formal restructuring would be the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment," Saab's managing director, Jan Ake Jonsson, said in a statement.
The move would give Saab protection from creditors while it restructures in a process similar to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S.
"Pending court approval, the reorganization will be executed over a three-month period and will require independent funding to succeed," Saab said, adding it would seek funding "from both public and private sources."
However, government officials seemed to rule out financial assistance. "I'm not sure what they're referring to, because support in the form of money is not on the agenda," Industry Ministry spokesman Hakan Lind said.
Industry Minister Maud Olofsson told Swedish news agency TT it was "very hard to say what our role will be."
On Wednesday, Olofsson rejected GM's plea for state funding for Saab, saying it was up to the U.S. automaker to save the brand.
In its own restructuring plan, GM said Tuesday it would need up to $30 billion from the U.S. Treasury Department, up from a previous estimate of $18 billion and including $13.4 billion it has already received. It also said it would need to cut 47,000 jobs worldwide and close five more U.S. factories
GM said it needed about $6 billion in support from the governments of Canada, Germany, Britain, Sweden and Thailand to provide liquidity for its overseas operations in those countries.
The Detroit automaker said it had developed a proposal that would cap its financial support of Saab with the Trollhattan-based automaker's operations "effectively becoming an independent business entity" by Jan. 1, 2010.
Saab has around 4,500 workers in more than 50 countries. Its main markets include the U.S. Britain, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Australia, France, the Netherlands, and Norway, with most of its production located in Sweden.
 

viperpalmer

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Better trounce on a ZR1 and ACR while you can cause they WILL be in demand sooner or later in the future. Production killed, government killed, Company killed, whatever as it does not matter. It is just another reason to jump up demand for the future since there will be less of them made.

Too bad, but it is where everything is going. People will be hoping up Smart cars because that is all that will be sold. Looking at Excursions like some 50's Lead Sled.

Be thankful you have what you have now and hold on to them.

That is funny you say that because a company who boosted up a Z06 of ours now is primarily doing bigger turbos and things for smart cars. :omg:
 

gb66gth

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In the end, we as unthustiasts all lose from this kind of news.
Unfortunately, the Viper may not be far behind.
 

Alexarz

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I'm going to hang on to my '06 Viper for dear life since it has the most potential of all these cars, in the form of Underground Twin Turbos. The Gen 3 and older Vipers will be the ones that will go up because of their compatibility with boost, especially the GTS' because of their looks.
 

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